We are so proud and excited to see our work featured on Art of the Menu.
Art of the Menu is one of our go-to-resources for inspiration and always offers respite from long days. A division of UnderConsideration, it is dedicated to cataloguing the underrated creativity of menus from around the world.
We believe that restaurant menus have to be creative (we want the guests to be inspired as soon as they see & touch the menu) and reflective of the overall style and feel of the restaurant. We also always like it when they foreshadow what the kitchen is going to be bringing to the table (literally).
More importantly, menus have to be functional while being inspiring and creative. They are not just design elements but are arguably one of the most fundamental assets the restaurant offers its guests. After all, they essentially sum the entire raison d’être of the restaurant to the guest. That’s why they are a true depiction of “form follows function”.
In designing the menus for Pera Soho, we had to ensure that we presented the restaurant’s breadth of delicious offerings in a clean, easy to understand format. Of course, that was just the first “mandatory.” We also wanted them to reflect the design aesthetic of the restaurant we helped form while working on its re-branding (along with the incredibly talented and always awe inspiring Hecho Inc. who handled all architectural + custom millwork components of the rebranding).
The other fundamental “mandatory” was that these menus be in a format that can be printed in house. Easily and efficiently. After all, a restaurant has to always have menus, have them look pristine and be able to produce them quickly and cost effectively.
With these factors in mind and after reviewing the capabilities of the in house printer, we decided on the card stock and paper size.
The in-house menus are multiple so we had the chance to create different menus for: wine, happy hour & bar, rooftop and for private events.
It was particularly interesting to then extend the brand aesthetic to the design of Pera Soho’s Take-out and Delivery menus a year later. When the restaurant launched their delivery program, we had the pleasure to work on all the components of this initiative; from menu design to the bags and the napkin rings.
