Where should the menu link go on a restaurant website?
Plan your restaurant website's menu link alongside mobile navigation, homepage content and branch details. Make the current menu easy for guests to find.
Not everyone visiting a restaurant website is looking for the same thing. Some browse dishes for dinner, some check the address, and others want to see prices between meetings. The menu link's position should meet the shared need behind these different visits. To get the layout right, first consider which page guests arrive on and what they want to learn.
Contents
Make room for the visitor's first decision
You can use a large restaurant photograph on your homepage, but a clear menu link should sit immediately beside or below it. A link that only appears after scrolling expects visitors to discover how the page works first. Imagine a fictional neighborhood restaurant: the visitor wants to see food options, opening hours and the address. Meeting these three needs with clear headings in the first section makes the page useful while still leaving room for the brand's story.
Writing 'View the menu' instead of 'Explore' on a button sets a more specific expectation. The link should actually open the menu; if it leads to another introductory screen, change the wording accordingly. Matching a button's purpose to its destination is a small but effective part of the design.
Handle branch and service choices at the destination
If two branches have different prices or products, a short branch selection after a single 'Menu' link may make sense. If visitors are already on a particular branch's page, take them to that branch's menu without making them choose again. If breakfast and dinner have separate links, state their applicable hours in visible content. Do not duplicate the same menu under different names simply to create more links.
Your own website can link to your published menu on Orvunai. When it opens, the restaurant name and visual identity should continue so visitors do not think they have reached another business's content. When sharing updated products, use the public guest link rather than the draft management address.
Check the layout with three tasks
Give a phone to a colleague who has never used the website and ask them to find the coffee prices. Then ask them to reach the second branch's menu and return to the restaurant address. Note which wording makes them hesitate, as well as whether they finish the task. Feedback such as 'I didn't realize that was the menu link' can suggest that clearer text is needed before a brighter color.
After changing links, verify that the homepage, contact page and footer all reach the same guest address. Be consistent about whether links open in a new tab. Complete the final check as an ordinary visitor, without a management account signed in; a menu visible only to your team does not fulfill the purpose of sharing it.
Explore the relevant Orvunai product guide to put these steps into practice with your own menu.
Explore QR code menus for restaurants and cafés