Practical guide
How should a restaurant menu be translated into English?
First stabilise the French menu, then translate useful sections and descriptions and review culinary terms and allergens. Keep proper names when a literal translation would mislead, and add a short explanation. Review French and English together after every change.
What should be prepared first?
- Reviewed French menu and prices.
- A list of recurring section and cooking terms.
- Recipes for ambiguous names.
- Verified allergen information.
- A competent English reviewer.
Which translation method works?
- Translate the shared glossary.
- Work through products in context.
- Review culinary and sensitive wording.
- Publish a complete version.
- Compare sample products on mobile.
Which pitfalls should be avoided?
- Literal translations that change meaning.
- An old price in one language.
- Unreviewed machine output presented as guaranteed.
- Absolute allergen-free claims without a suitable process.
Sources and review
Reviewed by Tristan Sébillet. AI assistance is used for coverage checks, not as a legal authority.
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