Do you tip at fine dining restaurants? Like $200+ a plate places

[openwheel]

That's why I avoid fancy restaurants like the plague....and cook fancy stuff at home

 

[Six]

Most fine dining restaurants are way over-rated. Deep fried a breaded lobster tail in some salty crumbs....give it a fancy French name no one is ever going to remember...serve it to the masses of unsuspecting fools who only dine out once a year = great reviews on Yelp. Or grab four slices of duck, soak it in Spam juice overnight to taste like Spam, add colorful ganish = $$$. The only great thing about fine dining is the location and service. The food is almost always just above average, hardly ever great.

That said...I always tip 20-25%...be it the corporate card or my card.

 

[PlanetJosh]

I'd have to travel outside San Diego to find a place like that like up in LA. Ok an exaggeration.

 

[KeithTalent]

Yes of course. I ate at three fine dining joints in New York when I was there recently and tipped ~20% at each of them (I tipped around 30% at EMP though because they were truly amazing).

KT

 

[mikeford]

Now that I will be paying for their healthcare aren't tips redundant?

I tip between nothing and 20% if the service is both insanely good and they do something special. My wife tips at take out places, I don't. Buffets vary, but to get 10% my drink needs to be never empty and plates never on the table after another pass at the food.

If you aren't sure what normal practice is, call the place and ask, you won't be the first to do it.

Many places will include a fixed tip on parties larger than 5 or 6 people.

 

[Ns1]

Yes of course. I ate at three fine dining joints in New York when I was there recently and tipped ~20% at each of them (I tipped around 30% at EMP though because they were truly amazing).

KT

So where'd you end up going and how was it?

No pics?

 

[brianmanahan]

most i will pay is %10 of 200$ for a meal, so... no.

 

[KeithTalent]

So where'd you end up going and how was it?

No pics?

I felt weird about taking pics, so I did not really take any. I just got them to give me copies of the menus for the night so I could remember.

Hit Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park (highly recommended), and Per Se but only the lounge as I could not get a reservation.

You must, must hit EMP next time you go to New York. One of the best and most fun meals I've had in a very long time.

KT

 

[brianmanahan]

You must, must hit EMP next time you go to New York.

i would love to toss an EMP in NYC

 

[LevelSea]

My last fine dining experience it was prix-fixe at @ $135, $65 for the wine tasting, and a $90 upcharge for a A5 Iwate filet mignon. Total after tip for two was right at $600. They had caviar at $200/oz, but I felt it would be wasted on my palate.

I ate Spam sandwiches and canned soup the next week, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. YOLO!!

 

[Ophir]

I felt weird about taking pics, so I did not really take any. I just got them to give me copies of the menus for the night so I could remember.

Hit Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park (highly recommended), and Per Se but only the lounge as I could not get a reservation.

You must, must hit EMP next time you go to New York. One of the best and most fun meals I've had in a very long time.

KT

Eleven Madison Park was fun, but it's Le Bernardin for me. Those sauces take the flawless execution of seafood prep to another blissful level. Never made it to Per Se. Did make it to Ko which I put above Atera but below EMP.

Moral of the story: go eat at all of these places, you can't go wrong.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I was just at EMP.....real nice food. That Korean waitress is to die for......she is yummy!!

I tipped 45% I was so impressed!!

 

[cuafpr]

I base my tips on service not price of the place. I will say that the last time i went to a nice place the waiter was the best I've ever had and his tip reflected that, total bill was north of 500.00 for two people. Had his service been crap his tip woulda been crap.

 

[stlc8tr]

Most place do not include the tip/service charge in the prix fixe price but a few do.

In the SF Bay Area, Meadowood (one of two 3-star restaurants in the area, The French Laundry being the other) includes it so you don't need to tip more unless you felt like it.

 

[ultimatebob]

I wanna go to EMP... I have their gift cards on my XMas list

Per Se is awesome, but I liked Daniel even more. The service is epic, and their tasting menu with wine parings is fantastic!

 

[alkemyst]

people are fucking DYING out there in the world and you're on a fucking internet message board talking about first world problems.

you are what's wrong with everything.



$200/13 courses = $15.30 a course and probably 3-4 hours worth of dining; all things considered, not that bad.

there is infinitely more value in eating at a fine dining restaurant than say, going to a baseball game.

I doubt most here even pay $15.30 for a single plate though.

The tip is customarily 15% esp. at high end restaurants. Typically one does 18% though perhaps up to 20%. Most of the wealthy don't tip excessively except special situations.

 

[Virge_]

Kind of surprised this hasn't been thrown out there, but even a mediocre ranged restaurant can run you $10-15 for an appetizer, $30 for a main course, and $60 for a bottle of wine. That's $100 right there for two people. Add in another bottle of wine and probably an overpriced desert and getting to $200 is not really that hard and/or uncommon. It's significantly easier if it's a $50 entree.

Now if you're out dining solo and you're cracking the $200 mark, you're willing to pay more than I am for sure - in which case you should probably be willing to tip well with the money you're throwing away.

 

[Leros]

It is interesting that a waiter at a $200/person restaurant would basically have the 10x the income of a waiter at a $20/person restaurant. I recognize that the waiter at the nicer restaurant is more qualified, but enough for 10x the pay?

 

[Virge_]

It is interesting that a waiter at a $200/person restaurant would basically have the 10x the income of a waiter at a $20/person restaurant. I recognize that the waiter at the nicer restaurant is more qualified, but enough for 10x the pay?

A waiter at a local Applebees tends to hate their life and their attitude and work ethic reflect it (forgive the stereotype).

A 5-star restaurant waiter is well-compensated and generally charismatic, educated, articulate, enthusiastic, and will bend over backwards to create proper immersion and a positive dining experience - and is one of the many reasons I would choose fine dining when eating out.. to be taken care of.

The answer to your question is yes.

 

[alkemyst]

It is interesting that a waiter at a $200/person restaurant would basically have the 10x the income of a waiter at a $20/person restaurant. I recognize that the waiter at the nicer restaurant is more qualified, but enough for 10x the pay?

Geek Squad vs CCIE

 

[Kaido]

I don't think they make food I'd pay $200 for; maybe oysters with gold ingots inside...

Been rolling around this planet for 30+ years now, still have not eaten anything I've felt was worth more than $20. Ever.

 

[alkemyst]

Incomes speak a lot in this thread.

 

[darkswordsman17]

A waiter at a local Applebees tends to hate their life and their attitude and work ethic reflect it (forgive the stereotype).

A 5-star restaurant waiter is well-compensated and generally charismatic, educated, articulate, enthusiastic, and will bend over backwards to create proper immersion and a positive dining experience - and is one of the many reasons I would choose fine dining when eating out.. to be taken care of.

The answer to your question is yes.

The problem with this is that most restaurants do not hire based on qualifications (maybe for the chef(s) but often even then its likely secondary), and more based on the relationship to the person. So family, friends, hell even looks are probably higher on the scale of hiring reason when it comes to waitstaff. Even for higher end restaurants its not rocket science so they can teach them. Even the gimmicky restaurants (there's one in Vegas I think where the waitstaff performs some light magic tricks for instance and they get trained how to do that).

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Just curious, is gratuity typically included at these places as part of the meal cost? Or should I factor in another 50-100 for tip? Should you tip in cash or is card fine? 13 course tasting menu here I come yum!

You should factor in a tip. I generally tip 20% if the service is good regardless of the restaurant, whether it is $400 for the meal or $40.

 

[TallBill]

I doubt most here even pay $15.30 for a single plate though.

The tip is customarily 15% esp. at high end restaurants. Typically one does 18% though perhaps up to 20%. Most of the wealthy don't tip excessively except special situations.

Completely false, at least in Chicago. Good servers easily make more than 20% after tax or 22% pre-tax.