Guides · Last reviewed 27 September 2026

How to design a pub menu that sells (and people can actually read)

Your menu is the only thing every single customer reads. It’s your salesperson at every table, and in a lot of pubs it hasn’t had a proper look since prices were last changed with a biro.

Here are 12 practical, no-nonsense ways to design a pub menu that’s easier to read, sells the dishes you want to sell, and doesn’t cost a fortune to keep up to date.

1. Start with fewer dishes

A focused menu is easier to read, quicker to cook and easier to price. Aim for roughly 5–7 choices per section. If a dish rarely sells and needs its own ingredients, it’s probably costing you more than it earns.

2. Group it the way people order

Starters and sharers → mains → pub classics → burgers and grills → sides → desserts → kids. Put drinks on a separate card or page. Use clear, short section names: “Pub classics” beats “From our kitchen to your table”.

3. Give your signature dishes the spotlight

Pick 2–3 dishes you’re proud of that also make good money. Give each one a small box, a border or a “house favourite” label. People’s eyes go to anything that looks different, so use it sparingly; if everything’s highlighted, nothing is.

4. Write descriptions that make people hungry

Say where it’s from and how it’s cooked: “8oz Yorkshire sirloin, chargrilled, with triple-cooked chips and peppercorn sauce” sells better than “Steak & chips”. Keep each description to one or two lines. Skip the clichés (“delicious”, “mouth-watering”).

5. Don’t line prices up in a column

A neat column of prices down the right-hand side invites people to scan for the cheapest thing. Put the price at the end of the description instead, in the same size as the text.

6. Consider dropping the £ sign

A widely cited 2009 Cornell University study found diners spent more when prices were written without a currency symbol. Writing 14.5 instead of £14.50 also looks cleaner. It’s a style choice, but make it consistent.

7. Price with a plan

Know what each dish costs you to make, and work out your gross profit before you set the price. A single higher-priced “anchor” dish (the sharing board, the big steak) makes everything else look reasonable.

8. Make it readable in a dark pub

• Minimum 10–11pt text on a printed menu
• Strong contrast: dark text on a light background, or the reverse
• No more than two fonts
• Plenty of space between sections

If you have to squint to read it in the snug, it’s too small.

9. Handle allergens properly

Use allergen codes or icons on each dish (e.g. V, VG, GF), plus a full allergen chart. The Food Standards Agency’s 2025 best-practice guidance recommends giving allergen information in writing and backing it up with a conversation.

10. Use photos carefully

One or two great photos of your signature dishes can help. Lots of small, dark photos make a pub menu look like a takeaway flyer. If a photo isn’t good enough for Instagram, it’s not good enough for your menu.

11. Design for print and phone

Most customers still want a printed menu, so make it look great on the table: laminated or on good card. Then add a QR code that opens the same menu on their phone, with allergens, specials and up-to-date prices. That’s the part you can change tonight without reprinting.

12. Make updates easy

Prices go up. Suppliers change. The kitchen tries a new special. If changing your menu means paying a designer and reprinting 50 copies, it won’t happen often enough. Keep a master copy, and use a live online menu for day-to-day changes.

A quick checklist before you print

• 5–7 choices per section, grouped the way people order
• 2–3 signature dishes highlighted
• Descriptions of one or two lines, saying where it’s from and how it’s cooked
• Prices at the end of descriptions, formatted consistently
• Readable at 10–11pt or larger, strong contrast, max two fonts
• Allergen codes plus a written allergen chart
• QR code to the live menu
• Spell-checked, prices double-checked

Want it done for you?

Pewter redesigns pub menus in your style, gives you print-ready files, and puts the same menu live on every customer’s phone with a QR code on each table. You see your redesign before you pay a penny. Then it’s £9 a month, with your first month free.

Get your menu redesigned →

Questions

How many items should a pub menu have?

There's no fixed rule, but most pubs do better with a focused menu: roughly 5–7 choices per section. Long menus slow people down, make the kitchen harder to run, and make it harder to highlight your best dishes.

Should I put the £ sign on my menu?

Many menu designers leave it off and write prices as plain numbers (e.g. 14.5). A 2009 Cornell University study found guests spent more when prices were shown without a currency sign. Do what suits your pub's style, just keep it consistent.

Do pubs still need printed menus if they have a QR code?

Yes. Most customers still like a printed menu. Use a QR code alongside it for allergens, specials and up-to-date prices, not instead of it.