The New Orleans Menu

Tip The Maitre d'?

Paul asks:

Should I tip a maitre d' in a restaurant? How much?

Tom sez:

I'm very pleased to hear this question. Few of us think about maitres d'hotel anymore, because there aren't many of them left. The hostess has taken over.

The answer is that it depends on what the maitre d' does for you. If a desirable restaurant is packed, and the maitre 'd gets you a table where you want it a bit faster than you might otherwise expect, then you should slip him a ten or a twenty (depending on the situation). If you are a regular customer in this restaurant, and the maitre d' is always looking out for your special desires, this is the time of year to express your gratitutude, with a hundred-dollar bill and a "Merry Christmas!"

In most cases, however, a tip is neither needed nor expected. The maitre d' gets a piece of the tips for the whole room. It's the special extras that call for a tip. Assuming you want to be treated specially.

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