Translate a menu
How to translate a German menu to English
German → English
To translate a German menu to English, photograph it with a menu-translator app such as MenuGuide: each dish appears in English with the German name underneath, a photo of the dish, likely ingredients and the price in your currency. German compound nouns and regional names, from Cologne's Halve Hahn to Vienna's Kaiserschmarrn, are where a word-by-word translation usually breaks down.
Real menu lines, translated
| On the menu | Word for word | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halve Hahn | Half a rooster | A rye roll with a thick slice of aged Gouda, mustard and raw onion | A Cologne pub snack, usually ordered with a glass of Kölsch. There's no chicken in it. |
| Himmel un Ääd mit Flönz | Heaven and earth with Flönz | Mashed potatoes with apple, served with fried black pudding and onions | Heaven is the apples from the trees, earth the potatoes from the ground. Flönz is the Cologne word for blood sausage. |
| Leberkäse mit Spiegelei | Liver cheese with mirror egg | A slice of baked pork-and-beef loaf with a fried egg | Despite the name, Bavarian Leberkäse (Bayerischer Leberkäse) contains no liver, and no Leberkäse contains cheese. Under German food guidelines, other products sold as Leberkäse must contain some liver (Stuttgarter Leberkäse at least 5%), unless they're called Fleischkäse. A Spiegelei ("mirror egg") is a fried egg, sunny side up. |
| Handkäs mit Musik | Hand cheese with music | Tangy sour-milk cheese marinated with onions, vinegar and oil | A speciality of Hesse. The "music" is the onion marinade. It's served with bread and butter, often with a glass of Apfelwein (cider). |
| Strammer Max | Tight Max | An open sandwich of buttered bread with ham and fried eggs | A pub classic and a filling snack at any time of day. |
| Maultaschen in der Brühe | Mouth bags in the broth | Swabian pasta pockets filled with meat and spinach, in clear broth | Sometimes called Swabian ravioli. Vegetarian versions exist, but the classic filling contains meat. |
| Kaiserschmarrn mit Zwetschkenröster | Emperor's mess with plum roaster | Thick pancake torn into pieces and caramelised, with stewed plums | An Austrian and Bavarian dessert, often big enough to share, usually with raisins and a dusting of icing sugar. Zwetschkenröster is the Austrian name for the plum compote. |
| Radler | Cyclist | Beer mixed with lemon soda, a shandy | It contains alcohol, roughly half as much as beer. In northern Germany it's often called Alsterwasser. |
False friends
| On the menu | Looks like | Usually means | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menü | the menu | a set meal of several courses | Mittagsmenü or Tagesmenü is the set lunch; the menu itself is the Speisekarte or Karte. |
| Marmelade | marmalade made from oranges | jam of any fruit | Butter und Marmelade at breakfast usually means strawberry or apricot jam; orange marmalade is Orangenmarmelade. |
| Eis | ice | ice cream | Ice cubes are Eiswürfel. Eiskaffee is coffee with vanilla ice cream, usually topped with cream. |
| Rind | rind, the skin of a cheese or a fruit | beef | Rinderroulade is a rolled, braised slice of beef; Rinderbraten is roast beef in gravy. |
| Sekt | sec, dry | sparkling wine | Trocken on a Sekt label is off-dry; brut is the dry one. |
| Speck | a speck, a tiny spot | bacon | Speckknödel are bread dumplings with bacon. |
How to translate the menu
- Set English and your currency. Confirm English and your currency in MenuGuide. Prices are in euros in Germany and Austria, and in Swiss francs in Switzerland.
- Photograph the Speisekarte and the daily sheet. The printed menu (Speisekarte) lists the regular dishes. Daily and seasonal dishes (Tageskarte, Mittagstisch, the asparagus menu in spring) are often on a separate sheet or a board, so photograph them separately.
- Check the footnotes. Small letters and numbers after a dish name refer to allergens and additives listed at the bottom or back of the menu. MenuGuide flags dishes that may contain your allergens; the footnotes tell you what the kitchen itself declares.
- See what comes with your main course. German mains usually come with a Beilage (side), such as potatoes, dumplings or Spätzle. Sides listed separately can often be swapped, so ask.
- Order in German. Add your dishes to the order and show it to the waiter in German, or tap Speak My Order and let the app read it aloud.
Prices and paying in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
- Germany and Austria (euro). Prices use a decimal comma: 14,90 €. They include VAT and service, often noted as inkl. MwSt. und Bedienung.
- Tipping. Round up or add about 5–10%, and tell the server the total when you pay ("Machen Sie 30 Euro", or "Stimmt so" to keep the change) rather than leaving coins on the table.
- Cash and cards. More restaurants take cards than a few years ago, but some smaller places and beer gardens are still cash only (nur Barzahlung).
- Water and bread. Tap water (Leitungswasser) isn't always offered or free; bottled water is the default. In Austria, bread from the basket is often charged per piece you take, unless the bill has a cover charge (Gedeck).
- Deposits. Beer gardens and festivals often add a deposit (Pfand) on glasses and mugs, refunded when you bring them back.
- Switzerland (Swiss franc). Prices appear as CHF 24.50 or Fr. 24.50 and include service; rounding up is common.
Austrian, Swiss and Bavarian menu words
German menus change across borders. In Austria, potatoes are Erdäpfel ("earth apples", like the French pommes de terre), tomatoes are Paradeiser, whipped cream is Schlagobers, apricots are Marillen and quark is Topfen. Swiss menus say Poulet for chicken, Rüebli for carrots and Glace for ice cream. In Bavaria a bread roll is a Semmel, a pretzel a Brezn, and Obatzda is a spiced cheese spread for the beer garden.
Allergens to watch for on German menus
Restaurants in Germany, Austria and Switzerland must be able to tell you which major allergens a dish contains; many print them as letter or number codes with a key at the bottom of the menu. Watch for wheat and egg in Spätzle, dumplings and breaded schnitzel; celery, one of the 14 EU allergens, in soups and stocks; mustard with sausages and in dressings; and nuts in cakes and Lebkuchen.
MenuGuide flags dishes that may contain the allergens you've chosen. Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
Dishes to know
- Wiener Schnitzel
- jagerschnitzel
- schweinshaxe
- schweinebraten
- sauerbraten
- rinderroulade
- currywurst
- bratwurst
- weisswurst
- leberkase
- kasespatzle
- maultaschen
- knodel
- kartoffelpuffer
- kartoffelsalat
- sauerkraut
- brezel
- obatzda
- flammkuchen
- kaiserschmarrn
- apfelstrudel
- schwarzwalder kirschtorte
- rote grutze
- spargel
Frequently asked questions
How do I translate a German menu to English?
Photograph the menu with a menu-translator app. In MenuGuide each dish appears in English with its German name underneath, a photo of the dish, likely ingredients and allergens, and the price in your currency. Photograph the daily sheet or seasonal menu separately, and use the allergen footnotes on the menu to double-check what the kitchen declares.
What does Menü mean on a German menu?
Menü means a set meal of several courses at one price, not the menu itself. A Mittagsmenü or Tagesmenü is a set lunch, often with soup or salad, a main course and sometimes a dessert. The menu you read is the Speisekarte, or simply die Karte; the drinks list is the Getränkekarte.
What do the small letters and numbers on a German menu mean?
They are footnotes for allergens and additives. Letters or numbers after a dish name point to a key, usually at the bottom or back of the menu, listing allergens such as gluten, eggs or celery and additives such as preservatives or colourings. If there's no key, ask the staff for the allergen list (Allergenliste).
Do you tip in restaurants in Germany?
Yes, a small tip is normal. Service is included in the prices, but people usually round up or add about 5–10% for good service. Tell the server the total you want to pay when you settle the bill, for example "Machen Sie 30 Euro", or say "Stimmt so" if they can keep the change, rather than leaving money on the table.
Is tap water free in German restaurants?
Not always. Unlike in France, restaurants in Germany don't routinely serve free tap water, and bottled mineral water, often sparkling, is the default. You can ask for Leitungswasser; many places will bring it, some for a small charge, and a few may decline. Say "stilles Wasser" if you want bottled water without bubbles.
