How much do you tip at cafes and restaurants?

[Aztangogirl]

At my favorite restaurants, 15 to 20%. The food is great and I get great service. At a typical argie cafe that I may go to occasionally, 10%.

 

[Silvie]

Curious on the normal rate for tipping for cafes and restaurants here.

I'm from a non tipping country so I'm not used to it but I do around 10% here. Is that the norm?

Some of my Argentine gf family say I tip too much but my gf says they're just stingy with tipping.

10% sounds perfect. If you don't get a good enough service, consider tipping less than that.

 

[Traveler]

When I first arrived in Argentina in 2011, I was taken to Carlitos in San Martin by a friend. I don't recall the exact scenario but had a meat platter and (as I recall) a wine or beer. The waitress was very attentive and prompt with the food. I picked up the check and added what I thought was a fair tip. Again, amounts from that long ago slip my mind but the tip was probably around 20%. As we left the restaurant, the waitress came running out after us saying too much money was left for the bill. I told her it was her propina. I made sure she kept it.

 

[hotfuzz]

10% sounds perfect. If you don't get a good enough service, consider tipping less than that.

Yep! Think that's a good motto. I'll stick to the 10%.

The truth is that locals very often leave much less than 10%

I went to a restaurant a few days ago with the Argentine family and we spent around 16k on food. Family only wanted to tip around 100 pesos which my fiance thought was insulting to the waiter and a bit embarrassing. We added an extra 1.5k.

They said I was tipping too much, but like I've heard before, the locals usually tip quite a bit under the 10%. Hence the reason I asked here.

 

[another]

Just as a reference point of a kind - in both Colombia and Brazil it is a standard practice to add 10% tip to the bill and to confirm with the clients that it's fine with them, otherwise it'll be taken off. In at least two restaurants in Colombia I wanted to tip extra on top of it and the waitress had to get a permission from the manager who was brought to our table to hear it directly from us.

 

[on the brink]

When eating by myself, I tip 15/20% to make up for the smaller bill. Otherwise it's a flat 10%.

Delivery guys get about 5%.

 

[Greg M]

To not be rude in return for good service, drop 15%. If you spontaneously decide to go to a restaurant that requires a reservation, and you expect to be seated, you need to grease some palms. I am fortunate in that I can afford to treat people well and I do. The other point to consider is, are the tips shared and does the owner or manager get a cut? Regardless, it's always a good idea; especially abroad, to treat others well. The proverbial Golden Rule is a good one to follow anywhere on the planet. Good luck.

 

[QuilmesSlo]

Interesting, I think there are too distinct approaches -- (a) generous expat -- I can be generous and so I am; and (b) live like a local and follow their customs.

Both make sense under their own terms.

 

[Rich One]

10% sounds perfect. If you don't get a good enough service, consider tipping less than that.

How does one rate "Good Service" for a cup of coffee ??. Time delay, glass of soda water, prompt bill presentation..? Quality not mentioned? I can't remember when I had good espresso here!

 

[ElQueso]

I do 10% with decent service. People here don't tip very much. When someone says AR is not a tipping country, I think it's more like tipping is not completely uncommon (though Violet would know more than I) but it is small for the most part when they do tip. When I go out to eat with an AR friend, he or she also asks how much we should leave for a tip and at first were aghast at 10%. But it seems the more money and Argentino has (in general, not at the time), the more tip they leave as well.

Like most others posting here, I can't not tip, or just tip a tiny amount (except the one time I tipped a single peso because I tried for half an hour to get drinks at our table halfway through the meal and the waiter never brought them. When I paid and left 1 peso, the guy actually followed us out of the restaurant asking me if I realized I had only left a peso and I told him exactly why. It was a touristy/after-theater place near Corrientes and Montevideo named Chiquilin).

I can't help but think that 20% is a bit much (even in the States I felt that; my usual limit in the States is 15% unless the service is exceptional and the server makes me want to give him or her more). And here, when paying $2K tip for a $20K meal (and today in a just-decent place, my family pulls that kind of total), I think the waiter is pleasantly surprised and when we return, they always seem to remember us the next time.