I dropped and broke my camera last week, so my "eye" is temporarily out of order for the next two weeks until my camera is fixed. If you Eye Prefer Paris addicts have withdrawal problems, I am sorry to say there are no 12-step programs to help you, but you can always email me if you can't make it one Paris day at a time. I am posting The Best of Eye Prefer Paris with some of yours and my favorite posts to help you get through the next few weeks.
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.
Coming soon: Eye Prefer New York Tours
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 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.
Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. 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
Regarding the tip, believe it or not, in some restaurants they give 2-bills. One for the French and one for Americans. I had an opportunity to compare our bill with the table next to us, and sure enough, ours had at the bottom, "Tip Not Include" and not handwritten either. Whereas the French folks did not have it. Needless to say, we left NO tip!
Posted by: Randy "de" Paris | April 30, 2010 at 05:28 PM