Point your phone at the menu — and let AI do the translating
You're sitting at a table in a little restaurant in Spain, France, Italy or Greece. The menu arrives and it's entirely in the local language. In the past, you'd have squinted at it hopefully, pointed at something and hoped for the best, or defaulted to the one dish you recognised. Those days are gone.
With AI on your phone, you can photograph the menu, get a full translation, ask what each dish actually tastes like, find out whether it suits any dietary needs, and even get a recommendation — all before the waiter comes back. It takes about thirty seconds and it genuinely transforms the experience of eating abroad.
How to photograph a menu and get it translated
Open Claude or ChatGPT on your phone. Tap the little image or camera icon (you'll find it next to the text box where you usually type). Take a photo of the menu — or upload one you've already taken. Then type your question. Something as simple as: "This is a menu in French. Can you translate it for me and tell me what each dish is?"
Within seconds you'll have a full translation in plain English, laid out clearly. If the menu is handwritten or the photo is slightly blurry, the AI will usually manage it anyway — it's remarkably good at reading imperfect text.
Going further — what does it actually taste like?
Translation is just the beginning. Once you know what's on offer, you can ask the AI to tell you more. Try: "The second option is 'daube de boeuf provençale' — what is this exactly, how is it cooked, and what does it taste like?" You'll get a proper, appetising description that helps you choose with confidence.
You can also ask: "Which of these dishes would you recommend for someone who likes rich, hearty food but doesn't eat shellfish?" or "Are any of these dishes suitable for someone who is gluten-free?" The AI draws on an enormous knowledge of world cuisine and gives genuinely useful answers.
Photographing pictures of the dishes
Many restaurants — particularly in Asia — display photographs of their dishes outside or on the menu itself. AI is equally good with these. Photograph a dish you're curious about and ask: "What is this dish? What's in it and how is it typically prepared?" You'll get a clear, informative answer even if the dish is entirely unfamiliar.
This is particularly useful in countries where the cuisine is very different from what you're used to — Japan, Thailand, Morocco, Vietnam — where even a translated name doesn't always tell you much. Seeing a photo and getting a proper explanation makes the whole experience far more enjoyable and adventurous.
A few practical tips
Make sure you have mobile data switched on, or that the restaurant has wifi you can use — AI needs an internet connection to work. If you're worried about data costs abroad, download the Claude or ChatGPT app before you travel and check your roaming settings with your phone provider. Most UK networks now include reasonable data in Europe as standard.
Take the photo in good light and try to keep the camera steady. If the menu is on a board rather than a page, step back a little to get the whole thing in the frame. And if the first translation misses something or seems off, just say so — "I think you may have missed the dessert section at the bottom" — and the AI will take another look.
Beyond restaurants
This same trick works beautifully for food packaging in foreign supermarkets, signs you can't read, product labels, leaflets and instructions. Anywhere you encounter written text in another language, your phone and AI between them can make it instantly understandable. It's one of those things that, once you've tried it, you wonder how you ever travelled without it.
Come and see it in action
Kevin demonstrates this at his library talks — photographing menus, translating signs, identifying dishes. It's always one of the moments people find most immediately useful. Come along for free and see what's possible.
See upcoming library events