Tipping at Portuguese restaurants
Tipping in Portugal is voluntary but appreciated. The official tourism site calls 5–10% customary. In practice, many Portuguese diners just leave the change or round up at a casual tasca, while around 10% is appropriate at a good restaurant. A service charge (taxa de serviço) may only be added if it appears on the price list.
The couvert: bread and olives you didn’t order
You’ve barely sat down and there’s bread, butter, olives or cheese on the table – the couvert. It isn’t free, but it isn’t compulsory either: a 2015 Portuguese law says you can’t be charged for anything you didn’t order or touch, and it names the couvert explicitly.
- Don’t want it? Send it back politely: “Não quero o couvert, obrigado/obrigada.”
- Eat some of it? Then it will be charged at the price on the menu – in touristy areas like the Algarve, anywhere from €2 to €9 per person.
- Not on the menu at all? Then you don’t have to pay for it.
The couvert is not a tip. And tap water is free if you ask for it.
Cafés and pastelarias
Nobody expects a tip for a café or a pastel de nata; many people just leave the change. At upmarket cocktail bars, €1–2 per drink is a nice gesture.
Taxis, Uber and Bolt
Round the taxi fare up to the next euro or add 5–10%. With Uber and Bolt, tipping in the app is optional.
Hotels
- Porters: about €1 per bag.
- Housekeeping: about €1 a night.
- Hotel bar and room service: as at a restaurant.
Tours and guides
A good guide usually gets around €5–15. Free walking tours in Lisbon or Porto run on tips, so €5–10 per person is fair. For private tours, 5–10% of the price is a friendly thank-you.
Tipping by card
Some Multibanco card terminals offer a tip option. The consumer organisation DECO advises checking the amount on the screen carefully before confirming, so you don’t add a tip by accident. Many people still tip in cash.
Useful phrases: “A conta, por favor” (the bill, please) and “Fique com o troco” (keep the change).
Worked example: dinner in Lisbon
Two people, a bill of €47.30 – including €4.50 for a couvert you ate:
| Tip | Amount | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round up to €50 | €2.70 | €50.00 | €25.00 |
| 5% | €2.37 | €49.67 | €24.84 |
| 10% | €4.73 | €52.03 | €26.02 |
Most people would round up to €50. Heading to Spain next? Locals there often tip even less.
Sources
Last reviewed: . Based on official tourism boards, laws and public authorities, consumer organisations, and established travel guides and media. Tipping is always voluntary – all figures are guidelines.
- visitportugal.com (official tourism site): useful information visitportugal.com
- Diário da República: Decree-Law 10/2015, Art. 135 (couvert) diariodarepublica.pt
- DECO PROteste: rules on couvert, water and ice deco.proteste.pt
- DECO PROteste: how tipping works in Portugal deco.proteste.pt
- Lonely Planet: things to know before traveling to Portugal lonelyplanet.com
