TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin altro Porto Cupecoy

I don't usually do restaurant reviews since they often start an argument. But dining at Altro in Porto Cupecoy earlier this year reminded me about how the French treated Americans in the early 90's around the time of the first Gulf war. At that time most of the good restaurants were on the French side and they were all packed. Naturally, when the French side started going down hill that gradually started to change until they hit rock bottom last year. The addition of many, many good new restaurants on the Dutch side made a big difference.


We showed up at 7 without a res and asked for a table outside. The restaurant was empty. We are not people that stretch out a meal but we felt like we were being rushed a little bit. Things slowed down a little, since it started raining. By 8 the restaurant was full outside and people who had a res for our table showed up. It became obvious that she had given us a table at 7 knowing she had a reservation for 8. The female French owner decided to unload on me "what the problem was" when I paid the bill. We had not eaten fast enough. The French do not like to have other French people waiting on Americans to leave. We found out later from the restaurant next door that the owner was not very nice and once had unplugged the amp used by a guitar player (while he was playing)
at their restaurant because she thought the music was too loud.


Mario's is a much better choice.

They have recently sold and we were told be the people at the rendezvous that the new owners are much nicer.

Doesn't sound like it would take much to be nicer.

We were just there and they were very busy.
They were nice and the food was good.

The only thing is they add 15% tax to your Bill
And say it's a French tax------not service charge, which you could just
use as the tip like the other restaurants do.

They tell you to put the tip separately..

We left a few more dollars, for the waitress, but didn't care for the 15%
French tax on the Dutch side. Plus the French don't do that.

French tax on the Dutch side, HUH??

Sounds like a place to avoid. Been to plenty "French" restaurants on the island and never had that treatment.

I had the exact same thought. And the following may not be well-received. Call me cheap if you will but.......

I’ve developed a new policy with regard to establishments where ‘a percentage added’ to my dinner check is concerned. We would typically tip the standard 20% plus a round up when it’s our choice but I’ve now decided ANY added percentage is a tip and if it’s ten, fifteen or twenty, that is exactly what I’m leaving with no additional monies.

I have no issue with a large table being charged a mandated tip for the obvious reasons but beyond that specific situation, I strongly resent this being done regardless of what it’s called or where the money goes in the end. And while I feel for the waitstaff who might come out in the short end under my policy, I strongly believe this approach often encourages poor or lackadaisical service in many instances and I don’t personally think management should be dictating the size of the gratuity I choose to leave. If the waitstaff has an issue then they need to address it with their bosses.

We’ve had waiters tell us they don’t get their tips; that the service charge isn’t a tip; that the house keeps the monies and lots of other stories as well depending on which side of the island I’m dining on. A tip is a personal thing and should be deserved by the server and offered by the guest and NOT, in my personal opinion, mandated by the owners.

That’s my story and I’m sticking with it! For now anyway.......

The sign said tip to be paid in cash.

quote=The_Lurker]The sign said tip to be paid in cash.[/quote]

Aha, that makes it even more interesti9ng!!

We were at pineapple Pete’s last night (great guitarist and singer). As we were looking over the bill we noticed that we weren’t charged for a glass of wine. We called Pierre over and he added it on and told us that there was a 12% tip added on.

It's as irritating as the 15% sc plus the 5% tot that Jimbos adds on. And then hope you tip too.

I will state that if a place on the Dutch side or in the US that has a higher percentage of customers from countries that don't tip and they are clear and up front on what they have added I have zero issue with it and will add if I see fit based on what I would normally tip.

When a place is deceptive on what the charges that are added to the check verbally or in writing I consider it dishonest and besides not adding to the amount I don't return. The policy of what they do with the money at the establishment is not my problem.

That is my policy.

Exactly!

I agree too. When we were there in September we noticed that some places added the 15% to the bill so we said if that's what they think is fair, who are we to argue, even though in the states we usually tip 20%. What we were told is that the servers aren't paid the same low wage structure as the servers here in the states are. We were also told that the owner gets a percentage of that service charge so therefore I have to say that if deception is the motive, they lose. If there's no service charge then we will start at 20% and go UP from there.

A French tax on the Dutch side? Hmmm, methinks they're pulling your leg.

Yeah--no way in H*ll I would pay a French tax on the Dutch side. And there IS no 15% French tax, even on the French side!!

Pineapple Pete has added service charge to their bills for a couple of years now, but the amount IS the tip and you are not expected to tip anything on top of it. It used to be 15% though..

20% tipping for normal service is an American custom. Experiences in France showed that French were not that high. In England locals only leaving coins received in change was not unusual. Good service is expected. We have built a reputation and are expected to live with it.

I don't have any problem tipping, as we tip well, or getting an auto tip put on a bill, per se. But don't insult my intelligence by claiming there is a French tax on the Dutch side...