How to Create a Food Menu for your Bar

As bars begin to open, more and more consumers are spending their weekends out and about.

Different establishments are welcoming guests after a year of no face-to-face experiences. When guests sit down at a bar, they often want to enjoy their cocktail with a snack or two. So what is the best bar food to serve? Consumers are either looking for the classic French fry order or something to expand their palette. Therefore, creating a bar food menu can propose a challenge. There is also the factor of wanting to make sure the food pairs well with the cocktails.

If you are opening a new bar or want to give your already existing bar some sprucing up, here are our tips and tricks for creating a bar food menu.

Spice it Up

Often a patron sitting at the bar is looking for something to snack on. Foods like wings and French fries tend to be on almost every bar menu so instead, try offering something different. Instead of doing traditional chicken wings, maybe try duck or crispy cauliflower wings. To spice up a basket of fries, add truffles and parmesan.

How to Create a Bar Food Menu

Utilize Instagram

A mouth-watering photo will definitely get people to sit at the bar and order something. Before going to a bar, consumers tend to check it out on Instagram or other social media platforms. Get good angels of the food, add garnishes, and create content to get people in the door and order off the bar menu.

Utilize Instagram

Create a Theme

Rather than adding random bites and snacks to the menu, come up with a theme for the food. Whether that coincides with the rest of the restaurant or the bar is its own little oasis, a theme can keep things consistent and clean. For a tequila bar, mini tacos or nachos can make for great bar eats. For wine bars, tapas and charcuterie boards are the perfect thing to snack on while sipping on a glass of Rosé.

Pair with Cocktails

If your bar already has a cocktail menu, add food that pairs well with it. Classic cocktails like Negronis go nicely with flatbreads, whereas a seasonal cocktail like a fruit-forward one in the summer is best with seafood options like crab cakes. Spicy cocktails need something to balance the heat, so a fruit salad like melon and Prosciutto can be a real hit.

Pairing Wine and Cheese