Paying & Tipping

Hey, David. I just moved here and I'm completely in the dark about local tipping customs.

Welcome to the city! You've come to the right person—I field questions like this daily.

So here's the thing—I had dinner last night and the bill came to about ninety dollars.

I left fifteen percent, but the waiter gave me a look that suggested it was insufficient.

Ah, that's a classic pitfall. The customary tip here hovers around eighteen to twenty percent for sit-down restaurants.

That's steeper than what I'm used to. And what if I'm dining with friends and we want to split the bill?

Most places will split it across multiple credit cards without batting an eye.

Just let the server know upfront—it spares everyone the awkwardness of sorting it out afterward.

Good to know. One more thing—should I tip on the pre-tax amount or the total including tax?

Technically, tipping on the pre-tax subtotal is perfectly acceptable and, frankly, more defensible.

But generous diners often just round up the post-tax total and calculate from there.

That actually demystifies the whole process. I was overthinking it, wasn't I?

Not at all—navigating gratuity etiquette in a new culture is genuinely bewildering at first.

The cardinal rule is simply this: when in doubt, err on the side of generosity.

Wise words. I'll put that into practice tonight. Thanks a million, David.