There are a lot of similarities when it comes to customs in USA and Germany, yet it's also interesting how many small differences we notice in these normal situations. We aren't sure exactly when we'll be in a sit down restaurant again, but here are some interesting differences to know and discuss! Let us know some of the things you notice when eating at a sit down restaurant!
Busy restaurants usually place you..even on already occupied tables if there is a free place left... In Vienna where I´m coming from you usually get a glas of free (plain) water when you order a coffee or a glas of wine at good restaurants or Cafés respectively sometimes you have to ask for while ordering but those glases of plain water are not reckoned up in combination with coffee or wine because it is part of our drinking culture of drinking wine or coffee for 2 reasons a glas of wine with a glas of water is more digestable and you are able to drink more wine which is besides that "wine + water" is part of wine culture obviously also in the interest of the restaurant to make you able to order more glases of wine... and "coffee with water" is part of our coffee culture because just drinking coffee dehydrates you. BUT when you just order water then you get charged.
The reason why in the US you have to wait for the waiter to come and find you a place to sit even though there are plenty of free, empty tables for you to choose is that in the US and also Canada, this is called social engineering. The waiter comes and asks you to follow him/her to a table where there are people of your type next to your table, culturally speaking and skin colour wise. Ever since the abolition of the Segregation law in the USA, in social gathering, be it a end of year party or a graduation party, you will be seated next to people of your own skin colour unless you tell the organizer of the party that you want to be seated to your best white friend. When you look for a home to buy it is also the same. The real estate agent will social engineer you to a home where there are people of your own type first if possible.
just seeing this now, thumbs up, of course, i defo prefer still water! in Thailand, there would usually be free drinking water, self service... here in Germany, often i exchange 1 side or ingredient for another, or ask to omit one altogether... at a Vietnamese restaurant in St Pauli (Hamburg), the pho was horrible, inauthetntic, and with no basil, mung bean sprouts or hoisin on the side; i complained, although the owner offered the dish for free, i insisted on paying (but never returned)... i don't waste food, it's a sin, oftentimes here in Hamburg, a nice German meal will be pretty large, w/healthy portion of leftovers which i always take home with me
The biggest difference for me is the cultural difference in spending time at a restaurant. In Europe in general when you go to a restaurant it is an event that can take up to several hours, whereas in the US it's getting seated, served and get the death stare of "why haven't you left yet?"
Yes, I noticed that too at one place in Hamburg, they weren't in a hurry to kick us out or even bring the check. Maybe they thought we would order more?
@@erickoehler4798 It's not that, they just value their customers not feeling rushed out rather than making a few extra tables in revenue a day. Dining out is just as much a social event as it is a functional one.
In the US after you had desert (or declined having one) the server will just automatically bring the final bill. In Switzerland you have to like desperately beg the waiter to bring you the check. Also standard european etiquette is to wait until the last person at a table finished their meal before taking away the plates etc. In the US i many times witnessed server staff picking up empty plates while some of us at the table were still eating. It stresses the slow eaters and is considered rude towards still eating customers.
I sometimes feel like in jail, from my wish "I want to pay" up to having actually done it, it's very common it takes 15-20 minutes, and the waiter has to come about 3 times. First, you tell them you want the check; second they bring it, run away immediatly to serve somebody else, next time they take the money .. or the card. That's oughful.
Coming from southern Germany i look at the "return" point from another side. When there is a real Problem with the Food i believe in telling them (still very friendly) what´s wrong, because if they don´t know about how can they fix it. I don´t feel bad about telling them when i think there was a real mistake happening (not just little things that maybe are only personal preference related. I mean serious things for example when there is Pork or Chicken-Meat that isn´t cooked enough). And i´m sure there is a very polite way to tell that. In the few cases i needed to return something they where really thankful. And for me a good Service includes good problem solving. They get a bigger tip from me when they act professional in these situations.
I was an assistant cook and dish washer in a very small german resturant during high school. it was so small that the head chef was also the only waitor. Since was the only one who was able to get a tip, he shared 50:50 with me. I came before him on the weekends for the breakfast and preperation and so he saw it as fit. ^^
In Australia restaurants supply free refillable bottles of chilled still water. I totally agree with you Phil regarding tax and tipping. In Australia taxes are included in the menu price, as for tipping this not the custom in Australia as staff are paid a full wage, tipping is voluntary for exceptional service.
I totally understand what you mean by ‘the waiter is my new friend’ thing. The first time I went to the US, I was like omg he/she is so nice to me and really cares about me. But after paying the bill, they are totally ingnoring you. Everytime that happened it felt like a tiny breakup 💔😂.
To me that sounds very stupid because as a waiter you would asure the customer is visiting again. And ignoring them after check would mean i never visit that restaurant again for sure. So not much intelligent forward thinking there i would asume.
Americans understand that it is a short and functional relationship that you have with the waiter and not meant to go beyond one meal, so don't expect them to really care about you. You guys seem to think it signifies a REAL friendship.
@@virginiav.1172 no not by any means is there a friendship asumption. This has to do with general kindness and not fake enthusiasm for as long as money is involved. In Germany the waiters know their responsibility for creating a good corporate image for their workplace and not every customer is a tourist. And even when they are tourists and maybe never visit again, they talk to other people. And this will effect other peoples choices where to go and where to avoid. So ignoring someone is never acceptable for someone working in service asuming that they like to keep their job. There are miles between a frinedship and simply beeing friendly.
I'm from Germany and I only drink still water.. I don't like the sparkling one 😄 I try to drink 2 Liter a day.. I couldn't do this with sparkling water 🙄
I am also a German i liked in my childhood the sparkling water. Later i was not able to drink it whole day and switched to still water - now i drink medium sparkled ... e.g. Vio Medium - the green coloured thats perfect
Yeah, I'm from south Germany, and taking leftovers home is very common here. You just ask the waiter if they got some boxes or something, and they'll either bring something, or package it for you. And I haven't been to any restaurant, that wouldn't offer that, if you ask. The only exception to this would be All you can Eat stuff. Which is understandable. But yeah, my family would have otherwise never let food go to the bin, that we have payed for in a restaurant. Not really a thing. Here. I was even working in a Restaurant for a year and if I would have to guess, I'd say like 80+% of people would take their leftovers. On the other hand, Bavaria (me) and Austria are pretty similar in culture (we are honestly way closer to Austria, then to the entire rest of Germany). So that may be different in middle or North Germany.
I agree with Phil, I'm an Aussie and I freaking hate tipping, it causes me so much stress in the US. I don't want to give someone a dollar or 2 just because they pick up my bag. Our wait staff in restaurants make reasonable money (our minimum wage is over $19/hour for an adult, my 16 year old niece makes $16/hour in a supermarket), our food may look expensive but you don't tip and tax is included. If you leave money on your bed in a motel for the cleaning staff, you will come back to your room to find it on the bedside table. Tipping culture is the worst.
I agree and it is very expensive in the long run. If a haircut in a salon costs $100 you are expected to tip another 15-20% on top of that as well as tipping cab drivers, waiters, hotel maids, spa attendants, personal shoppers, airport attendants, the list goes on and on...
Keep in mind that most waiters only work 4-5 hrs shifts, and if they come in and it's slow, they will be told to leave and make nothing that day. If you want someone to fawn all over you, cater to your whims and be taken care of, pay up. There is no free lunch!
When my exes brother invited the family (7peps) out to dinner, we had a bill of 180€, he gave a tip of 2€ everyone he invited was embarrassed of how cheap he was, even though Germans aren't big tippers. If you got a table of 180€ though you should at least tip like 10€ I think, especially when food/drinks came fast and the waiter was nice.
I’m totally in agreement with Phil about the tipping culture in the USA. Most restaurants don’t even have a profit margin in the single digit percentages, and with 20% tipping (and the percentage keeps going up year after year!) the imbalance is still getting worse. Restaurants should just increase their menu prices by 20% and actually pay a decent salary. People can always still give a little bit more if the service was great. Also, on the sparkling water question, I don’t know if this is true or not, but my German host said that this was a habit that started after the end of World War II. As the infrastructure was being rebuilt, water supplies were not safe to drink. So ordering a bottle of sparkling water was your assurance that the water was fresh, sealed, and untampered with, whereas someone pouring a glass of still water didn’t have that same confidence. I haven’t been able to verify that separately but it made sense at the time.
paying a decent salary in a restaurant would require way more that increasing prices by 20%. As someone who works in this industry, I can guarantee that no one, and I mean no one would do this for less that $70-$80/hr for an average 4-5 hour shift. The stress and demanding nature of serving Americans would never work with a $25/hr wage rate; keeping in mind most restaurant shifts usually last 5 hrs and leave you physically and emotionally exhausted. The rates of alcoholism and smoking combined with poor diets due to the crazy hours, and not being able to go for a bathroom break because it's too busy takes its toll on the body. It's not a great system, and could definitely use some gov't protections for workers, but the tipping culture evolved because Americans will not tolerate European levels of service.
One difference I experienced in German restaurants was that food was brought to the table when the dish was ready and not when all the food for the whole table was ready. In the USA we expect that all the food for the people at the table will come at the same time. In Germany, the food came when the kitchen got it ready and you ate your food while it was hot, even if not everybody at the table had been served. The only exception I saw was you didn't takr a drink from your beer or mixed drink until everybody at the table had theirs (non-alcoholic drinks did not matter). Another thing that was different in German restaurants was the length of time you could spend at a table. In the USA restaurants expect to turn over a table at least once an hour during dinner service but in Germany you can relax and enjoy conversation and not feel like you need to get out quickly. I got to live in Germany for three years and it was a wonderful experience!
i think the tipping system is really strange in the us ( also very unfair ) but i actually really like being treated that nicely and been taken care of cuz in german restaurants the waiters are often bored and unfriendly i feel like. i remember my first time in the us in a mexican restaurant: super nice waiter whenever my cup was empty its been refilled immediaetly sometimes i didnt even notice :D also the waiter must have heard how much i loved the drink ( it was homemade watermelon lemaonde which i never had before ) that he even got me a cup of it to go when we left and it really made my day :)
stpaley some people are very entitled. I worked as a bartender and waiter for years and will never complain unless my food is actually cold/undercooked. If my order is different than what I expected I usually just eat it and say thank you 😋
Being rude is bad, but what is wrong with pointing out if the food is really bad? For example if it is burned, or if the chicken is not cooked through (which is dangerous for health)? I once hat Spaghetti Bolognese, where most of the Spaghetti was still hard. So I just point it out, in a matter of fact ton. So when something is objectivly bad (not talking about taste here, but real obvious quality issues) then, yes you ARE entitled to complain because you are paying for it.
@@usulsk there is a difference in legitimate criticizing and miserably complaining to get something, there are many people who lives a miserable life and tries to spread that all around
1. When I have gone to restaurants in Germany, where it is a full night (when there are many reservations, and maybe just a few tables that do not have reservations), if there is someone at the entrance, they just say "no". No tables, not 'it will be a 30 minute / 1 hour wait', just no. 2. Still water only for me. 3. One time, we went into a restaurant in Cologne that we frequent. My coworker wanted schnitzel, but wanted the sauce that was usually served with the Schweinehaxe. The waiter refused - 'you can't do this'. (They CAN do this, he HAS gotten the schweinehaxe sauce with his schnitzel before, but that time... it was just a no. This can't be done. You can only have the sauces that are allowed for schnitzel.) 4. You haven't commented on this yet, but in Germany, I have ALWAYS (unless staying until the establishment closes), had to ask for the check. The waiters NEVER ask if you want the check [implying "please leave"].
In New Zealand the culture is no tipping and by law tax is included in menu price. To pay you go up to the service desk and pay there...not to your waiter at all.
Modifying orders: any reasonable German restaurant will allow you to modify the proposed side order according to your taste, and normally free of charge (those who charge you extra for "Umbestellung" fall into my category "unreasonable" :-) - something like rice instead of potatoes.
Canadian and all these things - Canada is somewhere in the middle between Germany and USA. Most ppl pay with cards, restaurants use wireless pin pads for card payments, we have lots of chain restaurants, and ppl don’t usually seat themselves, tap water is always free.
I do feel the same way. I do not tip badd servers. And sometimes they include the tip and to the price of your meal so you're forced to paid anyway. So what I do is I go to the manager until among this pleased with the service to remove the tip
Hi guys love from Kanada(Canada). In my early 20s I worked in nightclubs as a bartender and waiter. My wage as 8.00 per hour. I worked 6 days a week on 12 hours a day. I was known as the dancing bartender like Tom cruises in cocktail the movie. I made between 200.00 to 400.00 a night in tips. I made great money as a bartender.
I´m from germany and I have seen these buzzer-things. Usually in a cantine or `Imbiss`. They ring as soon as your orders done and you can get it. Returning food is definitely not the norm in germany. Still, if something is not edible, e.g. way to much salt or sour milk, I was taught to give it back and order a new one. If it is just not my taste, then I still eat it or leave it, but would never complain. And always stay polite!
There is a big difference in water quality between Germany and US. In Germany I used to get bottled water, and even the tap water is better than in the US. The soda is not from syrup and tap water either. And if I go daily for lunch in Germany (to the same restaurant) the tip I gave is even smaller, just around 2 to 3 EUR, mostly rounding and adding one or two for good service.
If you ask the waiters for tap water l am sure that they will serve it to you. If not leave the restaurant Ice cold is another question because only in the US they drink everything ice cold because beer or other beverage's under normal temperature in the US task very bad.
Maybe it depends on where in Germany you live. I am from Saarbrücken (a city with a big French influence) and here it is common you get seated. Also when I am in an other part of Germany I always ask a waiter for a table. I never take a seat in restaurants of my own :D
Das kostenlose Wasser in Amerika ist meistens eine Chlorbrühe, das Eis und die Getränke schmeckt auch nach Chlor. Würde dort lieber mehr bezahlen und auf Desinfektionsmittel im Getränk verzichten.
Sehe ich genauso. Das einzig gute daran ist, dass wir uns als low budget traveler uns wasser "bestellt" haben und dann ein anderes nicht chlorhaltiges Getränk als refill. Nicht ganz korrekt ich weiß, aber kann ich nach den paar Jahren auch nicht mehr ändern
@Pustekuchen Das weisst Du noch nicht? - heisst Chloroquin - sagt der grosse Häuptling. Manche glauben's - Pech gehabt. arcdigital.media/how-much-is-trump-responsible-for-a-chloroquine-related-death-in-arizona-208868ec964
Tap water often IS chlorinated in the USA. eu.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/02/03/tap-water-chlorine-may-have-cancer-link-johns-hopkins-study/2854631001/
We have the buzzer things in some places in Australia too, and we normally seat ourselves as well unless there is a big party or something and you have to make a reservation.
I worked in horeca just on the border between the Netherlands and Germany (Vaals). When we were supposed to get a German-party we always stocked up on 'sprudelwasser'(Spa rood) while Dutch people drink more stilles wasser (Spa blauw).
I forgot about Germany with the sparkling water. If I go back now, I have to still have my stomach sleeve. I do remember if the place was crowded or complete, you could have people seated at your table, say if you are a couple at a table that seats 4. Another couple would sit at your table. I kind of Liked it you meet people that way.
Hallo, 8.22 naja ich bin der Meinung, das man schon was sagen sollte, wenn das Essen nicht ok ist. Natürlich auf angemessene Art und Weise. Gute Gastronomen sind dankbar für konstruktive Kritik 😉 Bleibt gesund ihr Lieben und weiter so 👍 ihr seid klasse 😍
I am not sure why tax isn’t included in the price in the U.S. My guess is that it is because each state has different types of taxes, we like transparency, and it can be deducted if it’s a business expense or a non profit entity expense.
It seems to be free, but just compare the price in the restaurant between Germany and the US to find out that you definitely paid for everything in the end. :))
1) We live in Schwabenland. If a bill is 47€, my husband will give 48€. 2) I feel that in the U.S. the servers will constantly be scanning the patrons to see if anyone needs them. In Germany, I feel like most of the time, the servers purposely look down and avoid eye contact in order to not get sidetracked. 3) I haven‘t had it happen in awhile, but being seated at a table with complete strangers is something that I had to get used to when I moved to Germany.
In the beforetimes in my small city of the US, if you wanted to go to brunch on a weekend you would just have to wait because every brunch place has that long of a line.
Another big difference is how long you stay (or should I say allowed to?). In the US they "throw you out" it's so uncommen in the US to have a nice evening in a Restaurant. It's more like sit, eat, pay, go! ;) In NYC I discoverd the biggest impudency about tiping. We got the receip and they added a 20% service Chargee. But we were still asked to tip on top of that (that 2 lines at the end of the bill 😉). I mean you go to a Restaurant and not a take away because you want to sit down and get served. That's why you pay more for the food. The Service is not additional it's part of the Business. That's what make a Restaurant a Restaurant. Greetings from Berlin. Whish you all the best!
I am a Berliner and live in the US for more than 20 years. At home in Berlin my mom always used to drink mineral Wasser (bubbly water), I am not much of a plain water drinker and when I drink water then It is still water.
i’m gonna make a confession here because she’s probably never gonna see it haha i went on an erasmus trip in italy and there were german and spanish students there as well (i’m greek) so the first day we met all together and i saw the most beautiful girl i’ve ever seen (she was from germany) i’ve had a huge crush on her since day one but was shy so didn’t really talk to her (i have never liked anyone that much 😬) i asked for her instagram and have been talking since then and even though we’re not talking romantically she’s a sweetheart and i’m just glad to be keeping in contact with her, she’s literally amazing :D and yeah, i’ve been binge watching your videos bc watching germany-related stuff reminds me of her hahaha i just hope we meet again at the future or at least keep contact bc she’s literally the nicest person and i miss talking to her in person :((
When looking up the explanation of tipping, this is somethimg extra to show of your apreciation for the food or the service. So expecting a standard payment to overcome the superlow standard hour rate is a big sign on the value you rate your personel.
I have relatives over in Germany, and when I go over there sometimes, if the portions are too big, I don’t finish it. I’m not the type of person who tends to finish everything, even if I’m full. I mean, yes, if the food is good, But don’t over eat.
when its too much yet even good i always ask for a box or tinfoil so i can take it home...sometimes its weird when you go to another place after eating and have it with the rest of the evening.
Depending on the restaurant in Germany the tipping culture can be different. There can be a system in place were the waiter gets to keep all their tips or it is mandatory to give a certain percent amount towards the kitchen and bar staff (I think its about 20%). Oftentimes the change the waiting staff gives out to customers comes out of their own pocket. At the end of the shift they will give the earnings to the restaurant and keep the rest (so the change plus tips). This way in case if a guest leaves without paying or the waiter made a mistake giving out change etc., the deficit would come out of their own money. I think this is so the waiters are more motivated to calculate prices and change correctly.... But I wouldn't like to go home after a long shift (more so at night) with several hundred euros in my purse.....
Phil, I do not ever reward shitty service at a resturant. I know a lot of wait staff hate me, but also unless it is fantastic service I never give above 10%. You are both right that restaurants should just pay the minimum wage, then a tip would be a reward for great service, not expected no matter the service. Sometimes the wait staff has to share their tips with other members of the staff which makes it even worse. I also agree with you 100% about hating people wasting food...horrible!!! I actually love having leftovers in the fridge and eating them the next day! You two are awesome. I am about 40% German so this is even more interesting to me.
I am from Greece and here we drink only still water, sparkling is considered almost a soda, we never drink it instead of still water. I went to Austria and I was really shocked XD and was not only rare but also expensive, here is illegal to sell a 0,5 l water bottle for more than 50 cents
One of the significant differences is that in the US customer want large portions for little money, but the taste is second. It is OK if it is just OK. In Germany, the flavor comes first or the restaurant won't survive. Funny, at the end in Germany the restaurants are less expensive.
I think "der Ton macht die Musik". If the food really is bad, then you should tell it to the waiter nicely. I know it could be really uncomfortable but if you don't mention it, the restaurant/cook could not improve the several dishes people don't like. The restaurant could get less customer and don't know exactly why. They're just thinking: "the customers always said it was good/delicious. What went wrong??" In my opinion, honesty is the key.
For me, there is a big difference in taste between free tap water in the USA and Mineralwassen with or without bubbles in Germany. BTW I prefer the water with the bubbles (gas)
In Aussie same as Germany seat yourself read menu and then go to counter and place order but meal will be served but more fancy wait to be seated because people have booked a table. Aussie can be the same don't want waiter constantly there. In Aussie you can go up and pay or like US you put your card in folder and its taken and charged. In Aussie you check the receipt and sometimes you will see a service charge so you have already paid for being serviced if you tip on top of that up to you.
Restaurant chains: this exists in Germany, but only few, e. g. steak houses ("Maredo"), (former) Wienerwald, L'Osteria, Mövenpick Marché. For me these feel artificial, often cheap. Food should be individual, regional, special. Ask French people. Cashless paying is the WRONG direction. Don't ask the French about this :-) (they love their cards)
The craziest modification upcharge thing is McDonalds charges to add shredded lettuce to any sandwich without it. Wendys doesn’t, you can add lettuce and tomato to a sandwich for free. And its not the crap shredded lettuce but an actual sheet of lettuce.
I was in the States Last year and I like non sparkling water but I always orderes sparkling water because I don‘t like the Taste of Chlor in the tab water in america! 🙈
Hi, I m from Belgium. Here you can get still water too in restaurants but it is paying (but most of the time you can get 1 liter bottles. But when travelling to southern countries I always order sparkling (mineral) water because is naturally germ free because of the added carbon gas
Living 10 years in Germany has made me a fan of sparkling water. I prefer still water while exercising or for general hydration, but as a beverage with a meal it's always sparkling. I find that I consume a lot less pop than I did in the US, since what I'm really after is the cool, clear effervescence, not neccessarily with an orange or cola taste. Also, it's plentiful and cheap! 19 cents for a 1.5 liter bottle not including the 25 cents pfand versus the outrageously priced Perrier or San Pellegrino in the US. Also, adding taxes also takes me by surprise when I visit the US but I get over it quickly. With taxes differing by state, county, and even city, there would be no way for a national chain business to nationally advertise promotions like at $7.99 pizza or 109.99 tire replacement if they had to account for every municipality's tax regimes.
"then it's not brunch anymore, it's dinner"..so German..I like it, and based on my experience in Germany, I see this also as a sense of time respect for almost everything in Germany.
I’m happy I found your guys channel! Are you in the US right now? Only asking because I saw your video about wedding rings and now your ring is on your left hand 🤷🏻♀️ also, any videos about how you guys met or about how you two decided on which country to live? I find it so interesting when one partner has to leave their home behind to make a life in the others home country. Thanks for posting videos during all this lockdown!!!
We are in Germany at the moment! We did have plans to go to the US later this year, but we have since postponed our plans given the current situation. For some reason we both found wearing our rings on the left hand more comfortable. Phil is right-handed and I (Deana) am left-handed, so not sure why both of us like it on our left side more. 😅 Thanks for watching and stay safe during this time!!
Some ppl do that to get free foods. I had a friend that took me out for my Bday,well we had to go out of town,that’s because when she took someone out to eat,she’d complain about the food so it was free.
I am a German living in South Africa. We can order free water here as well, even hot water with lemon if we want. If I order bottled water, I definitely prefer still water. Least of all, it keeps the burping in check 😉
At Vapiano you order your food at different stations and then you get a buzzer for when the food is ready. You pick up the food they don't bring it. I think the experience and how they treat customers is very different in southern european countries. So much friendlier than what I'm used to. They often give you dessert for free (at one restaurant they gave us two crepes with nutella for free, every time we visited). In Greece I always took my leftovers with me (portions are huge and you usually order many different plates) (European) Pin codes make it nearly impossible to just take your card away in a restaurant.
As a waitress who worked in a few restaurants in germany: yes, people like to change the order a lot, like „can I have this with fries instead of rice“ „can I have this without x and y“ and its always a bit annoying but no big deal. And I feel like we only take the food back, if there is actually something wrong with it. Like the steak is too well done, there is a hair in your soup, something like that. I met a lady, who ordert meal number 10 and pointed at it as well, and when it came, she said that is not what I ordert. I said yes of course, and showed her the picture and everything but she said well I *meant* to say I want number 8. like what the fuck do you want me to do? Read your mind? You usually don’t get a refund at something like that, but if we actually messed up your order, we apologize and you get a new meal.
So on the queuing / line issue, just last month I visited east Berlin (super cool, SUPER hip) and the breakfast place we walked to was super busy! Queue was maybe 3 parties, but the thing is we were actually queueing for the hostess (yep) to take our name and tell us when to come back. Very american. the restaurant was called Silo. the hostess was Australian. Maybe this is just because we were in the capital in a super hip neighborhood?
Free refills! When I was younger I did not realize this was a uniquely American thing. About 30 years ago I was on a flight to Asia and had a stopover in Frankfurt. The international terminal had a casual restaurant, kind of like an American diner. I ordered coffee even though it was something like $10 for a cup, because I figured I could make it last through the layover and get refills. The waitress came by and refilled me two or three times over the course of an hour or so, and when we got the bill to check out I was stunned to find I was billed separately for each refill, to the tune of around $40. As bad as that sounds now, consider that this was decades ago. Well, being a typical American I pitched a fit, because I really had no idea that free refills are not a thing in Europe. The manager did grudgingly let me off the hook, only to get rid of me. I did learn a valuable lesson though. Never assume anything when travelling overseas.
Sweden , or I suspect this is mostly a Stockholm thing, does cashless (to the extent that people complain because many resturants are totally cashless, so the opposite of Germany) but coming with the machine to the table (or you going to the bar and paying), this is down to public toilets only taking cards. Makes travel to Germany confusing. Table seating we do both kind and it depends.
I used to go to an Asian restaurant in NJ and the owner would offer to replace items that weren't what was expected. Still in that restaurant over 7 years, I only saw one person request a replacement (and he was crazy angry and his wife or girlfriend looked embarrassed). Recently at a restaurant in MN, the waitress said that the chef wasn't happy with the dish I ordered and he would either not charge me or offer a replacement. I at the free entree and enjoyed it. I tipped the waitress as if I had been charged for the item. (I don't think waitresses should suffer.) Customer service is super important in US restaurants.
So, first of all, Deana's nail polish looks amazing! And also, still (and free) water all the way!! I missed this so much coming back from Canada and still do. And while I hate the tipping culture in the US, I kinda like the option to tip without the waiter checking on me (leaving the tip on the table, writing on the check or pressing the '20%' button on the card machine or whatever) :D But I do also miss US restaurants a lot (decent mexican food for instance!). Huh, now I get Fernweh again :D Well anyway, cool content
I don't know about bigger cities, but in the more rural german areas people usually take their leftovers home (personal experience, maybe different in other areas)
Tax rates can vary from city to city and county to county, it is possible for tax rates to vary from one side of the street to the other if they are in different jurisdictions. When you have a chair Resturant, they tend to print all the menues for all of the locations at one place. Doing different menus for each location would be crazy. Besides, we are used to dealing with taxes and tipping.
There are a lot of similarities when it comes to customs in USA and Germany, yet it's also interesting how many small differences we notice in these normal situations. We aren't sure exactly when we'll be in a sit down restaurant again, but here are some interesting differences to know and discuss! Let us know some of the things you notice when eating at a sit down restaurant!
Deana and Phil there are a lot of German ancestries here in the USA 🇺🇸
Busy restaurants usually place you..even on already occupied tables if there is a free place left...
In Vienna where I´m coming from you usually get a glas of free (plain) water when you order a coffee or a glas of wine at good restaurants or Cafés respectively sometimes you have to ask for while ordering but those glases of plain water are not reckoned up in combination with coffee or wine because it is part of our drinking culture of drinking wine or coffee for 2 reasons a glas of wine with a glas of water is more digestable and you are able to drink more wine which is besides that "wine + water" is part of wine culture obviously also in the interest of the restaurant to make you able to order more glases of wine... and "coffee with water" is part of our coffee culture because just drinking coffee dehydrates you. BUT when you just order water then you get charged.
regarding #4, do you know the Loriot sketch "Schmeckt's?"
if you don't you should probably watch it: ua-cam.com/video/oQE44zaB4R4/v-deo.html
The reason why in the US you have to wait for the waiter to come and find you a place to sit even though there are plenty of free, empty tables for you to choose is that in the US and also Canada, this is called social engineering. The waiter comes and asks you to follow him/her to a table where there are people of your type next to your table, culturally speaking and skin colour wise. Ever since the abolition of the Segregation law in the USA, in social gathering, be it a end of year party or a graduation party, you will be seated next to people of your own skin colour unless you tell the organizer of the party that you want to be seated to your best white friend. When you look for a home to buy it is also the same. The real estate agent will social engineer you to a home where there are people of your own type first if possible.
just seeing this now, thumbs up, of course, i defo prefer still water! in Thailand, there would usually be free drinking water, self service... here in Germany, often i exchange 1 side or ingredient for another, or ask to omit one altogether... at a Vietnamese restaurant in St Pauli (Hamburg), the pho was horrible, inauthetntic, and with no basil, mung bean sprouts or hoisin on the side; i complained, although the owner offered the dish for free, i insisted on paying (but never returned)... i don't waste food, it's a sin, oftentimes here in Hamburg, a nice German meal will be pretty large, w/healthy portion of leftovers which i always take home with me
The biggest difference for me is the cultural difference in spending time at a restaurant. In Europe in general when you go to a restaurant it is an event that can take up to several hours, whereas in the US it's getting seated, served and get the death stare of "why haven't you left yet?"
Yes, I noticed that too at one place in Hamburg, they weren't in a hurry to kick us out or even bring the check. Maybe they thought we would order more?
@@erickoehler4798 It's not that, they just value their customers not feeling rushed out rather than making a few extra tables in revenue a day. Dining out is just as much a social event as it is a functional one.
LOL
Even if you to just to coffee place you can spend 3 hours there without problems. It's the whole EU I think :)
In the US after you had desert (or declined having one) the server will just automatically bring the final bill. In Switzerland you have to like desperately beg the waiter to bring you the check. Also standard european etiquette is to wait until the last person at a table finished their meal before taking away the plates etc. In the US i many times witnessed server staff picking up empty plates while some of us at the table were still eating. It stresses the slow eaters and is considered rude towards still eating customers.
I sometimes feel like in jail, from my wish "I want to pay" up to having actually done it, it's very common it takes 15-20 minutes, and the waiter has to come about 3 times. First, you tell them you want the check; second they bring it, run away immediatly to serve somebody else, next time they take the money .. or the card. That's oughful.
I actually prefer the European Waiter standards - I just want to eat in peace and have a nice conversation and not being interrupted every 5min
False! They don't come over every 5 minutes
@@passingthroughtime3033 Rather every 30 seconds.
Coming from southern Germany i look at the "return" point from another side. When there is a real Problem with the Food i believe in telling them (still very friendly) what´s wrong, because if they don´t know about how can they fix it. I don´t feel bad about telling them when i think there was a real mistake happening (not just little things that maybe are only personal preference related. I mean serious things for example when there is Pork or Chicken-Meat that isn´t cooked enough). And i´m sure there is a very polite way to tell that. In the few cases i needed to return something they where really thankful. And for me a good Service includes good problem solving. They get a bigger tip from me when they act professional in these situations.
I was an assistant cook and dish washer in a very small german resturant during high school. it was so small that the head chef was also the only waitor. Since was the only one who was able to get a tip, he shared 50:50 with me. I came before him on the weekends for the breakfast and preperation and so he saw it as fit. ^^
In Australia restaurants supply free refillable bottles of chilled still water.
I totally agree with you Phil regarding tax and tipping. In Australia taxes are included in the menu price, as for tipping this not the custom in Australia as staff are paid a full wage, tipping is voluntary for exceptional service.
I totally understand what you mean by ‘the waiter is my new friend’ thing. The first time I went to the US, I was like omg he/she is so nice to me and really cares about me. But after paying the bill, they are totally ingnoring you. Everytime that happened it felt like a tiny breakup 💔😂.
lol that's true. Very short relationship. :D
To me that sounds very stupid because as a waiter you would asure the customer is visiting again. And ignoring them after check would mean i never visit that restaurant again for sure. So not much intelligent forward thinking there i would asume.
Kathrin Schmidt I totally agree! I guess they know that you won’t be back soon being a tourist.
Americans understand that it is a short and functional relationship that you have with the waiter and not meant to go beyond one meal, so don't expect them to really care about you. You guys seem to think it signifies a REAL friendship.
@@virginiav.1172 no not by any means is there a friendship asumption. This has to do with general kindness and not fake enthusiasm for as long as money is involved. In Germany the waiters know their responsibility for creating a good corporate image for their workplace and not every customer is a tourist. And even when they are tourists and maybe never visit again, they talk to other people. And this will effect other peoples choices where to go and where to avoid. So ignoring someone is never acceptable for someone working in service asuming that they like to keep their job. There are miles between a frinedship and simply beeing friendly.
I'm from Germany and I only drink still water.. I don't like the sparkling one 😄 I try to drink 2 Liter a day.. I couldn't do this with sparkling water 🙄
I am also a German i liked in my childhood the sparkling water. Later i was not able to drink it whole day and switched to still water - now i drink medium sparkled ... e.g. Vio Medium - the green coloured thats perfect
I am from Austria and I take my leftovers always home! I think there are more restaurants now, that offer this service ☺️
Yeah, I'm from south Germany, and taking leftovers home is very common here. You just ask the waiter if they got some boxes or something, and they'll either bring something, or package it for you.
And I haven't been to any restaurant, that wouldn't offer that, if you ask. The only exception to this would be All you can Eat stuff. Which is understandable.
But yeah, my family would have otherwise never let food go to the bin, that we have payed for in a restaurant. Not really a thing. Here. I was even working in a Restaurant for a year and if I would have to guess, I'd say like 80+% of people would take their leftovers.
On the other hand, Bavaria (me) and Austria are pretty similar in culture (we are honestly way closer to Austria, then to the entire rest of Germany). So that may be different in middle or North Germany.
I have also seen that the waiter asks if you want to take leftovers with you or you are offered aluminium foil to wrap up your stuff.
We been living in California for 5 years now and still don’t like the tax situation, but you get use to it, and love the free water. Great videos guys
I agree with Phil, I'm an Aussie and I freaking hate tipping, it causes me so much stress in the US. I don't want to give someone a dollar or 2 just because they pick up my bag. Our wait staff in restaurants make reasonable money (our minimum wage is over $19/hour for an adult, my 16 year old niece makes $16/hour in a supermarket), our food may look expensive but you don't tip and tax is included. If you leave money on your bed in a motel for the cleaning staff, you will come back to your room to find it on the bedside table. Tipping culture is the worst.
I agree and it is very expensive in the long run. If a haircut in a salon costs $100 you are expected to tip another 15-20% on top of that as well as tipping cab drivers, waiters, hotel maids, spa attendants, personal shoppers, airport attendants, the list goes on and on...
Keep in mind that most waiters only work 4-5 hrs shifts, and if they come in and it's slow, they will be told to leave and make nothing that day. If you want someone to fawn all over you, cater to your whims and be taken care of, pay up. There is no free lunch!
That's because you're cheap
When my exes brother invited the family (7peps) out to dinner, we had a bill of 180€, he gave a tip of 2€ everyone he invited was embarrassed of how cheap he was, even though Germans aren't big tippers. If you got a table of 180€ though you should at least tip like 10€ I think, especially when food/drinks came fast and the waiter was nice.
Ihr habt eine Sache bei Punkt 6 vergessen ... Zusammen oder getrennt? :-)
Antwort: Fickbeziehung
I’m totally in agreement with Phil about the tipping culture in the USA. Most restaurants don’t even have a profit margin in the single digit percentages, and with 20% tipping (and the percentage keeps going up year after year!) the imbalance is still getting worse. Restaurants should just increase their menu prices by 20% and actually pay a decent salary. People can always still give a little bit more if the service was great.
Also, on the sparkling water question, I don’t know if this is true or not, but my German host said that this was a habit that started after the end of World War II. As the infrastructure was being rebuilt, water supplies were not safe to drink. So ordering a bottle of sparkling water was your assurance that the water was fresh, sealed, and untampered with, whereas someone pouring a glass of still water didn’t have that same confidence. I haven’t been able to verify that separately but it made sense at the time.
paying a decent salary in a restaurant would require way more that increasing prices by 20%. As someone who works in this industry, I can guarantee that no one, and I mean no one would do this for less that $70-$80/hr for an average 4-5 hour shift. The stress and demanding nature of serving Americans would never work with a $25/hr wage rate; keeping in mind most restaurant shifts usually last 5 hrs and leave you physically and emotionally exhausted. The rates of alcoholism and smoking combined with poor diets due to the crazy hours, and not being able to go for a bathroom break because it's too busy takes its toll on the body. It's not a great system, and could definitely use some gov't protections for workers, but the tipping culture evolved because Americans will not tolerate European levels of service.
@@pwp8737 minimum wage in France is €10.58 an hour , that is what waiters/waitresses get payed and the cooks in the kitchen.
Somebody with a Sodastream could infuse some infected water with CO2 and sell it as 'untampered'.
We do have buzzers in a few restaurants in order just to sit down. But a few "fast food chains" have a buzzer when your food is ready
I'd recommend you to order tap water in Germany which is almost everywhere for free!
One difference I experienced in German restaurants was that food was brought to the table when the dish was ready and not when all the food for the whole table was ready. In the USA we expect that all the food for the people at the table will come at the same time. In Germany, the food came when the kitchen got it ready and you ate your food while it was hot, even if not everybody at the table had been served. The only exception I saw was you didn't takr a drink from your beer or mixed drink until everybody at the table had theirs (non-alcoholic drinks did not matter). Another thing that was different in German restaurants was the length of time you could spend at a table. In the USA restaurants expect to turn over a table at least once an hour during dinner service but in Germany you can relax and enjoy conversation and not feel like you need to get out quickly. I got to live in Germany for three years and it was a wonderful experience!
i think the tipping system is really strange in the us ( also very unfair ) but i actually really like being treated that nicely and been taken care of cuz in german restaurants the waiters are often bored and unfriendly i feel like. i remember my first time in the us in a mexican restaurant: super nice waiter whenever my cup was empty its been refilled immediaetly sometimes i didnt even notice :D also the waiter must have heard how much i loved the drink ( it was homemade watermelon lemaonde which i never had before ) that he even got me a cup of it to go when we left and it really made my day :)
Blessi85 Tipping motivates good service.
Here in France you pay for every drink you order ( NO free refills) so I wouldn't want a waiter refilling my glass !
Tipping has gotten way out of hand here.
In Buenos Aires, it's "sin gas" (seen gahz - without 'gas' or plain water) or "gas" - the sparkling stuff.
Lots of Latin American countries it's like that. I laugh every time I hear it.
It's similar in French: eau gazeuse, sparkling water. Still water is eau plate, which literally means flat water.
I never understood and maybe someone here can explain it to me, why would anyone be rude to someone who handles their food?
stpaley some people are very entitled. I worked as a bartender and waiter for years and will never complain unless my food is actually cold/undercooked. If my order is different than what I expected I usually just eat it and say thank you 😋
Being rude is bad, but what is wrong with pointing out if the food is really bad? For example if it is burned, or if the chicken is not cooked through (which is dangerous for health)? I once hat Spaghetti Bolognese, where most of the Spaghetti was still hard. So I just point it out, in a matter of fact ton. So when something is objectivly bad (not talking about taste here, but real obvious quality issues) then, yes you ARE entitled to complain because you are paying for it.
@@usulsk there is a difference in legitimate criticizing and miserably complaining to get something, there are many people who lives a miserable life and tries to spread that all around
1. When I have gone to restaurants in Germany, where it is a full night (when there are many reservations, and maybe just a few tables that do not have reservations), if there is someone at the entrance, they just say "no". No tables, not 'it will be a 30 minute / 1 hour wait', just no.
2. Still water only for me.
3. One time, we went into a restaurant in Cologne that we frequent. My coworker wanted schnitzel, but wanted the sauce that was usually served with the Schweinehaxe. The waiter refused - 'you can't do this'. (They CAN do this, he HAS gotten the schweinehaxe sauce with his schnitzel before, but that time... it was just a no. This can't be done. You can only have the sauces that are allowed for schnitzel.)
4. You haven't commented on this yet, but in Germany, I have ALWAYS (unless staying until the establishment closes), had to ask for the check. The waiters NEVER ask if you want the check [implying "please leave"].
Im from australia, and most people drink still water here, which is great, because sparkling water tastes like what static sounds like
Also it doesn't quench thirst as well as still water
In New Zealand the culture is no tipping and by law tax is included in menu price. To pay you go up to the service desk and pay there...not to your waiter at all.
Modifying orders: any reasonable German restaurant will allow you to modify the proposed side order according to your taste, and normally free of charge (those who charge you extra for "Umbestellung" fall into my category "unreasonable" :-) - something like rice instead of potatoes.
Free soda, whhhhhhaaaaaattttttt! 😂 I’m from California, USA I love bubbly water! No one else I know likes it.
Canadian and all these things - Canada is somewhere in the middle between Germany and USA. Most ppl pay with cards, restaurants use wireless pin pads for card payments, we have lots of chain restaurants, and ppl don’t usually seat themselves, tap water is always free.
I do feel the same way. I do not tip badd servers. And sometimes they include the tip and to the price of your meal so you're forced to paid anyway. So what I do is I go to the manager until among this pleased with the service to remove the tip
Hi guys love from Kanada(Canada). In my early 20s I worked in nightclubs as a bartender and waiter. My wage as 8.00 per hour. I worked 6 days a week on 12 hours a day. I was known as the dancing bartender like Tom cruises in cocktail the movie. I made between 200.00 to 400.00 a night in tips. I made great money as a bartender.
I´m from germany and I have seen these buzzer-things. Usually in a cantine or `Imbiss`. They ring as soon as your orders done and you can get it.
Returning food is definitely not the norm in germany. Still, if something is not edible, e.g. way to much salt or sour milk, I was taught to give it back and order a new one. If it is just not my taste, then I still eat it or leave it, but would never complain. And always stay polite!
There is a big difference in water quality between Germany and US. In Germany I used to get bottled water, and even the tap water is better than in the US. The soda is not from syrup and tap water either.
And if I go daily for lunch in Germany (to the same restaurant) the tip I gave is even smaller, just around 2 to 3 EUR, mostly rounding and adding one or two for good service.
False! Parts of the United States has the best water in the world.
5:04 Phil go to the men's room you have all the free water you want and it's no different than the water you get in the US restaurants. ;-)
If you ask the waiters for tap water l am sure that they will serve it to you. If not leave the restaurant Ice cold is another question because only in the US they drink everything ice cold because beer or other beverage's under normal temperature in the US task very bad.
Maybe it depends on where in Germany you live. I am from Saarbrücken (a city with a big French influence) and here it is common you get seated. Also when I am in an other part of Germany I always ask a waiter for a table. I never take a seat in restaurants of my own :D
If they bring an overcooked (and expensive) steak, definately sending it back but ask nicely
A good service is a service you don’t remark, that is there, but you have all you want. Now I am over 60, but this I had twice time only.🙁
Das kostenlose Wasser in Amerika ist meistens eine Chlorbrühe, das Eis und die Getränke schmeckt auch nach Chlor. Würde dort lieber mehr bezahlen und auf Desinfektionsmittel im Getränk verzichten.
Sehe ich genauso. Das einzig gute daran ist, dass wir uns als low budget traveler uns wasser "bestellt" haben und dann ein anderes nicht chlorhaltiges Getränk als refill. Nicht ganz korrekt ich weiß, aber kann ich nach den paar Jahren auch nicht mehr ändern
@Pustekuchen Das weisst Du noch nicht? - heisst Chloroquin - sagt der grosse Häuptling. Manche glauben's - Pech gehabt.
arcdigital.media/how-much-is-trump-responsible-for-a-chloroquine-related-death-in-arizona-208868ec964
The free water you get in restaurants is tap water, it’s not chlorinated. Stop spreading hate.
@@sandrac3113 No hate, but the taste is awful. Better pay, for clean Water.
Tap water often IS chlorinated in the USA.
eu.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/02/03/tap-water-chlorine-may-have-cancer-link-johns-hopkins-study/2854631001/
Many states, such as California, have mandatory minimum wage for servers and the tips are on top. People still tip just the same
We have the buzzer things in some places in Australia too, and we normally seat ourselves as well unless there is a big party or something and you have to make a reservation.
Still water. Never with ice.
I worked in horeca just on the border between the Netherlands and Germany (Vaals). When we were supposed to get a German-party we always stocked up on 'sprudelwasser'(Spa rood) while Dutch people drink more stilles wasser (Spa blauw).
Greetings from Greece. Here water is free almost everywhere. Sparkling water it's a thing but as beverage not as a substitute of mineral water
I forgot about Germany with the sparkling water. If I go back now, I have to still have my stomach sleeve. I do remember if the place was crowded or complete, you could have people seated at your table, say if you are a couple at a table that seats 4. Another couple would sit at your table. I kind of Liked it you meet people that way.
Hallo,
8.22 naja ich bin der Meinung, das man schon was sagen sollte, wenn das Essen nicht ok ist. Natürlich auf angemessene Art und Weise. Gute Gastronomen sind dankbar für konstruktive Kritik 😉
Bleibt gesund ihr Lieben und weiter so 👍 ihr seid klasse 😍
I am not sure why tax isn’t included in the price in the U.S. My guess is that it is because each state has different types of taxes, we like transparency, and it can be deducted if it’s a business expense or a non profit entity expense.
It seems to be free, but just compare the price in the restaurant between Germany and the US to find out that you definitely paid for everything in the end. :))
I also notice that a menu is posted outside the restaurant so you can have an idea of what you want and the prices before you enter.
1) We live in Schwabenland. If a bill is 47€, my husband will give 48€.
2) I feel that in the U.S. the servers will constantly be scanning the patrons to see if anyone needs them. In Germany, I feel like most of the time, the servers purposely look down and avoid eye contact in order to not get sidetracked.
3) I haven‘t had it happen in awhile, but being seated at a table with complete strangers is something that I had to get used to when I moved to Germany.
The line in the glasses to fill with no ice anywhere was odd to me.We visit family in Munchberg Germany.
Oh yeah - I almost forgot Va Piano. That would also be interesting to try out. Good you mentioned it.
In the beforetimes in my small city of the US, if you wanted to go to brunch on a weekend you would just have to wait because every brunch place has that long of a line.
Another big difference is how long you stay (or should I say allowed to?). In the US they "throw you out" it's so uncommen in the US to have a nice evening in a Restaurant. It's more like sit, eat, pay, go! ;) In NYC I discoverd the biggest impudency about tiping. We got the receip and they added a 20% service Chargee. But we were still asked to tip on top of that (that 2 lines at the end of the bill 😉). I mean you go to a Restaurant and not a take away because you want to sit down and get served. That's why you pay more for the food. The Service is not additional it's part of the Business. That's what make a Restaurant a Restaurant. Greetings from Berlin. Whish you all the best!
Ich finde stilles wasser null erfrisched und es wirkt dickflüssiger und schwerer zu trinken
Die Kohlensäure in Sprudelwasser sticht mir immer im Hals. Ich kann den Scheiß nicht gut trinken...
I am a Berliner and live in the US for more than 20 years. At home in Berlin my mom always used to drink mineral Wasser (bubbly water), I am not much of a plain water drinker and when I drink water then It is still water.
“It’s brunch and it becomes dinnertime”😂😂😂
i’m gonna make a confession here because she’s probably never gonna see it haha
i went on an erasmus trip in italy and there were german and spanish students there as well (i’m greek)
so the first day we met all together and i saw the most beautiful girl i’ve ever seen (she was from germany)
i’ve had a huge crush on her since day one but was shy so didn’t really talk to her (i have never liked anyone that much 😬)
i asked for her instagram and have been talking since then and even though we’re not talking romantically she’s a sweetheart and i’m just glad to be keeping in contact with her, she’s literally amazing :D
and yeah, i’ve been binge watching your videos bc watching germany-related stuff reminds me of her hahaha
i just hope we meet again at the future or at least keep contact bc she’s literally the nicest person and i miss talking to her in person :((
In Dresden you have multiple corners with +10 restaurants in one place
I would only wait if I already have an reservation and then even not that long
When looking up the explanation of tipping, this is somethimg extra to show of your apreciation for the food or the service. So expecting a standard payment to overcome the superlow standard hour rate is a big sign on the value you rate your personel.
I have relatives over in Germany, and when I go over there sometimes, if the portions are too big, I don’t finish it. I’m not the type of person who tends to finish everything, even if I’m full. I mean, yes, if the food is good, But don’t over eat.
ex-restraunt owner over here - we had to literally buy 3-4 of everything. Funny enough I know many didnt and were never checked.
when its too much yet even good i always ask for a box or tinfoil so i can take it home...sometimes its weird when you go to another place after eating and have it with the rest of the evening.
14:15 Here in The Netherlands we pay with debit cards. It's called a 'pin pas'.
Depending on the restaurant in Germany the tipping culture can be different. There can be a system in place were the waiter gets to keep all their tips or it is mandatory to give a certain percent amount towards the kitchen and bar staff (I think its about 20%). Oftentimes the change the waiting staff gives out to customers comes out of their own pocket. At the end of the shift they will give the earnings to the restaurant and keep the rest (so the change plus tips). This way in case if a guest leaves without paying or the waiter made a mistake giving out change etc., the deficit would come out of their own money. I think this is so the waiters are more motivated to calculate prices and change correctly.... But I wouldn't like to go home after a long shift (more so at night) with several hundred euros in my purse.....
tipping is not required but is expected, unless there is a large party gratuity is automatic.
Phil, I do not ever reward shitty service at a resturant. I know a lot of wait staff hate me, but also unless it is fantastic service I never give above 10%. You are both right that restaurants should just pay the minimum wage, then a tip would be a reward for great service, not expected no matter the service. Sometimes the wait staff has to share their tips with other members of the staff which makes it even worse.
I also agree with you 100% about hating people wasting food...horrible!!! I actually love having leftovers in the fridge and eating them the next day!
You two are awesome. I am about 40% German so this is even more interesting to me.
I am from Greece and here we drink only still water, sparkling is considered almost a soda, we never drink it instead of still water. I went to Austria and I was really shocked XD and was not only rare but also expensive, here is illegal to sell a 0,5 l water bottle for more than 50 cents
Might be a good price in a supermarket, but in a restaurant you probably have to pay more for bottled water.
My food has to be very very bad to send it back. I think it is because of how I was raised, eat what is served or go hungry lol.
Aqua frizzante is the best!!! It helps your digestion in accordance with Italians.
Maybe in case of heavy pasta. If you had already balsamico on the salad or something with lemon, you have enough acid in your stomach.
One of the significant differences is that in the US customer want large portions for little money, but the taste is second. It is OK if it is just OK. In Germany, the flavor comes first or the restaurant won't survive. Funny, at the end in Germany the restaurants are less expensive.
I think "der Ton macht die Musik". If the food really is bad, then you should tell it to the waiter nicely. I know it could be really uncomfortable but if you don't mention it, the restaurant/cook could not improve the several dishes people don't like. The restaurant could get less customer and don't know exactly why. They're just thinking: "the customers always said it was good/delicious. What went wrong??" In my opinion, honesty is the key.
For me, there is a big difference in taste between free tap water in the USA and Mineralwassen with or without bubbles in Germany. BTW I prefer the water with the bubbles (gas)
In Aussie same as Germany seat yourself read menu and then go to counter and place order but meal will be served but more fancy wait to be seated because people have booked a table. Aussie can be the same don't want waiter constantly there. In Aussie you can go up and pay or like US you put your card in folder and its taken and charged. In Aussie you check the receipt and sometimes you will see a service charge so you have already paid for being serviced if you tip on top of that up to you.
we have these buzzers in germany for like festivals so you know when your food is ready
sparkling only, the other is for fishes...
Restaurant chains: this exists in Germany, but only few, e. g. steak houses ("Maredo"), (former) Wienerwald, L'Osteria, Mövenpick Marché. For me these feel artificial, often cheap. Food should be individual, regional, special. Ask French people.
Cashless paying is the WRONG direction. Don't ask the French about this :-) (they love their cards)
Die gibt es seit Jahren nicht mehr. Aber da gab's lecker Essen. Das sind aber auch keine beschriebenen Restaurants, sondernFast FoodKetten
And in Sweden they often simply do not accept cash. Period.
the reason why servers introduce themselves by name is that several academic studies proved tips increase by an average of 9 percent when they do
The craziest modification upcharge thing is McDonalds charges to add shredded lettuce to any sandwich without it.
Wendys doesn’t, you can add lettuce and tomato to a sandwich for free. And its not the crap shredded lettuce but an actual sheet of lettuce.
I was in the States Last year and I like non sparkling water but I always orderes sparkling water because I don‘t like the Taste of Chlor in the tab water in america! 🙈
Hi, I m from Belgium. Here you can get still water too in restaurants but it is paying (but most of the time you can get 1 liter bottles. But when travelling to southern countries I always order sparkling (mineral) water because is naturally germ free because of the added carbon gas
Living 10 years in Germany has made me a fan of sparkling water. I prefer still water while exercising or for general hydration, but as a beverage with a meal it's always sparkling. I find that I consume a lot less pop than I did in the US, since what I'm really after is the cool, clear effervescence, not neccessarily with an orange or cola taste. Also, it's plentiful and cheap! 19 cents for a 1.5 liter bottle not including the 25 cents pfand versus the outrageously priced Perrier or San Pellegrino in the US. Also, adding taxes also takes me by surprise when I visit the US but I get over it quickly. With taxes differing by state, county, and even city, there would be no way for a national chain business to nationally advertise promotions like at $7.99 pizza or 109.99 tire replacement if they had to account for every municipality's tax regimes.
"then it's not brunch anymore, it's dinner"..so German..I like it, and based on my experience in Germany, I see this also as a sense of time respect for almost everything in Germany.
I’m happy I found your guys channel! Are you in the US right now? Only asking because I saw your video about wedding rings and now your ring is on your left hand 🤷🏻♀️ also, any videos about how you guys met or about how you two decided on which country to live? I find it so interesting when one partner has to leave their home behind to make a life in the others home country. Thanks for posting videos during all this lockdown!!!
We are in Germany at the moment! We did have plans to go to the US later this year, but we have since postponed our plans given the current situation. For some reason we both found wearing our rings on the left hand more comfortable. Phil is right-handed and I (Deana) am left-handed, so not sure why both of us like it on our left side more. 😅 Thanks for watching and stay safe during this time!!
Deana and Phil thanks, I hope you guys stay safe as well! ❤️❤️
I live in Canada and here is like in US, tipping, taxes, overly attentive staff...
I much more prefere european style of dining.
Some ppl do that to get free foods.
I had a friend that took me out for my Bday,well we had to go out of town,that’s because when she took someone out to eat,she’d complain about the food so it was free.
I hate still water I guess in this case I'm typical German.. When I drink still water I always get the feeling of drowning...
I am a German living in South Africa. We can order free water here as well, even hot water with lemon if we want. If I order bottled water, I definitely prefer still water. Least of all, it keeps the burping in check 😉
At Vapiano you order your food at different stations and then you get a buzzer for when the food is ready. You pick up the food they don't bring it. I think the experience and how they treat customers is very different in southern european countries. So much friendlier than what I'm used to. They often give you dessert for free (at one restaurant they gave us two crepes with nutella for free, every time we visited). In Greece I always took my leftovers with me (portions are huge and you usually order many different plates)
(European) Pin codes make it nearly impossible to just take your card away in a restaurant.
Also European EC cards cannot be used to pay online and don't have cvc codes.
Austria here...i love Mineralwasser....still water i have at home! 4 € ? Where do you go?
As a waitress who worked in a few restaurants in germany: yes, people like to change the order a lot, like „can I have this with fries instead of rice“ „can I have this without x and y“ and its always a bit annoying but no big deal. And I feel like we only take the food back, if there is actually something wrong with it. Like the steak is too well done, there is a hair in your soup, something like that. I met a lady, who ordert meal number 10 and pointed at it as well, and when it came, she said that is not what I ordert. I said yes of course, and showed her the picture and everything but she said well I *meant* to say I want number 8. like what the fuck do you want me to do? Read your mind? You usually don’t get a refund at something like that, but if we actually messed up your order, we apologize and you get a new meal.
So on the queuing / line issue, just last month I visited east Berlin (super cool, SUPER hip) and the breakfast place we walked to was super busy! Queue was maybe 3 parties, but the thing is we were actually queueing for the hostess (yep) to take our name and tell us when to come back. Very american. the restaurant was called Silo. the hostess was Australian. Maybe this is just because we were in the capital in a super hip neighborhood?
Free refills! When I was younger I did not realize this was a uniquely American thing. About 30 years ago I was on a flight to Asia and had a stopover in Frankfurt. The international terminal had a casual restaurant, kind of like an American diner. I ordered coffee even though it was something like $10 for a cup, because I figured I could make it last through the layover and get refills. The waitress came by and refilled me two or three times over the course of an hour or so, and when we got the bill to check out I was stunned to find I was billed separately for each refill, to the tune of around $40. As bad as that sounds now, consider that this was decades ago. Well, being a typical American I pitched a fit, because I really had no idea that free refills are not a thing in Europe. The manager did grudgingly let me off the hook, only to get rid of me. I did learn a valuable lesson though. Never assume anything when travelling overseas.
Sweden , or I suspect this is mostly a Stockholm thing, does cashless (to the extent that people complain because many resturants are totally cashless, so the opposite of Germany) but coming with the machine to the table (or you going to the bar and paying), this is down to public toilets only taking cards. Makes travel to Germany confusing.
Table seating we do both kind and it depends.
I used to go to an Asian restaurant in NJ and the owner would offer to replace items that weren't what was expected. Still in that restaurant over 7 years, I only saw one person request a replacement (and he was crazy angry and his wife or girlfriend looked embarrassed). Recently at a restaurant in MN, the waitress said that the chef wasn't happy with the dish I ordered and he would either not charge me or offer a replacement. I at the free entree and enjoyed it. I tipped the waitress as if I had been charged for the item. (I don't think waitresses should suffer.) Customer service is super important in US restaurants.
So, first of all, Deana's nail polish looks amazing! And also, still (and free) water all the way!! I missed this so much coming back from Canada and still do. And while I hate the tipping culture in the US, I kinda like the option to tip without the waiter checking on me (leaving the tip on the table, writing on the check or pressing the '20%' button on the card machine or whatever) :D But I do also miss US restaurants a lot (decent mexican food for instance!). Huh, now I get Fernweh again :D Well anyway, cool content
Agreed with all of it! The "undercover" part of the tipping is kinda nice. Also YES: where are the MEXICAN restaurants in Germany??? :(
@@DeanaandPhil If only I knew ;(( There are just some horrible tex-mex ones that smother everything in cheese :( Please let us know if you find one!!
Deana and Phil
There‘s a nice one in Darmstadt:
hacienda-restaurants.de/
(I can‘t vouch for the Wiesbaden location)
@@DeanaandPhil Ha! Deana and Phil you have to come to New Mexico or Texas if you want really good Mexican food. Even in New York it was terrible!
😊 I don't go anywhere out of my country yet , so these are new knowledge 😂😂to me , I like your videos 😍
haha, awesome! Where are you from?
From India , I'm a student now
After I get a job I will be there 😍😍
I don't know about bigger cities, but in the more rural german areas people usually take their leftovers home (personal experience, maybe different in other areas)
Tax rates can vary from city to city and county to county, it is possible for tax rates to vary from one side of the street to the other if they are in different jurisdictions. When you have a chair Resturant, they tend to print all the menues for all of the locations at one place. Doing different menus for each location would be crazy. Besides, we are used to dealing with taxes and tipping.
Still water, with ice. Croatia.
I think its great that many places in USA now have machines at the table that you can use to pay your bill with card .
Sparkling water
always fun to hear you :-) das gilt für beide!
In the US I think we can feel very entitled to excellent service when we are a regular.