I was wondering if someone could explain the restaurant tipping etiquette in Malta. Actually, to be honest, I'm not sure I completely understand it in America as well. In America, I believe that the standard amount that you should leave is twice the tax of the food you ordered, which usually comes out to about 17-20% and slightly higher if the waiter/waitress does a good job. Technically, we are not legally required to leave a tip and we are told that it is completely optional. However, waiters/ waitresses are usually paid less than minimum wages and must rely on these tips to get by, so even though tips are technically optional, all customers feel morally obligated to leave a tip even if they hated the service. I have always wondered why restaurants don't just charge a little extra for the food and use the extra amount to pay the waiters/waitresses a more livable wage. That way, there would be no need to leave a tip. The reason why I prefer it that way is because if I am told that my meal is $12, I want to pay $12. I don't want to be told that the meal is $10 and then I have to leave a $2 tip. I may still pay $12 either way, but I prefer the first way because I like the idea of knowing how much something costs before I buy it. I was told that this is how restaurants work in Malta and in the rest of Europe. If I was misinformed, then could somebody clearly explain to me the tipping etiquette in Malta. I said that it is about 20% in America, but what is the standard tipping percentage in Malta.
