
My colleague and I left $20 on a $309 bill at a Michelin star restaurant last night, and the waitress looked at us like we’d just insulted her grandmother.We split it—$10 from me, $10 from her. The service was fine, nothing exceptional but nothing wrong either. Just standard polite service at a place where the cheapest appetizer was $24. When she picked up the check folder, she opened it right there at the table, saw the two tens, and her face actually dropped. She snapped it shut, forced a smile, and walked away without saying goodbye.We were barely out the door when I heard her telling the hostess something that ended with “…can’t believe it.”I know Michelin spots usually expect 20%, but we’re talking $60+ on food that was good but not life-changing. Am I wrong for thinking the tip should match the service, not just the prestige of the address? Or was I supposed to empty my wallet just because they got a fancy plaque from some committee?









