"...When dining in a restaurant in Europe you should expect to tip a bit more modestly than you would in AmerTipping in Europeica. If a service charge is included in your bill then leaving a tip is optional. If it isn't you can often leave a 5-10 percent tip without insulting your waiter or waitress. In many restaurants in Europe a 10 percent tip is considered quite generous and leaving more (while appreciated) will often say more to locals about your cultural ignorance than it will about your generosity. European servers are quite well compensated so any tips are considered a small bonus. Often leaving a tip at a restaurant is a way to make settling the bill more convenient - it's common for diners to "round up" the bill to a whole number.
As an additional note - when ordering food in Europe you're really only expected to leave a gratuity when you are served by a waiter or waitress ... if you're ordering food or drink at a counter (at a pub for example) you shouldn't feel that it's necessary to leave a tip ... even if you would normally do so at home.
If you do choose to tip while dining in Europe a good rule of thumb is to add a Euro or two for each person in your party (this is an easy calculation for travelers to remember ... even if you've enjoyed a few drinks!). We recommend that if you do choose to tip the waitstaff that you hand them the tip rather than to leave it on the table ... especially if you've dined at a busy restaurant ... otherwise your money may find its way into the pocket of the diners at the next table..."
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