Question for Our English/UK family

[motony]

Ronnie Scotts in Soho, London....is their food/drink prices high by UK standards?I was trying to figure out in dollars what a nice meal & show costs there...it also looks like the VAT is added to all food prices?Is there also a sales tax added . Is the VAT a set percentage all over the UK or is it higher in certain areas.? Just curious. Thanks

[blueskies]

http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/

Looks like Ronnie Scott's is a popular place. ALL the shows are sold out!

[dickiemint]

At the moment the exchange rate for us in the UK to buy US$ is around $1.55 for a £1.00, I bought $50 yesterday and it cost me £35, the prices in London are generally higher than in other areas of the UK because of the tourist industry, pretty much like New York prices seem higher than other US states, that's just how it is. I would say a bottle of Budweiser is around £4 in London, so that would be around $6, and a Meal for 2 in a nice restraunt would be around £80, so thats about $120. Tax in the UK is 20%, and it is already added to the product, so what is on the tag is what you pay at the till, not as in the States when it is added later, also in the UK we don't tip, unless the service is out of this world!
Hope this helps.

[roger]

At the moment the exchange rate for us in the UK to buy US$ is around $1.55 for a £1.00, I bought $50 yesterday and it cost me £35, the prices in London are generally higher than in other areas of the UK because of the tourist industry, pretty much like New York prices seem higher than other US states, that's just how it is. I would say a bottle of Budweiser is around £4 in London, so that would be around $6, and a Meal for 2 in a nice restraunt would be around £80, so thats about $120. Tax in the UK is 20%, and it is already added to the product, so what is on the tag is what you pay at the till, not as in the States when it is added later, also in the UK we don't tip, unless the service is out of this world!
Hope this helps.

It looks like they add 12.5% "Optional Service Charge" to the bills dickiemint.

http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/dining...cotts-bar-food

The "Optional Service Charge" is a doublespeak term that in English translates as "A Tip", so it looks to me that in practice, if your bill came to £100 they would automatically add £12.50 to it at the till and expect you to pay £112.50. If, for some reason you didn't want to pay the tip [[oops sorry I meant to put "optional service charge") you would have to ask for it to be deducted, something that very few people would do in practice.

Given the location of the venue, in the heart of London's main entertainment district and a short stroll away from Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus etc. the prices don't seem too outrageous to me. They are roughly what I would expect.

Roger

[motony]

thanks, so the VAT is actually a tip?or the VAT is part of the listed price?Yes, I thought London and particularly the more tourist areas would be higher. In Central Florida you get away from the theme park areas and prices are more realistic & restaurants are better & less expensive.Over the years I've had many friends working at restaurants in the tourist areas that complain about Brits not tipping but I figured it was because it was not a common practice in the UK.

[MIKEW-UK]

Tipping in restaurant is absolutely normal in the UK. As said above, restaurants often add a suggested service charge of 12.5 % minimum.

Not tipping in a restaurant indicates you were very unhappy with the food and service.

It is however not normal practice to tip a barman of barmaid, unlike the U.S where tipping the bar keep is normal.

Sometimes people do offer the bar staff "one for yourself" which used to be literally a free drink! Not much good and not very practical However, that evolved to putting a "drink in the stable", whereby the barstaff take for a drink and actually keep the money instead.

There is a lot of confusion in the UK regarding tipping, and it also changes by geography in the UK. 15% tip in London is far from unusual.

The percentage of tip is generally charged on the final bill, and restaurant meals have 20% VAT tax added to them as they are classed as a service. [[ Food in a supermarket does not attract VAT). So you pay the restaurant for the meal, the government then adds 20% VAT, and you then pay for example 12.5 % tip on the final sum. This means you are actually increasing the size of the tip,because typically you apply the percentage to the final bill including the government tax, VAT. The prices on the menu already have the VAT component built into them, so it is not apparent to the customer how much VAT they are paying.

So at the end of your meal, the price you pay is increased by 20% tax for the government and you can then add another 12.5%, which is why eating out can seem very expensive in the UK, and especially in cities like London where the restaurant also has to pay significant local property taxes [[ rates).

I could continue, but as you may have gathered we are being taxed out of existence........

By the way, I am currently in France where service is always included, there is no tipping necessary!

[roger]

Motony .. VAT is "Value Added Tax" which goes to the HMRC [[Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) i.e. The Government.

Tipping is always a thorny subject here. Generally the higher the status of the establishment the more you are expected to leave a tip. In a formal "high class" restaurant it would be customary to leave an additional amount as a tip, usually by rounding up the bill to the nearest £5, £10 or £20. Say if a bill came to £88 you might leave £100. If the bill came to £92 you might also leave £100, but then you might leave £95 or £105 .. there are no hard and fast rules. It is exactly the same with Taxis .. there is a "keep the change" mentality.

In the informal surrounds of a pub, diner or bar tips are not expected, except perhaps in heavily touristy areas where they may be anticipated but still not "expected". I've even seen barmen in Britain refuse tips as they are thought "demeaning"!! If you really want to tip a barman in London then the done thing is to offer to buy them a drink. Usually they will say that they can't drink whilst on duty but will have one when they finish their shift .. a few coins will disappear from your change and disappear into a jar at the back of the bar. The odds are that the last thing that the barman will spend the money on is a drink, but faces are saved all around!!

In these informal places people usually pay as they go and it is very unusual to run up a tab.

In semi-formal places that have waitress service, Pizza Restaurants, Steak Houses and the like, the management will often add a "service charge" of 10% or so. Theoretically this is divided up and doled out to the waiters/waitresses each week. So, with VAT at 20%, and a "service charge" of 10%, if the items you have ordered from the menu come to £50 you can expect to be asked to pay £55. The theoretical breakdown of this £55 will be £40 to the restaurant, £10 to the Government and £5 to the waiting staff. If you really think that you have received exceptional service you can always leave a few extra notes or coins on the table as you leave and hopefully your waiter/waitress will pick them up.

It looks like Ronnie Scotts take this semi-formal approach.

Roger

[bankhousedave]

I wish I was currently in France, Mike.

I should explain that VAT stands for Value Added Tax, which is government speak for no value added, just tax. In France, it's called tva, is generally higher, but some people just decide not to charge it, because they're French and they don't like governments.

You can have a great night at Ronnie's without eating there. Last time we went, which was to see Jack Ashford's band, featuring Joe Hunter, the evening didn't prove that expensive. We ate at a Turkish restaurant called Taj and took a taxi to Ronnie's. The house band was already playing instrumental versions of Motown hits. We arranged ouselves - five of us - near the bar, where they actually provide free water jugs, so you don't have to keep buying drinks if you don't want to. Some people were eating, and the waiters and waitresses were dancing and singing with the music - especially when Jack's band came on. One of the waiters joined us to sing along with What's Going On. The atmosphere was amazing. We did buy drinks, but a couple of us were sharing bottles of wine. For a world famous venue, I didn't think it was at all expensive, and there's nothing like the club vibe you get there. Jude Law came in with some friends and some other notables were obviously regulars.

[motony]

Thanks so much for the information. I do hope to visit London BEFORE I get too old to enjoy. I have seen where several European countires have that Value Added Tax & it does seem like a bad deal for the consumer.Ronnie Scotts does look & sound nice..esp. with Martha being there.

[bankhousedave]

Let us know when you're coming, Tony.

[CliveR]

Did anyone on here see Martha at Ronnie's?
A friend saw the show and was a bit disappointed by her act and 'supperclub' approach, and a review I've seen kinda endorses this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012...as-live-review

Wouldn't mind a third opinion!