How much do you tip in restuarants?

[Joanne_in_London]

Thanks everyone for the UK information. To clarify, they didn't ADD a service charge; supposedly the menu prices included VAT and Service Charge. There was then the Gratuity line on the credit card bill.

For the U.S., definitely 15 to 20% is customary at all restaurants where a waiter or waitress takes your order at your table and someone delivers it to you. For buffets such as Golden Corral or Ponderosa, 10% is fine (about $1/head) because all she is doing is taking your drink order and keeping your glass full.

BobK/Orlando

Bob, all of the credit card slips in restaurants automatically come out with a space for gratuity, whether service is included or not. You should have just ignored that bit as you had already paid. I hate seeing our foreign visitors getting ripped off.
When I'm in the States, I tip 20% unless its poor service, which I can say is rare.
I have been told by servers on several occasions that Brist have a bad reputation for being cheap (wasn't by any means directed at me - this was after paying for meal and casually chatting). Problem is, its a vicious circle, if we are known as cheapskates, service wont be as good, tip wont be as good etc, so its a real hot potato!

 

[orlando-brit realtor]

As a Brit living here now, i tip a flat fee of 20% unless service was so bad and then i say something. Simply because you find that waiters/waitresses dont get paid a wage or if they do is like a token $1 an hour and they survive off their tips. What you also find alot of Brits doing is doubling the tax and rounding up. This comes to around 13%, but go the extra mile if youve had good service and leave 20%. I know alot of Brits dont like tipping because its not done in the UK, but when in Rome...;-)

 

[UKDEB]

We have a DDE card so we get 18% added automatically

Same here. Prior to the auto-grat, we always left 20%. Offsite we tip 20% minimum, often more. In theory, you calculate the tip pre-tax, but we usually do it on the total bill.

 

[melchar]

I agree quite a lot with most of the comments about 15% inless your my mum who tips resturants with poor service $20 just to find out the reaction.

Thankyou Charlotte x

 

[mattnkatsmum]

I generally tip 18% (if I can work it out) in line with the DDE automatic gratuity.

 

[scojos]

I agree quite a lot with most of the comments about 15% inless your my mum who tips resturants with poor service $20 just to find out the reaction.

Thankyou Charlotte x

what are the reactions?

 

[gavvy]

I use the DDE so normally round up to the nearast dollar I have in my pocket, so I probably tip 20-25%

3 weeks ago I sat at the bar in Pop late one evening at watched maybe 15-20 Americans order drinks and leave some sort of tip. 6 British people walked up to the bar ordered paid and left nout. Maybe they dont understand the tipping culture im unsure but I felt rather bad for the guy behind the bar and ended up tipping him tripple what I would have to make upfor them! ( ok i was rather drunk too!)

The point is I wish people would read up on when you do need to tip - it can be a bit akward but leaving a dollar or 2 on a bar is not going to break the bank and will make the barman more inclined to give you better service next time!

 

[susieh]

I must appear a right cheapskate because I never tip the bar staff (unless they are taking the order and bringing your drinks to your table).

I tip waiters and buffet staff but not counter staff - and I don't believe I've noticed locals tipping counter staff (bar or coffee shop or counter service meal) ever.

 

[scojos]

ok,this is where i look really ignorant (and whats new there?) but should you tip counter staff? ok, bar i get, when we were at the HRH 2 years ago, made friends with the barman there (he kept giving the kids coke he explained how poorly he was paid, and how brits just didi not get the NEED for staff to receive tips.
but i did not realise that it was expected of counter staff too...
tracy

 

[onetoescape]

I People give me good standard I give the normal 20% if they they give excellent I give more average less rubbish nothing. Tipping I feel is not a right its a privilege. You have to earn your tip and just not just expect it.

 

[CarolynU]

I always tip 20% unless really sub par. In that case I would send meal back or ask to speak to the manager.

 

[Aardvarks]

Dang nabbit

We were on the DDP last year and I still tipped 10% every time we ate

Now I find that we didnt need to do it, and that this year we need to tip at 15 or 20%

I also leave Mousekeeping $40 at the end of my stay.

So this year imma save on tipping mousekeeping in order to pay the 15% tip on food orders.

Tsk......I just wish they would pay peeps more and add it to the prices,

I am a brit and used to be taxed 'up front' not after the event