Tipping

Lew, generally speaking, food prices in restaurants and cafes include a service charge to compensate your waitperson. If you would like to leave an extra euro or two-or more-to show your appreciation for extra good service, that is up to you but it's not expected.
Also, pay in euros-if they offer to convert the bill to USD, decline and pay in euros, this is just a way for them to make some money on that exchange.

No Dave, the Service Charge does not go to the Server. It goes to the company or owner of the restaurant.

Tips of 5% are good, or maybe up to 10% if service was exceptional. If service was crappy, you don't have to tip anything.

Thank you Jo, so are you saying that the service charge goes entirely to the ownership, with nothing guaranteed for the server? In other words, it is at the option of the owner what, if anything, a server gets? I wonder how common it is that servers get little or nothing of service charges, and how are servers treated in "good" or "very good" restaurants, cafes, wine bars, etc? RS and others make a point of saying how wait staff in France are professionals, and that part of a so-called living wage is the fact that they receive tips in this way. Not the case?

Totally agree with Jo. I can't find it on this website, but Rick Steve always says to add a few euro to your bill if service was good.

Per Rick, "Most French never tip (credit card receipts don't even have a space to add a tip). But if you feel the service was exceptional, it's kind to tip up to 5 percent extra." Why do the French not commonly tip?

The division of the service charge is up to the restaurant owner; there is no requirement in law to pass it through to the actual server, or for that matter to pool it amongst them (tronc).

I can't speak for the French, but in general, as explained to me by a number of Europeans, is that the concept is that people are paid good wages for the work. The American idea of paying people pennies with the promise of tips as incentive or commission is, well, a bit foreign. While an amount designated as a service charge does not go directly to the waiter, it does contribute to being able to pay them the wage they earn.

The strategy many friends in Europe use, and now myself, is to leave the change that rounds up to the nearest euro and maybe another euro on a twenty or more euro check. If you really received exceptional service and feel compelled to make a gesture of a larger tip, then do not just leave it on the table. Take it to the waiter, present it to them and thank them personally for the service.

That said, in a restaurant frequented by tourists, especially American tourists, some staff come to expect that you will tip. In Britain, it is much more expected, in fact many places automatically add on a 10% gratuity (always optional though), or when paying you will be promted for a tip when using a credit card. Maybe Germany is getting more like that, France, Spain, and Italy, it seems less so.