Choose the job of the image
An atmospheric image near the opening can establish the mood of a restaurant. An image beside a dish makes a more specific promise about that item. Treat those as different decisions and use material the restaurant has approved for the intended purpose.
A menu can also work through typography, spacing and color alone. Adding photography is not a requirement for a finished design. If the available image does not help the page explain something, the space may be better used for the menu itself.
A wide image can become a very different picture in a narrow layout. Check what remains visible and whether the crop still makes sense beside the heading or dish it accompanies. Avoid placing essential text across an area whose contrast changes unpredictably.
Look at the page with the image in place and then with it removed. Compare the order in which you notice the category, dish information and price. This gives the design discussion a practical focus beyond whether everyone likes the photograph.
Think about the next menu change
A photograph tied to a particular dish needs to remain appropriate when the menu changes. Record which image belongs to which piece of content, and ask the restaurant to confirm it during updates. An old image can continue making a promise even after the wording around it has changed.
Use imagery where it contributes to the menu's identity or understanding. Keep the rest of the layout comfortable to read. The photograph should have a purpose that can be explained in the same ordinary language used to discuss the menu structure.