How do you tip?

I rarely leave a tip, simply because waiters/servers in Europe actually get paid some decent money (seriously, 3.50 an hour?). It's not really customary, since the service is assumed to be included in the check, but I see it happen more and more these days. People will never leave 20% (that would be a very costly tip, considering that a two person meal in the restaurant where I work costs 120 euros), but they'll often leave change, or if they are people that I know they'll leave more.

I have to say though, that serving in the US seems to be a lot worse than in most European countries. I've worked in a fair share of restaurants or catered events, and I rarely encountered trouble with customers. Of course, it all depends on the type of place, so I have to be careful what I'm saying here, but I like serving people, I enjoy the interaction with the customers, and it's a bit strange to hear how much shit people have to deal with on the job.

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It's a matter of definitions for restaurants. In the US, nearly every place that serves food qualifies as a restaurant, be it a chain of diners or a fancy place like one Ramsay's places. In Europe, the definition for restaurant isn't nearly as broad. A restaurant here implies a place where you can enjoy an entire evening, where you can sit for hours after finishing your meal, where the focus is on enjoying the food and company, instead of on filling up, and serving as many customers as possible, as is the case in most diners (from my experience). We don't really have diners like in the US, let alone whole chains like the Olive Garden, but just small, independent places where you can get a quick meal (brasserie), but where you can still sit at ease.

On the discussion of closing hours, most restaurants here only have a closing hour for the kitchen (10 PM for most places), so people can sit and enjoy the rest of their meal, but they can't come in at 10:15 and expect to be served. I think that this is the best method to deal with closing hours, this way the kitchen can clean up, whereas the waiters will still be busy serving the guests drinks and whatnot, all while cleaning up without causing any disturbance.

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Originally Posted by Shin

Seems that way, yes.

What he said, except obviously our draconian licencing laws means places only stay open about an hour or so after food service ends.

heh, that's what you get for living in a nation of drunks and chavs xD.

I have never had anyone ask to take their leftovers, not even for their dog. I fear that I wouldn't be able to resist ridiculing anyone who asks for that. This is mostly because the enjoyment of the food is important, you don't need to have huge piles of french fries or a 2 pound steak to enjoy a meal, it's about taste and flavour. Even if people would take their leftovers in a doggy bag, it still would not be the same experience, as having it freshly served in a restaurant, and if you are that desperate for food, perhaps you shouldn't eat in a more expensive restaurant in the first place.

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