Translate a restaurant menu
Upload a menu as a PDF and get the same menu back in another language: same design, same prices, dish names written so you can still order them.
Files are processed on our server and deleted automatically after one hour.
When this helps
On holiday in Thailand, Japan or Italy, a menu written only in the local language turns every meal into a guess. Many restaurants publish their menu as a PDF on their website or on Google Maps. Download it, translate it before you go, and arrive already knowing what you want, what is spicy and what contains nuts.
It works the other way too: restaurant and café owners can make an English, Hebrew, Russian or Arabic version of their menu in the same design, without copying every dish into a translation site by hand.
What the translated menu looks like
- Dish names are written out in the new language next to the original name, so you can read them and still show the waiter the name they know.
- Descriptions are translated naturally, as a sentence about the dish rather than word by word.
- Prices and marks such as (V), (N) or (P), service charges and currencies stay exactly as in the original.
- The design is kept: translated text goes where the original text was, in the same colours and sizes, and photos and logos don't move.
Photographed or scanned menus
The translator needs a PDF with real text. If you only have a photo of the menu, turn it into a PDF with JPG to PDF, then run it through OCR to recognise the text. A straight, sharp photo without reflections gives the best result.
A word on accuracy
The translation is done by a language model, which is good at dishes, ingredients and cooking methods. Still, if you have a serious allergy, don't rely on the translation alone: ask the staff. And if you are printing a new menu for your restaurant, have someone fluent in the language read it first.
How it works
Upload the menu PDF
A menu with real text works best. For a photo of a menu, run OCR first.
Pick the language
The menu's language is detected automatically, including Thai, Arabic and Chinese.
Download
The translated menu keeps the layout, colours and prices of the original.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to dish names?
Names like Tom Yam Goong are written out in the new language next to the original name, so you can read them and still point to them when you order. The description under each dish is translated.
Are prices and allergy marks kept?
Yes. Prices, currencies and marks such as (V) vegetarian, (N) nuts or (P) pork are kept exactly as they are.
Can I translate a photo of a menu?
Turn the photo into a PDF with JPG to PDF, run OCR so it has text, then translate it here.
I own a restaurant. Can I make an English or Hebrew version of my menu?
Yes. Upload your menu PDF and choose the language. Have someone fluent check the result before you print it: it is machine translation.
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Translation allows a few files per hour per visitor.
Guides
How to Translate a PDF and Keep Its Layout
Translate a whole PDF between English, Hebrew and five more languages and get it back as a PDF in the same design. What works, and how accurate it is.