The 50 Best Restaurant Menu Designs That Outshine the Food
Working on a menu for a restaurant, cafe, or bakery? Take a look at these designs that look good enough to eat!
In the world of dining, it’s not just about what’s on the plate; it’s also about what’s on the page. A great restaurant menu can elevate the dining experience by turning a simple list of dishes into an engaging visual journey. So, bid farewell to boring and overused restaurant menu templates and use these 50 fabulous menu design ideas as your guide to creating something truly unique.
Know Your Restaurant’s Identity: What’s Your Service Style?
Before diving into the most creative restaurant menu design ideas, there’s one crucial question to answer – what’s your service style? Understanding your restaurant’s identity is key to designing a menu that complements and enhances your dining experience.
So, ask yourself a few additional questions. Are you aiming for a casual, laid-back vibe, or are you focusing on a more formal, fine-dining experience? Whether you run a cozy coffee shop, an upscale restaurant, or a few local food trucks, it’s essential for your menu to reflect your unique atmosphere and align with your brand identity and restaurant style.
With this in mind, not all of the restaurant menu design ideas in this article will be perfect for every establishment. However, you might decide to adopt some parts – the color scheme, the layout, or some specific design elements. Whatever the case, the sheer creativity behind these restaurant menu ideas can serve as inspiration to help you find the perfect style for your restaurant’s theme (and its physical and online menu).
The Best of the Best of the Restaurant Menu Design
Whether you’re looking to open a new restaurant or revamp your existing menu online or offline, the menus of these 50 restaurants should serve as the perfect inspiration. After all, these restaurant menu designs look good enough to eat!
1. BarcelonaShop
BarcelonaShop brings a chalkboard art approach to this pizza restaurant menu.
2. El Calotipo
El Calotipo uses a letterpress on a wooden base to achieve this rustic cafe menu look. There are no photos – the menu offerings tell the entire story through their meticulously crafted typography and menu layout.
3. Guuver
Guuver uses a newspaper-inspired design for this appealing restaurant menu.
4. The ForeFathers
The ForeFathers design team used minimal elements to make a powerful impact with this pub menu. Appetizers? Check! Sandwiches? Check! Salads? Great menu? Double check!
5. Amber Asay
Amber Asay puts a vintage typography style to work with this local restaurant menu. This beautiful menu features no images yet captivates with its elegant typefaces and classic layout.
6. For Brands
For Brands wanted to keep this Japanese restaurant menu classic and refined with black and white, but added a touch of whimsy by rolling it up like sushi. No menu template can match this creativity.
7. Luuqas Design
Luuqas Design goes for an elegant restaurant menu design with a nod toward vintage typography.
8. Donovan Brien
Calling this design colorful doesn’t remotely do it justice. Donovan Brien used traditional Turkish patterns for this breathtaking modern restaurant menu design with the restaurant logo front and center.
9. DigitalPen
DigitalPen brings a bright and stylish modern style that may outshine the food at the restaurant that uses this design.
10. Netkoff
Netkoff puts emphasis on strong visual appeal with this modern cocktail menu design.
11. Taxi
When you need to show just how mouthwatering a restaurant’s pizza really is, you turn the menu into a book. Taxi does a great job with this fresh and modern deep dish menu.
12. Luuqas Design
Luuqas Design incorporates retro colors, vintage ribbons and bold visuals for a restaurant menu that fits in perfectly at a burger joint.
13. Neworld Associates and Steve Simpson
Neworld Associates and Steve Simpson joined forces to create a restaurant menu that looks so good, that it should be framed and hung on the mantle.
14. Nathan Knight Design
Nathan Knight Design incorporates modern elements with eye-catching food photography in this restaurant menu design.
15. Moulsari Jain
Does a leather-bound book menu sound appealing? Moulsari Jain thought so and created this gorgeous piece that fits right in on the bookshelf.
16. Leyla Muratovic
Leyla Muratovic’s modern typography work is almost too good to be true on this tapas menu.
17. Elfivetrov
You don’t commonly see flat design in restaurant menus, but it works out great in Elfivetrov’s sushi design.
18. A Little Vintage Shop
A Little Vintage Shop puts together a blackboard-style restaurant menu design with a ton of vintage elements.
19. Tzochko
In the mood for a rugged and outdoorsy menu that would fit in perfectly at a BBQ place or a steakhouse? Tzochko nails the Wild West bold headers and the food photo placement.
20. Elle Benway
Who says you can’t have fun with your food? Elle Benway modeled this menu after a pop-up book, with a modern visual appeal and lots of interactive elements.
21. Folsom Creative Studio
Folsom Creative Studio moved away from a typical restaurant menu design for a fan-opening approach that screams modern design.
22. Jennifer Lucey-Brzoza
Jennifer Lucey-Brzoza accents this modern menu with a floral design.
23. Devicq Design
The vintage typography sets the tone for this fresh and fun menu design by Devicq Design.
24. Forgraphic
This minimal menu by Forgraphic uses a box arrangement and a simple design to keep attention on the food choices.
25. Jacob Boyles
Everyone would look forward to Taco Tuesday if they ran across this modern menu design by Jacob Boyles.
26. Ilya Levit, Danil Kartashev, Alina Stebletsova, Aleksey Proselkov and Artemiy Copper
The minimalist Ragu menu design by Ilya Levit, Danil Kartashev, Alina Stebletsova, Aleksey Proselkov and Artemiy Copper lets the food get front and center.
27. Luis Quesada Design
Luis Quesada Design mixes bright oranges and greens for a modern take on a classic burger menu.
28. TheGraphicsWorld
This rustic menu design gets a few standout touches by TheGraphicsWorld.
29. Dane Danner
Have you ever wanted to see an illuminated menu? Dane Danner puts together a menu design that wouldn’t look out of place in the Renaissance era.
30. Restaurant Menu & Logos
Minimal and beautiful are the two perfect words to describe this design by Restaurant Menu & Logos.
31. &Smith
This pop-art-style sushi menu is as modern as it gets, with bright infographic-style visuals by &Smith.
32. Lo Siento
Lo Siento steals the show with these black and white vintage illustrations paired up with a minimal restaurant menu.
33. Marchie
The balance of colors, modern headers and line illustrations by Marchie add up to a great piece of eye candy.
34. Micael Butial
This fish is as fresh as it gets, with vibrant blues contrasting with coral and orange highlights by Micael Butial.
35. Design Addict
One look at this exciting modern ice cream menu by Design Addict will have everyone lining up to grab a cone.
36. Barcelona Shop
Barcelona Shop makes wonderful use of line drawings and fresh modern colors on this fish menu.
37. Ann Reus
Ann Reus delights the eyes with perfectly placed food photos scattered around a refined and classic menu design.
38. Ida Claire
Ida Claire shows a stunning mastery of vintage typography, as well as a flair for incorporating unexpected elements into a Victorian design.
39. Eszter Laki
Dim sum menus can be difficult to perfect, since you have to accommodate for customers writing on it. Eszter Laki has no trouble putting together this clear and lovely design.
40. Diagram Design
Diagram Design combined modern appeal with a retro newspaper look in this Cuban menu.
41. Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy presents a classic fish menu design with plenty of visual flair.
42. Adam&Co
Rugged menu design by Adam&Co goes for a modern rustic look with some Asian influences.
43. Foreign Policy Singapore
Foreign Policy Singapore starts off your experience at The Clifford Pier with a gorgeous vintage postcard menu.
44. Julia Jacque
Classic greens and golds combine through strong visual direction with Julia Jacque’s work.
45. Marchie
Marchie’s coffee menu is a work of art, with a blend of typography that delights the eyes.
46. Nenad Popadic
Nenad Popadic masters the unique style of this bar and restaurant, with a modern and hip vibe.
47. Julia Jacqueline Warnock
The illustrations on this menu by Julia Jacqueline Warnock have a timeless appeal that matches well with the drinks list.
48. Tractorbeam
It’s hard not to fall in love with Tractorbeam’s excellent work putting together a clever and colorful menu.
49. Brennan Barrows
This signature list of cocktails by Brennan Barrows nearly leaps off the page at you, with a stunning visual direction.
50. Vigor
How many menus can transform into something else? The team at Vigor designed this modern piece of art so customers could turn it into an origami crane.
Say Goodbye to Restaurant Menu Templates: Here’s How to Create a Quality Menu That Looks Better Than the Food
Not sure how to create a well-designed menu that will bring in numerous potential customers? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Don’t place too many options under a single menu category. Decision fatigue is real!
- Keep all your high-margin items in the golden triangle area, stretching from the center toward the top-right corner. This is the area that customers naturally look at first.
- Don’t overdo it with the food menu images. Less is more! Also, quality always trumps quantity.
- Research the psychological impact of your desired color scheme before finalizing your restaurant design.
- Use recognizable icons and simple illustrations instead of lengthy descriptions for things like food preferences (e.g. gluten-free) and seasonal dishes.
- Make sure your menu works both as an online menu and in print.
- Balance creativity with clarity to ensure your menu is both visually appealing and easy to navigate. For instance, a bright font on a white space isn’t a particularly great choice for readability.
Download these worksheets and start practicing with simple instructions and tracing exercises.
Download now!
Making beautiful design simple & accessible to all.
View More Posts
