[Food] How much do you tip in restaurants?

[Hugo Rune]

Minimum of 10% and then rounded up to the nearest 0 or 5. I used to tip everyone but now will only tip good food and good service.

 

[sparkie]

When I used to go to restaurants about 5 years ago I always reckoned on about 10%. When the good times return I'll have to work out what the new generally accepted amount will be.

 

[Bakero]

No idea why they put Italy down as 10%, as I said I've travelled far and wide in the country and nobody expects you to tip, and I normally haven't seen anybody I know who goes out to a restaurant leaving a tip. You pay what's on the bill. Maybe they mean the cover charge that's already on the bill, but that's not really a tip.

So if you come here as a tourist, pay what's on the bill and stop. No-one is expecting you to tip, as local Italians normally don't. At most, they "expect" to make more money off of tourists who want to appear pleasant/respectful. If you have extra money to spend and you really enjoyed the place a lot then you can tip of course, and no-one will stop you, but it's not seen as rude or poor form to not leave a tip. Restaurants here don't rely on tips at all.

Same here in Spain.

 

[Machiavelli]

The Frau and myself always differ on this, but I’m a 20%er, she’s a 10….we compromise on 15%

How much do you tip?

Personally I always tip, unless the service is really bad, but I appreciate others might not. So let’s assume everything was good enough to deserve your highest award….what’s it to be?

I await your responses, and the inevitable Reservoir Dogs clip.

I hate the concept of tipping. It's an American incursion, based on dishonesty. In what other parts of the economy are you shown a price, and then expected to pay 10/12.5/15/20% more than that printed price?

 

[Goldstone1976]

I hate the concept of tipping. It's an American incursion, based on dishonesty. In what other parts of the economy are you shown a price, and then expected to pay 10/12.5/15/20% more than that printed price?

Builders, plumbers, electricians, accountants, lawyers, etc routinely would try to stick me with a minimum 20% increase…

‘It was an estimate’
‘No, it was a quote. Look, the piece of paper you gave me says “quote”’

Thankfully, I’ve now found honest people in all the above trades. The conversation now goes;

“Ballpark it for me. Roughly what are talking?”
“C £2k”
“Great”

Sometimes it’s over, but sometimes it’s under. It’s only taken me 25 years to find people I can have that sort of relationship with.

 

[Sepulveda]

I hate the concept of tipping. It's an American incursion, based on dishonesty. In what other parts of the economy are you shown a price, and then expected to pay 10/12.5/15/20% more than that printed price?

It's also a dishonesty towards the servers who are expected to survive partially off of strangers' random kindness instead of off their regular fixed wage payed in full by the owner

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Over here about 10% is usually added on. When it’s very occasionally not, I generally leave the change which can vary by a fair amount.

 

[Timwest]

Depends on the country. In the UK, about 10%.

I worked in restaurants for ten years in the 2000’s. Probably saw 5 quid per month. Since when did you all start tipping?

 

[Springal]

I worked in restaurants for ten years in the 2000’s. Probably saw 5 quid per month. Since when did you all start tipping?

Probably says more around your service to be fair

 

[BrickTamland]

Hate tipping culture.

Worst part about the states. Always feel as though everything is transactional and not genuine

 

[BLOCK F]

Depends entirely on whether or not the ghastly service charge appears on the bill and whether or not we considered the food and service to be of a standard expected in that particular restaurant.
If all is good, then circa 10% or maybe a bit more is forthcoming. I do like to give any tip in cash to the individual and not just be added to the bill.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I hate the concept of tipping. It's an American incursion, based on dishonesty. In what other parts of the economy are you shown a price, and then expected to pay 10/12.5/15/20% more than that printed price?

I don’t like it when service is added to the bill; this is wrong and creates an expectation. Otherwise I’m fine in sectors where I feel it’s a “tradition”; then it’s down to the individual whether they tip.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I worked in restaurants for ten years in the 2000’s. Probably saw 5 quid per month. Since when did you all start tipping?

Since I can remember. Tipping the Deliveroo guy was more recent, following an argument with the Frau over some poor sap who had to climb 4 flights of stairs because someone was too lazy to go out.

 

[jamie (not that one)]

Nothing or very little because I live in Spain and we haven't been yankified. Was in France over the weekend and it was nice to see they haven't got on board with that bullshit either.

 

[Oh_aye]

UK, generally 10-15% for good to decent service, above that for exceptional service.

US, 20% upwards.

Same here. Although I do resent the insane system in the US. It seems to suit business owners at the expense of the punter. First time in the US I was In a bar in Boston. Had three beers and the bill was like 18.50. I gave him 19 and said keep the change (I had no idea- thought I was being generous!) and he almost burst into tears and started ranting about 'working for tips' so effectively the bar staff dont get paid. Just what they get in tips. So I ended up effectively paying for 4 drinks and getting 3. While he kept the 'tip' as wages. So he got paid about 6 dollars for moving his elbow slightly 3 times.

 

[Brovion]

English people are not very popular customers within the service trades over here…

It is definitely the worst thing about visiting the US. In the UK if there is no service charge I tip between 10-15%. (If the service charge has been added already I might leave a bit of cash on the table - if I have any on me). In the US 20% seems to be expected. 20%! And as you say, failure to observe the local custom is usually met with hostility and sometimes a blunt request for more money. We're not used to it here where the tip is the discretionary bonus. As an aside I particularly hate the places where they make you pay in advance. I don't mind paying in advance - but they ask you to add the tip as well! With my British mentality I ask how can I add a tip when I don't know what the service will be like?

I guess it does show the difference between the haves and the have-nots. In such a rich country it's criminal that the people working in restaurants are so downtrodden and oppressed that they need to rely on the charity of the customers in order to survive. C'mon America, unionise! Fight for some basic employment rights, don't rely on the largesse of customers. And as a Socialist I find the crawling and forelock-tugging to rich people (who will give the bigger tips), quite disgusting.

 

[FamilyGuy]

It is definitely the worst thing about visiting the US. In the UK if there is no service charge I tip between 10-15%. (If the service charge has been added already I might leave a bit of cash on the table - if I have any on me). In the US 20% seems to be expected. 20%! And as you say, failure to observe the local custom is usually met with hostility and sometimes a blunt request for more money. We're not used to it here where the tip is the discretionary bonus. As an aside I particularly hate the places where they make you pay in advance. I don't mind paying in advance - but they ask you to add the tip as well! With my British mentality I ask how can I add a tip when I don't know what the service will be like?

I guess it does show the difference between the haves and the have-nots. In such a rich country it's criminal that the people working in restaurants are so downtrodden and oppressed that they need to rely on the charity of the customers in order to survive. C'mon America, unionise! Fight for some basic employment rights, don't rely on the largesse of customers. And as a Socialist I find the crawling and forelock-tugging to rich people (who will give the bigger tips), quite disgusting.

What? There are places that make you pay in advance! Really?
Sounds like a very good reason not to go there!

Apologies for the overuse of ! and ?

 

[southstandandy]

15% in most restaurants but only 10% in McDonalds / Burger King and the like.

 

[Brovion]

What? There are places that make you pay in advance! Really?
Sounds like a very good reason not to go there!

Apologies for the overuse of ! and ?

Yes. The first time I found one was a breakfast buffet in the MGM hotel in Las Vegas. You paid a set fee, then it was 'all you can eat'. On top of the set fee you added the gratuity, from memory the options started at 15% - note that zero wasn't an option! The first time I did query it and asked how I could leave a tip when I didn't know what the service was going to be like? (And as it was self-service I was going to be doing most of it myself anyway). The woman stared at me as if I was trying to be funny and didn't reply.

 

[jcdenton08]

Yes. The first time I found one was a breakfast buffet in the MGM hotel in Las Vegas. You paid a set fee, then it was 'all you can eat'. On top of the set fee you added the gratuity, from memory the options started at 15% - note that zero wasn't an option! The first time I did query it and asked how I could leave a tip when I didn't know what the service was going to be like? (And as it was self-service I was going to be doing most of it myself anyway). The woman stared at me as if I was trying to be funny and didn't reply.

I tipped 10% on the basis of items being available cooked-to-order, such as steak, omelettes, pancakes and the like.

I don’t tip at buffets as a rule though, especially in this country.