AI Menu Generator — Restaurant & Cafe Menus With Real Text

Quick answer

Updated 20 October 2026

How do you make a menu with AI?

An AI menu generator designs a restaurant, cafe or bar menu — layout, artwork and the dish names and prices lettered in — from a short description. On Kenerate AI, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst writes the words you put in quotes at 7.2 credits a design at 1K (21 at 4K), and Recraft V4.1 and Ideogram v4 suit type-led layouts. Image models letter a heading and a short list well but slip on long menus, so keep one short section per image, check every price, and fix a wrong word with Edit Text in Image instead of starting over.

Key facts

Best for lettering: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst, 1K to 4K
Type-led alternatives: Recraft V4.1 · Ideogram v4
Standard menu: 8.5×11 in · 2550×3300 px at 300 DPI · 1/8 in bleed
Ratios to pick: 3:4 letter · 2:3 half page or 4×6 table tent · 9:21 drinks strip · 3:2 open bi-fold
Long menus: One section per image, or artwork with your text typed on top
Fix a word or price: Edit Text in Image, up to 5 swaps per edit
Free start: 25 starter credits · Qwen Image 3.0 on the free plan
Watermark: None

How to

How to use the AI menu generator

Time needed: About 3 min
Steps: 4 steps

Step 1
Open Image Studio
Go to /app/image and pick GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst. Sign in free for 25 starter credits.
Step 2
Choose the ratio
3:4 for an 8.5×11 menu, 2:3 for a half page or table tent, 9:21 for a tall drinks list — 2K or 4K if you'll print.
Step 3
Describe the menu
The place and the style, then the heading and each dish with its price in quotes. Add your logo or dish photos as references if you want them in the design.
Step 4
Check, fix, download
Read every line, fix a wrong word or price with Edit Text in Image, upscale for print, then download without a watermark.

See it in the app

1Describe your imageOpen Image Studio and type what you want to see — subject, style, lighting and mood.2Pick an image modelTap the model card to browse every image model, filter by use case and choose one.3Set the aspect ratio and sizeOpen Output to choose a ratio such as 1:1, 9:16 or 16:9 and the resolution you need.4Click CreateChoose how many images to make, then press Create — results land in your gallery.5Open and download your imageOpen any result to download it, share it, or send it to Animate, Upscale, Remove BG and Edit.

Kenerate AI Image Studio with a text prompt typed into the prompt box — Open Image Studio and type what you want to see — subject, style, lighting and mood.

1 / 5 · Describe your image

Watch the tour · 1:23

Prompts, styles, references, edit, Arena & chat

Chapters

Tips

Get a menu you can actually print

Long text and print size are where AI menus go wrong. This avoids both.

Keep each image to one section — breakfast, drinks, desserts — and a short list. Split a long menu into panels.
Name the type and the layout: “thin serif dish names, prices right-aligned, cream paper, two columns”.
Pick the ratio for the print before you generate: 3:4 for 8.5×11, 2:3 for a half page or a 4×6 table tent.
Render at 4K or upscale, and keep text a quarter inch inside the trim; prices never across a fold.
Read every dish name and price before printing; fix single words with Edit Text in Image.

Models

Which AI model is best for menus?

What each model is good at. Open any one straight in the generator.

OpenAI
GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst
Reference images
Up to 16
Output
1K–4K
Best for
Dish names and prices in quotes; your logo and dish photos as references
Open GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst
OpenAI
GPT Image 2
Reference images
Up to 16
Output
1K–4K
Best for
OpenAI's high-accuracy model for a dense page
Open GPT Image 2
Recraft
Recraft V4.1
Output
5 ratios
Best for
Clean typographic layouts and boards
Open Recraft V4.1
Ideogram
Ideogram v4
Output
5 ratios
Best for
Text-led designs from a prompt alone
Open Ideogram v4
Google
Nano Banana 2.1
Reference images
Up to 14
Output
Up to 4K
Best for
Restyles your own dish photos; a matching set of panels
Open Nano Banana 2.1
Free plan
Alibaba
Qwen Image 3.0
Reference images
Up to 3
Output
1K · 2K
Best for
Free plan; English and Chinese text
Open Qwen Image 3.0

FAQ

AI Menu Generator questions

Still have a question?

Email the Kenerate team — we read every message.

support@kenerateai.com

How do I make a menu with AI?

Open Kenerate's Image Studio, pick GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst and a 3:4 ratio, and describe the menu: the place, the style, then the heading and each dish with its price in quotes — “PASTA”, “Cacio e pepe — $16”. Generate, read every line, and download. A design costs 7.2 credits at 1K, 12 at 2K or 21 at 4K.

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Which AI model writes menu text correctly?

On Kenerate, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is the first pick for dish names and prices in quotes; GPT Image 2, Recraft V4.1 and Ideogram v4 are the alternatives for type-heavy layouts. No image model is a typesetter: long lists, small type and numbers are where letters slip, so read every price before you print.

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How many dishes can an AI menu image hold?

Fewer than a printed menu. Image models draw letters as shapes, so the more lines you ask for, the more likely one comes out wrong. Keep each image to one section — a short list of dishes with prices — and split a full menu into panels. For a long menu, generate the artwork with an empty area and type the dishes on top in an editor.

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What size should a restaurant menu be?

The standard is 8.5×11 inches (letter), as the 4OVER4 menu size guide says. Longer lists use 8.5×14; drinks and specials use a 5.5×8.5 half page or a 4.25×11 strip; an 11×17 sheet folds into four letter panels; table tents finish at 4×6. Add 1/8 inch of bleed on every side and keep text a quarter inch inside the trim.

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What resolution do I need to print a menu?

Print shops work at 300 DPI, so an 8.5×11 menu is 2550×3300 pixels, a half page 1650×2550 and a 4×6 table tent 1200×1800. Render at 4K, or upscale with Kenerate's Image Upscaler (2K, 4K or 8K), before you send the file.

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How do I fix a wrong price or dish name?

Open the menu in Edit Studio and use Edit Text in Image: type the old text exactly as it appears and the new text, up to five swaps per edit, and it keeps the same font and layout. See the change text in image guide for the details.

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Can I put photos of my food on the menu?

Yes. Attach your own dish photos as references in GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst or Nano Banana 2.1 and ask for “this dish, overhead, on a marble table, as the hero picture at the top”. Using your real dishes matters: a generated plate that looks nothing like what arrives disappoints guests. For simple icons or line drawings, describe them instead.

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Do I need to show calories or allergens?

In the US, chain restaurants with 20 or more locations must show calories for standard items on menus and menu boards and give written nutrition information on request, under the FDA's menu labeling rules. Whatever the size of your place, allergen notes must be right — type them yourself and check them; never trust an image model to letter them.

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Is the AI menu generator free?

Free to start. A new Kenerate account gets 25 credits on sign-up — three GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst menu designs at 1K — and Qwen Image 3.0 is a free-plan model. After that, credits come in one-time packs that never expire, with no subscription. Downloads carry no watermark.

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In depth

AI Menu Generator, explained

What works, what to avoid, and how to pick a model.

On this page

Pick the ratio before you generate, so no dish gets cropped. Pixels are at 300 DPI:

8.5×11 in letter, the standard full menu: 3:4, trim a little off the top and bottom; 2550×3300 px.
8.5×14 in legal, a longer single page: 9:16 and trim, or 2:3 with room at the ends; 2550×4200 px.
5.5×8.5 in half page — desserts, brunch, a bistro card: 2:3; 1650×2550 px.
4.25×11 in strip — drinks, wine by the glass, daily specials: 9:21 on GPT Image 2.5; 1275×3300 px.
4×6 in table tent or counter card: 2:3 fits exactly; 1200×1800 px.
11×17 in bi-fold, open flat: 3:2 landscape; design each 8.5×11 panel separately if it's text-heavy.
A4 (210×297 mm) outside the US: 3:4 and trim the sides; 2480×3508 px.
Every print size: 1/8 in (3 mm) bleed on all four sides, text a quarter inch inside the trim, nothing across a fold.

Swap in your own dishes and prices, in quotes:

Cafe chalkboard menu, hand-drawn chalk lettering, “COFFEE” heading, “Espresso $3”, “Flat white $4.50”, “Oat latte $5”.
Minimal fine-dining card, cream paper, thin black serif, “Tasting Menu” and five course names, no prices, lots of white space.
Rustic Italian trattoria page, olive branch border, “PASTA” heading, four dishes with prices right-aligned.
Taco truck board, bright pink and teal, bold hand-painted letters, “TACOS” and three fillings with prices.
Cocktail list for a dark bar, gold art-deco frame on black, “Signature Cocktails” and four drink names with one-line descriptions.
Bakery counter card, pastel watercolour croissants and loaves, “Fresh Today” and four bakes.
Brunch half-page, sunny yellow, retro diner type, “BRUNCH 9–2” and five dishes.
Ramen shop menu, red and black, brush-stroke heading “RAMEN”, three bowls with prices in English and Japanese.
Pizza menu, wood-fired oven illustration at the top, “PIZZA” and six pizzas in two columns.
Smoothie bar board, fresh fruit illustrations, “SMOOTHIES” and four blends with prices.
Wine list strip, deep burgundy, elegant serif, “By the Glass” and five wines with prices.
Vegan cafe menu, botanical line drawings, sage green, “PLANT BASED” and four dishes, a small leaf icon by each.
Steakhouse menu, dark leather texture, cream serif, “Steaks” and four cuts with weights and prices.
Ice cream parlour board, pastel stripes, bubbly letters, “SCOOPS” and six flavours.
Daily specials table tent, kraft paper look, “Today's Specials” and two dishes.
Indian restaurant page, ornate mandala border in saffron and teal, “Curries” and five dishes with prices.
Coffee shop menu for a screen, 16:9, “Morning Menu” on the left, a latte photo on the right.
Artwork only: an illustrated border of herbs and lemons, cream centre left completely empty, no text — for typing your menu on top.

Long menus: when to type instead

A 40-dish menu with prices, descriptions and allergen notes is a typesetting job, not an image prompt. Ask the model for the artwork — the border, the illustrations, the heading — with the text area left empty, then type the dishes on top in Word, Google Docs or a design editor so they stay editable and spell-checked.

If you'd rather not touch an editor, ask Kenerate Agent in chat for the menu as a Word or PDF file: it types the dishes as real text (A4 pages) and can place your generated artwork as a picture. Changing a price later is then a two-second edit.

Food pictures that match the plate

Guests order from the picture, so it should look like what arrives. Photograph the dish in daylight, attach the photo as a reference and describe only the setting: “this exact dish, overhead, on a dark wooden table, soft window light”. Nano Banana 2.1 takes up to 14 references for a matching set; GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst takes 16. For a menu without photos, small line drawings of ingredients keep the page clean and the text readable.

Keep going

By the Kenerate AI teamLast updated and reviewed 20 October 2026

We build and run the Kenerate generator. Every example is a real output of the model named under it; models and presets were checked against the app's code.

Sources: 4OVER4 — Standard menu sizes: a complete restaurant menu size guide · U.S. FDA — Menu labeling requirements · Kenerate Image Studio

AI Menu Generator — restaurant and cafe menus with your dishes lettered in