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Do You Tip in Italy? A Simple Traveler’s Guide
Tipping in Italy is a small, optional gesture, not something you are expected to calculate as a percentage of every bill. Italians usually do not follow the U.S. approach of automatically adding 18 to 25 percent.
If the service is good, people might round up the bill or leave a few euros, but leaving nothing is not considered rude. Check whether servizio is already listed on the bill. If it is, a service charge has been included, so any extra tip is completely optional. A coperto is different. It is a normal per-person cover charge for sitting at the table, bread, and place settings, not a tip.
Restaurants and cafés
At a casual trattoria, pizzeria, or lunch spot, rounding a €47 bill up to €50 is a totally normal way to show appreciation. If the meal was especially good, €1 to €2 per person is generous in many places. At a nicer restaurant, leaving a few euros or up to about 5 to 10 percent can make sense for exceptional service, but there is no need to reach a certain percentage. A 20 percent tip is usually much more than people expect in Italy. If your bill says servizio incluso or already includes a service charge, you can simply pay the total.
For coffee, it depends on where and how you order. If you are standing at the bar for an espresso or cappuccino, Italians often do…
