Restaurant Tipping Guidelines
Full-Service Dining
This is the big one. When a server takes your order, brings your food, refills drinks, and clears plates:
- 18-20%: Standard for good service
- 20-25%: Excellent service, complicated orders, or large groups
- 15%: Bare minimum if service was just okay
- 10-12%: Only if service was genuinely bad (and you've talked to a manager)
Pro tip: Tip on the pre-tax amount. If your bill is £100 before tax and £112 after, tip on £100.
Buffets & Self-Service
10-15%: Even though you get your own food, someone still clears plates, refills drinks, and cleans up after you. Lower tip is fine, but don't skip it entirely.
Fine Dining
20-25%: High-end restaurants expect higher tips. If you're dropping £200 on dinner, £40-50 tip is standard. Also tip the sommelier separately if they spent time helping you choose wine (£10-20).
Bars & Coffee Shops
Coffee Shops & Cafes
The tip jar debate is real. Here's the breakdown:
- Simple order (drip coffee): £0.50-1 or skip (it's okay!)
- Fancy drink (latte, specialty): £1-2 or 10-15%
- Table service: 15% like a regular restaurant
Don't feel guilty about not tipping at Starbucks. Baristas earn full hourly wages, unlike restaurant servers. But if they made your complicated order perfectly, a quid in the jar is nice.
Bars & Pubs
- Per drink: £1-2 per drink, or 15-20% if running a tab
- Complex cocktails: £2-3 (bartenders work hard on those)
- UK pubs: Tipping isn't expected for simple pints—offer to "buy one for yourself" instead
- US bars: Always tip $1-2 per drink minimum
Delivery & Takeout Tipping
Food Delivery
Delivery drivers deserve tips—they use their own cars, pay for petrol, and deal with traffic.
- Standard delivery: 15-20% or £3-5 minimum
- Bad weather/far distance: 20-25% or £5+ minimum
- Large/complicated orders: Add extra £2-5
- Late delivery (not driver's fault): Still tip the driver—they don't control kitchen timing
Important: Delivery apps take huge cuts. Tip in cash if possible so drivers get 100%.
Takeout/Pickup
0-10%: You can skip tipping on takeout, but if someone packaged your order carefully, checked everything, or added extras, £1-3 or 10% is appreciated. Not required though.
Taxis, Rideshares & Transportation
Uber/Lyft/Rideshares
15-20%: Same as restaurants. The app makes it easy—just tap the percentage. Tip more for helping with luggage, great conversation, or going out of their way.
Traditional Taxis
10-15%: Round up to the nearest £5 or £10. If the fare is £18, give £20 and say "keep the change." For airport runs with luggage, add £2-5 extra.
Valet Parking
£2-5: Tip when they bring your car back, not when you hand over keys. £2-3 for standard service, £5 if they had to retrieve it quickly or dealt with difficult parking.
Personal Services Tipping
Hairdressers & Barbers
15-20%: Standard tip. More if they spent extra time or fixed a problem. Tip your stylist directly, and if someone else washed your hair, give them £2-5 separately.
Nail Salons & Spas
15-20%: For manicures, pedicures, massages, facials. If multiple people served you, split the tip or tip each person 10-15%.
Tattoo Artists
15-20%: Tattoos are expensive, but artists spend hours on custom work. A £200 tattoo deserves a £40 tip. Some people tip more for exceptional work or multi-session pieces.
Personal Trainers & Instructors
Optional: Not expected for regular sessions, but a holiday tip (equivalent to one session's cost) or a thoughtful gift is appreciated at year-end.
Hotel & Travel Tipping
Hotel Housekeeping
£2-5 per night: Leave cash on the pillow or nightstand with a note. Different staff clean each day, so tip daily rather than one lump sum at checkout.
Bellhops & Porters
£1-2 per bag: More if bags are heavy or if they showed you around the room. For a family of four with lots of luggage, £5-10 total is appropriate.
Concierge
£5-20: Depends on what they did. Made a simple restaurant reservation? £5-10. Got you sold-out concert tickets? £20+. Nothing for basic directions.
Room Service
Check the bill first! Many hotels add 18-20% gratuity automatically. If not included, tip 15-20% like a restaurant. Even if gratuity is included, £2-5 cash for the delivery person is nice.
When NOT to Tip
Not every transaction requires a tip. Here's where you can skip it guilt-free:
- Fast food counters (McDonald's, KFC, etc.)
- Self-checkout or kiosks
- Retail stores (shop assistants earn hourly wages)
- Movie theaters
- Doctors, dentists, lawyers (you're already paying them plenty)
- Flight attendants (it's actually against airline policy)
- Government services (DMV, post office)
If there's a tip jar and you don't want to tip, don't feel bad. Optional means optional.
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