Building Your First Restaurant Menu Website with HTML

Written by Massa Medi| January 17, 2025

Let's Build a Restaurant Menu Together!

Imagine you're helping a friend open a new restaurant. They need a menu to show their customers, but instead of using paper, we're going to create it for their website! Think of it like building a digital version of those menus you see at restaurants.

Why Are We Building This?

Before we jump in, let's understand why this project is great for beginners like you:

It's Real-World: Just like building with LEGO, we'll put together different HTML pieces to create something people actually use every day!
Perfect for Learning: You'll learn how to organize information (like food items and prices) in a way that makes sense - it's like arranging items on a shelf so people can easily find what they want.
Great Practice: You'll use the most common HTML tags - think of them as your basic building blocks, like the different LEGO pieces you need to build something cool.

What Will We Create?

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have built:

A beautiful restaurant name at the top (like a restaurant's sign)
Different menu sections (think of these as different pages in a paper menu)
Food items with descriptions and prices (just like you see in real menus!)
A nice footer with the restaurant's information (like their business card)

👋 Beginner's Tip:

Don't worry if you're new to HTML! We'll explain everything step by step, just like following a recipe. If you get stuck, that's totally normal - even experienced developers use Google and ask questions all the time!

Getting Your Workspace Ready

Setting Up Your Digital Kitchen 👩‍💻

Before a chef starts cooking, they set up their kitchen with all the tools they need. Similarly, we need to set up our "digital kitchen" - our workspace where we'll build our menu!

Step 1: Creating Your Project Folder

Think of a project folder like a recipe box where you keep all your ingredients and instructions together. Here's how to make one:

🪟 If you're using Windows:

Right-click on your desktop (that's your computer's main screen)
Look for "New" in the menu that pops up
Click on "Folder"
Name it "my-restaurant-menu"

🍎 If you're using Mac:

Right-click anywhere on your desktop
Click "New Folder"
Name it "my-restaurant-menu"

Step 2: Getting a Text Editor

A text editor is like your chef's knife - it's the main tool you'll use to create your HTML. We recommend Visual Studio Code (VS Code) because:

It's free!
It helps you write code by highlighting things (like spell-check, but for code)
It can autocomplete stuff for you (like your phone's keyboard suggestions)

📥 How to Get VS Code:

Go to code.visualstudio.com
Click the big download button
Install it just like any other program

Step 3: Creating Your HTML File

Now, let's create the file where we'll write our menu:

Open VS Code
Go to File → Open Folder
Find and select your "my-restaurant-menu" folder
Click "Select Folder"
Click the "New File" button (usually looks like a page with a '+' sign)
Name it "index.html"

🤔 Why "index.html"?

We use "index.html" because it's like the front door of your website. When someone visits your website, the browser automatically looks for an "index.html" file first - just like how you'd look for the front door when visiting a restaurant!

Creating Our Menu's Foundation

Building the Basic Structure 🏗️

Just like a building needs a strong foundation, our menu needs a basic HTML structure to build upon. Think of it as the blueprint for our digital restaurant menu.

Step 1: Adding the Document Type Declaration

Open your "index.html" file and add the following code:

<!DOCTYPE html>

This line tells the browser that this document is written in HTML5.

Step 2: Adding the HTML Tag

Next, add the following code:

<html lang="en">

This line starts your HTML document and specifies that the language is English.

Step 3: Adding the Head Section

Now, add the following code:

<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Yummy Restaurant Menu</title>
</head>

Let's understand each line:

<head> contains meta information about the document.
<meta charset="UTF-8"> sets the character encoding to UTF-8, supporting various languages.
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> ensures that the menu looks good on different devices and screen sizes.
<title> sets the title of the webpage, which appears in the browser tab.

Step 4: Adding the Body Section

Finally, add the following code:

<body>
  <header>
    <h1>Yummy Restaurant</h1>
  </header>
  <main>
    <!-- We'll put our menu here soon! -->
  </main>
  <footer>
    <p>© 2024 Yummy Restaurant</p>
  </footer>
</body>
</html>

What are these for?

<body> is where all the visible content goes (like text and images).
<header> is the top part of the page, like the restaurant's sign.
<main> is the main content area, where we'll put our menu items.
<footer> is the bottom part of the page, like the restaurant's business card.

👉 Try It Out!

Copy the complete structure into your "index.html" file
Save the file (Ctrl+S on Windows, Cmd+S on Mac)
Open the file in your web browser (double-click the file, or drag it into your browser)

You should see "Yummy Restaurant" at the top of a mostly blank page. That's perfect! We'll add the delicious details in the next steps.

Creating Our Menu Sections

Organizing Our Menu Like a Real Restaurant 🍽️

When you go to a restaurant, the menu is usually divided into sections like appetizers, main courses, and desserts. We're going to create these sections in our digital menu!

Step 1: Adding the Appetizers Section

Let's add the appetizers section inside the <main>tag:

<section id="appetizers">
  <h2>Tasty Starters</h2>
  <div class="menu-section">
    <!-- We'll add appetizer items here -->
  </div>
</section>

Understanding the new parts:

<section> is like a different area in your restaurant, one for appetizers.
id="appetizers" is like putting a label on the section.
<h2> is the section title, like the heading in a paper menu.
<div class="menu-section"> is a container for the menu items.

Step 2: Adding the Main Courses Section

Below the appetizers section, add the main courses section:

<section id="main-courses">
  <h2>Main Dishes</h2>
  <div class="menu-section">
    <!-- We'll add main course items here -->
  </div>
</section>

Understanding the new parts:

<section id="main-courses"> is the section for main dishes.
<h2> is the section title for main dishes.

Step 3: Adding the Desserts Section

Below the main courses section, add the desserts section:

<section id="desserts">
  <h2>Sweet Endings</h2>
  <div class="menu-section">
    <!-- We'll add dessert items here -->
  </div>
</section>

Understanding the new parts:

<section id="desserts"> is the section for desserts.
<h2> is the section title for desserts.

👉 Try It Out!

Save your file and refresh it in your web browser. You should now see the section titles for appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

Adding Menu Items

Filling Our Menu with Delicious Items 🍕

Now comes the fun part - adding actual food items to our menu! Think of this like writing down all the dishes your restaurant serves, complete with descriptions and prices.

Step 1: Adding Appetizer Items

Inside the <div class="menu-section"> of the appetizers section, add the following code:

<div class="menu-item">
  <h3>Crispy Mozzarella Sticks <span class="price">$7.99</span></h3>
  <p class="description">
    Golden-brown on the outside, melty on the inside. Served with our 
    special marinara sauce.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="menu-item">
  <h3>Garden Fresh Salad <span class="price">$6.99</span></h3>
  <p class="description">
    Crisp lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots with your 
    choice of dressing.
  </p>
</div>

Understanding the new parts:

<div class="menu-item"> is a container for each menu item.
<h3> is the name of the dish, with the price in a<span> tag.
<p class="description"> is the description of the dish.

Step 2: Adding Main Course Items

Inside the <div class="menu-section"> of the main courses section, add the following code:

<div class="menu-item">
  <h3>Cheeseburger with Fries <span class="price">$12.99</span></h3>
  <p class="description">
    A juicy cheeseburger served with crispy fries and a side of ketchup.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="menu-item">
  <h3>Grilled Salmon with Vegetables <span class="price">$18.99</span></h3>
  <p class="description">
    Freshly grilled salmon served with a side of seasonal vegetables.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="menu-item">
  <h3>Chicken Alfredo Pasta <span class="price">$15.99</span></h3>
  <p class="description">
    Tender chicken breast in a creamy Alfredo sauce over fettuccine pasta.
  </p>
</div>

Step 3: Adding Dessert Items

Inside the <div class="menu-section"> of the desserts section, add the following code:

<div class="menu-item">
  <h3>Chocolate Lava Cake <span class="price">$8.99</span></h3>
  <p class="description">
    Warm chocolate cake with a gooey center, served with vanilla ice cream.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="menu-item">
  <h3>Apple Pie <span class="price">$7.99</span></h3>
  <p class="description">
    Homemade apple pie with a flaky crust, served with whipped cream.
  </p>
</div>

👉 Try It Out!

Save your file and refresh it in your web browser. You should now see all the menu items listed in their respective sections.

Adding Navigation

Making Our Menu Look Professional 🎨

Right now, our menu has all the right information, but it might look a bit plain. Let's add some navigation links and basic styling to make it more user-friendly!

Step 1: Adding Navigation Links

Add the following code right after your <header>section:

<nav>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="#appetizers">Starters</a></li>
    <li><a href="#main-courses">Main Dishes</a></li>
    <li><a href="#desserts">Desserts</a></li>
  </ul>
</nav>

Understanding the new parts:

<nav> is used to define a set of navigation links.
<ul> is an unordered list, used to group the navigation links.
<li> is a list item, each containing a navigation link.
<a href="#appetizers"> is a hyperlink that links to the appetizers section.

👉 Try It Out!

Save your file and refresh it in your web browser. You should now see a navigation bar at the top of the page, and clicking the links should take you to the corresponding sections.

Final Touches and Testing

Making Sure Everything Works! 🚀

We're almost done! Just like a chef tastes their dishes before serving them, we need to test our menu to make sure everything works perfectly.

Final Checklist

Check These Things:

✅ Does your menu have all three sections (appetizers, main courses, desserts)?
✅ Do all your navigation links work when you click them?
✅ Are all your prices clearly visible?
✅ Do your food descriptions make sense?
✅ Does everything look good on both your computer and phone?

Adding the Final Professional Touches

Let's add some information at the bottom of your menu (in the footer):

<footer>
  <div class="restaurant-info">
    <h3>Visit Us</h3>
    <p>123 Tasty Street, Food City, FC 12345</p>
    <p>Phone: (555) 123-4567</p>
    <p>Open Daily: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM</p>
  </div>
  <div class="social-media">
    <p>Follow us on social media for daily specials!</p>
    <p>@YummyRestaurant</p>
  </div>
  <p class="copyright">© 2024 Yummy Restaurant. All rights reserved.</p>
</footer>

Common Problems and Solutions

If Things Don't Look Right:

Problem: Text is too big/smallSolution: Check your font-size in the style section
Problem: Navigation links don't workSolution: Make sure your section IDs match your link hrefs exactly
Problem: Prices aren't alignedSolution: Check if all prices have the "price" class

Testing Your Code

Verifying Your Work

Here's the complete HTML code for your restaurant menu:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Yummy Restaurant Menu</title>
</head>
<body>
  <header>
    <h1>Yummy Restaurant</h1>
  </header>
  <nav>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#appetizers">Starters</a></li>
      <li><a href="#main-courses">Main Dishes</a></li>
      <li><a href="#desserts">Desserts</a></li>
    </ul>
  </nav>
  <main>
    <section id="appetizers">
      <h2>Tasty Starters</h2>
      <div class="menu-section">
        <div class="menu-item">
          <h3>Crispy Mozzarella Sticks <span class="price">$7.99</span></h3>
          <p class="description">
            Golden-brown on the outside, melty on the inside. Served with our 
            special marinara sauce.
          </p>
        </div>
        <div class="menu-item">
          <h3>Garden Fresh Salad <span class="price">$6.99</span></h3>
          <p class="description">
            Crisp lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots with your 
            choice of dressing.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </section>
    <section id="main-courses">
      <h2>Main Dishes</h2>
      <div class="menu-section">
        <div class="menu-item">
          <h3>Cheeseburger with Fries <span class="price">$12.99</span></h3>
          <p class="description">
            A juicy cheeseburger served with crispy fries and a side of ketchup.
          </p>
        </div>
        <div class="menu-item">
          <h3>Grilled Salmon with Vegetables <span class="price">$18.99</span></h3>
          <p class="description">
            Freshly grilled salmon served with a side of seasonal vegetables.
          </p>
        </div>
        <div class="menu-item">
          <h3>Chicken Alfredo Pasta <span class="price">$15.99</span></h3>
          <p class="description">
            Tender chicken breast in a creamy Alfredo sauce over fettuccine pasta.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </section>
    <section id="desserts">
      <h2>Sweet Endings</h2>
      <div class="menu-section">
        <div class="menu-item">
          <h3>Chocolate Lava Cake <span class="price">$8.99</span></h3>
          <p class="description">
            Warm chocolate cake with a gooey center, served with vanilla ice cream.
          </p>
        </div>
        <div class="menu-item">
          <h3>Apple Pie <span class="price">$7.99</span></h3>
          <p class="description">
            Homemade apple pie with a flaky crust, served with whipped cream.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </section>
  </main>
  <footer>
    <div class="restaurant-info">
      <h3>Visit Us</h3>
      <p>123 Tasty Street, Food City, FC 12345</p>
      <p>Phone: (555) 123-4567</p>
      <p>Open Daily: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM</p>
    </div>
    <div class="social-media">
      <p>Follow us on social media for daily specials!</p>
      <p>@YummyRestaurant</p>
    </div>
    <p class="copyright">© 2024 Yummy Restaurant. All rights reserved.</p>
  </footer>
</body>
</html>

👉 Try It Out!

Make sure your code looks the same as that one
Save the file (Ctrl+S on Windows, Cmd+S on Mac)
Open the file in your web browser (double-click the file, or drag it into your browser)

You should see the complete restaurant menu with all sections, items, and navigation links working correctly.

🎉 Congratulations!

You've built your first complete web page! This menu isn't just a practice project - it's a real-world example of what you might create for an actual restaurant. You've learned:

How to structure content with HTML
How to organize information in a clear way
How to style your content to make it look professional
How to add navigation to help users find what they want

Feel free to customize this menu further by:

Adding more menu items
Changing the restaurant name and details
Adding images to make it more visually appealing
Experimenting with different styles and layouts

Keep practicing and exploring HTML. The more you build, the more comfortable you'll become with creating amazing web content!

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