00:00Today, Michel Müller, an average German, is going to the restaurant.
00:04What's his favorite cuisine?
00:06What's the tipping culture like in Germany?
00:08And are German waiters unfriendly?
00:11Let's find out.
00:17Michel's family are visiting from the USA, so they're going for lunch.
00:22And he's picked an Italian restaurant for the affair.
00:25After German food, Italian food is the German's favorite cuisine.
00:30Going out to eat consistently ranks as one of the Germans' favorite hobbies.
00:34Three in four go at least occasionally.
00:36Buongiorno.
00:40Squoosie.
00:45The waitress comes to take their drinks order, and Michel orders a beer.
00:49His 17-year-old cousin Jake does, too.
00:52His mother, Katie, protests, but Michel says it's fine.
00:55You're only 15.
00:58In Germany, the legal drinking age for wine and beer is actually only 16.
01:03Four beer peels.
01:07Tania asks for water for the table.
01:09The waitress asks if they'd like still or sparkling.
01:11And Tania says that just tap water is fine.
01:14Michel feels a little uncomfortable.
01:16In Germany, it's not customary to order free tap water.
01:22However, Michel chalks it up to cultural differences,
01:25and is happy to endure the discomfort to avoid paying 6 euro for one litre of water.
01:32The waters arrive and, well, they're definitely not the size Americans are used to.
01:37Sitting with your menu closed is a sign you're ready to order,
01:43and Michel has to try to get the waitress's attention.
01:52Unlike in the US, hospitality workers in Germany are paid at least the national minimum wage
01:56and are therefore not heavily reliant upon tips.
01:59This basically means that they don't have to be overly nice to you in order to pay their rent.
02:04The food arrives and the gang starts tucking in.
02:11And Katie asks the group.
02:13Is this great or what, guys?
02:15The Americans give grave reviews, but Michel gives the highest German compliment.
02:20I can't complain.
02:30The waitress takes the plates away only when the last person is finished.
02:33Any earlier would be considered rude.
02:37In Germany, and in much of Europe,
02:39it's not customary for waiters to bring the bill as soon as guests have finished eating.
02:43Guests normally take their time and only ask for the bill when they're ready to leave the restaurant.
02:48Michel surprises his family with a typical German dessert, spaghetti ice cream.
02:53Vanilla ice cream pushed through a ricer and then covered in strawberry sauce.
03:02And a round of limoncello.
03:04The drinking age for spirits is 18, so let's presume Jake won't be drinking that shot.
03:08It's common to divide the bill according to what each person had, which can seem a bit nitpicky to people from other countries.
03:23Katie asks how much they should tip, which reminds Michel of his last time in the US.
03:32Germans tip between 5 and 10 percent or simply round up the bill.
03:48In 2023, people in Germany paid for half of all transactions with cash.
03:52And the cash culture sometimes trips up tourists.
04:03As the Americans didn't bring any cash, Michel ends up paying for the whole meal himself anyway.
04:09He paid 130 euros for him and his three guests,
04:12which is the average cost for four people at a mid-range restaurant in Germany.
04:15So what did you think of the average German restaurant experience?
04:22What's the tipping culture like where you're from?
04:24Were you surprised by anything?
04:26As always, like and subscribe for more Average German.
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