Tired of the widespread overuse of Century Gothic font and the basic “starters and mains” layout of the average restaurant menu? Yeah, me too. Enter “The Art Of The Menu” – a new website from the creatives at Under Consideration that details the best and most original menus from restaurants around the world.

As designers we make fun — and it’s usually the first thing we notice — of menus that use Comic Sans or Papyrus because it’s an easy critique, like shooting really ugly fish in a tiny barrel with a shotgun. Oddly enough though, we rarely praise a good menu. We probably simply enjoy the fact that we can browse through the options without being distracted by silly fonts and we don’t feel the need to comment further on it. But if you think about it, menus are the meeting point of otherwise widely celebrated design practices.

Above all, a good menu is about expertly executed typography: It has to be clear, legible (sometimes just under candle light), and representative of the cuisine. Menus are a light version of data visualization and information design: Helping the diner navigate between courses, options, and prices. Menus are big canvases, much like the album covers we mourn with such despair. Menus are tactile, allowing designers to explore materials and finishes. At a restaurant, the menu is the ultimate ambassador for the establishment’s identity: Logo front and center on the cover. A good menu adds to the overall brand experience.

But who are we kidding? A good menu should make you hungry. It should get your mouth watering. Hopefully it does it in a cool-looking way. And if it does, then you will probably find it here, on Art of the Menu.

There aren’t that many Vancouver menus that would make the grade (off the top of my head). Meat & Bread has a cool one, but it’s on a wall (ie. not something you can put in your hands). Sidecut at the Four Seasons in Whistler has a pretty awesome dance card as well, and I’m also partial to what they have going on at The Keefer. But beyond those I’m at a local loss. Feel like your restaurant (or your favourite) has a shot at inclusion? Submit it here. (hat tip: reader CSM)