QR menu in English, French and Spanish for tourists — what guests need
A QR menu for visitors is not just your paper menu as a PDF. Here's what makes it work for someone standing at your door with roaming data and no word of the local language.
What guests need
- Their language, automatically. Phones tell the website which language the guest uses. A good QR menu opens in that language (with a switcher), instead of making them hunt for a flag.
- A fast page. Visitors are often on roaming or weak Wi‑Fi. A lightweight web page loads far faster than a multi‑megabyte PDF scan.
- Prices and portions that are unambiguous. Show currency, half/whole portions and whether something is priced per piece or by weight.
- Local dishes explained, not erased. Keep the original name and add a one-line description. Visitors often want to try the local dish — they just need to know what it is.
- Allergens they can read. Icons plus the allergen name in their language.
- No app, no login, no cookie wall. Scan → menu.
Common mistakes
- One language only (usually English). Spanish, French, German and Italian speakers are frequent visitors in many European cities — check your own guests.
- Machine translation without review. Funny mistranslations damage trust, and wrong allergen information is a safety issue.
- Different QR codes for every price update. Use one permanent link per venue.
- Hiding the menu behind ordering apps when the guest just wants to read it.
Where to put the QR code
Table tents, the entrance/window (so passers-by can read the menu before deciding to sit), the bill folder, and your Google Business Profile link.
Example
See a full example in six languages: Taberna da Baixa demo (unofficial), El Xampanyet demo (unofficial) and Bouillon Chartier demo (unofficial). These demos are built from publicly available menus and are not affiliated with the restaurants.
Related: How to make a multilingual menu · EU allergen rules