shep103

Can anyone let me know what the Spanish custom is regarding tipping for good service in restaurants?

I always leave at least 10% of the bill and this always seems to go down well with the staff. When I look around at what others are leaving as it varies from what looks like loose change to nothing.

Steve

livit

Spaniards don`t tip.They may leave coins that are hassle to carry and not worth much.

Simple as that.

Your paying for the food, the resturant pays the wages of the person that serves the food, the wages are included in your bill.The cost of good service is not considered as its expected.Spanish waiters don`t expect a tip.

Only Americans and guilt riden Brits tip.

Hettyb

Same in Portugal - my friend deliberately tries to attract Brits to his restaurant as they tip.

poshnbucks

I would agree in the main with your ten per cent.Albeit it is not compulsory to tip in Spain. I have been in London Restaurants and the service charge has been between twelve and half and fifteen per cent going into the trouser pocket of the proprietor and the staff getting little or nothing.In the USA is can be 20 per cent. Here in Spain wages are poor so tips make a big difference to the waiters/staffs living standard if they are lucky enough to get any tips.Service is not charged as an extra here, However if I am served by someone who couldn't give a monkeys if I enjoyed my visit to their establishment or not then I am afraid its naff all. I even tip the petrol man/woman who lifts a nozzle 3 feet there and back to your car but he/she must be on little per hour I look on it this way I have enough for my needs give a little The Brits and the Germans are tight wads come on show em ur wad, I am not guilt ridden I enjoy my life I am a lover not a fighter. init


Here is a little do and do not whilst in Spain.

http://www.vayama.com/spain-etiquette?s=434008

Hondon Voyager

The wages in some of these establishments is so bad the waiters/waitresses need all the tips they can get ,I am hearing some as low as 3 euro per hour bloody disgrace this day and age .

bil

I was told that 5% is about right if you tip.

poshnbucks

I can see them all in his Bar now dressed to the nines in their Burberry and Jimmy CHEWS they bought from the market, They wouldn't notice the difference between CHEW and Choo or to give him his real name Yeang Keat.

livit

A friend of my OH currently works 59 hours a week at 3.69 Euro`s looking after old people in a nursing home.

She works the night shift and they start showering the residents at 6 am as there is 49 residents for the 2 carers on duty before the day staff arrive at 9.30am.

When she finishes she has a 2 hr break before working as a mobile carer driving to old people who live in the community, she has 5 hours of this at 3.90, plus travel expense at 50 cent every 3kms.She then returns in the evening to work the night shift.

One month ago she fell asleep at the wheel, crashed the car against the side of the road, cost 5,000 Euros damage to the car and will get a fine from Traffico.They had to stop there full comp insurance to 3rd party a few months before because it was too expensive, so they now are paying this repair as well.

The husband`s job hours have been cut, their struggling to pay the 1,300 Euro a month mortgage.

She`s Spanish from Jaen.Qualified to work in an office but unable to find work within her experience.

Hondon Voyager

It always seems to be the people who do the most get least rewarded

w1ldcat

I used to tip all the time, but now i only tip at night at a nice place. There only few places we go i will tip as i know the food really good have a laugh with the staff.

Fred James

I leave 5% in a restaurant if the service was OK.

In bars and cafes just a few cents.

I once left 20c in the bar in Corte Ingles and was chased out of the building by a waiter - he gave me the 20c - no tipping allowed!

This is the norm in Spain - at least as far as the Spanish are concerned. The Brits always want to leave more (typically 10% or more) and that annoys my Spanish friends as they say it is too much.

Casa Santo Estevo

Working in the industry so having contacts with restaurants hotels and our own establishment we can honestly say that all nations tip. What the tip is depends more on the person than the service.
Also knowing what some waitering staff receive as so called wages then a small tip goes a long way.

sensationalfrog

my wife gets a good wage,7 euros an hour in a brit bar in fuengirola she is good,well known and gets tips accordingly but alas no contract so we have private heath care but she likes the owners,have knownthem for a long time

most brit bars employ illegaly,the last place she worked paid 6 euros but the owners kept 2/3 of the tips after one year they did put her on a 10 hour a week contract(despite the 30 hours she worked) after 6 months replaced her with a 17 yr old at 5 euros an hour,i should have reported them really,on a sunday they have 5 illegal staff,what would you do

sorry dont mean to hijack thread,just want people to be aware that tipping is needed by the staff,but doesnt always go to the people it should

poshnbucks

Just off topic and location for a moment........... Why the hell do we tip black cab drivers in the UK when they do nothing for it, Unless you tip them not to speak with you about the weather, Politics or last nights telly...Tip away......... I am a wireless man myself.... No I am honest, Nothing better here in Spain in the morning than breakfast on the terrace by the pool, two nice new laid eggs, Soldiers, Pot of tea with Radio Four and James Naughtie with the Today prog in the back ground......arrrrrrr Heaven. Meanwhile back on thread I hear the jingle of small coins being off loaded onto the Restaurant table.

anabella

I guess it's different in Fuengirola as it's more British... Generally tipping is not expected or popular in Spain, we tend to leave lose change at restaurants but not in cafes or bars...