Bartenders recognise good guests in ten seconds. Not by their clothes, but by how they order, wait and pay.
A bar is a host's place, and guests who understand that get the better drinks. Not because bartenders bear grudges, but because they gladly do a little more for people who listen. Ten rules that apply everywhere, from Berlin to Ibiza.
1. Know what you want before you wave
Calling the bartender and then studying the menu blocks the bar. Read first, then eye contact, then order. In busy bars eye contact is the order; waving and shouting are not.
2. Three words instead of a menu
Spirit, direction, occasion: "gin, fresh, before dinner" is enough in any good bar. The bartender turns it into a drink that fits better than anything on the menu.
3. No phone calls at the counter
The phone belongs in your pocket, not on the counter. Photos of the drink are allowed, flash is not, video calls never.
4. A round is not an order
Ordering for eight means ordering the same drink eight times or letting everyone order for themselves. Eight different cocktails at once paralyse the bar for ten minutes.
5. Tipping
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland ten percent or rounding up; in Spain it is voluntary but customary with cocktails. Cash is better than card, and a tip with the first drink makes the second one better.
6. A seat at the counter is a privilege
If you sit at the counter, you talk to the bartender and watch. If you only want to put your bag down, take a table.
7. Water is free but not a given
A glass of water with a cocktail is normal in good bars. Ten glasses of water without a drink are not.
8. Do not flirt with the bartender when the bar is full
Conversation is welcome when there is time. After 11 pm on a Saturday there is none.
9. The last drink is the last
When the bartender says "last round", they mean it. If you want another after the last round, you have been there too long.
10. Pay when you leave, not when the bar closes
In Germany you pay at the end, in Spain often per drink. If you have an open tab, leave your card at the bar, not in your trouser pocket, when you go dancing.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you tip in a cocktail bar?
Ten percent in the German-speaking countries, voluntary in Spain, with cocktails one to two euros per drink.
How do you order without a menu?
Name spirit, direction and occasion, for example: rum, strong, after dinner.
