What is the oldest surviving menu?
When it comes to written records that were in everyday use but have little long-term significance beyond that, historians have a difficult job. Just think of our own daily lives. Which papers do we keep and which do we get rid of quickly? If someone has a valuable collection of books, they are likely to be kept by their grandchildren, but notes from everyday life are unlikely to be kept for the long term.
It is therefore possible that menus have existed for thousands of years, but as they were written on the walls of the canteen before the invention of paper, in most cases there is little trace of them today. The oldest documented menu dates from the Song dynasty in China, in the first millennium AD, and in Europe, until the 18th century, it was more common for restaurants and inns to serve whatever was on the menu.
How good that the 18th century has come!
From the 1700s onwards, book printing flourished and became widespread. Newspapers, pamphlets, leaflets, advertisements and, of course, menus began to fill Europe's cities, and the vibrant restaurant and café culture that makes the bustle of the urban world so attractive today began to emerge.
The earliest European menu dates back to 1751, at the court of the French Emperor Louis XV, but in the aftermath of the French Revolution, tavern keepers and innkeepers across Europe were already serving fancy and fancy-free menus. In Hungary, it was compulsory to display the prices of food and drink on wall price boards from 1787, but Hungarian restaurateurs soon started to make things easier for their guests with printed menus, although the first real menu only survived from the 19th century.
What makes a menu perfect?
A good menu is not just a list of prices of the food you can eat, it is much more than that. An excellent menu also reflects the spirit of the place in its appearance, because just like the design of a restaurant, the graphics of the menu help to create a first impression. But a good menu is also clear, and every element of it is designed to make it easier for guests to make their choice, with occasional photos or small descriptions to encourage them to try a dish - whatever the season.
Are you hungry already? Take a look the menu of our magic café!