· 3 min read
Spice levels and heat indicators: symbols that guests trust
How to mark heat on a restaurant menu so guests believe the scale: one legend, consistent chilli marks, words that back the icons, and what never to leave to colour alone. · 4 min read
Menu copy for tourist areas: clarity without dumbing down
How to write restaurant menu copy in tourist areas that guests from anywhere can order from, without flattening the dishes or sounding like a guidebook. · 5 min read
Service charge, cover and footnotes: the small print done clearly
How to set service, cover charge and legal footnotes so guests can read them: size, placement, wording, and the lines that prevent an argument when the bill arrives. · 6 min read
Menu proofreading checklist: read it like a guest, then like a lawyer
A two-pass proofreading checklist for restaurant menus before print: the guest pass for sense, flow and prices, the legal pass for allergens, origin and mandatory mentions. · 6 min read
The chef's note: writing a short menu introduction guests actually read
How to write a chef's note or menu introduction that earns its place: length, what to say, what to cut, where it sits on the card and how to set it so it reads in a dim room. · 5 min read
Menu headings that organise: starters, small plates or something else?
How to name and order the sections of a restaurant menu so guests find their way: classic courses, sharing formats, ingredient-led sections and the headings that confuse. · 5 min read
Describing wine on a menu: notes that help rather than intimidate
How to write wine descriptions for a restaurant list guests actually use: the six facts every line needs, a 12-word note format, what to leave out and how to lay out the list. · 5 min read
Menu copy mistakes: typos, inconsistencies and the capital-letter epidemic
The copy errors that make a restaurant menu look cheaper than the food: misspelled dishes, mixed capitalisation, inconsistent prices and units, and a fix for each one. · 5 min read
Provenance on menus: naming farms and boats without writing an essay
How to show local sourcing on a menu without turning every dish into a paragraph: what to name, where to put suppliers, legal rules on origin claims and clean layouts. · 5 min read
Tone of voice on a menu: from playful to formal, and how to hold it
How to pick a tone of voice for your menu copy, keep it consistent across 40 dishes, and match it to your room, your prices and your typography, with rewritten examples. · 5 min read
Bilingual menu layouts: two languages on one card without the mess
Four proven ways to lay out a bilingual restaurant menu, with type sizes, column widths and spacing that keep both languages legible, and when two cards are better. · 5 min read