Ordering at a restaurant in German: menu, bill and tipping

Eating out in Germany, Austria and Switzerland follows a few habits that surprise visitors. You usually seat yourself, you ask for the bill instead of waiting for it, and you pay at the table. This page gives you the phrases, plus the customs behind them.

Arriving and sitting down

In casual places you pick a free table. In more formal restaurants, wait to be shown to one. A table marked Reserviert is taken, and a Stammtisch is a regulars' table, so do not sit there.

Ordering

The waiter asks Was darf es sein? (What can I get you?). Drinks come first, often before the food order.

Ich hätte gern is polite and very common. Ich nehme is also fine. In Germany, Wasser does not mean tap water: you will get bottled water, either mit Kohlensäure (sparkling) or ohne (still). Tap water is Leitungswasser and often must be requested.

Paying and tipping

You do not wait for the bill. You call the waiter and say Zahlen, bitte or Die Rechnung, bitte. The waiter then asks Zusammen oder getrennt? (Together or separately?), because splitting the bill is normal.

Cash is still common, and some places accept only Bargeld or an EC-Karte (debit card), not credit cards. Ask before you order if unsure. Service is included in the price, so a tip is a thank-you, not an obligation. The usual way is to round up and say the total when you pay: for 18,50 € you say Zwanzig, and the waiter keeps 20 €. About five to ten per cent is generous. You say the amount to the waiter, and you do not leave coins on the table.

A short dialogue

Practice

For coffee, cake and baked goods, see Kaffee und Kuchen.