Which countries around the World generally do not have tipping?
 

And how it affects the dining service?

In Moscow and St. Petersburg, you are expected to tip. But if you travel to south and far east of the country, you don't.

In HK the service charge is usually added to your final bill so you are not expected to tip.

In France, no tipping in restaurants required ─ everything's included (service compris). Tipping in bars optional but recommended if you sit outside. Tipping in taxis recommended.

No tipping in Japan.

No tipping in Korea.

Not much tipping in SE Asia. Luxury hotels will add on a service charge, but it's pure profiteering, it has nothing to do with the quality of the service you receive.

Its not a requirement to tip in Australia. Tipping is only used to reward exceptional service.

Doesnt seem to impact the experience.

Most consistently worst service in the world (or at least that I have experienced) is in Amsterdam. "Service" included.

it doesnt.

You must be kidding.

How about Alaska? With no sales tax, tipping feels less painful to the consumer. What fraction of the non-US restaurant bills are tax?

Agreed. Though some restaurants have a Tip section appear on the credit card bill just like American restaurants. The service is fine, if they get complained about, they won't keep their jobs long.

No tipping in Japan and the service is much much better than in tipping nations.

Also, you dont have to tip in Malaysia, Korea and Singapore as well. Most Asian countries..

Tipping isn't required outside of the large cities in China, but it is appreciated. In Beijing/Shanghai, the more expensive restaurants will often include a service charge, but cheaper ones that are more frequented by locals don't.

The problem with tipping is that a lot of countries which generally don't have the practise such as Australia do know that the huge american consumer market often think they MUST tip or leave a jar for "change" encouraging us to part with our money.

The businesses know its a lucrative avenue to get additional 'free" money as the innocent customer think they must tip when they don't or its already part of the bill.

Generally, from my experience, tipping isn't required in Europe. Sometimes there is a "service included" charge, but even without it, I rarely leave a tip unless it is a super nice restaurant.

Take the entire world, subtract out the U.S.

Now you have the countries around the world that generally do not have tipping. (Slightly facetious but not too far off base, IMO.)

Does this also apply at Michelin * restaurants?

Yes, no tipping please
 

They wouldn't have stars otherwise.

Most staff, particularly in the better places, are mortified themselves and embarrassed for you if you try to tip -- it shows you don't think enough of their establishment/position to believe the management/owner pays them a proper salary and you see them as some of sort servant, not a person with a job, life and salary just like you.

At the better places (and lots of not-so-better places also), if you are any sort regular, they generally tip YOU as a good customer with an apertif, digestif, extra dessert, cheese, whatever.

A good local will almost always include a plate of sashimi, a salad or some other specialty if you arrive with friends/colleagues who not are regulars -- it never appears on the bill and no tips are expected -- to show their respect for you as a regular customer to your guests.

I have NEVER had treatment in North America to compare to the level that is absolutely normal in ordinary restaurants in Japan. The top end is well beyond that again and most of the best places do NOT hold a table or two back for celebrities or "big tippers."

If you make the last reservation available for next Thursday and the prime minister calls 10 minutes later, the PM doesn't eat there that night -- you do.
YMMV

no tipping in Finland, Norway, Sweden, but in Estonia at the tourist-y places I got the feeling that tipping was expected.

Not to mention that at non-US establishments that add service charge automatically to the bill, I always expect good food and service. There's absolutely no concern on my part in rewarding or paying for good service. Either I am happy for the price I pay or I never come back. Places with poor service do not survive for long unless if they're cheap and/or the food is really good.

In contrast, although I control how much to tip in the US restaurants, ironically it has no bearing on the service I receive. It's the non-restaurant tipping that appears to improve the service, and often times when the tip is offered prior to service rendered. I suspect this may be partly caused by "tip sharing" schemes at many establishments, which dilutes the incentive given for good service by subsidizing the sub-par employees.

And from another continent - Uganda.

An experiment in a game camp to prove to a New Yorker that tipping was not expected showed the waiters examining the money left on the table for them with some bemusement and confusion.

Service was not affected. It is possible to get good customer service without having to bribe people to provide it ;)

No tipping in French Polynesia

Its a good thing too with the high cost of almost everything there

Tipping in Australia
 

As noted briefly above tipping is not the custom in Australia. 20 years or more back leaving a tip was often treated as an insult by waiters. I actually saw a tip left by an american friend returned to her by a waiter with a polite statement that this was not nessecary. I doubt that would occur today. The general concept is that waiters should get a decent wage and that this should not be lleft to the whim of the diners. The more upmarket places may include a service fee. Many Australians do not tip unless someone really goes out of their way in service.

One of the reasons I love Vietnam is the fact that tipping there is not the custom and is not expected. However, I notice that this is changing in Asia as North American, British and Australian high rollers insist that they help out the less-fortunate. Just read some of the other travel-related forums - they're full of questions about how much and where to tip. My prediction is that with increased communication making the world a much smaller planet, we will see increased tipping. and these formerly wonderful, exotic locales will evolve into much-less exotic places with increasingly greedy services. Travel now, because it won't always be such a wonderful place!

Saudi Arabia has a service charge on hotels and restaurants, but no tipping, from what I have seen.

Which ethnic restaurants, if any, in the US, don't expect tips?
 

Variation on a theme: Are there any ethnicities of USA restaurants (for example Japanese restaurants in the USA) that follow their home countries' customs and don't expect tips? Does your answer change if it is reasonably obvious that the owner or the owner's spouse is serving you?

Make that US and Canada.

MisterNice

Just about any place in south east asia is tip free.

no tipping in Italy

What about tipping in the UAE yes or no?

And I'll admit it took me several trips down here to get used to not tipping. I still have issues with not tipping elsewhere, but in Australia I certainly do not anymore.

I've got to say that tipping is so ingrained in me also that it feels strange not to tip in countries where it's not the norm or if there's a service charge.

Countries with service charges aside, my only experience with a country with essentially no tipping is Japan. And frankly, service was overall great. Culturally, it was just such a positive experience overall.

Restaurants have a service charge included, so no.

Taxi rate cards explicitly state that drivers are not allowed to demand tips, although I do tip the taxi drivers, especially when I take an AUH-DXB trip.

My experience in South Korea was that tipping was almost an offence.

No tipping in Fiji. Service is not an issue. Just be aware that they are not in a hurry, so do not take it as slow service.

No tipping in Switzerland. You could leave small coins, but not required.

In Japan, tipping will indeed cause embarassment or even insult. Exception is when staying at a ryokan, where it is customary to tip your room attendant (who also would have served you your kaiseki meals) at the end of your stay by putting some money in an envelope. There is probably some protocol about how much and when and how to hand it to her, or where to leave it, but I don't know the details. Like many aspects and manners of life in Japan, even this act is ritualized.

In Hong Kong, even though 10% is added to restaurant bills, many people do leave a small amount (maybe another 2-5%, preferably in cash), which goes into a "kitty" to be shared by all the servers. For taxis, round up to the nearest HK dollar (not required but commonly practised). Hotel bellhops do expect a tip.

My apologies for going OT - I just realized this thread is about dining.

Wirelessly posted (beckoa\'s PWP wonderous poster: BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.304 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Well some parts of Alaska -(Most) have some sales tax. ANC is the big exception and is why when I travel to the lower 48 I am confused by this 'tax' thing :p

So yes tipping exists in AK ;)

Spain was a welcome break however ^

Do you get the impression that "Service Charges" are added to the bill of travelers from the US, but not others? I believe this has happened to me in a restaurant or two.....