Hi Folks,

I just had an excellent Dinner at Aureol´s in Las Vegas. Fancy Prices, but excellent Food. I was wondering how to tip in a restaurant like that. I assume, Service is included in such a restaurant!? Anyway, there was no "Service not Included" on the bill, but TWO fields to note gratuity, one regular gratuity and one for the chef.

my question: how much to tip in such a situation? Is Service, Tip and Gratuity the same? Dont think so. Well, I tipped 15%, but that was pretty much.

Thanks

Would you mind posting this to Omni? The Buzz is for frequent flyer topics.

In the USA, contrary to Germany or Switzerland, when it doesn't say 'tip included' (they do include the tip sometimes for parties of more than NN persons), the tip is not included.

If the service was ok I would have tipped, in a place as you describe it, 15% and 5%. If the service was extraordinary my tip could have been 20% and 10%.

I hope you were lucky on the gaming tables to afford such a dinner-place ...

I concur precisely with Rudi.

joergi, tip and gratuity are the same. Gratuity is just a more formal or classy way of stating it.

In the USA if the check says "Service Charge of xx% Included" it usually refers to the tip. Many restaurants use this concept for parties of about 8 or more to ensure an appropriate gratuity for their wait staff. In many hotels, it is also used on room service orders of any size.

Service, Tips, Gratutity, whatever you want to call it, it's not usually included on the bill in US restaurants. Sometimes in fancy places they add it on, but unless you are a large group or it's a special holiday or something it's not included.

The generally accepted practice is for good service to give 15%. If the meal was extrodinary, then you may want some additional money to go to the chef, but it's not all that common to see the line on the check for the chef. Excellent service you may want to tip more, Poor service you may want to tip less.

If you had a wine steawart or somebody else tend to your wine needs, you may want to tip them too.

There's a restaurant near the office in a very touristy section of New York (but it has very good food too) where they rubber stamp the checks in six languages that service charge is not included, just so nobody misses it.

Thank you for your tips. As I am in the US, I of course know that grtuity normally is not included (and I know friendly waiters who pick up the accent and mark "service not included" on the bill). But I wasnt quite sure if fancy restaurants might not include the service, because 70 bucks or more for service, wow, I mean, that´s kind of mones.

[This message has been edited by dingo (edited 11-18-2000).]