Should I tip in restaurants?
What it really means
Tipping is common but smaller than in the US. In a restaurant with table service, around 10-12% is normal if no service charge is already on the bill. Nobody will chase you if you don't tip, but leaving nothing after good table service can seem a bit mean.
Context, tips & common mistakes
Two recent changes are worth knowing. First, since October 2024 the law requires businesses to pass tips and service charges to staff in full without deductions, so the old worry that a card tip never reaches the waiter has much less force. Second, card machines increasingly show American-style prompts of 15-20% — you are entirely free to press "no tip" or enter your own amount, and 10% remains the normal ceiling for good table service. Where tipping is simply not expected: counter service, coffee shops, fast food, and takeaways you collect yourself. Watch for double payment: if the bill already includes a service charge, adding a tip on the card machine means paying twice, and staff do not expect it. Habits are broadly the same across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and younger Britons tip slightly less reliably than older ones — nobody will ever chase you out of a café over it.