5 fonts that make restaurant websites feel warm and welcoming

A restaurant website should feel like walking through the door: warm, welcoming and a little hungry-making. Fonts do a lot of that work before anyone reads a word.

Here are five heading fonts that make restaurant sites feel warm, each shown in a real PageCore style with the text font it is paired with, plus what to use on the menu itself.

1. DM Serif Display

A bold serif with soft, rounded curves, like a hand-painted shopfront. It feels generous and homely, and DM Sans keeps the menu clean and easy to read.

• Pair it with: DM Sans for the menu and longer text.
• Best for: Neighbourhood restaurants, bistros, cafés and bakeries.
• See it live: the Wood Fire style, used by Restaurant & Café 1.

2. Fraunces

Fraunces has warmth and a little wit: slightly old-fashioned, clearly crafted. It suits places that care about where their food comes from.

• Pair it with: Inter for the menu and longer text.
• Best for: Farm-to-table kitchens, wine bars, bakeries and hotel restaurants.
• See it live: the Lake House style, used by Hotel & Resort 1.

3. Playfair Display

Elegant and high-contrast, Playfair Display brings a sense of occasion. Lato keeps it friendly, so it never feels stiff.

• Pair it with: Lato for the menu and longer text.
• Best for: Fine dining, celebrations, private dining rooms and event venues.
• See it live: the First Dance style, used by Event & Wedding Planning 1.

4. Cormorant Garamond

Tall, light and refined: quiet luxury. It works best very large, with lots of space around it.

• Pair it with: Lato for the menu and longer text.
• Best for: Tasting menus, cocktail bars and restaurants with a calm, upscale room.
• See it live: the Clay Room style, used by Interior Design 2.

5. Lora

A friendly serif that stays readable even at smaller sizes. It feels honest and relaxed, a good fit for places people visit every week.

• Pair it with: Inter for the menu and longer text.
• Best for: Cafés, brunch places, family restaurants and bakeries.
• See it live: the Clear Path style, used by Life & Business Coaching 1.

Fonts for the menu itself

The heading font sets the mood; the menu has to work. A few rules keep it easy to read on a phone at the table:

• Set dish descriptions and prices in the text font, at 16 pixels or more on phones.
• Dish names can use the heading font if it stays clear at that size; otherwise use bold text.
• Line up prices on the right, or put them straight after the dish name, and do it the same way everywhere.
• Keep script and handwriting fonts for a word or two, never for whole dishes.
• Put the menu on the page as text, not only as a PDF: it reads better on phones and search engines can see it.

Fonts and colours together

Warm fonts look their best with warm colours. The Wood Fire style behind Restaurant & Café 1 pairs terracotta #A6341B with a soft cream background #FFFCF7. For more combinations, see colour palettes for 10 industries.

See them on real restaurant and hospitality sites

Questions

Are these fonts free to use on a restaurant website?

Yes. All five, and the text fonts paired with them, are on Google Fonts under the SIL Open Font License, which allows commercial use.

Can I use a handwriting font for my restaurant’s name?

For a logo or one short word, yes. For menus, opening hours and anything people need to read quickly, use a clear text font.

How big should menu text be on a phone?

At least 16 pixels for descriptions and prices. Dish names can be a little larger or bold.

Can I change my site’s fonts later?

Yes. In WordPress you can change fonts under Appearance › Editor › Styles, and PageCore’s Style Library changes fonts and colours together in one click.

Sources

• DM Serif Display
• DM Sans
• Fraunces
• Playfair Display
• Cormorant Garamond
• Lato
• Lora
• Inter