Café menu templates and design ideas
قوالب منيو كافيه بالعربية والإنجليزية
A café menu is short, read in a hurry and changed often. These templates are built for that: space to breathe, a clear price column, room for two cup sizes on one line. All of them work in Arabic and English, print as a table card or counter card, and become a QR code menu when you publish.
Templates for cafés and coffee shops
MarinaCafé menu template
BotanicaHealthy café menu template
Petit BistroFrench bistro menu template
Al DhowEmirati seafood menu template- Marina for specialty coffee: white space, one accent colour, nothing competing with the cups.
- Botanica for plant-forward cafés and bowls, with room under each item for ingredients.
- Petit Bistro for a bakery café or patisserie with a vintage, typewritten feel.
- Al Dhow for a heritage café serving karak, luqaimat and Emirati breakfast.
Café menu design ideas that sell more coffee
Watch a queue in a busy Dubai café at 8am. People read the menu for about as long as it takes the person in front of them to pay. Everything below is about making those few seconds count.
Put both cup sizes on one line
Writing “Flat white (regular) 18” and “Flat white (large) 22” doubles the length of the drinks list. Name the sizes once at the top of the section and write Flat white 18 / 22. The list halves, and the eye moves down names instead of repeated words.
List extras once, not on every drink
Oat milk, an extra shot, sugar-free syrup: these apply to almost every coffee. A single note line under the section heading (Oat or almond milk +3 · Extra shot +4) covers them all. QaiMa has a note field on every section for exactly this.
Mark one signature drink, not five
A star next to the Spanish latte or the saffron karak tells a first-time guest what to order. Mark every other item and the star stops meaning anything. QaiMa marks a house special when you start the line with a *.
Describe only what needs describing
Nobody needs “espresso with steamed milk” under a latte. A single-origin filter does need a line (Ethiopia, washed, peach and bergamot), and so does anything with a name a guest may not know.
Give the Arabic names their place
Karak, luqaimat, chebab and khameer read naturally in Arabic. On a bilingual menu, those Arabic names are often the first thing a local guest looks for. See Arabic menu design for how the two languages share the page.
Sizes for a café menu
| Format | Size | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 148 × 210 mm | Table card, or a small booklet with food |
| DL | 99 × 210 mm | Counter card by the till, table stand |
| Square | 210 × 210 mm | Brunch or weekend menu |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | Café with a full kitchen menu |
More detail, with bleed and folded formats, is in menu sizes for printing.
A QR menu for the café
Pastries sell out. With a QR code menu you mark the last almond croissant sold from your phone and it greys out for every guest straight away, which saves a conversation at the counter every morning. Guests at tables can build an order and send it to your WhatsApp.
Café menu questions
What should be on a café menu?
Group it the way people order: coffee, other hot drinks such as tea, karak and hot chocolate, cold drinks, food, then pastries and sweets. Put milk options and extras once as a note under the drinks rather than on every line, and mark one or two signature items so a first-time guest has somewhere to start.
How many items should a café menu have?
Most coffee shops do well with 10 to 15 drinks and a short food list. Every extra item slows the queue at the counter and the barista behind it. A long menu also makes it harder for a guest to notice the drink you want to be known for.
How do I show two cup sizes?
Put both prices on one line, as in Flat white 18 / 22, and name the sizes once at the top of the section. QaiMa reads a price written as 18 / 22 and keeps it as one price with two sizes rather than two separate dishes.
What size should a café menu be printed?
A5 (148 × 210 mm) is the usual table card. A DL card (99 × 210 mm) stands by the till or on a small table, and a 210 mm square card works well for a separate brunch menu. See menu sizes for printing for all the formats.
Can a café menu be in Arabic and English?
Yes. Each template sets the Arabic right to left with its own Arabic typeface, and you can print English only, Arabic only or both on the same card. The QR menu lets each guest switch language on their phone.
Pricing drinks? The menu pricing guide shows how to work out a price from your cost per cup. All designs are on the menu templates page.
Make your café menu now. It's free while we're in early access.