How to Tip in Restaurants in Eastern Europe, Russia and The Baltics

Tipping in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria,the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and More

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In restaurants, tipping practices vary tremendously around the world. Here's a traveler's guide to to tipping in some popular Eastern and Central European countries. Looking for info on tipping elsewhere? Check out The Tipping Guide for Restaurants Around the World. And share your thoughts, opinions and questions on tipping here.

Poland: Tip between 10% and 15% of the bill.
Hungary: Tipping is de rigueur in Hungarian restaurants, with the possible exception of tourist-focused restaurants that add a service charge -- so if you're in that sort of a restaurant, check your bill to see if service is included. Otherwise, leave 10% to 15% of the bill. And this is important: you should not simply leave it on the table, that is considered rude. Hand the gratuity to the server, or if you want change, tell them exactly how much you want back, thus making the amount of the tip clear.
Bulgaria: Tip 10% in Bulgaria unless the service was truly awful, or there's a service charge included in the bill.
Czech Republic: Tip up to 10% or round up, for good service. Don't leave the tip on the table here, either, but hand it to the server. Visit Czech Tourism's website to learn the word you use to tell the waiter that he may keep the change as his tip.
Slovakia: Tip 10%.
Russia: Tipping is becoming more common, expect to leave 10%.>
Latvia: Check to make sure there wasn't a service charge added on to your bill, and if not, add 10%.
Lithuania: Round the bill up to the nearest Lithuanian Litas.
Estonia: Estonia has not had a tipping culture until recently, however it would not be wrong to tip 10% for good service.