This dataset comprises 2,403 historicalmenu cards from the Menükarten-Sammlung of the Berlin State Library, spanning the period from about 1880 to approximately 1913. The collection offers a rich visual and cultural archive of dining culture across Europe, capturing the evolution of public restaurants, elite hospitality, and bourgeois social life during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The cards originate from diverse contexts: royal and imperial courts (including Kaiser Wilhelm II’s court), private celebrations (weddings, club dinners), major public events (e.g., the opening of the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal and Cologne Cathedral), luxury hotels (e.g., Frankfurter Hof, Hotel Schweizerhof), and transatlantic cruise ships. Many feature intricate designs and rich illustrations.

These artifacts not only document food and drink offerings but also reveal insights into social hierarchy and the rise of the modern service economy. With their multilingual content (German, French, English), artistic craftsmanship, and historical specificity, the menu cards can serve as unique primary sources for research in cultural history, digital humanities, and AI-driven image analysis.