The order of the menu
A tasting menu is a sequence, and the card follows it:
- Snacks or amuse-bouches: one or two bites each.
- Starters, cold and hot, from lighter to richer.
- Mains: fish then meat, as a rule.
- Pre-dessert and dessert.
- Petits fours with coffee.
- Pairing, as an add-on.
You can group the courses into sections, as in the template, or list them one per line with no headings. The first helps guests find their way; the second looks cleaner. From twelve courses up, grouping them stops people losing track.
Price, what’s included and the pairing
In MenuDesign a tasting menu is a fixed-price menu: the dishes have no prices and the price appears once, together with what’s included.
- The price per person: “£95”.
- What’s included: “Sourdough, still and sparkling water included”.
- The pairing, as an add-on with its price, in its own section: “Six-wine pairing +£55”.
- The conditions: “Served to the whole table”, if that’s the case, and the latest time to start it, if you have one.
In the UK, many tasting-menu restaurants add a discretionary service charge: if you do, say so clearly on the card. In the US, write whether tax and gratuity are included.
If you offer a short and a long menu, make two versions of the card or explain clearly what changes between them. Two prices in the same block with no explanation only lead to questions.
How to write the courses
The name of each course is the only thing guests read before the plate arrives. A few guidelines:
- Two or three ingredients, separated by commas: “Hake, smoked butter, sea vegetables”.
- No verbs or adjectives: let the dish speak for itself.
- The same register for every course: if one mentions the technique (“grilled over embers”, “pickled”), the others should hint at theirs too.
- The origin of the produce, if it’s part of the story: “Orkney scallop”, “Cornish crab”.
Put the season or the date at the top: “Autumn 2026”. It explains why the dishes change, and tells you which version you’re printing.
Allergens course by course
A tasting menu is made of many small dishes, and each one can hide an allergen. The ones that turn up most:
- Sulphites: wine reductions, pickles, vinegars and the whole pairing.
- Crustaceans and molluscs: in stocks, oils and sauces, even when the course is meat.
- Tree nuts: pralines, crumbs, crisps and petits fours.
- Milk and eggs: butters, emulsions, ice creams, cured yolks.
- Fish: stocks, cured fish or an anchovy to finish.
Molluscs aren’t one of the FDA’s nine major allergens in the US, but they are one of the 14 in the UK and the EU, and guests will still ask.
The best approach is to ask about allergies when guests book and to remind them on the card: “Please tell us about any allergies or intolerances when booking”. Many courses can be adapted with notice, and hardly any halfway through service.
If you offer a vegetarian version of the menu, say so in the footnote and make a separate card with the courses that change: the guest who orders it wants to know what they’ll be eating, like the rest of the table.
When you change a course, check its allergens that same day. The information has to match the menu being served, not last season’s.
Design
A tasting menu calls for restraint: plenty of white space, a single column and nothing that distracts from the dishes.
- No prices on each line: the price appears once, at the end.
- Discreet allergen icons next to each course, with the key at the bottom.
- The restaurant’s name, unadorned. The menu is the star.
Format and style
- A4, single column, centred and airy: the classic tasting menu format.
- A5, if it’s handed out at the table, on a stand or in an envelope.
- Booklet, if you add the wine list or an introduction to the team.
The template uses the Signature style: minimal, lowercase and full of white space. If you want something more classic, Sobremesa, with fine-dining type, is the other natural choice. There are more in the menu templates.
Make it in MenuDesign
Open the tasting menu template, write your courses, add the price, what’s included and the pairing, mark the allergens and download the PDF. Free and with no sign-up: when the season changes, change the dishes and download it again.
Frequently asked questions
How do I show the wine pairing on a tasting menu?
As an add-on with its own price per person, in a section at the end or next to what the menu includes: “Six-wine pairing +£55”. If you offer a non-alcoholic pairing, list it too, with its price.
Do I need to show allergens on a tasting menu?
You need to provide allergen information for every course, as with any menu. Because the dishes change with the seasons, check the allergens each time you change one, and ask guests about allergies when they book.
Should I mention the number of courses or how long it takes?
It helps a lot. A line such as “Twelve courses, about two and a half hours” prepares guests and avoids rushing. Put it with what's included or in the footnote.