Augmented-reality menus: what they are and how they work at the table

A paper menu describes the dish. A PDF shows a photo. An augmented-reality menu puts the dish on the tablecloth, at the size of the plate that leaves the kitchen.

That is what PratoAI does: guests open a link in Safari or Chrome, spin the 3D model and, if they want, use native AR on iPhone (Quick Look) or Android (Scene Viewer). Nothing to install.

What the guest sees

• The dish in 3D, which they can spin 360°.
• A 1:1 projection on the table, calibrated in centimeters.
• Price, how many it serves, and a button to place it on the table, still in the browser.

The classic dining-room question — “how many does it serve?”, “is it actually large?” — stops being a waiter conversation and becomes visual evidence.

How it works, without the jargon

1. The restaurant photographs the finished dish (the front shot is enough; extra angles improve the model). 2. AI builds a 3D model and the restaurant sets the plate width in cm. 3. A QR code on the table opens the menu. The code points at the restaurant, not a dish: you change the menu without reprinting plates.

When it is worth it

AR menus pay off when the dish is hard to imagine: steaks, tall desserts, dishes for two, expensive signature plates. If the guest hesitates on price, seeing the volume on the table often decides it.

It does not replace the waiter. It frees the waiter from explaining portion size so they can talk pairing.

Next step

Try it on your phone, on your table, in the demo menu. Then see plans or book a demo.