Restaurant Etiquette and Tipping in Germany

Eating out in Germany has a few habits that surprise newcomers: choose your own seat in many places, share tables with strangers in beer gardens, buy bottled water, and tip when you pay, not by leaving cash on the table afterward.

Tipping is appreciated but not obligatory. Service staff earn regular wages (including minimum wage with benefits), so tips are a bonus, not their main income. Nobody should chase you for skipping a tip.

For wider cultural context, see German Culture and Etiquette. For Sunday closures and holidays when restaurants may be busy or limited, see Public Holidays in Germany.

Seating and sharing tables

Free seating. In casual restaurants, beer gardens, and cafes you usually pick any free table (freie Platzwahl). Only wait to be seated if a sign says something like Bitte warten, Sie werden platziert (common at higher-end places).

Sharing a table. In busy traditional restaurants or beer gardens, strangers may ask Ist hier noch frei? (Is this seat free?). Say yes if the seats are empty. You do not need to chat; it is normal shared space.

Water. Tap water (Leitungswasser) is not served by default and is rarely ordered. Restaurants expect you to order bottled water: mit Kohlensäure (sparkling) or ohne Kohlensäure / still (still).

Paying and splitting the bill

Ask for the bill. Catch the server’s eye and say Die Rechnung, bitte or Ich möchte bezahlen, bitte.

Split bills. The server will often ask Zusammen oder getrennt? (together or separate?). Groups, colleagues, and couples commonly split down to each person’s items. The server usually calculates each share on the spot.

How much to tip

Tips (Trinkgeld) reward good service; they are not required.

Situation	Typical tip
Restaurants	Round up or add 5-10% for good service (for example €47 to €50). Upscale places often lean toward 10%. Skip the tip if service was poor.
Cafes and bars	Round to the next euro or add €1-2 (for example €3.40 coffee to €4).
Taxis and hairdressers	Round up or 5-10%, optional.
Delivery and hotels	€1-2 is common but voluntary.
Fast food, self-service, supermarkets, gas stations	No tip expected.

Staff earn at least the legal minimum wage (about €13.90 per hour in 2026, plus benefits). Tips are extra, not a substitute for wages.

How to tip when you pay

Tip at payment, not by leaving money on the table afterward. Cash left behind may not reach your server and is considered poor form.

Cash. Say the total you want them to keep. Bill €23, hand €30: say Mach 25, bitte (change €5) or Stimmt so if you hand the exact amount including tip.

Card. Tell the server the total or the tip amount before they run the card, for example Auf die Karte, mit 5 Euro Trinkgeld, bitte. On self-service screens with preset tip buttons, you can choose no tip without guilt.

Menu prices and service charges

German menus show the final price including tax and service (Bedienung inkl.). There is no extra service charge added at the end.

Voluntary tips handed directly to staff can be tax-free for the employee under German income tax rules. Card tips are increasingly common; cash is still popular with staff. You do not need to tip on top of a line that already says service is included unless you want to reward the person who served you.