Tipping in Rome
 

Can you give me guidelines to tipping in restaurants in Rome, please. Thank you.

There's a discussion of tipping in Paris in another thread, so let me be specific about Rome. If you see an added charge for "coperto" or "servicio" on your tab, you've already tipped. If not, you may choose to leave a little extra. There's no expectation that you will, but you might leave a little (we're NOT talking 15% here, just a little).

As for Paris, since the French feel that is is important to hold out against the practice of tipping when they travel, I return the favor.

10% is ok, 15% is generous. Most more upscale places have service included or added automatically, so no need to leave a tip (or you can round up).

Here we go again!

When in Rome do as the Romans do: tip little or nothing. Service is normally included, and tips are not expected (except in places that cater mainly for tourists, where the staff have become accustomed to it).

One might give a tip for better-than-average service. 5% is ok: 10% is very generous; 15% is probably an American visitor who has not tuned in to local customs.

Coperto and service are not the same thing. Coperto is like a cover charge for the bread (which you will pay whether you eat the bread or not, it's standard). Service goes to the restaurant. The waiters are paid a living wage and do not depend on tips for a living the way they do in the US. However, you can leave a small additional amount if you like. When I was in Rome over Christmas, for the first time I saw a charge card slip that had a space to add a tip. I've never seen that anywhere in Italy before. I wonder if some restaurants may be trying to institute this due to Americans always leaving what the Italians would consider very large tips.

"Coperto" or sometimes seen on the bill "Pane e Coperto" is not a tip or service charge ("servizio") but a cover charge for bread, linen etc. Most places in Rome have done away with it but if they haven't, you are going to have to pay it. It usually is no more than 2 Euros. A service charge, or tip, is built into the cost of every meal in a restaurant, trattoria or osteria, whether it is itemized on the bill or not. That is the law in Italy. So pay no attention to a waiter who tells you that service is not included. Italians generally do not tip. If the service has been exceptional, they might leave the spare change. But I've eaten with Italians that will take the 3 Euro change from a 97 Euro bill after paying with 100 Euro.

"pay no attention to a waiter who says service is not included"

I have had waiters in Rome and Sorrento claim that the service is not included in "this restaurant". So a few times in the past we have left tips. At the time I did wonder why they snickered as we left, the rats!!

It galls me when a waiter, who pretends not to know any English, suddenly comes out in perfect English 'Service is not included' when presenting a bill. I've made a point of not leaving any tips or just rounding up the bill when this happened.

Now I am the wiser and will personally boycot the restaurant in Sorrento, that should punish them! lol

When my bed&breakfast in Rome reserved for me a car and choffer to pick us up at the Airport. I asked them if 5 eu would be the expected tip ( fare was 35 eu)
the answer was he will not expect a tip.In Rome we do not tip in this case.
He picked us up and helped with the suitcases at the azirport and at the b&b, very nice gentleman, I had the 35 + 5 euros ready but he told me very clearly : for me 35 euros.So I did not tip him. I called him back to take us back to the airport and he was as nice or even more than before, so I was pretty sure that he indeed expected no tip. In Rome do as the Romans do.