You must let the server know IN ADVANCE, AS YOU PLACE THE ORDER, that you expect a separate check. At that time, the server can say yay or nay, and you can leave for a different restaurant if separate checks are not allowed.

An alternate if there is no other restaurant in the park or village is to break up into individual "parties." My friend and I will take a table for two, another couple friends will take a table for two, and so on...then, they have to provide a separate check for each table anyway. But you might still get 'tude, so if at all possible, if they don't want to split checks, I grab some fixings from the store and make a picnic or barbecue...anything, really, to avoid the awkwardness of forced check sharing with people who eat and drink more than I do.


Everybody settling up later doesn't work because people will not settle up fairly later once the food and wine is gone. The honest friends always end up paying more than their fair share, and the chiselers "win."

However, if you don't inform the server, UPFRONT, as you place the order, that your check is separate, then of course you are going to get the long passive aggressive wait of 30 minutes or more after dinner. You caused a problem for the server, and now he's going to cause a problem for you. Especially in countries where service is included anyway...