ARTICLES

Menu design

Restaurant menu design and layout

Radeimo designs menu layouts for restaurants, cafés and other dining establishments that are easy to read, straightforward to understand and ready for print or digital use.
Readability
Categories
The logic behind prices
Print or QR
Purpose of the menu

The menu should help people choose

A good menu is more than just an attractive list of dishes. It should help you find categories quickly, understand the prices, spot the best offers and get a feel for the character of the place.
01

Organised categories

Dishes should be arranged in such a way that people do not have to spend too long looking for them.
02

Readable text

The font and contrast must be effective not only on screen but also in the printed menu.

03

Clear presentation of prices

The price should be easy to find, but should not overshadow the dish.
Example

How to make a drinks menu more user-friendly and appealing

This example of the Omar Khayyam CHAYKHANA drinks menu shows that menu design is not just about a pretty background. This project required us to accommodate a wide range of drinks, ensure readability on an A4 page, use real photographs of the drinks, and demonstrate how customers can choose from cocktails, shots and other drinks.

Real photos

Instead of generic illustrations, photographs of the restaurant’s actual drinks have been used, so the menu presents a real picture rather than an abstract promise.

Simple menu logic

This section was presented as an easy-to-use builder: you first choose a flavour base, then the alcohol.

A4 format discipline

The information is arranged so the menu remains readable, organised and practical in a restaurant setting.

Omar Khayyam CHAYKHANA drinks menu mock-up collage
Before layout

What needs to be prepared before designing the menu

The more organised the material is, the fewer revisions are needed after design. Before layout, it is worth having not only the dish list, but also a clear logic for how guests should read it.

Dishes

The final, or nearly final, menu.

Categories

Snacks, main courses, desserts, drinks or whatever else you’d like to include.

Prices

Prices must be clear, presented in a standard format and leave no room for guesswork.

Descriptions

Short descriptions that help you understand the dish without cluttering up the page.

Languages

Lithuanian, English or other languages, if the menu is intended for multiple audiences.

Format

For print, QR menus, one-page, multi-page or table card formats.
Before and after

The same information may look completely different

The most common problem isn’t the menu information itself. The problem arises when categories, prices and highlights are arranged in a way that defies logical reading.

Before

A long list with no categories

Prices and descriptions get lost in the text.

The same emphasis on everything

People don’t know where to start.

After

A popular choice

A brief description and the exact price.
8,90 €

Organised categories

It is easy to move to the next section.
6,50 €
Scope of the service

What goes into menu design

Menu layout begins with a review of the content, as the design must serve not only aesthetic purposes but also the logic behind the choices.
1

Content review

Dishes, drinks, categories and the overall menu scope are reviewed.

2

Structural priority

The information hierarchy is arranged, along with what people need to compare quickly.

3

Visual direction

The style, format, use of photos and menu character are aligned.
4

Layout design

Structure, fonts, highlights, prices, descriptions and pages are arranged.
5

Revisions

Details, copy, prices, photos and row logic are refined.
6

File preparation

A PDF or a file suitable for both print and digital use is produced.

Price range

How much does it cost to design a restaurant menu?

The design of a restaurant menu can start from €180. The price depends on the number of pages, the number of dishes or drinks, the languages, the complexity of the categories, the preparation of the photographs provided for the layout, and any revisions.

Price range
from €180

A simpler menu layout may be quicker to produce, whereas a menu in several languages and formats featuring real photographs requires more structure and preparation.

Prices are indicative, exclude VAT and are issued under individual activity.
Initial layout
A well-organised structure
File for use
1

Number of pages

Whether it’s a single sheet, several pages, place cards or a QR menu, the scope of the work changes.
2

Quantity of food or drink

The more rows there are, the more important the categories, spacing and price hierarchy become.
3

Languages and categories

Menus in several languages or complex categories require a more robust structure.
4

Photos and revisions

If real photographs are used, they must be prepared for the layout and harmonised with the overall design.

Please read this before placing your order "Menu design for a restaurant: what to prepare before layout".
Let’s discuss

Do you have a draft menu, but it doesn’t look like a proper menu yet?

First of all, it is worth reviewing the layout – that is, what the customer should see straight away, what is important to compare quickly, and where images would make it easier to choose.

Contact