Montreal Restaurants

Restaurant Tipping

It is a sad reality that customers often behave unethically with regard to restaurant tipping.

Many are simply cheap – they take advantage because they know there is no enforcement mechanism requiring them to tip well for good service.

Others are clueless and don’t, for example, understand that a cooking error has nothing to do with the waiter.

Proper restaurant tipping recommends 10% to 15% on the alcohol and 15% to 20% on the food. 10% on the wine is perfectly acceptable. Whether to tip 10% to 15% depends in a large part on how helpful the server was in choosing the wine and serving it.

If you are buying the meal and someone offers to look after the restaurant tipping, tell them they can buy next time, and you pay the whole thing. This prevents any uneasiness about them seeing the amount of the bill or worrying that they will be stingy on the tip.

Busy Restaurants

Too many people place too much emphasis on visiting busy restaurants that are new, hot, staffed by a celebrity chef, featured on TV, or otherwise in demand, rather than restaurants that are simply good.

Getting a prime-time reservation on a weekend can be a challenge. Some people get those reservations and others don't.

If the restaurant does mostly dinner business, go for lunch - the food will be the same, and often cheaper. If it serves a mostly pre-theatre crowd, go at 8 pm. If it’s a business oriented place, go on the weekend. Even the most popular restaurants tend to be empty during blizzards, hockey games or special TV shows.

Montreal's Restaurant Scene

Montreal’s restaurant scene is booming. Over 5,000 establishments offer every style of cooking from every ethnic origin imaginable — often in amazingly creative combinations.

Magnificent decor and impeccable service, trendy menus, bring-your-own-wine, Montréal has them all in profusion.

Montréal also boasts a delectable variety of specialties, locally grown or produced. Venison and bison steaks, raw milk cheeses, maple sugar liqueurs, and, of course, what has made Montréal famous for years and years, smoked meat, bagels and “the decadent combination of French fries, gravy and cheese curds called Poutine.”

Restaurant Tipping

Bartender: 15% to 20% or $1 per drink. If at the bar before a meal, settle up with the bartender before you go to your table. If a bar has a cover charge, there's no restaurant tipping on it.

Busboys: Nothing, unless he did something extra special like cleaning up a mess. Then give him $1 to $2.

Coat Check: $1.

Cocktail Server: 15% to 20%. For free drinks tip $1 to $2 per round.

Counter Service: Coffee and food counters often have a tip cup next to the cash register, spare change is always appreciated.

Double Time: If you hold a table for two serving periods, make sure that you tip double.

In other words, if you spend enough time at a table that a waiter could have typically gotten two parties seated and served, then compensate him for his time by restaurant tipping him twice. Ease his mind by telling him this about half-way through.

Drive Through: Nothing.

Maitre d': Nothing, unless he gets you a special table or the restaurant is full and you had no reservation. Then give $5 to 10 or more.

Musician in Lounge: $1 to $5.

Musicians that Visit Tables: $2 to $3 if you make a special request. Tip is optional if he just stops by and plays.

Restroom Attendant: $1.

Self-Service Restaurant or Buffet: Nothing unless there is some service. Tip 10% if the server delivers all or part of your meal or keeps your drinks refilled.

Separate Checks: If you want separate checks, ask the server to go ahead and add 18% gratuity to each check.

Take-Out: If you get good service, meaning that the waiter gets and packages the food, then tip $1 to $2 or up to 10%.

Teppanyaki Chef: 15% to 20% of the total bill. The gratuity will be split among the wait staff and the chef.

Waiter: 15% to 20%.

When Breakfast Is Included: Estimate the value of the meal by looking at a menu.

If there is no breakfast menu, consider the quality of the hotel and the price of an evening meal, then make your best estimate. Your tip should be 15% to 20% of your estimate.

Wine Steward: 10% of the wine bill.

Restaurant Tips

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