Hey there Latvia!
I just wanted to ask your opinion on an interesting encounter my friends and I had at a restaurant yesterday.
I'm a foreigner, but my two friends are Latvian. We went to the buzzing grilbārs and ordered some food and drinks, but the service stuck out like a sore thumb. We would ask the waitress questions (in Latvian) but she would just reply with "I don't know" (in Latvian).
I also noticed at the end that they included a forced tip of 10% which is fine, because we would have tipped that amount regardless and my friend was ready to tip extra before I noticed the discrepancy. However, on the bill they had jotted down that we were a party of 8. In my country you are only forced into a tip when you are 8 or more people.
I was wondering if this was the same here in Latvia? Is this something that's routinely pulled on tourists? It just felt disingenuous and left a bad taste.
Ps: we also noticed that there was a promotion to spin the wheel if you ordered the steak to win a prize of some sort, but when we asked the waitress, she again responded with "she didn't know".
by Skyprotocol
20 comments
Yes, we in Latvia too have, in some places, enforced tips for big parties. It is up to the place to decide how many people to charge extra – 6, 8, 10 or whatever. However, it is never 3.
Buzzing grillbar is a fine place, though, not known for scamming people. I think they either made a mistake, or have a new shitty waiter who does it on their own. Next time ask for the menu – it is there where the mandatory tip starting with “x amount of people” should be written.
Nothing illegal but forced service fees usually are for larger groups. If you were to tip anyways, what’s the issue? (but why would you with such an attitude? 😆)
Not a tourist scam.
Based on google review images of the menu – this place has a 10% service fee for groups of 8 or more people.
I believe some places include this 10%, but not all (and the % rate and person count might be different).
Yes, unfortunately you were scammed.
Not much to do with it now, you should have argued with them while still there.
Still, if it isn’t a big bother, I would write a police report, it’s not going to do much, but still, it’s something. Otherwise this will go totally unnoticed.
P. S. There are places with 10% surcharge, regardless of the number of guests served, but this is clearly not the case
It is uncommon, and in terms of pricing they seem very reasonable. In my experience, an additional 10% service charge is usually applied by lowbrow establishments, often mentioned in small print at the very end of the menu.
100% running a scam. I would totally expect some kind of nominal surcharge for a party of 8 depending on place. But tipping culture in general just isn’t a thing here
But this, this you should have questioned management on this charge as well as whatever the spinning wheel was.
Was Estere just a pawn acting on management orders or was she truly a scam idiot. Es nezinu…
Sounds like a waitress issue if service was not good and tip was incorrectly forced not a scam.
Old Riga in general is a tourist trap, but it is not uncommon to have service fee for parties 6+.
It also does not say Tip, but Service.
As for waiter, it is not really seen as a profession in Latvia. Rather “no other choice” work. So do not expect it to be professional. They change like socks. Specially young ones.
I suggest you contact the restaurant and explain this situation. Likely they will not give a refund, but from the order it is clear that you were not 8 people (amount of drinks/food), however the service charge was included.
Maybe it was the new waitress and needs some training or paddling.
I would leave 1-star reviews on Google and TripAdvisor and write a complaint to https://www.ptac.gov.lv/en. It won’t do much, but it’s at least something.
Also I’d make a mental note to check the bill before paying more carefully in the future.
https://preview.redd.it/9zenqegg2bag1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=bd09a027380a84589da94dd8efa4edb73ccff490
This here says you were 8, it not true and you were charged 10% based on that, you were scammed.
If not mistaken, I think riga has some tourus police for this purpose..
Waitress scammed you, maybe because they are forced to do by the owners, maybe on their own accord. Maybe that tip doesnt even go to her, who knows.
As locals, it falls to everyone reading this post to let other people know your opinion of this place to keep the forest healthy.
Not the full story here either. Waitress could have been cold to you because of your attitude- loud, obnoxious etc.
Some places add service fee to tables over 8 people. If you were less than 8, then its their error and you should complain at the time of happening.
Some places have 10% service charge for terrace or outside seating too, regardless of company size.
So it could be many things, but not likely a scam. The scammer bars are right across the street where you were, but not this place itself. Im not even joking
Kalķu str is known tourist trap. Starting from restaurants and ending with whatever is in black building next to former Swedbank.
Did you see menu with these prices before ordering? If yes, then it’s your fault really that you didn’t pay attention to place being expensive, it is not exactly atypical for Old Town. And technically it is not a tip, they are charging you for their service, it is your choice to leave tips in addition to what you are required to pay. A more interesting question is that this here says it is informative receipt, if you did not get another receipt after paying, State revenue service might find this entertaing.
It looks like they try to cheat in increased number of guests. It is scam, if not stated that this is default 10% service fee. Google states it is for 8, so they definetly scammed you. I would ask the lady where the 5 missing guests are 😅
If you go dine on Kaļķu street, that’s on you. It’s The Tourist Trap: The Street. Probably could’ve figured it out on your own if you had spent 5 minutes to check google reviews. I am not saying it’s your fault for getting scammed but at this point – why even bother? Every large city has its share of tourist trap streets that should be avoided.
Technically not much of a scam. Do leave a google review though.
Wow. I just spent a five day visit over this Christmas in Riga and did not encounter what you had experienced. Everywhere we ate the waiter’s informed us about the tips and said can decline on the POS machine, which I did. Sorry that happened to you. To answer your question, no it’s not the case everywhere.
Stay out of Old Town 🙂 there are much better places in the center and forced tip is not common in Riga.
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