Country menu guides
What do GF, V and VG mean on a menu?
Menu symbols are shortcuts for diets and allergens: GF means gluten-free, GFO a gluten-free option on request, V vegetarian, VG or VE vegan, DF dairy-free and N contains nuts. In Italy and Spain, SG is sometimes used for gluten-free (senza glutine, sin gluten). Symbols are the restaurant's own labels, not certifications, so check the menu's key and ask about cross-contact if you have an allergy.
- On the menu
- GF · GFO · V · VG / VE · DF · N · SG
- Meaning
- Diet and allergen symbols printed next to dishes; their exact meaning is set by each menu's key.
The common symbols
- GF — gluten-free, or made without gluten-containing ingredients.
- GFO / GFA — gluten-free option: the dish can be adapted on request.
- V — vegetarian: no meat or fish, but it may contain eggs or dairy. A few menus use V for vegan, so read the key.
- VG / VE / Ve — vegan: no animal products.
- DF — dairy-free.
- N — contains nuts, not nut-free. NF means nut-free.
- Chilli icons — spice level, usually one to three.
- Numbers 1–14 — in the EU, many menus number the 14 allergens restaurants must be able to declare (gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin, molluscs). Check the legend.
The same labels in other languages
- Italy: senza glutine (sometimes SG). Senza lattosio means lactose-free, which is not dairy-free.
- Spain: sin gluten (sometimes SG or S/G).
- France: sans gluten; végétalien means vegan.
- Thailand: เจ (che) means no animal products; มังสวิรัติ (mangsawirat), vegetarian, may still use fish sauce.
What a symbol doesn't promise
In the EU, a "gluten-free" claim must mean no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg — a rule that has also covered non-prepacked food, such as restaurant dishes, since 2016 — and restaurants must be able to tell you which of the 14 allergens a dish contains. But a symbol is the restaurant's own label: a GF dish may still be fried in shared oil. Outside the EU, rules differ.
What to do
- Read the key: letters vary between restaurants.
- Ask about cross-contact: shared fryers, grills or pasta water matter for coeliac disease and nut allergies.
In MenuGuide, you can set your allergies and diet, and dishes that match are flagged after a scan. The flags are AI estimates, so with a serious allergy always check with the staff.
Frequently asked questions
What does GF mean on a menu?
GF means gluten-free: the dish is made without gluten-containing ingredients such as wheat, barley or rye. It doesn't always mean the kitchen prevents cross-contact, for example in a shared fryer. If you have coeliac disease or a gluten allergy, tell the staff and ask how the dish is prepared, not just what's in it.
What is the difference between V and VG on a menu?
V means vegetarian: no meat or fish, but the dish may contain eggs, milk, cheese, butter or honey. VG (or VE) means vegan: no animal products at all. Some menus use V for vegan and a leaf icon for vegetarian, so check the key. When in doubt, ask whether a dish contains egg or dairy.
Does N mean nut-free on a menu?
No. On most menus, N or (N) means the dish contains nuts; nut-free is usually written NF or in words. Because this is easy to misread, check the menu's key and, if you have a nut allergy, ask the staff directly about nuts in the dish and in shared equipment such as fryers.
Is a GF label enough for someone with coeliac disease?
Not on its own. A GF symbol tells you about the ingredients, but cross-contact in a busy kitchen, such as shared fryers, toasters or pasta water, can still introduce gluten. Tell the staff you have coeliac disease, using the local term if possible, and ask how the dish is prepared. Some restaurants are trained for this, others aren't.
