Philip

4 of us are making our first trip to South America in April - Argentina and Chile. I keep reading how large the steaks and portions are. My wife and I enjoyed great food and wine but do not eat huge meals. Want to be sensitive to local customs. Is it OK to tell the waiter we would like to split the meal?

We normally tip in Europe about half of what we tip in US (usually 20-22%) -- assuming we get good service. Is that approach high or low for South America?

Thanks & Happy New Year.

avrooster

Shared plates are perfectly OK in Argentina, Philip on, usually with NO surcharge.

The locals tip about 10% and tips are NOT mandatory, as they seem to be in the US, which I find preposterous. I feel a tip should a reward for good service.

However, keep in mind that in Argentina tips are usually given IN CASH.

Happy New Year and have a great time in my country.

Huentetu

Avrooster's post for Argentina mostly goes for Chile as well.

A small difference on the tipping: most bills will have the total then a suggested 10% amount and a final total. This just does the math for you and the 10% is not obligatory at all. If you pay by card they will ask if you want the 10% added and you can add it onto your card payment or give it in cash or not at all. I normally add it onto the card payment.

mlgb

I was demanded a tip of 10% at a restaurant in Buenos Aires, avrooster (the one at the MALBA). Despite pretty bad service. So don't agree it isn't obligatory, especially in certain upscale restaurants.

SambaChula

A bit off the direct topic....but....
"tips are NOT mandatory, as they seem to be in the US, which I find preposterous. I feel a tip should a reward for good service."
Theoretically, that may be correct. A tip acknowledges good service.
However, in the US, wait staff is commonly paid about U$2.50/ hour ( when legal minimum for other unskilled jobs may be about U$8/hr and a realistic living wage more like about U$15/hr) Tips are expected to make up the difference.
So, while you may find so-called "mandatory" tipping to be "preposterous", if you want any worker to have the slightest incentive to take on the job of serving your food, it behooves you to do your part in seeing they can live a dignified life on their earnings.
If you have a problem with this system, take it up with the restaurant management rather than taking it out on the server.

avrooster

mlgb:

Unless it is included in the check, which is at the very least extremely rare in Argentina, a tip is most certainly NOT obligatory in Argentina. If a waiter who has given me bad service DEMANDS a tip, I would DEMAND the presence of the manager and give him a piece of my mind. Of course, I would still refuse to leave a tip.

Besides, the restaurant at the MALBA has a TERRIBLE reputation and I feel it certainly is NOT an "upscale restaurant".

SambaChula: no reply.

avrooster

This reviewer acted as I would have:

http://tinyurl.com/jl976gp

But I wouldn't be caught dead at the MALBA's restaurant.

crellston

Always best to adopt the cultural practices of the country in which you are a guest and good that you are finding pity about those practices in advance. Much better to do that than to force one's own culture on another country by tipping as you would at home.

During our recent time in Argentina we found that tipping was not generally expected, although appreciated when we did tip. In one or two restaurants we were asked if we would like to add a tip to the bill when we paid by cc. The wait staff seemed almost emabarrassed to ask.

In the U.K. I would generally Tip 10% for good service in upmarket places. if I don't get good service, 0%. At home, if a "service charge" is automatically added to the bill and I don't get good service, I have no hesitation in asking for it to be removed. I did this once in a restaurant in NYC where the service was appalling and got a very interesting reaction!

As far as sharing is concerned, we found this to be the norm in most places. Steaks are large but generally, the size is indicated, if not, ask. On many occasions, when four of us were ordering, we were often told by waiters, that we were ordering too much, especially with side dishes. Salads and fries can easily be shared between two, if not more.

avrooster

Crellston:

I also had a similar argument in a NYC restaurant.

What was the "very interesting reaction" you got?

odie1

Just returned from two weeks in Patagonia and I saw numerous times on the menu where it stated, in English (even on the Spanish menus I asked for), tips are not included. Thought that was interesting if they are not expected. Of course, we tipped everywhere-10%+ as we never encountered bad service!

crellston

The reaction was for the waiter to start shouting at me that he worked for tips. I explained, quite calmly, that if any of my employees behaved the way he did, not only would they not get paid, they would probably get fired. I accompanied him to te till and waited for him to adjust the check. He was punching away at the till like he wanted to kill it!

Eventually, the manager came over and asked what the problems was, so I explained the way the waiter had been behaving and said that whilst I had absolutely no problem tipping for good service, I wasn't prepared to reward a rude and incompetent waiter. His response was "you are British and don't understand that waiter here work for tips" I just replied "fine, you tip him" and suggested that just maybe, if he wanted to protect the reputation of his establishment, he may be well advised to adopt a HR policy of paying a living wage to his staff. When leaving some people at a nearby table clapped and one said that he wished he had the b***s to say that.

My view has always been that if I provided bad service to a client then they would be entirely justified in not paying me. I really don't see why anyone providing a service to me should be treated any differently.

mlgb

I wouldn't be caught dead in MALBA's restaurant again, either. Although I can't say I had a single restaurant experience in BA that was worth a return...even at the one recommended by MarnieDC and the Palacio Duhau staff, which was full of locals and not tourists and also had pretty bad service and overpriced food. I think we did tip to the local custom, not wanting another "scene".

avrooster

Great!

Another question, Crellston:

Have all your customers paid you?????

Just kidding. LOL!!!

Don't bother to reply, unless it amuses you.

BTW, the OP was never heard from again.

Have a great time in my country.

SambaChula

crellston-- Here is a restaurant recommendation for you where the servers are paid a living wage. no tips:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automat
Enjoy!

crellston

All did - apart from the one whose business I didn't want anyway