In Paris, if you see tartare on the menu for 15€, that’s the price you’re ultimately going to pay. Sales tax and service are already included in menu prices, which is a big difference between France and other countries. Still, there are some subtleties about tipping in Paris that you should know before you go.
In France, servers in Paris are paid a living wage with health benefits, and aren’t making their wages through tips. But it is customary to leave a little something at a restaurant, bar or café. This is known in France as a pourboire, which translates literally as “to drink.”
How much should you leave? You’ll rarely see a Parisian leaving more than a 10% tip at a restaurant. Tips aren’t really calculated as a percentage of the bill, the way they are in other countries. In Paris, a 5€ note is often left for two people at dinner, and a 10€ note is often left for a group of four. I often leave 50€ when visiting fine dining restaurants where both the bill and the level of service are more substantial.
In practice, the size of the tip is often a function of how much cash people can cobble together. In the United States, it’s possible to add a tip after payment with a credit or debit card. Until very recently, that hasn’t been possible in France. Tips are generally made in cash, unless your language skills are good enough to ask the server to round up before processing the payment (i.e. if your bill is 55€, you can ask them to process it at 60€).
Very recently, a small but growing number of restaurants have adopted payment systems that allow guests to add a tip before the payment is processed. I’ve heard mixed reactions from diners about this. Some people have assumed that this is some sort of scam directed at tourists because locals would never tip 20%. It’s true that these machines are popping up more often in restaurants with an international clientele – including many on our list of 50 Favorite Restaurants in Paris – but nobody’s forcing you to tip 20%.
Personally, I love this new option for tipping in Paris. I’m often scrambling to fish out enough 2€ coins from the bottom of my purse to compile an acceptable tip. I feel no shame whatsoever in choosing the lowest option (often 5%) or tapping “autre” and entering a custom amount.
So modest tips are are the norm in Paris, and you shouldn’t feel anxious about leaving something small. You might, however, might consider rewarding servers who went out of their way to help you translate the menu or kitchens who handled special requests, especially since tips are usually pooled by the entire team.
Parisians almost never ask for accommodation or substitutions, so a team that helps you to navigate the menu or your dietary issues or a French menu is going beyond the usual call of duty. A traveler who tips well is paying it forward for the next foreigner who needs some extra assistance.
Hi Dawn, that shouldn’t happen in France, and it isn’t the norm. Café Marly is an extremely touristy place (the kind of place we don’t write about) and they seem to be taking advantage of visitors there. I’m sorry that happened to you.
This article is very misleading. I had dinner at Cafe Marley last night and the waiter absolutely asked to place the 20% gratuity onto the check. I didn’t mind as the food and service was amazing but for a bill that was already priced high for a party of 6 the amount on the check would have been nice
I’ve found that in the past year, some waiters in Paris demand that I leave a tip. They tell me that in Paris it is now customary to leave a tip. Is this true or are they taking advantage of me because I’m a tourist?
It is so interesting to read about different tip cultures around the world. Looks like every country has its own ways of tipping and it is such a nice custom to actually learn. Tells a lot about the culture of that country!
It’s a little more complicated than that 🙂
So.. don’t tip but do tip. Got it. Lol!
Thank you for sharing. It is very important to know when we’re traveling to Paris!