Josh V. Says:
My wife and I are planning a vacation to Dublin, Ireland soon—a place I have always wanted to see. One of my friends told me that you’re not supposed to tip there. Is this true?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Josh,
It’s true that tipping is not mandatory in Ireland—though it’s common to leave around 15% in a restaurant if you’ve enjoyed the service. (And many Irish wait staff will assume you’ll tip them because you’re American—which means they will be extra attentive to you.)
Hotels and hotel restaurants sometimes automatically add 15% to the bill as a service charge, so in those cases there is no need to give another tip on top of what they have added to your bill.
Hotel staff such as porters don’t expect tips in the same way they do in the U.S. But slipping one a few euro will probably make you a fast friend.
Tipping the bar person in a pub is not normal—my Irish colleagues at IL are always completely astounded that American bar staff expect a tip simply for opening a bottle of beer!
You might wish to tip for table service—but table service in bars is rare in Ireland. You’ll generally have to go up to the bar and pay for your drinks as you receive them. This changed a little over the pandemic, where table service became more common. But in a traditional old pub it’s still unheard of.
Taxi drivers—it’s up to you. Rounding up to the nearest round number is usually plenty if you wish to tip. But taxi prices, especially in Dublin, can be high—so don’t feel you’re required to tip on top of that.
Now, if I could give you one tip for your vacation in Ireland, it would be to head to the city of Galway on the west coast for at least part of your time. This city is smaller than Dublin, but equally vibrant and, as any Irish person from outside of the capital city will be quick to tell you, more “authentically Irish.”
You can read a guide to this culture-rich city written by our own Galway-resident editor John Wallace, right here.
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