Tipping in Ireland: Restaurants, Cafés and Pubs

Tipping in Ireland is customary but not compulsory. That is the short answer, and it confuses visitors from places where it is expected to the cent and from places where it is not done at all.

Here is how it works in practice, place by place.

Restaurants with table service

For a sit-down meal with table service, 10 to 15% of the bill is the usual range when you were happy with the service. Many people round to a convenient figure rather than calculating exactly.

A few points that come up often:

• It is a thank-you, not a fee. If service was genuinely poor, you are not obliged to tip, though it is courteous to mention the problem.
• Tipping on the whole bill is usual, including drinks. Tipping on food only is also common and nobody will think it odd.
• Check the bill first. If a service charge has already been added, there is no need to tip on top.

Service charges

Some restaurants add a service charge automatically, most often for larger groups — six or more is a common threshold. It is usually stated on the menu and printed on the bill.

A service charge is not the same as a tip. It is set by the restaurant, and whether it goes to the staff depends on the business. Irish law requires a business to say whether a service charge is passed to staff, so if you want to know, look for the policy or ask.

If a service charge has been added, you do not need to tip as well. You can, if you want to recognise somebody in particular.

Pubs

For drinks bought at the bar, tipping is not usual. People rarely leave anything, and bar staff do not expect it.

For food with table service in a pub, many people tip as they would in a restaurant. For a round of drinks brought to the table, a small tip is appreciated but far from expected.

Cafés and coffee shops

At a counter, tipping is optional. Where there is a tip jar, leaving small change or rounding up is common. For table service in a café — brunch, say — a modest tip is normal if you were looked after well.

Takeaways and delivery

Tipping for collection is uncommon. For delivery, a small tip for the driver is appreciated, especially in bad weather, though it is not expected.

Hotels

Hotel restaurants follow the same pattern as other restaurants. Beyond that, tipping hotel staff is less common in Ireland than in some countries, and entirely at your discretion.

What the law says about tips

Ireland has specific rules about tips. In general terms, the law introduced in 2022:

• requires businesses to display their policy on how tips and service charges are shared
• requires tips paid by card to be passed on to staff
• prevents tips being used to make up contractual wages
• requires a business to say whether a mandatory service charge goes to staff

So a tip left by card is meant to reach the people who served you, and you are entitled to see how a business shares them. If you want the detail, the business's displayed policy is the place to look.

Cash or card?

Either reaches staff under the law. Some people still prefer cash so the server receives it directly on the night; others prefer the convenience of adding it to the card payment. If you want to know how card tips are shared in a particular place, ask — staff are usually happy to tell you.

Tipping when a table splits the bill

When a group pays separately, each person usually tips on their own share. If one person is paying the whole bill and collecting from the others, agree on the tip before the card goes in, so the person paying is not left covering it.

Tipping for groups and special occasions

Larger tables are where tipping causes the most confusion. Two things to check before anyone reaches for a card:

• Is there already a service charge? Groups of six or more are the tables most likely to have one added, and it is easy to tip twice without noticing.
• Who is covering the tip? If one person is paying and collecting from everybody, agree the tip first so they are not quietly left short.

For a celebration where staff have gone out of their way — a cake brought out, a long table held late — many people tip a little more, or thank the person who looked after them by name.

If service was poor

A tip is a thank-you, so you are not obliged to leave one after poor service. It is more useful to everyone, though, to say what went wrong while you are still there. Most places would far rather fix a problem on the night than read about it afterwards, and a calm word often changes the rest of the meal.

A quick guide

Where	Usual practice
Restaurant, table service	10–15% if you were happy
Service charge on the bill	No need to tip on top
Pub, drinks at the bar	Not usual
Pub, food at the table	As a restaurant
Café counter	Optional, small change
Delivery	Small tip appreciated

Tips through Mosey

When you pay a venue through Mosey, Mosey takes no commission on tips. A tip added to a Mosey payment is paid to the venue in full.

Where to go next

• Splitting the bill without the maths
• Paying with your phone at Cork cafés and restaurants
• Ranked lists of the best places to eat
• How to tell if a restaurant is good before you go