Blanca Valbuena

To get to the Creamery go to the South of Market Neighborhood

Tipping in Portugal

Tipping in Portugal is quite different than in the United States where 15% is standard for average service and 20% is standard for good service (and where servers will give you lip if you don’t tip because their service was crap). In Lisbon, tipping is not mandatory and it is not seen as rude not to tip.  That being said, the average salary in Lisbon (one of Portugal’s most well off cities) is around €900 per month. So, although it is not mandatory, as a traveler make sure to leave a little tip. It will make the lives of those who are taking care of you much better.

Tipping in Portugal

Restaurant Tipping: Most people will tell you to put down somewhere between 0.5 or 1€. This is pretty acceptable in local places, although in more touristy neighborhoods like Principe Real and Bairro Alto servers are getting used to larger tips from tourists. To be on the safe side, have a spare Euro and leave that.
Note: In restaurants when you sit, your server will bring you what is known as a couvert. This is usually a basket with bread, butter, cheese or fish spreads.  Sometimes it is olives.  These are NOT free. If you eat them, they will be added to your bill at around 1€ to 5€. If you don’t want them, simply don’t eat them or just say to your server ‘Nao, obrigado’
Tipping in Bars: Tipping in bars is not at all expected. An Imperial (a beer) usually costs under 1€, so whatever change is given back to you can be left as a tip.  If you go to nicer places in touristy areas, you will be expected to leave 0.5 or 1€. Hair Salon Tipping: This completely shocked me, but the rule is pretty much the same as restaurants. All my local friends said to leave 0.5 or 1€. I usually leave 10% because habits die hard and whoever touches my hair has a direct effect on my appearance. Food Delivery Tipping: If you order food to be delivered to your hotel or home, it is standard to give 1€. Tipping at the Spa: I am told you don’t have to tip. However, I have a feeling I will since the pleasure I derive from a massage or pedicure is priceless. Tipping taxi drivers:  No tip expected. Tipping Hotel Staff: If you’re staying in a hotel, you’re breaking all my travel rules. I am a huge fan of Airbnb, so next time you come to Lisbon, I expect you to do that after you read my guide on how to pick an Airbnb rental and after you’ve jotted down my discount code. Leave a 1-2€ tip for the maid per cleaning (I’ve been told they get paid pretty badly), 1€ for each bag your porter carries and 1€ to the person who brings up your room service. Now you know everything you need to know about Tipping in Portugal. Got questions about Portugal or Lisbon in particular? Leave a comment below.

19 thoughts on “Tipping in Portugal”

  1. Same here. In many parts in Europe they pay servers a living wage, not like in the US where you are paid $3 per hour and need to make tips to live. I wish that things in the US would change a little. Servers there will work when they are sick because they need those tips. It’s a broken system. That being said, things are not perfect here. The average salary in Portugal is under 900 euros and in Lisbon to rent a nice 2 bedroom apartment you need over 1200 per month, so because of the rise in tourism, many locals can’t afford to live in the capital. That being said, things are getting better daily here and this city is so easy to fall in love with.

  2. Interesting to read about the couvert in restaurants – in France this is usually free, and in Spain too. So Portugal is more like the UK in this sense, as a few restauarnts I’ve been in will charge you for the bread and snacks x

  3. Yup. It has a cost in Portugal (which is actually great for me, because it pushes me to skip the bread and its associated carbs), but in all seriousness, the cost is minimal, so if you love bread cheese and olives – it is so worth it 😉

  4. I’m always confused by tipping cultures in other countries and the last thing I want is to be seen as a cheapskate. I think I’m going to put together a tipping guide like this for all the countries I’ve visited so far 🙂

  5. Tipping in exchange of physical hardwork is a must at least that’s what I see. And these are the times tipping is a good thing. Especially on a spa, where it requires the worker a physical strength to put your in body at ease physically,and other aspects that it affects, They are the ones who deserve it most. It is a tiring work. So, I think it’s better giving them extra for the hard work they do.And also waiters and waitresses who stand and walk for ours to get orders to and from table by table. And people like them no matter when you’re in Portugal or where you are in the world.

  6. This is interesting! It’s really thoughtful of you to write this up-it’s something that we don’t normally think about until we are actually in the situation. I think it’s kind of shady that they bring you something you didn’t ask for and then charge you for it later if you eat it….I can imagine this practice has probably caused more than one dispute, at least with tourists from the US.

  7. It’s pretty common in Europe. France, Italy, Hungary, Portugal…all these cities usually charge for the couvert. That’s why it is so important to research tipping before traveling. All countries have different customs…then again, when there is no tip to be paid, then paying for the couvert makes sense. I will tell you, I was pretty surprised the first time I was charged for bread & butter, but now I know 🙂

  8. This is great to know ! Tipping is one of those things that comes natural to me after attending for so long in my twenties. Different cultures have different customs but I still like tipping and making someone’s day brighter ❤️

  9. I worked food service to get through college, so it is very difficult for me not to tip. So here in Portugal, I tip…I tip less than I normally would, but I do leave a tip.

  10. Same thing with me. I worked food service so it is hard for me not to tip. It took a while for me to get used to tipping in Portugal. But since most of Europe is similar, I’ve gotten more used to it.

  11. It’s always embarrassing when you don’t know how to tip (at least it is for me), so I figured this guide to tipping in Portugal could be useful

  12. Bonjour, je me rend à Lisbonne très bientôt et je souhaiterai faire une excursion à Sintra, Cascais et Cabo de Roca !
    Où puis je prendre mes billets sur places car je ne veux pas réserver d’avance et surtout cela vaut il la peine de passer par un organisme auquel cas lequel me conseillerez vous ?

    Merci pour vos infos
    Cordialement
    FE

  13. Bjr, FE,

    Vous cherchez des billets de train ?

    Le meilleur endroit pour acheter vos billets de train pour des endroits comme Sintra et Cascais est ici : https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en

    Il y a plusieurs gares qui vont à Sintra, mais pour Cascais, vous prendrez le train à Cais Do Sodre.

    Vous n’avez pas vraiment besoin d’acheter vos billets à l’avance, vous pouvez vous rendre à la gare le jour même (je préfère la veille) et acheter vos billets.

    Pour aller à Cabo da Roca, je suggère de louer une voiture, ce sera beaucoup plus facile que les transports en commun.

    Si vous ne cherchez pas de billets de train, cherchez-vous une agence de voyage ?

    Blanca

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