Rome Tipping and Dining
We are visiting Rome later this month and wonder about a good local restaurant near Hotel Montecarlo. Also what is the correct procedure for tipping the driver who brings us from the airport or from the cruiseport in Civitavecchia?
daniel
hamilton, ontario canada 10/6/09
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Daniel,
If your bill includes a service fee or pane e coperto then that will cover the bill. If you are confused just ask, "serviso tutto incluso?" If it does not, then leave 10%. More and more Italian restaurants are dropping the pane e coperto for a tip (mancia). If they try for both only pay for one.
Buon viaggio,
RB
Hotel Montecarlo is located right by Termini. While the restaurants there are not among the best in the city, there a handful of decent restaurants close to Termini Station Not to mention pharmacies, supermarkets, pubs, and so on. Remember the above post about service charges and tipping!
We stayed near the Termini and we loved a restaurant called Trattoria Gemma e Lupa. Their theme is the She-Wolf sculpture famous to Rome. They literally had the tastiest, freshest tomato I ate in my entire life. There's also a Salumeria on the main street facing the Termini on the West side where they'll make you sandwiches.
For your taxi ride, round up to the nearest Euro and tip 1 Euro per piece of luggage or per person if there is no luggage. The set rate from the airport to Rome (city center) is a flat 40 Euro, no more, no less, so don't let the driver charge you more, except for the tip. Your hotel can probably arrange to have a car pick you up at the airport (same rate). Beware of the Roman taxi driver who takes you the long way around or bumps up the fare on the meter when he thinks you are not looking. I have also experienced a "quick-change" artist taxi driver as well.