In a restaurant, a menu's a printed brochure or public display that shows the list of options for a diner to select. A menu may be a la carte or table d'hôte. "Menu" can also be used in a more general sense, as synonymous with diet, the selection of foods available generally to a particular location or culture. History The word menu, like much of the terminology of cuisine,'s French in origin. It ultimately derives from Latin minutus, something made small; in French it came to be applied… (More on Menu)