I was recently reading a guidebook on Greece which indicated that to get the attention of a waiter in a restaurant, it was appropriate to clap your hands at him.

The guidebook also said a few paragraphs later (but not necessarily in the same context of grabbing the waiter's attention) that it was rude/insulting to raise your hand, palm out with your fingers spread apart.

Since I sometimes try to catch someone's attention by quickly raising my hand in their direction - a waiter, a taxi driver, etc. - I wanted to find out if this guidebook was correct. I haven't read about this in any other guidebook I've looked at.

It seems rather rude to me to clap at a waiter to get their attention, but if this is the way it's done there, I'd like to know. I wouldn't want to indavertently insult someone by raising my hand at them.

I've never seen that done. It sounds disrespectful to me, although I could be wrong. I catch their eye, lift my chin and say, "Paraklo" or if I know them, "Ella."

brotherleelove2004-

Yes, even if I was told that it was ok to clap your hands at a waiter, I would probably feel too uncomfortable to do it.

Your method of getting the waiter's attention sounds good.

I do wonder about the hand raising bit, though. I'll have to remember to keep an eye out to see if I can tell if that is true or not.

I think it'd be OK to raise your hand, but not to beckon them to you, maybe just to stick a finger or two in the air to attract their attention.

Lee is correct. Is best way I think. Sometimes also a simple smile to the waiter and pretend to write on hand will bring him to you.

It is not etiquette to clap hands in Greece to bring waiter. At least, I have never known it so. I would ignore it if I serve table of guests and they did this.

Greek peoples know about visitors raising hand with palm facing and fingers open. They understand it is not an insult as many northern europeans especially do it.

If it is an insult from one GReek to another the person will extend arm out, spreading fingers wide with palm at angle of about 45 degrees to floor.

I am too polite to tell you what it means.

Ah, Thanos, you are a true Greek gentleman!!

Thank you for the clarification, Thanos.

clapping your hands together was typical of Greece 30 years ago..and done by Greeks not tourists..have only seen it done by "old school" Greeks

Meals in Greece are to be enjoyed, and not hurried. Please do be patient if your waiter seems to be ignoring you, he probably just doesn't want to appear to be pressuring you to eat up and leave. Sometimes mistakes are made, of course. I love the tavernas where you can go into the kitchen to order your food - that doesn't guarantee it will be served promptly, of course. Lee's 'parakalo' is the best option. If that doesn't work, I just walk back to the kitchen to check on my order.

Please DON'T clap your hands!!!
(in which guidebook did you see that?)
To me it seems totally inapropriate and i haven't seen once someone doing it. I just raise my hand a little bit to catch his attention as in every other country of Europe!!

It was a Michelin guidebook. I know that there are both red and green guidebooks - I would suppose perhaps the one I read was the red one, though the cover wasn't truly red - more of a rust shade.

The clapping hands bit was surprising to me too - I've always had a general opinion that Michelin guidebooks are pretty good. Based on that opinion I had to double check the info given in the book.