AI Menu Scanner — Digitize Your Paper Menu in Minutes

The biggest barrier to getting a digital menu is data entry. A restaurant with 60 dishes, each with a name, description, price, and allergen info, is looking at hours of typing. Most restaurant owners don't have that time. That's why Plattr built the AI Menu Recognizer.

How it works

Take a photo of your paper menu with your phone. Upload it to Plattr. The AI reads the image and extracts dish names, descriptions, prices, and categories. It understands menu layouts: columns, sections, different fonts for different elements. Within minutes, your entire menu is digitized.

The AI also detects allergens. If your dish description mentions "cream," "nuts," or "gluten," the system tags the relevant allergens. In Germany, allergen labeling is legally required, and this automation ensures you're compliant without manual work.

What the AI extracts

From a single menu photo, Plattr AI pulls: dish name, description (if present), price, category/section header, and allergen indicators. If your menu is in German, it works in German. If it's in English, Turkish, Italian, or any other language, it handles that too.

After extraction, you review and edit. The AI gets 90%+ accuracy, but you should always check prices and special items. Think of it as a first draft that saves you 90% of the work.

AI translation

Once your menu is digitized, Plattr can automatically translate it into the guest's language. This uses the same AI pipeline. Your German menu appears in English, Arabic, Chinese, or any other language the guest's browser requests. For a restaurant in Berlin, Munich, or any tourist-heavy area, this removes a major barrier for international visitors.

AI Chef — descriptions that sell

Don't have dish descriptions? AI Chef generates them for you. Give it the dish name and key ingredients, and it writes an appetizing description. "Truffle Risotto" becomes "Arborio rice slow-cooked with porcini mushrooms and finished with truffle oil and aged Parmesan." You edit the tone and length to match your style.

From scan to live menu

The workflow is: scan paper menu → AI extracts dishes → review and edit → publish. Your digital menu goes live at your permanent link. Print the QR code for your tables. If you're on the Small plan, guests can start using QR table ordering immediately.

Your menu also appears on your Plattr Guide listing, so guests discovering you on plattr.de see your full, up-to-date menu.

What plan includes AI features?

AI Menu Recognizer, AI allergen detection, AI translation, and AI Chef are all included on the Small plan (EUR 59/month). The free tier includes manual menu creation and Guide listing. The Plus plan (EUR 139/month) adds the Swipe Menu with video content and the Insights Hub.

See what's included at each price point on the pricing page.

Handling multi-page menus

Most restaurants have menus spanning 2-6 pages. The AI Menu Recognizer processes each page separately. Upload your full menu as multiple photos, and the system processes them in sequence. Each page's dishes are organized by the section headers found on that page. After processing, you can rearrange categories and dishes in the dashboard.

For restaurants with separate menus (lunch menu, dinner menu, drinks menu, dessert menu), each can be scanned independently. They all end up in the same dashboard, organized by category. You can show all categories on your digital menu or filter by meal type.

Keeping your menu up to date

The initial scan gets you started. After that, updates are quick edits in the dashboard. Changed a price? Click, type, save. Added a seasonal special? Add one item, it's live in seconds. Removed a dish? Toggle it off or delete it. Your Guide listing, your public menu link, and your QR ordering all update instantly from a single change.

For major menu overhauls (seasonal menu change, complete redesign), you can use the AI scanner again. Scan the new paper menu and it creates the new items. Review, adjust, and publish. What used to be a full day of data entry becomes a 30-minute task.

Stop typing. Start scanning. Sign up for Plattr and digitize your menu with AI.