What's on the menu?

API

Free API for NYPL's human-transcribed historical menu collection

Overview

The What's on the menu? API grants access to NYPL's human-transcribed historical menu collection. Endpoints support searching by keywords (dish names, cuisines), dates, restaurant names, or locations; retrieving full menu details with transcribed text; and accessing metadata like price ranges and dish categories. Responses are JSON-formatted for easy integration. Use cases include culinary historians analyzing food trends, app developers building vintage menu tools, educators creating food culture curricula, and enthusiasts exploring classic restaurant offerings from the past.

Example Integration (JavaScript)

script.js JS


fetch('http://nypl.github.io/menus-api/')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Key Features

RESTful
JSON Support
No Authentication Required
Human-Transcribed Historical Data
Searchable Metadata

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is What's on the menu? API free to use?

Yes, the API is completely free for both non-commercial and commercial use (per NYPL's terms of service).

? Does the API require an API Key?

No, the API does not require authentication or an API key for access.

? What response format does the API use?

The API returns data in JSON format, including menu metadata and transcribed text content.

Top Alternatives

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Food & Drink Collections API Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Free

Category Food & Drink

Platform Public API

Pros

⊕ Free & Open Access
⊕ High-Accuracy Transcriptions
⊕ Rich Historical Metadata

Cons

⊖ Rate-Limited Requests
⊖ Limited to NYPL's Collection
⊖ No Real-Time Updates