Restaurants · Italy
Do you tip at restaurants in Italy?
Short answer
Round up, or 5%
Round up the bill, or leave about 5% after a big meal.
OptionalCash preferred
Check the bill first: a coperto of €1–3 per person is standard and a servizio line means service is already included. If neither covers it and the meal was good, leaving a few euros or about 5% in cash is a generous gesture. Ten or fifteen percent is an American habit, not an Italian one.
In practice
- A €68 dinner for two → leave €70–72
- A €150 celebration meal → leave €160
Tip calculator
- 5%
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Common questions
- How much should you tip at restaurants in Italy?
- Round up, or 5%. Round up the bill, or leave about 5% after a big meal.
- Can you tip by card in Italy?
- Card machines rarely prompt for a tip, and adding one to a card payment is unusual. Leave cash if you want to tip.
More on tipping in Italy
Tipping at restaurants elsewhere
Reviewed by Greg Kockott on 3 September 2026.
Figures checked against the sources below on 4 September 2026.
Sources
- Rough Guides, “Italy travel tips for first-timers” (consulted 2026-09-04)
- Lonely Planet, “The Ultimate Guide to Tipping in Europe” (consulted 2026-09-04)