Charges in Restaurants

pane e coperto

It will be on the menu, usually at the bottom.

It means bread and tableware.

Sometimes just coperto.

All restaurants should post the menu outside so you can check before going in.

I always expect it and pleased when it does not appear.

I always expect it and pleased when it does not appear.

I always expect it and if it does not appear, I assume it is included in the price of the meal, which is good for my wife who is small eater and bad for me who is a big eater :-)

Also be advised that many sandwich, wine and coffee "bars" have different pricing structures depending on whether you stand at the bar to consume your purchase or sit at their tables.

Some restaurants also charge a "servizio", which is sort of an enforced tip. Again, that should be printed at the bottom of the menu.

It's like the airlines baggage fees.
Most charge for the first checked bag, others (like Southwest) don't.
In any case, all charges must, by law, be listed in the menu.

Coperto (sometime called Pane e Coperto, or bread and cover charge) is a one time charge, generally about €1.00-3.00 per person, which supposedly covers the bread and the expense of occupying a seat at the table. Some Regional governments (like Latium, where Rome is located) have banned this charge, other restaurants in other regions where it's permitted, have voluntarily chosen not to charge it. This ancient practice has its origin from the distant past, when travelers used to stop at inns along the way, where they would eat their meal often brought from home. That charge was for the Inn keeper to pay for the cost of the bread, the silverware, and the occupation of the seat, since the food was brought from the outside. If you think about it, it's like when you go to an American restaurant with your own wine and they charge you for the corking fee. This practice has resisted in Italy through the centuries, in spite of the fact, nowadays nobody goes to the restaurants to eat their own food they brought from home.

Servizio, or service charge, can be considered the equivalent of the gratuity charge in America. It ranges generally from 10% to 12%, so in a way it's less than the typical gratuity in America, which ranges from 15% to 20%. Some restaurants have chosen not to charge this amount, and to have it embedded in the price of the entrees. In these cases, the menu will say, Servizio incluso (service charge included). In a restaurant has decided not to charge for either Coperto or Servizio, the menu will say "Servizio e coperto incluso" (cover charge and service charge included), which basically means that those charges are already included in the price of the entrees. It's like Southwest, they don't charge for the baggage fee, but rest assured that the cost of handling that bag is embedded in the price of each airfare ticket.

Just look at the menu. If Service is not included, it will say "Servizio 10% (or 12%)". Just keep that in mind and if you see an entree that costs 10€, it really means it costs 10.10€ (10+10% servizio).

But if you think about it, it is actually worse in America, because gratuity is 15% at a minimum, and the sales tax is added later to the bill as well.

For example here in California the sales tax is about 10%, so an entree might be listed for $20 on the menu, but then you need to add 15% gratuity (which is, for all intended purposes, mandatory) plus the sales tax of 10%. Therefore that entree is not really $20, as listed on the menu, but $25. Which is the sum of $20 (listed menu price) + $3 (15% gratuity) + $2 (10% sales tax).

Once you add the fact that American restaurants mark up wine 400% (cost x 4), vs. the 150% to 200% in Italy (cost x 1.50 or cost x 2), you realize how restaurants take us to the cleaners in America.

But as a rule of thumb, in every country businesses have their way to take their customers to the cleaners as much as they can.

Traveled in Italy last year, Rome, Tuscany, & Venice in particular. Servizio was pretty common if you sat at a table. Many locals avoid it by standing at the bar and having their espresso & morning pastry.

I found that if you are planning to return to the same restaurant on your stay . Leaving that additional cash tip on the table will get you immediate attention when you return again. I would imagine the restaurant gets a cut of the Servizio, when cash on the table goes directly to the server.

Leaving that additional cash tip on the table will get you immediate
attention when you return again.

We've had a million debates on this practice, and the majority usually vote against it beyond just rounding up the bill. Let's just say tipping in restaurants is a custom most Europeans do not like in the U.S., and do not want to become an expectation in their own countries. That's been my impression, anyway?

Tipping is not the norm in Italy and Americans throwing money around have just made waiters in some tourist spots predatory with American tourists, begging for tips. Resist this nonsense. Unlike the US waiters are paid a living wage in Italy.

Coperto is illegal in Rome and its province. But they will put bread on your table and unless you waive it away you will be charged for it. We had them try to push bread on us to upcharge when we had ordered bruschetta as an appetizer.

Elsewhere pane/coperto is standard and thus a sit down lunch of something cheap suddenly is not so cheap. We tend not to do sit down lunches in Italy -- choosing to picnic or to eat at cafeteria type places which don't charge coperto. If you want a leisurely relaxed lunch then expect to pay coperto. (but as others have noted not having to tip 20% makes it still a comparative bargain)

Leaving that additional cash tip on the table will get you immediate attention when you return again.

No doubt. Who wouldn't?

Why don't you leave a fat tip to everybody you come across in your daily life then?

• your cashier at your local store
• your pharmacist
• your dental hygienist
• your tax preparer
• your bank teller
• your mail carrier
• your post office clerk
• your policeman when he pulls you over (15% of the speeding ticket you get should do to compensate him for keeping the highway safe)
• etc.

I'm sure you'll get their attention too next time you see them.

We had service charge added to almost all sit down restaurants. We had one guy try to explain to us this wasn't the tip. It was like he was begging for it. Honestly it doesn't surprise me at that restaurant because of its location but due to teenage low blood sugar I have to eat this instant we at there. Otherwise we just left very small tip or none after the charges 10% is what we saw almost everywhere

The reason why, Roberto, we don't tip the professions you mention is because they are paid a full wage. In the U.S., waiters, bartenders, and anyone else who is typically "tipped" are allowed to be paid a lower wage and have to earn their income from tips.

A few restaurants here tried to change that but it failed. Americans are used to tipping.

Read this article Frank II:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/18/i-dare-you-to-read-this-and-still-feel-ok-about-tipping-in-the-united-states/

Thanks for the link, Roberto.

Great article, Roberto.

Interesting article Roberto....

so, if Americans finally start to wean themselves from the practice (and its inherent feelings of superiority to others less well off than themselves) what will that mean for the Europeans who are used to seeing Americans coming in and having the expectation of a huge tip?

...what will that mean for the Europeans who are used to seeing
Americans coming in and having the expectation of a huge tip?

Equally for American waitstaff frustrated with tourists who do not tip because they simply don't understand the custom?