The Top 10 Bar Menu Design Ideas: UK Edition

Whether you’re opening a brand-new bar or refreshing your current drinks menu, a well-designed bar menu is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. 

From independent cocktail lounges to busy pubs, your bar menu is more than just a list of drinks — it’s a sales tool. Here’s how to make it work harder for your business.

1. Place Your Stars in Full View

Menu engineering helps you identify your “stars” — the drinks that are both popular and profitable. Once you’ve crunched the numbers in your EPOS reports, highlight these items using your layout, colours, and font styling.

According to the Toast Consumer Preferences Survey 2025, in which 200 UK restaurant-goers were polled on their restaurant design and menu preferences, 44.5% of say they always or often choose an item marked as a “best seller” or “house favourite.”

Tip: Position star items in the top-right or top-centre of your menu — the first areas most diners look at when scanning a menu.

2. Match Your Menu to Your Bar’s Theme

Your bar menu should feel like an extension of your venue. Fonts, descriptions, layout, and colours all contribute to brand experience.

Brother Marcus uses seasonal, Mediterranean-inspired drinks and warm brand storytelling to match their small-plates concept and relaxed social dining style.

3. Use High-Quality Photos (Or Skip Them Entirely)

Enticing photography can boost sales by up to 30% — but only if the quality is high. Poor photos can harm your brand.

According to the Toast Consumer Preferences Survey 2025, 73.5% of UK diners say photos are at least “somewhat important” when choosing a drink.

Note: Illustrated sketches can also add charm in independent or rustic-style pubs.

4. Write Creative, Strategic Descriptions

When you’re writing your menu, let your personality come through loud and clear. Are you cheeky and playful? Rustic and down-to-earth? Sleek and refined? However your bar feels when someone walks in, your menu should sound the same.

The way you describe your drinks matters. Descriptions should reflect your tone of voice, build curiosity, and justify price. Using words like “house-made,” “seasonal,” and “locally sourced” can sway customer decisions.

According to the Toast Consumer Preferences Survey 2025, “house-made” or “home-made” was the most influential description for UK diners.

5. Use Bold Colours and Fonts (Carefully)

While 37% of UK diners say they love menus with bold fonts and colours, 52% say they’re fine if still readable. That means legibility must always come first.

Use colour sparingly to draw attention to your high-margin items or seasonal specials. Avoid using more than two font families.

6. Separate Your Bar Menu From Your Food Menu

Keeping your bar menu separate makes it easier for customers to keep browsing — even after ordering food. A well-designed bar menu can boost add-on sales and increase table spend.

Tip: Try a standing menu, laminated card, or branded clipboard that stays on the table throughout the meal.

7. Choose Materials That Fit Your Operation

From waterproof paper to chalkboards or clipboards, choose materials that reflect your bar’s identity and fit your operational needs.

If your drink list changes weekly, opt for budget-friendly printable paper or digital displays.

In the UK, digital menus are gaining traction, but printed menus still dominate — 57.5% of diners prefer them over QR or on-screen versions.

8. Use Wall Menus to Make the Most of Small Spaces

Running a small pub or compact bar? Wall-mounted or hanging menus are great for visibility and branding. Chalkboards or large-format printed displays help guests scan options easily, especially in busy or dimly lit spaces.

Example: Swift Soho, London — Swift’s upstairs and downstairs menus are displayed differently to suit each space and time of day.

9. Highlight Specials and Signature Cocktails

Keep things fresh with rotating specials and seasonal cocktails. Feature them in boxes, banners, or as a separate section at the top of your menu.

According to the Toast Consumer Preferences Survey 2025, 90.5% of UK diners say they at least “sometimes” order drinks highlighted as a house favourite or seasonal.

10. Let Your Menu Do the Work

A strategic menu not only supports your brand — it drives revenue. Great bar menus increase spend-per-head by encouraging customers to explore beyond their go-to drink.

Highlight no more than 20–30 drinks to avoid choice fatigue. Over 53% of UK customers expect a bar to offer 10–20 drinks; only 1.5% want more than 50 options.

The Bottom Line

A well-designed bar menu makes your most profitable drinks easy to find, reflects your brand’s identity, and enhances the guest experience. With strategic layout, on-brand copy, and smart use of visuals, your drinks list can become one of your most effective sales tools.