quinoa

what is proper tipping in Ireland

Edward2005

Don't unless you received spectacular service.

flanneruk

...and under no circumstances whatsoever tip staff behind the bar in pubs. Though buying them a drink is fine if the craic's going well.

gavan

It is becoming more customary to tip in restaurants - approx 10% of the bill, as the majority of places don't include a service charge. Of course ionly tip if the service is good - bad service doesn't get ipped anywhere. In pubs / bars, the 'lounge staff' (i.e. those from whom you can order drinks from your seats, mainly practised in Dublin pubs) are usually given a small tip per round of drinks, maybe €1, as they are sometimes students, etc. and not full time bar staff as such. Generally bar staff don't get tipped, and it would be unusual to buy the bar staff a drink - they're employers wouldn't be too pleased to see them drinking a pint while on duty!!

SiobhanP

Do a search as there is a large thread on this. Don't tip on drinks unless someone brings to the table and do tip 10-15% on food.

Patrick

Don't you love it when you get such varying answers. So far we've heard not to tip, to tip 10%, and to tip 10 -15%. Any more opinions?

SiobhanP

I live here drink in pubs here and eat out once a week. Average is 10% for food or I tip 15 for a great dinner or if we are a big group. Never tip at the bar (they will know you are american if you so!) and lounge person change. Its been like this since I moved back here 10 years ago to Dublin. I have never bought a barman a drink as I don't think the management would be happy with anyone drinking on the job...health and safety and all that .

hhmariavanempel

A lot of the A's above are, I believe, of U.S.A or American snit. In Holland a service-charge of 15% is legally in the bill (drink & food). I pay mostly a few euro's above this bill if the service is even a normal one. For instance: bill is €132,34 than €135 or even €140 when the service is very good; but never 10%. Bartenders I offer sometimes a non-alcoholic drink. My more specific Q is: is in Eire a service-charge of howmany %% y/n legally in the bill.

Edward2005

I don't know about others, but I got my no-tip advice straight from the Irish. And having spent about a month of my life there, I can say from experience that tipping is rare. It has nothing to do with being American; the Irish generally don't tip, either.

cambe

I live in NI and tipping is usually your loose change.

Ireland has a minimum wage (when you see the prices you will understand why) so tipping is not necessary unless you are given excellent service.

gavan

I have lived here for 34 years, 10 in Dublin, like Siobhan I drink regularly in & dine out in restaurants (of varying standards) a lot. I have never bought a bar man / woman a drink. As I stated, particularly in Dublin, It is becoming more common to tip (you may notice below the bill on credit card receipt a 'gratuity' line) & tipping certainly won't offend. Again, I stress, only if the service is good. Also note that bar staff in Dublin are generally well paid, lounge staff would be on at least the min wage (approx €7 - €8 / hour). There is no legal requirmenet in Ireland to include a service charge on the bill - tips are entirely discretionary and up to the individual - it's too broad a statement to say tipping is a national trait.

Geordie

Siobhan & gavan

When Flanner says buy the barman a drink, your not actually buying him a drink, what he does is he'll say I'll have 1/2 lager takes the amount a drink would cost and put it in a cup by the side of the till.

This is a fairly common practice in England, especially with locals and if you've been chatting to the barman/woman for quite a while.

If you watch any of the soaps you'll hear them say it quite a lot.
Geordie

Intrepid1

There's a "minimum wage" in the USA, too, but that doesn't mean one cannot tip if they are so inclined.

And what is wrong with knowing someone is an American..as if they haven't already figured that out.

Tipping is totally subjective, totally personal, and not required by law (service charges are NOT "tips" since they have been arbitrarily imposed), and therefore, IMO, there is not necessarily any "proper" or "improper" tipping.

Those who have to ask about tips have obviously never had to work for one.

cailin

I'm in agreement with Siobhan & Gavan - I would generally tip about 12% in restaurants, 15% if the service is particularly good. In bars I wouldn't tip unless there's lounge service, in which case I would give some loose change to the server.

lucielou

I agree with Siobhan, i'm also Irish and i would tip 10-15% in restaurants or if a waitress brings drinks over to the table in a pub i would give her €2, but its not customary to tip a barman only offer to buy him a drink if you know him well.

Christina

I don't know what's proper or not, but just found the response about offering to buy bartenders drinks unusual. What is that all about? I'm not arguing that it may not be the custom in Ireland as I don't know, but is this just a sham for the bartender taking money that a drink costs and putting it in his pocket? How could bartenders possibly drink so much on the job (continuually for many hours?), unless they were alocholics, in which case that might not be a good thing to do.

All I know is I've never been a bartender, but was a waitress in a donut shop and if a customer offered to buy me a donut, it would have made me annoyed as: a) I got all the free donuts I wanted as part of my job; b) I didn't want to eat that many donuts as I would gain weight and they are junk food. I don't know any US bartender that wants people to buy them drinks instead of giving them a tip.

Worktowander

The way I understand this is that the offer to buy the barman a drink is a "gentler" way to tip. They don't drink it, they take the price of a drink as a tip. Also, I've had this offer politely refused as often as I've had it accepted.

But I'm no expert.