What stays in the original
Plenty of visitors come precisely to try a Sunday roast or a proper sticky toffee pudding. Translate the name and they lose sight of it. The rule: dishes with a name of their own keep it, with an explanation underneath.
Some examples best left untranslated: Yorkshire pudding, toad in the hole, bubble and squeak, Welsh rarebit, Cullen skink, haggis, Scotch egg, Cornish pasty, Eton mess, sticky toffee pudding. In the US: clam chowder, gumbo, grits, biscuits and gravy, buffalo wings, key lime pie.
What you do translate is the explanation: what it is, how it’s cooked and what it comes with.
Toad in the hole — saucisses cuites au four dans une pâte à Yorkshire pudding, servies avec une sauce à l’oignon.
How to describe the dish
Think of someone who has never been to Britain. They need the main ingredient, the technique and what comes with it. Nothing more.
| Dish | Literal translation (avoid) | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetbreads | FR: pains sucrés | FR: ris de veau poêlés |
| Black pudding | ES: pudin negro | ES: morcilla (black pudding) |
| Pigs in blankets | DE: Schweine in Decken | DE: Würstchen im Speckmantel |
| Welsh rarebit | FR: lapin gallois | FR: Welsh rarebit – toast au cheddar fondu et à la bière |
| Bangers and mash | ES: petardos y puré | ES: salchichas con puré de patatas |
| Bubble and squeak | IT: bolla e squittio | IT: Bubble and squeak – tortino di patate e cavolo in padella |
Watch the fish too: hake, monkfish, sea bass, sea bream, plaice and haddock each have their own name in every language, and a machine translator can mix them up. And if your menu uses ounces, add grams for European visitors: “8oz sirloin (227 g)”.
Bilingual menu or one menu per language
Bilingual (the second language under each dish, in smaller type):
- Ideal with one extra language.
- Server and customer point at the same line.
- Takes more space: you may need to move to a booklet or a double-sided A4.
One menu per language:
- Better with three or more languages.
- Each menu stays clean, with large type.
- Keep the same design, the same order and the same prices so staff can find their way around any version.
A machine draft, then a human check
In MenuDesign, if your browser has a built-in translator, the app uses it for a first draft of dishes and descriptions. The most common section headings, the allergen names, the labels (vegetarian, gluten-free…) and notes such as “VAT included” already have their translations ready.
Then you go through dish by dish and fix whatever needs fixing. That’s the step that makes the difference: machine translators fail exactly where a menu is most delicate, on dish names and cuts of meat.
Checklist before you print
- Dishes with a name of their own keep their original name.
- Each dish explains main ingredient, technique and accompaniment.
- Allergens and their key are in the language of the menu.
- Notes are translated: “prices include VAT”, the service charge, “market price” and anything charged by weight.
- Quantities and units make sense: “6 pieces”, “100 g”, “for two to share”.
- Prices are identical in every version.
- Sections and dishes are in the same order in every language.
- Someone who speaks the language has read the whole thing.
Available languages
MenuDesign menus can be printed in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan. In some places there are rules about the language of consumer information: in Quebec, for example, other languages can appear on a menu but must not outweigh French. If you trade somewhere bilingual, check locally.
Like everything else in the app, translation and the bilingual mode are free. If you’re still putting the menu together, start with how to make a restaurant menu.
Frequently asked questions
Should I translate the names of my dishes?
Dishes with a name of their own (Yorkshire pudding, Welsh rarebit, Cullen skink, Eton mess, clam chowder) keep it, with a short explanation underneath. Descriptive dishes, such as a tomato salad, are translated.
Which languages can a MenuDesign menu use?
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan. You can export one menu per language or a bilingual menu with the second language under each dish.
Is a bilingual menu better than one menu per language?
With one extra language, a bilingual menu is very practical. If you need three or more languages, one menu per language with the same design and the same order works better.
Is machine translation good enough?
It's fine as a first draft, but it gets dish names and cuts of meat wrong. Check every dish and, if you can, ask a native speaker to read it before you print.