English menu for tourists: how to win over foreign visitors
A tourist decides where to eat in two minutes, standing on the sidewalk. If they can’t read your menu, they keep walking.
A tourist in San Telmo picks a place to eat in about two minutes, standing on the sidewalk with a phone. If they can’t read the menu, they walk on. That’s why a restaurant menu in English for tourists is worth as much as a good shopfront.
Why an English menu attracts tourists
Visitors search Google Maps, look at photos and open the menu before walking in. And they order more when they understand: they’ll try the provoleta, a glass of Malbec or an unfamiliar dessert. A strong listing helps too: see Google Maps for restaurants.
How to translate your menu without mistakes
Literal translation
- “Bife de chorizo” → “Sausage steak”
- “Sin TACC” left unexplained
- “Cubierto” with no explanation
- Prices with no currency
Translation that sells
- “Bife de chorizo — sirloin strip steak, 400 g”
- “Gluten-free (sin TACC)”
- “Cover charge: bread and table service”
- “Prices in Argentine pesos (ARS)”
- Keep the original name and add one line: what it is, how it’s cooked, what it comes with. Tourists want to order a “choripán”, not a “sausage sandwich”.
- Label vegan, gluten-free and spicy options.
- Use machine translation as a first draft only, and have a native speaker check it once.
A multilingual QR menu: one menu, several languages
Printing menus in three languages is expensive, and every price change means a reprint. With a QR menu, guests pick their language on their phone and see the same dishes with up-to-date prices. More in the QR menu guide.
POSMI
Language in one tap
Guests scan the table QR code and switch the menu language without installing anything.
- Spanish, English and Russian
- Same photos and prices in every language
Do I need to translate the whole menu into English?
Ideally, yes. If it’s long, start with best sellers and typical Argentine dishes.
Is machine translation good enough for a menu?
As a draft. Check the cuts of meat and local dishes, where it fails most: vacío, entraña or matambre need an explanation, not a literal translation.
- #tourists
- #QR menu
- #Google Maps
- #acquisition