My partner Vincent had an unnerving incident happen at a restaurant that prompted me to write this post.
Vincent was at Cafe Ruc, a popular and fashionable restaurant/cafe right near the Louvre that attracts Parisians and tourists. He was dining with an American friend, and although they ordered in French, they spoke English during their dinner. When they asked the waitress for the check, she evidently overheard them discussing whether or not to leave her an additional "tip" beyond the 15% service charge already included in the bill. The waitress immediately--and a bit smugly--piped in,"you know, the tip is not included". His friend challenged her and said that it was French law that the tip was included. She sheepishly backed down and said that they didn't have to leave anything.
So here is the the simple truth about tipping in Paris and the rest of France: A 15% tip is ALWAYS included in your bill, regardless of what the waiter or anyone else says.Again, it's a French law that the tip is included. If they say it's not included, they are lying and trying to rip you off. If you are charging a meal, notice there is no tip box on the credit card receipt. It's because the tip is included.
With that said, it is customary to leave a 3 to 5% gratuity in cash on the table. For instance, if you have a lunch that costs 20 euros, you should leave a one euro or 75 centimes gratuity. For a coffee, leave 25 centimes.
Many of my tour clients take my tour at the end of their stay and it kills me when they said they have been leaving 15 & 20 % tips all week long. I tell them they could have bought an Hermes scarf or a half pair of Louboutin shoes with that money. ( I like to think in practical shopping terms).
So now you know how to be a savvy local and show the Parisians you are not a dumb American tourist.
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook. First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 3 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
What is included is a service charge, and indeed, it is mandatory.
However, tip is translated into "pourboire" in French, and, of course, it is not included in the check and is at the discretion of the patrons. Many French people give nothing.
Posted by: Chrisos | September 02, 2009 at 11:13 AM
LoL, love this post.
Posted by: Erica | September 02, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Very useful post, given what you say about your over-generous clients. However, I notice among my Parisian friends an increasing tendency to tip a bit more than you advise. I blame it on the introduction of the euro.
Posted by: John W. | September 02, 2009 at 02:39 PM
And is the service charge on the bill definitely handed over to the servers? Or is the restaurant allowed to keep it? That's what worries me. I've made my living most of my adult life in the service industry and so of course I tend to overtip no matter where I am. I'd rather err on the side of generosity.
Posted by: Style Spy | September 02, 2009 at 03:15 PM
Thanks For The TIP...Darling..lol Those Parisians aren't getting anything over on us!!!!!! Now every time I see a Hermes Scarf..I'm going to think...yep Richard has just saved another American...And LOOK at that fabulous scarf they got!!!!Keep up the good detective work!!!
Posted by: beth | September 02, 2009 at 06:24 PM
My husband and I both enjoy so much your wonderful I Prefer Paris newsletters. Thank you so much for taking the time to do them. I eagerly look forward each day to finding out what you will be writing about and also to your great pictures. We are both addicted to Paris and can live vicariously through your newsletters while we are saving money/vacation time for our next "real" trip. Merci beaucoup.
Posted by: Lynn | September 03, 2009 at 07:53 AM
Excellent service you have provided with this blog on tipping! Americans just assume it's like in the States - you have set them straight
Posted by: Bill | September 03, 2009 at 07:54 AM
Same rule in Switzerland and Austria about tipping, and our tour guide very strongly told us tips were included and all we had to do was round out the bill (which very often came to next to nothing) I don't think a Swiss waiter would pull that shtick -- they seem excessively honest.
Posted by: June | September 03, 2009 at 07:56 AM
They tried it on with me last week...But I knew and could read, what it said at the end of the bill.
Posted by: Anne | September 03, 2009 at 01:57 PM
The service charge is not a tip and doesn't necessarily go to the servers.
You should double check before posting.
But, it's not customary to tip, as in Europe servers should be payed by their employer and not by customer tips
Posted by: pp | September 03, 2009 at 03:02 PM
I'm with pp. The service charge is NOT a tip, and I don't personally know of a single restaurant in the city that divides this among their staff.
Posted by: adrian | October 03, 2009 at 09:04 AM