Originally Posted by Mountain Trader
Restaurants in France build a "tip" or a service charge of 19.6% into restaurant tabs on all food and drinks. If service is good, you might leave an extra Euro or two in a regular place, maybe 5 Euros for really great service. At a high end place I might leave 10 Euros if they treated me well.
If you're leaving 20% on top of the tab, that's a total of 39.6%, which I think is very high. No need to argue right or wrong-just know you're doing it. For others looking for guidance, ask yourself what you usually leave in the USA-then run the math.
While a service charge is built in, it is usually 15%. Sales tax (VAT) is 19.6%. It is common but not required to leave a little more, depending on quality of service.
Do not think you are being cheated if you ask the waiter if the tip is included and he says "no". He considers the tip to be the little extra you leave on the table, not the service charge.