When tipping, should bar tab be tipped as well?

Question

The other night we went to a nice restaurant. We had several glasses of expensive wine and the bartender started a tab, which the meal was then added to. Should we have tipped the bartender separately and then tipped the waitress only on the food portion of the bill OR just tipped on the total and hoped the bartender and waitress would split it accordingly?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

You absolutely should tip the bartender separately. Otherwise, the bartender likely won't get anything. Never assume that the person will get their portion of the tip, it doesn't happen.

Many people falsely believe that all places "tip-share" or pool tips. Although it seems logical, customer service and productivity are usually negatively affected.

Any time a person is clearly your designated server, they need to be tipped separately. If you have to sit at the bar while you wait for a table in a restaurant, common courtesy calls for you to close your bar tab before taking your table. This way, you give the tip to the person who deserves it. If you put it all on one bill, you are giving your waitress more than she's earned while at the same time stiffing the bartender.

Although it often seems easy, being a waitress or a bartender are difficult positions. In the big scheme of things, it's pretty easy to take that extra minute to ensure both have been tipped.

Waiters, waitresses and bartenders work for tips, not an hourly wage. The wage is almost non-existant.

Source(s):

Bartender 6 years
Bar/Restaurant Manager 2 years

Answer 2

Yes always tip the bartender $1 per drink!

Source(s):

Soon to be son-in-law bartender

Answer 3

alway tip your bartender. after all he's the one that gets you drunk.

Answer 4

Typically, when you tip the money gets divided up anyways, and the bartender has a tally of his orders and gets his cut accordingly. I'm not sure how it works in a fine dining place, but in your typical chains that's how it works. So you really don't have to worry that the waitress will pocket all of your tips, but to be safe you can tip separately.

Answer 5

yes i would tip the bartender separately,then i would tip the waitress other ways the waitress gets all the tip,

Answer 6

you should ALWAYS tip your bartender cause they take care of you. They know who is tipping and who is not and your service will be such much better and faster. next time tip the bartender cause they deserves tips too cause they wait on you too!!!

Answer 7

Definitely tip the bartender separately, in person. There's no telling how/if the waitress will take care of the bartender if it's up to her. Waitrons are shifty.

Answer 8

I've always closed out my bar tab first and tip accordingly, then start a new bill for the dinner.

Answer 9

i don't think you should but it wouldn't hurt it tho

Answer 10

If your server brought you those drinks, or some of the drinks, you should tip her based on the entire bill. It is often a pain in the neck to get the drinks, especially if there are other servers/guests. She's more than likely going to give the bartender a "cut".

However, if your bartender served all of some of your drinks, you should tip him as well. I like to tip them both, so I don't have to rely on one or the other to share the gratuity. Many people tip poorly or not at all. Although that is nobody's sole responsibility to compensate, I like to think of it as my good deed for the day. Karma, right?