Menu Design: Do’s & Don’ts

📋 Menu Design Do’s & Don’ts: A Quick Guide to Mouthwatering Menus

You can have the best gumbo in the city, the most decadent crème brûlée, the juiciest po’boy… but if your menu looks like a Word doc from 2003, guests may never discover what makes your food unforgettable.

At Midnight Boheme, we’ve designed menus for restaurants, cafés, cocktail lounges, bakeries, and bistros across New Orleans and beyond. And if there’s one thing we know, it’s this: Good design makes good food even better.

Let’s dig in to the essential Do’s & Don’ts of menu design that make your guests hungry (and help your business thrive).

✅ DO: Match Your Menu to Your Brand

Your menu is part of the experience, not just a list of dishes.

• Use brand fonts, colors, and tone of voice

• Echo your décor and ambiance in the design

• Let the menu feel like part of the setting (rustic, elegant, funky, minimal, etc.)

🖼 Think of your menu like décor your guests can hold.

❌ DON’T: Use Too Many Fonts or Clashing Colors

Mixing five fonts and a rainbow of shades is a fast track to chaos.

• Stick to 1–2 font families with hierarchy

• Limit your color palette for elegance and clarity

• Avoid overly trendy typefaces that may age poorly

🎨 If your guests can’t read it, they won’t order it.

✅ DO: Create Visual Hierarchy

Guests scan menus. Help guide their eyes with:

• Bold headers and section dividers

• Spacing between categories and items

• Highlights for signature or best-selling dishes

👀 Organized menus sell more food. Period.

❌ DON’T: Let Price Drive the Eye

Avoid leading guests straight to the numbers.

• Align prices subtly, not with dotted lines

• Keep dollar signs off unless required

• Emphasize value through descriptions, not cost

💵 Let the flavors shine—not the finances.

✅ DO: Use Descriptions That Tempt

Your dish names should paint a picture.

• Highlight ingredients, origin, or process

• Use descriptive language that evokes taste, texture, aroma

• Keep it short, but make it delicious

✍️ Don’t just say “Roast Chicken.” Say “Crispy Herb-Roasted Chicken with Citrus Pan Sauce.”

❌ DON’T: Overcrowd the Page

White space is your friend.

• Avoid cramming too many items onto one menu

• Consider separate menus for drinks, desserts, specials

• Use breathing room to reduce stress and enhance readability

📄 A cluttered menu is an overwhelming menu.

✅ DO: Design for Durability and Use

Think about how and where your menu will be used.

• Laminate or protect daily-use menus

• Choose weatherproof materials for outdoor patios

• Ensure legibility in low-light environments

🧾 Beautiful menus should hold up to fingerprints and wine spills, too.

❌ DON’T: Forget to Update

Menus should evolve with your offerings and seasons.

• Keep pricing current

• Add seasonal graphics or inserts

• Review and redesign when your brand or vibe shifts

🕰 A stale menu is like stale bread—nobody wants that.

🌙 Midnight Boheme: Menu Design Done Right

From cocktail bars to brunch bistros, we’ve helped dozens of clients turn their menus into brand assets. Whether you’re launching a new spot or revamping a beloved classic, we bring style, strategy, and Southern charm to every page.

Midnight Boheme🎨 Restaurant & Bar Menu Design | New Orleans, LA

Stylish. Strategic. Designed to make mouths water. Let’s dish ➝