Eatiquette

Tipping Debate: A Dollar a Drink?

Photo: iStockphoto.com

Is a dollar a drink, 20 percent of the tab, or a service-dependent tip appropriate for a bartender? Bruni caught wind of a recent Down by the Hipster poll looking for the answer, and springboards into his own meditation on bar tipping today. While 67 percent of DBTH voters (out of 345 votes at this writing) maintain that a buck still does the trick for bar service, Bruni contends that there’s a gray area that favors percentage gratuity with $15 cocktails or when a bar tab gets transferred to a table. As usual, Bruni doesn’t admit a conclusion, but he does offer a curious tip about transferred bar tabs: If you can’t settle separately and are not sure if the bartender will see any of your tip on dinner, go for the dollar rule. Should the dollar standard continue, or is it time to change the tipping point?

A Dollar, a Drink and a Debate [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
DBTH Poll: Proper Tips for Bartenders [Down by the Hipster]

Tipping Debate: A Dollar a Drink?