Message: | Yes, I agree, one should tip on the total amount of the check. As someone who waited tables for over a decade I can assure you that servers work very very hard and deserve to be compensated. As others have said, if you are going out to a nice dinner don't skimp on the gratuity! We live in a country where tipping (15-20%) is customary, DEAL WITH IT or learn to cook. The original question mentioned a $100 dinner and a $25 dollar bottle of wine......why spend the time worrying about this???? Give the server the
$3.75-$5 tip on the wine & be done w/it! Of course one should also tip on a more expensive bottle of wine as well. If you are spending $250 on a bottle of wine don't be stingy....obviously you can afford the gradtuity. If you are looking for a way to cut corners don't do it with the server (keep in mind servrs "tip out" busboys, bartenders, hostesses, kitchen & more & really get about 40-50% of what you give them!). If you truely cannot afford a nice dinner & wine than one way to cut corners is to bring your own wine.....yes all good restaurants charge a corkage fee but I assure you it will still be cheaper than the mark up. However, it is customary to bring something nice (nothing worse than someone bringing in a $5 dollar bottle from trader joes & demanding nice large chrystal glassware) and one should never bring a bottle of wine that is on a restaurants wine list.
By the way, offering the server a taste of wine is appreciated. I have been lucky enough to taste amazine wines older than I am this way. |