How Much To Tip In NYC: Our Definitive Guide
Your morning coffee, your cab ride to work, your lunch delivery, your dinner out, and your late night drinks--it's hard to do anything in New York that doesn't require tipping. So how much should you be leaving on top of your bill?-
Golden Rule Of Tipping: When In Doubt, Tip More
We're huge believers in karma here at GofG. If you're ever in a position where you're unsure of how much to tip, (or uhm, maybe the math is too complicated, not that that ever happens to us...), go ahead and leave more. There's nothing wrong with erring on the side of generosity.
At A Restaurant
Really sorry to do this, but we're gonna go ahead and say 20% of the total bill. I know, I know you want to cling to 15%. But we're about to enter a new decade, prices have gone up everywhere, and 20% is a square deal for waitstaff who need to pay exorbitant rent.
Make sure you figure out the 20% on the pre-tip amount...just doubling the tax will often cause you to under tip.
A good math trick is to simply drop the last zero in the pre-tax amount, round up, double it, and then round up again.
At A Seat-Yourself Chain (Like Quiznos or Cosi or Chipotle...)
At these types of places, how much you tip really does depend on the service. If they've been especially accommodating or friendly, you can leave a couple bucks, but otherwise anything you want to leave in the tip jar will be appreciated.
At A Coffee Shop
It depends on what you order! If you're getting an iced coffee, iced tea, or something that simply requires the server or barista to pour or hand you something, you can probably get away with not tipping, or, if you're feeling generous, leaving whatever change you get back in the tip jar.
If you're ordering an espresso drink, or even something that requires heating up, a dollar per drink is fine.
If you're going to pick up an order for multiple people, or any of your orders are especially complicated, you should probably leave 10% of the total.
If the server is really really cute, you should leave your number.
At The Bar
If you're ordering a glass of wine or beer, tip $1 per drink.
If you're ordering a mixed drink (even something as simple as Vodka Soda), tip $2. (Not saying we always adhere to this, but technically it's customary.)
If you're ordering anything that requires muddling or grinding or squeezing or lighting anything on fire, tip $3 per.
In A Cab
If your fare comes out to under $10, tip $2.
If your fare comes out to under $20, tip $3.
If you're going to JFK, tip $20.
If your driver has to wait for you for whatever reason, tip well! Ditto for multiple stops.
If your cab driver takes the FDR Parkway when you told him not to, is generally mean and surly, goes in the wrong direction, or nearly kills you with his reckless driving, tip less.
If your cab driver compliments you, talks poetically and beautifully about his native country, gives you some pointers on your love life/career, or listens to really, really amazing music, tip more.
At Coat Check
If the coat check is free, tip $1 upon reclaiming your coat, especially if they were accommodating with other parcels, scarves, miscellaneous stuff.
If the coat check is not free, and especially if it's a whopping $4 (ahem, Hotel On Rivington...), do not feel pressured to tip! They've already robbed you.
Food Delivery Men
Unless you have a huge (and therefore heavy) order, you really don't need to tip based on what you got or how much you spent--a cursory $2 will suffice for most orders.
Of course, if your order requires multiple bags, or precarious balance on a bicycle, tip closer to $10.
And please! If it is raining, sleeting, snowing, hailing, or 100 degrees out, and you are ordering because you yourself don't want to venture outside, please please please tip a little extra!!
Fresh Direct Delivery Men
The Fresh Direct website says "you are under no obligation to tip but have the option of providing a nominal tip if you feel that you've received exceptional service."
If you order enough food to require multiple trips, or live in a walk-up, we'd still recommend tipping $5.
Furniture Delivery Men
You made the trek to Ikea in the water taxi, but you're sure as hell not dragging your Kivik couch all the way back to your apartment. So you get it delivered.
If you're getting one piece of furniture delivered, it comes in a box, and is relatively easy to get into your apartment, $5 tip is fine.
If you're getting one piece of furniture delivered, but it's an extremely heavy and big item, which they have to somehow hoist up a tiny and narrow staircase, then you should tip $10-15 (depending on how hard they're sweating?)
If you're getting an entire living room set delivered, and you feel they're burning thousands of calories to help you out, tip a generous, but no doubt appreciated $20.
At The Nail Salon
If you're getting a manicure, then $2 tip is generally fine. (This is based on a $10 manicure)
If you're getting a manicure and a pedicure ($30-$50), $5-$10 tips are fine.
If you get an extra massage at the end, tip another $2.
At The Hair Salon
Tip the shampoo girl (or boy! I've had boy! It was weird!) $5.
Tip 15%-20% of the total bill, or if you have a separate stylist and colorist, tip them each 15-20% of their services.
If you get a blowout only, tip $10.
Vassili Verrecchia Shows Off His Favorite Things In His Paris Home
While his brother, Timothee, runs the NYC office, Vassili takes on the Paris-based side of things. To gain some insight to what inspires such a creative and entrepreneurial spirit, we asked Vass to show off some of his favorite worldly and sentimental possessions in his Paris home. See where Vass's travels have taken him...
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enoughalready
October 26, 2010
5:18pm
If you are an intern earning 15k/year writing for GofaG and mom and dad are paying your rent and providing you with an entertainment budget from your trust fund, add 5%
confused
October 26, 2010
5:50pm
scratching my head: "prices have gone up everywhere, and 20% is a square deal for waitstaff who need to pay exorbitant rent"...Umm, if prices have gone up, so have tips (even tips of 15% of those increasing prices). Writers shouldnt write about math
annoyed
October 26, 2010
6:30pm
@confused: I'm assuming you have never worked in a restaurant. 15% is never enough!
igotbignuts
October 26, 2010
6:50pm
15% is plenty and you should be tipping on just food. If a waiter is merely bringing you a crummy, half filled $18 glass of wine, I sure as hell would not tip on that!
dt2831
October 26, 2010
8:37pm
15% is a slap in the face. clearly you've never worked in the service industry. 18% is okay, 20% is good. and you should still tip on drinks.
non-retard
October 26, 2010
8:39pm
hilarious recommendations. at restaurants, it is 20% pre-tax and no alcohol. I know no one who tips at freaking chipotle or starbucks unless they're fucking the staff.
B. Joy
October 26, 2010
8:53pm
@confused: "Writers shouldnt write about math" As a writer myself, I'm inclined to agree. Nice little article, though. I've been overtipping way too much.
Mil
October 26, 2010
10:08pm
This is stupid. All the New Yorkers I've met (that were born and raised here) are the stingiest tippers. All the tourists and people that are new to the city (include myself) always feel the urge to tip excessively.
it's 2010
October 27, 2010
1:14am
wake up. msn.com has been running articles on tipping for years and gearing them towards notoriously stingy old people so that people in the service industry are not constantly screwed over. and even msn suggests that 20% on the bill (including alcohol, discluding tax) has been the modern standard for dining gratuities for quite some time. 15% went out with our grandparents, 18% with mom and dad. i actually tip 20% on the total bill including tax and got my parents on board with this formula at least a decade ago. my friends are all minimum 20% tippers, too. of course, good/poor service adjustments are made accordingly. as for people counter people making coffees, bagels, sandwiches, etc.... i tip for service with a smile, but do not otherwise feel obligated. those people make a living wage. restaurant servers, sadly, do not. with taxes negating their entire paychecks, tips are ALL they bring home. and they all have to tip out others. pay it forward, people.
st509
October 27, 2010
3:40pm
waiters have to tip out the bartenders who make/pour your drinks so you should tip 20% including alcohol
arcade dire
October 27, 2010
4:59pm
agree with most of this. quibbles: --i tip $2-3 on first drink at a bar, regardless of what it is. it's always nice to be on a bartender's good side. also, the $1 standard hasn't changed in decades. inflation! also, you'll get some buybacks. --my friends and i all tip post-tax at a restaurant --$2 is reallll stingy for delivery men. you're tipping not based on the cost of the delivery, since it does nothing to alter the length of the journey (or hike up the stairs to a walk-up). delivery guys are another group of people who it's nice to have in your corner, and they'll remember a bad tipper and either take their time getting their or hawk a loogie in your pad thai. my standard is $4-5. if you can't afford that on top of a delivery, stock up on ramen noodles.
tip well, not stupidly
October 28, 2010
12:11am
Who tips at fast food places?? You're out of your mind. Also, there's no way I'm tipping a cabbie 20 bucks to jfk. Since when do they deserve 40-50 percent tip. It's not like they're driving back without anyone. That puts the fare up to 70 bucks. I'd rather take a helicopter from herald sq for 100. Give your food delivery guys cash tip. Don't leave it on your credit card or through seamless web. The restaurant probably ends up keeping that for the house and these guys get screwed. Tip your waiter 20-25 percent on average (alcohol included). Give them more if service was exceptional; give them less if it sucked, but try not to give less than 15. At the end of the night, these guys usually have to tip out 8-10 percent to the bartender and 20-25 percent to the bussers.
confused
October 29, 2010
1:56pm
Not sure why I am still stuck on this article. Its just feels all wrong. I'm confused again, but this time by the $2 (cursory) tip for the delivery man - the most tip-worthy service industry worker on this list. This poor guy (typically a hard-working undereducated immigrant) is working his ass off by trekking around the cold/hot/rainy city and no doubt climbing 5 flights of stairs to your walk-up apt, so you dont have to. Cursory $2 tip!!! Meanwhile, hot blonde chick or debonair young buck behind the bar splash some vodka on your tonic while giving you a flirty smile for the same $2. He makes 5 drinks (and scores a phone #)in the time it takes Miguel to walk up the stairs. None of this article makes sense.
j
November 20, 2010
5:48am
@tip well, not stupidly: agreed that $20 is a lot for fare to JFK (I usually give $5-10, depending on the level of service and whether my company is paying), but just so you know they don't get the fare back that easily. They have to queue up into a long line, and they can lose a lot of time before they get their next passenger.
John
September 16, 2011
9:31pm
I had a 'friend' who terminated our friendship because I only tipped 15-18% for good service. AND they chose to do so through texting and not on the phone like an adult. Really? Oh, the issue list is long: 1) That's petty & childish and I don't apologize for saying that. 2) $2 per hour for the waitstaff? I would get another job & not condone that nonsense. Unions and petitions do the trick. 3) Last time I checked, I make my own dang money and choose to do with it what I will. 4) I'm not here to be everyone's friend or be in agreeance to everything. Not a doormat. I challenge confrontation. But then again, I dodged a bullet. The 'friend' is a lush that overtipped on everything (20%), even on bad service & ppl treating them like crap. Such is life.