Restaurant Cover Charges (el cubierto)

[Artisttyp]

Do most of you leave a tip on top of the cubierto? I usually leave a little over a dollar for good service(mid range cafe).

I ate at quite a few places in the centro that did not charge a cubierto. Once you get near the triangle they get harder to find.

I had one waiter drill me about cubierto not being a tip before I even sat down. He pissed me off so much all I left him was the cubierto. Otherwise I am happy to leave a tip.

[El Queso]

On cubiertos, I had a discussion with one of the waiters (Cesar, if I remember correctly) in Exedra a month or two ago on cubiertos and asked him outright if waiters received any of the fee. He chuckled and told me absolutely not.

What he did tell me was that cubiertos were started in the time of Peron as a means of ensuring that the service workers such as waiters, dish washers, et al, made sufficient money on top of their salary, that the owners may not pay enough but cubiertos could be thought of as a forced tip to add on top of the bill that caused the clients to actually foot part of the workers' salaries.

According to the waiter, over time the owners quit sharing the cubierto with the staff but the cubierto never disappeared from la cuenta.

I have no idea whether or not this is accurate. I did a quick search on the internet to try to find something to back this up, but didn't encounter anything.

Whatever the origin, since the cubierto is in probably 80-90% of the restaurants here, I don't know that boycotting it by a small number of foreigners is going to do much good and if it didn't exist, it would certainly be embedded in the price as overhead.

[BundaLover]

Not wishing to be in the position of defending the cubierto, but I wonder if you would apply the same evaluation when entering a taxi? Think about it, there's a charge just for getting in the taxi, before you've even gone one meter. Would some of you advocate telling the taxi driver "I'm not paying for the privilege of getting in your taxi, so if you don't reduce the fare to zero and only charge me for the distance we're going to travel, then I'm going to get out and use another taxi"?

Thanks,

Jackson

That's an interesting and valid point. I need to think about this one for awhile.

[El Aleman]

You are right, I also noticed that Argentineans are usually rather tight. I have several times been in the company of local girlfriends, who when seeing my tips asked me "sos loco?" and made me take some of it back.

One difference to my tipping habit back home, however, exists: Here I often snatch the coins and 2 and / or 5 peso notes and leave 10's or a 20 - In Argentina, one is always short of change!

And I usually tip on the high side with small bills, and a bit lower if it was expensive, especially if there have been items like premium wine that flush a lot into the pocket of the owner while causing only moderate work to the waiter.

[Seaman]

El Aleman;

Since I am also an European I have a slightly different view on the tipping too.

What I do is give the waiter about 10% , always rounded off to a nice round figure.

The main difference between here and Europe is the fact that you also mention, the waiter in Europe gets a decent salary from his / her employer. The salary paid here takes into consideration the possible tip in a lot of places. I talked to several (ex) waiters about this, and it is the accepted way. It is not as bad as in the US where the waiters are working for the tips, since the salary is way too low to survive on.

So that is why I normally try to stick to the approx. 10% tip, but I am still surprised about the tipping of the Argentinians.

[El Aleman]

Seaman, the 15% US Americans use to tip is the exception, not the rule in the world. In most countries of the world waiters get a salary, and the tips are just the icing on the cake, not the waiter's main income. In many European countries it is also customary to round up to some even amount, leaving something between 5 and 10%.

If in Germany I get a bill of, say, €72,80, the witer is a lucky guy. With a bill of 76,70 it's not his day. In both cases, I round up to 80. About the same here in Argentina.

[WorldTravel69]

Not Taxies.

Cubierto is cheap in Buenos Aires.

[MCSE]

Actually the increase is 10% of the flag fee. So at the moment that means 0.31 per 200m. The 0.26 is long gone. (When the flag fee was still 2.60)

Yeah, that makes sense (the 10% of the flag) my ignorance on the current fare it's the proof that I no longer see the meter. I just see the total (I used to control in specific) but no more. I know the trip from las canitas to san telmo may not be more than 20 pesos, and no more than 15 to oblelisco, and no more than 10 from obelisco to san telmo, and no more than 11 from recoleta to baez and chenaut, if it's more I argue and generally the driver recognizes it by accepting the fare I'm used to pay.

I consider the cubierto as a hidden "tipping required" policy. I am amazed sometimes by the tip Argentinians leave. A bill of over 100 pesos they easily leave a tip of a few pesos at the most. (Sometimes only the coins of their change.

It is just a "forced" tip.

This could be that, or just a general charge. The restaurants pay the waiters a salary, so the tray fee may contribute to pay their salaries. By the way, I consider more unfair than the service charge the extreme overprice on a bottle of wine that I can buy just around the corner for 15 pesos and at the restaurant it's charged for 45. Examples: Lurton, San Telmo (10 pesos and mostly charged 25 / 28) xero, and etc.

It used to be a restaurant no longer in business who charged a fee (6 pesos) for opening the bottle that you could bring or buy at the store next door.

[Seaman]

No, at least in Buenos Aires, the fee it's currently 3.10 pesos. So the next time the meter changes (after 200 meters) the meter will charge 0,26 cents then 0,26 cents each 200 meters. Jackson's point of view it's accurate: the cab charges a fee for the use of the taxi, and the concept is similar to the cover tray charge in some restaurants.

Actually the increase is 10% of the flag fee. So at the moment that means 0.31 per 200m. The 0.26 is long gone. (When the flag fee was still 2.60)

I consider the cubierto as a hidden "tipping required" policy. I am amazed sometimes by the tip Argentinians leave. A bill of over 100 pesos they easily leave a tip of a few pesos at the most. (Sometimes only the coins of their change.

I asked in a restaurant once what the cubierto was. The answer was it was meant for the bread etc on the table. So my reaction was that it only has to be charged once per table, and not once per person. Then it got quiet.

It is just a "forced" tip.

[El Aleman]

The idea of the drop charge in a taxi is probably that the cabby spends about the same "idle" time between 2 trips and time used to get his passengers and their luggage in and out, no matter if these trips are just down 2 blocks or to Ezeiza. Otherwise, you might get asked in advance where you want to go, and refused service if it is only a short trip.

And about the cobierto, as said before I think it is ok if there is a certain service related to it.

[MCSE]

Actuall the "drop" charge in a taxi is an advance payment for a distance to be traveled. The meter doesn't advance until that distance-or a set time has elapsed- has been traveled. Call it a pay-in-advance 'consumption charge' as does one of our favorite watering holes.

No, at least in Buenos Aires, the fee it's currently 3.10 pesos. So the next time the meter changes (after 200 meters) the meter will charge 0,26 cents then 0,26 cents each 200 meters. Jackson's point of view it's accurate: the cab charges a fee for the use of the taxi, and the concept is similar to the cover tray charge in some restaurants.

[Hound]

Think about it, there's a charge just for getting in the taxi, before you've even gone one meter.

Thanks,

Jackson

Actuall the "drop" charge in a taxi is an advance payment for a distance to be traveled. The meter doesn't advance until that distance-or a set time has elapsed- has been traveled. Call it a pay-in-advance 'consumption charge' as does one of our favorite watering holes.

[Jackson]

But charging for the pleasure of spending money in their establishment? FUCK THEM. I really don't care about the 1 or 3 US dollars its the attitude.

Guys declare war on this bullshit. When you enter a restruant speak to the guy at the register and declare that your party will not pay for the pleasure of spending money. Let everybody in the place hear us. If they refuse WALK out. Viva la revolution!

Not wishing to be in the position of defending the cubierto, but I wonder if you would apply the same evaluation when entering a taxi? Think about it, there's a charge just for getting in the taxi, before you've even gone one meter. Would some of you advocate telling the taxi driver "I'm not paying for the privilege of getting in your taxi, so if you don't reduce the fare to zero and only charge me for the distance we're going to travel, then I'm going to get out and use another taxi"?

Thanks,

Jackson

[El Aleman]

My impression (and that's a subjective feeling, not backed by any statistics) is that in Argentina the cubierto thing is something that got widespread during the last 2 years. I don't remember it from earlier - this may be because it did not exist, or because it was just a peso or 1,50, and I did not realize it. Today, in many places it is 5 or 6 peaos, and I do realize that.

It is known in some countries - very common for example in Italy, sometimes (however seldom these days) France and Spain, unknown all over northern Europe. The italian name - pane e coperto - shows better what it's intention is: to cover the bread that always is on the table, and the laundry costs for a freshly set table.

And in that sense I accept it: if I get a nicely set table, with fresh tablecloth and napkins, bread, a nice ambiance - ok, better pay the costs involved directly instead of when eating a 3 course meal with a good bottle of wine subsidizing the guy who just orders a pizza and a coke. On the other hand, charging a cubierto at a place where they give you paper napkins on a bare table is just plain ripoff, and one should refuse paying, whith the words "what's that for?".

2 centavos (sin cubierto) de.

El Alemán

[MCSE]

About 3 years ago there was no cubierto, period.

There has been always cubierto, and let me add not only in Argentina but it's also a common in Uruguay.

My theory it's the cubierto is not to avoid taxes: because the bill includes the cubierto, so you are paying the included IVA (VAT: Value Added Tax) on the whole bill.

Cubierto it's a strategy to keep the bife de chorizo for an attractive price while in the overall you are paying an extra 4 pesos for it.

It's the way the things are in Argentina and you may like it or not, but it's the way it is.

In the US, prices are + tax, taxes for end consumer it's a sales tax, different than the IVA way to see the tax. Some can consider it fair and some would consider it unfair. I consider fair the tax over the profit rather than the tax over the sale of a product that can even produce loses to the seller. So I see a reason for determinating the tax it's a complete different thing, however, we always must pay the taxes one way or another.

In Argentina all prices to final consumer has the tax included, so every price seems to be less competitive.

The thing at the end it's not about if they charge the cubierto or not, for the first time I see a good point on Redondo's posts: the food court does not charges the cubierto, but what is that? The food court it's food only, and there is no charm on it, but having dinner at a restaurant with waiter, service has more charm, more style, and as a matter of fact the thing it's about if you enjoyed it or not and if the bottom line worth it or not.

Just my point of view.