Your vote
The tip?
One tap. No email needed.
Do you tip in France?
Optionally, and modestly. Service is already in the price, so a tip is a genuine extra rather than a settling of accounts. Rounding the bill up, or leaving a couple of euros on a table, covers it. There is no percentage anybody is calculating.
Why does the American system feel so heavy from outside?
Because the number on the menu is not the price, and the final figure depends on a judgement you are asked to make at the counter, in front of someone, on a screen. From a country where the price is the price, that reads less like generosity and more like an unfinished transaction.
What about American tourists in France?
Over-tipping is common and harmless. Nobody will refuse it. But the anxiety is unnecessary — you are not underpaying anyone by leaving the exact amount, because you already paid for service when you read the menu.
The tool
How Much Do I Tip?
Restaurants, cafés and taxis: what to leave in Paris, what to leave in New York, worked out for your bill.
Work out the tipRoughly, what is expected
| France | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant | Round up, or a few euros | 18–22% |
| Cafe / bar | Small change, or nothing | $1–2 per drink, or 20% |
| Taxi | Round up | 15–20% |
| Hotel housekeeping | A euro or two, optional | $3–5 per night |
| If you leave nothing | Unremarkable | Noticed |
Questions, answered
Do you tip in France?
Tipping is optional in France because service is included in menu prices by law. Rounding up the bill or leaving a couple of euros for good service is normal, and leaving nothing is unremarkable.
What does service compris mean?
It means service is included in the listed price. French menu prices already account for service, so the amount shown is the amount you owe.
How much should Americans tip in France?
Far less than at home. Rounding up, or five euros on a long and good meal, is generous. There is no percentage expectation.
Still wondering?
Ask my French husband.
A short ruling in a few seconds. Written by AI from our Journal, in his voice.
He judges America weekly on Instagram, and Le Bulletin collects the best of it.
Before you go
Your First Day in New York
This was his first day in America. Now it is yours.
