What must be on your menu in Germany — and what you are merely being sold

The obligations at a glance

For the menu of an ordinary food business — café, snack bar, restaurant, food truck — the mandatory information comes from five directions:

• Prices: total prices including VAT and service, a price list visible before ordering, and a display next to the entrance (§§ 3, 13 PAngV).
• Allergens: the 14 substances of Annex II of the LMIV must be documented for every dish and available to the guest — in writing, or orally with a written basis.
• Additives: certain classes of additives (“contains colouring”, “contains preservative” …) must be declared in writing — usually as footnotes (§ 9 ZZulV).
• Honest naming: the menu must not mislead — no “ham” made of formed meat, no “crab” made of surimi (Art. 7 LMIV).
• Drinks: at least one non-alcoholic drink must not cost more than the cheapest alcoholic one — also per litre (§ 6 GastG, the “apple-juice clause”).

Prices: what the PAngV actually demands

The principle is simple: the menu shows total prices — the amount the guest actually pays, including VAT, service charge and every other component. A cover charge, a bread-basket fee or a service flat rate are not forbidden — but they must be clearly visible before the order is placed, not first on the bill.

Then there is the form: the price list must be displayed legibly, laid out on the tables or handed to every guest before ordering — and next to the entrance a price display with the essential dishes and drinks is required (§ 13 PAngV). The 2022 reform of the PAngV did not abolish this display duty; if you have outdoor tables, prices must be visible there too.

For drinks, the serving size is part of price clarity (0.2 l, 0.4 l …) — it is what the price refers to, and drinks are served in calibrated glasses with a fill line. For dishes, a quantity is only needed where the price depends on it — the steak priced by weight is the classic case.

And: prices must be correct. A neatly hand-corrected menu is permitted as long as it stays legible — a menu whose prices no longer apply is exactly the kind of complaint that a ballpoint pen or a digital menu avoids in one minute.

The apple-juice clause

Whoever serves alcohol must offer at least one non-alcoholic drink that is no more expensive than the cheapest alcoholic one — measured both ways: per glass and scaled up to one litre (§ 6 GastG; states with their own restaurant acts have equivalent rules). The per-litre comparison is where many menus fail: a 0.3 l cola at €3.50 against a 0.5 l beer at €4.20 looks cheaper per glass — per litre it is more expensive.

Hot drinks do not count as the alternative — hence the nickname: a cold drink such as apple juice or water has to meet the condition. A violation is a regulatory offence and shows up in inspection reports regularly, because it takes one minute to check against the menu.

Allergens: the short version

The 14 allergens of Annex II of the LMIV must be recorded for every dish and must reach the guest — as labelling on the menu, as a notice, as a folder, or orally. Oral information is only permitted if written documentation exists in the business and a clearly visible notice (on the menu or displayed) says where the information is available.

The most common defect is not the missing footnote but the outdated one: recipe changed, supplier switched — table never touched. How the labelling works in detail is covered in our dedicated allergen article (linked below).

Additives: the footnotes that really are mandatory

Alongside allergens, German law (§ 9 ZZulV) requires the declaration of certain additives for food and drinks served loose — with fixed wording. The usual method is the footnote system: a small number at the dish, a legend at the end of the menu. Among the declarations:

• “mit Farbstoff” (contains colouring) — e.g. salmon substitute, desserts, soft drinks; for certain azo dyes an additional note that they may affect activity and attention in children
• “mit Konservierungsstoff” (contains preservative, or “mit Nitritpökelsalz”) — sausages, pickled vegetables, deli salads
• “mit Geschmacksverstärker” (contains flavour enhancer) — broths, Asian sauces, seasoning mixes
• “geschwefelt” (sulphured) — dried fruit, some potato products, wine
• “mit Phosphat” (contains phosphate) — mandatory only for meat products (cooked ham, boiled sausage)
• “mit Süßungsmittel(n)” (contains sweeteners) — light drinks, desserts; for aspartame additionally “enthält eine Phenylalaninquelle”
• “koffeinhaltig” / “chininhaltig” (contains caffeine / quinine) — cola and energy drinks / tonic and bitter lemon

Honest naming: what the inspector actually reads

The prohibition of misleading information (Art. 7 LMIV) turns the menu into a document that food inspectors take literally, word by word. The classics from inspection reports:

• “Ham” that consists of formed meat — must be named as such.
• “Crab” or “veal” where surimi or young-bull meat is used.
• “Gratinated with cheese” using cheese imitation — analogue cheese must not be called cheese.
• “Homemade” when the cake comes from a wholesaler.
• “Vanilla” where only vanilla flavouring is inside.

The rule behind it is simple: the menu describes what is actually on the plate. Whoever honestly writes “formed-meat ham” or “vanilla flavour” has no problem — whoever embellishes has one as soon as the inspector puts the delivery notes next to the menu.

What is NOT mandatory — but sold to you as if it were

Search for menu software and you quickly get the impression that without a booking system, POS integration and payment function your menu is illegal. So, for the record — not mandatory are:

• Calorie and nutrition data — voluntary for unpackaged food in restaurants in Germany (unlike, say, the US).
• Photos, translations, design — nice, good for sales, legally irrelevant.
• A QR code — the paper menu is just as legal; and conversely a digital menu also fulfils the duties, as long as it is accessible before ordering and the display at the entrance exists.
• Ordering, payment and reservation features — business decisions, not law.
• A particular file format — even a PDF behind the QR code is legal. It only becomes impractical in maintenance: every allergen or price change there means rebuilding the file.

The honest test question for every offer is: does it help with the duties — prices that are correct, allergens attached to the recipe, additive footnotes that move along — or only with the show? The former saves complaints; the latter is a matter of taste.

Checklist: audit your menu in five minutes

With this list any menu — paper or QR — can be checked against the obligations:

• All prices are final prices (incl. VAT and service); cover charges are visibly stated.
• A price display with the essential dishes and drinks hangs next to the entrance.
• Drinks carry serving sizes; at least one cold non-alcoholic drink passes the per-glass AND per-litre comparison against the cheapest alcoholic one.
• Every dish has documented allergens; the way to the information is signposted.
• Additive footnotes exist — including on the drinks menu (cola, tonic, lemonade).
• Names match the delivery notes (ham, cheese, “homemade”).
• Every price and dish on the menu is actually still valid.