Ordinami.it
Photos in the menu are the bare minimum by now; a digital menu with video is still rare, and that is exactly why it gets noticed. With Ordinami.it, from the MEDIO plan, you can upload a video for every dish and use a video as the banner or cover of your menu: a few seconds of movement that stop the guest's thumb and make them hungry. Here is how to use them well, from the right format to the upload.
Why movement sells
We are wired to look at whatever moves: it is why social networks went all in on video, and it is the same mechanism at work in the menu. Among twenty still dishes, the one that moves catches the eye — and food in motion communicates things no photo can: cheese stretching, cream pouring over a dessert, steam rising from a dish just out of the kitchen.
Video, in other words, shows the dish alive, as it really is when it arrives at the table. The description says "melting mozzarella", the video shows it: and between reading a promise and seeing it kept, the guest orders what they saw.
Dish videos: where they appear and which to choose
The video is uploaded to the individual dish, like a photo but moving: the guest meets it while browsing the digital menu, exactly where they are deciding what to order. It is not a social channel to feed every week: it is the menu itself becoming more convincing.
You don't need a video for every item — it would be a huge job and a heavy menu. The right strategy is to pick your flagship dishes: the three or four you want to be remembered for, the dishes with the best margin, the speciality guests already photograph on their own. For a pizzeria, the slice with the crust opening up; for a restaurant, the chef's dish at the moment of plating: the pizzeria's digital menu and a fine-dining one use the same tool with different subjects.
Video banner and cover: the menu that welcomes
Beyond individual dishes, from the MEDIO plan the top of the menu can move too: a video cover greets the guest the moment they scan the QR code — the dining room at dinner time, the oven burning, hands stretching pasta dough — and the promotional banners, already clickable, can be videos in their own right.
It is the difference between a menu that opens on a list and one that opens on an atmosphere: in the first few seconds the guest is not yet choosing a dish, they are deciding how much they like the place. A video banner on the current promo — the aperitivo board, the tasting menu — brings movement exactly where you want the guest to tap.
Length and format: 5-15 seconds, MP4, lightweight
The technical rules are few and worth their weight in gold:
- Length: 5-15 seconds. A menu video does not tell a story, it shows a moment: the cut, the pour, the steam. Beyond 15 seconds nobody watches.
- MP4 format: the standard that works everywhere, on every phone.
- Lightweight file: the menu has to open in an instant even on a crowded Saturday-night connection. A short, compressed video loads fast and plays smoothly.
- Designed for silence: nobody turns the volume up in a restaurant: the video has to work without sound, with the movement doing the talking.
A phone is all you need to shoot them: natural light or the light of the pass, a close-up on the dish, a single movement — the cut, the cascade of parmesan, the plate landing on the table. Spontaneity does better than glossy production.
How to upload them from the dashboard
Uploading works just like photos: open the dish in your dashboard, upload the MP4 file and the video is online in real time, on the menu of every table. No technical steps, no software in between: you shoot the video on your phone and upload it from your phone.
And like everything in a digital menu, nothing is forever: if the video isn't convincing you replace or remove it with a tap, and if the dish leaves the menu the video goes with it. You can start with a single dish — your signature — and see the effect live in the sample menu before you even shoot the first one.
What you need to switch them on
Dish videos and the video cover are included from the Ordinami.it MEDIO plan, at €49.90/month, together with table ordering and the menu in 6 languages: the full plan comparison is on the digital menu pricing page.
If your menu is not online yet, the path is: create your account, upload dishes and photos with the guided setup, and add videos to your flagship dishes whenever you like. Immediate activation, no commitment — and if you need a hand, WhatsApp support answers 7 days a week.
Frequently asked questions
Which plan includes dish videos?
From the MEDIO plan at €49.90/month, which also includes the video cover, table ordering and the menu in 6 languages.
How long should a dish video be?
Between 5 and 15 seconds, in MP4 format and as a lightweight file: a single moment — the cut, the cheese pull, the steam — done well.
Do I need a videographer to make the videos?
No: a phone is enough, with natural light and a close-up on the dish. The spontaneity of a video shot at the pass works perfectly.
Do videos slow down the menu?
Not if they are short and lightweight: that is why we recommend 5-15 seconds and compressed files, so the menu stays fast even on a packed Saturday-night connection.
How do I upload a video to a dish?
From the dashboard, like a photo: open the dish, upload the MP4 file and the video is online in real time. Replace or remove it whenever you like.