A la carte is a type of menu that lists individual dishes or items separately, each with its own price. This means that customers can order any dish they like, without being limited to a specific set of items or a fixed price. In other words, each dish is priced separately, and customers can order as few or as many dishes as they like, depending on their appetite and budget. This is in contrast to a fixed-price menu, where a set number of dishes are offered for a predetermined price, or to pre-ordered menus, where customers must choose their dishes in advance. A la carte menus are commonly used in restaurants, allowing customers to order what they want and pay only for what they order.