Tipping Whilst in London

Get the inside knowledge on tipping excellent service during your stay in the capital.

It is usual to leave a tip of between 10% and 15% when dining out, although you should be aware that some eateries do include a ‘service charge’ as part of the bill.
When viewing your hotel bill, you will typically find that a service charge has been automatically added. It is customary to tip between 10% and 15% if it hasn’t been. In addition, people will often tip porters when carrying their bags to their rooms.
When using cabs, both hackney carriages licensed minicabs, a tip of between 10% and 15% is customary.

A tip for good service in London is often welcome, but it is only sometimes appropriate.

However, there are some instances when the practice is a customary one.

To help you along, we now look at some times when it is and needs to be more familiar to tip.

In Restaurants

A good rule of thumb when dining out is to tip anywhere from 10-15%.

However, this is not the case when your bill shows a ‘service charge’, typically added at 12.5%.

So check before you pay, as you want to avoid ending up double-tipping.

Takeaway meals or self-service food will not require a tip.

A good piece of advice to follow when receiving a service is to check whether your server/waiter gets the tip you pay directly or goes to the company.

This is particularly applicable when paying by card.

In Pubs & Bars

It is common to leave a tip in a London pub, but you may experience that your change is given back to you on a tray, which you can pick up or not.

In London Hotels

Like most restaurants in London, hotels in the capital generally add a service charge of around 10 to 12% to your bill.

If you don’t find that this has been added, it is traditional to tip about 10-15% of your total bill.

In addition, a discretionary tip can be left in your room if you would like to tip the cleaning staff for the service they have provided.

It is also optional to tip other hotel staff members, such as the concierge, door staff and porters.

Tipping for a Taxi

When using licensed minicabs and black cabs in London, it is polite, but not mandatory, to tip anywhere between 10% and 15%.

However, what is more common, is to round up the fare to the nearest £1, £5 or £10, depending on the total fare. “Keep the change” is an often-used phrase by taxi users in London.

Should you have taken a particularly long journey and been given help with your cases and belongings, it might be appropriate to tip a little more.