Menu Design in Europe

Name: Menu Design in Europe
Brand: Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd
SKU: 9783836578738
Price: 165.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Steven Heller

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Summary

Menu Design in Europe is a visual feast showcasing hundreds of European menus spanning from the early 19th century to the late 20th century. It charts the evolution of continental cuisine alongside a captivating survey of graphic styles, from Art Nouveau and Deco to mid-century modern simplicity. Featuring rare examples, including Michelin-starred restaurants and historical curiosities like a WWII German military menu, this book highlights how menus were crafted with as much care as the meals themselves, capturing memorable dining experiences and culinary traditions across two centuries.
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Format: Hardback

$165⁰⁰

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Menu Design in Europe

$165⁰⁰

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for food lovers, design enthusiasts, historians, and collectors interested in graphic design, culinary history, and European culture.

Europe's reputation as the center of the culinary world is confirmed with this expansive array of restaurant menus from across the continent. From extravagant bills of fare for royal feasts to delectable mid-century minimalist graphics, the gustatory customs of dozens of European countries are revealed in this encyclopedic design compendium.

Description

Menu Design in Europe is a mouthwatering feast for the eyes, featuring hundreds of European menus from the early 19th century to the end of the millennium. At once a history of continental cuisine and a sprawling survey of graphic styles, Menu Design in Europe satisfies the craving for foodies and design enthusiasts alike.

The dominance of French cuisine provided the template for the culinary delights that spread throughout (and beyond) the continent. As restaurants and dining experiences increased in the 19th century, the need for a more formal presentation of available items resulted in a range of printed menus that could be both extravagant and simple. The 1891 menu from Paris's Le Grand Vefour, with its intricate die-cut design, evokes a bustling Belle Epoque bistro, while the 1932 menu from London's Royal Palace Hotel transports you to the bar at a spirited, Jazz Age nightspot. On the opposite side of the design spectrum, the menu for the mid-century Lasserre restaurant expresses a surrealistic simplicity.

A range of stylistic decades is represented, from masterpieces of Art Nouveau and Art Deco to the graphic appropriations of the German Democratic Republic. Also showcased are the Michelin awarded restaurants of the celebrity chef-era and rarities such as a German military menu from World War II.

More than just bills of fare, these menus often represent a memorable dining experience, at times being presented with as much care and attention to detail as the meal itself. So, although one cannot sit in La Tour D'Argent in 1952 and sample its famous duck dish Le Caneton Tour d'Argent, we can surely imagine what it was like when looking at the waterfowl-themed illustration displaying the night's offerings.

Featuring an essay by graphic design historian Steven Heller and captions by ephemerist and antiquarian book dealer Marc Selvaggio, Menu Design in Europe features menus from leading collectors and institutions, providing a sumptuous visual banquet and historical document of two centuries of culinary traditions.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The book has been described as "a feast for the eyes" by The Guardian and praised by The Wall Street Journal for its extensive collection of memorable examples. Menu Design in Europe is called "la grande bouffe for the eye" by printmag.com and celebrated by The Telegraph for reviving the "sexy, sinister lost art of the restaurant menu." creativereview.co.uk recommends it for those interested in the vanishing art of menu design.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9783836578738

Publisher: Taschen GmbH

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 15 July 2022

Country: Germany

Imprint: Taschen GmbH

Edition: Multilingual edition

Illustration: 500 Illustrations

Contributors:

Edited by Jim Heimann

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 45.0mm

Width: 250.0mm

Height: 315.0mm

Weight: 3499g

Pages: 448

Collections

Arts & Culture Cook Books & Recipes Cooking & Food Non-Fiction Steven Heller

About the Author

Steven Heller has produced over 200 books on visual communication and published countless articles in international design magazines. Currently he is cofounder and cochair of the MFA Design program at the School of Visual Arts, New York. Jim Heimann is the Executive Editor for TASCHEN. A cultural anthropologist, historian, and an avid collector, he has authored numerous titles on architecture, pop culture, and the history of Los Angeles and Hollywood, including TASCHEN’s Surfing, Los Angeles. Portrait of a City, California Crazy, and the All-American Ads series.