As a bartender I’ve seen my fair share of people, and if someone wants great service, they need to know what Bar Etiquette is all about. It amazes me how rude some people can be, or how bent out of shape they get if you’re not “on top of them’. There are other people here, not just you.
By definition etiquette means conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion. Etiquette has to do with good manners. It’s not so much our own good manners, but making other people feel comfortable by the way we behave.
So from a bartender perspective, bar etiquette is about how you place your order in a polite and respectful manner. Demanding something won’t get you anywhere, just because you’re the one paying doesn’t mean we have to be nice to you. View your surroundings, if it’s busy be patient. The bartender will eventually get to you. Haven’t you ever noticed that in a crowed bar, the loud, obnoxious person is usually skipped over. And in hindsight, this person doesn’t usually tip the best anyways but likes to think of themselves as “High Rollers”.
With bar etiquette, you don’t wave your arms, snap your fingers or whistle. This isn’t Dim Sum, the bartender can see and hear you. A good bartender treats everyone the same, and doesn’t have the attitude that every tip should be twenty percent. The tip goes up with the quality of service. If you’re a rude dumbass with no manners
A person with a good knowledge of bar etiquette, has good manners, is polite and definitely not in any rush. They aren’t trying to impress anyone by looking like a big shot. Everyone always seems to be stressed these days, isn’t going out for a drink supposed to be about relaxing after a busy day.
Time for a martini, what do you do to relax?
Cheers…. The Drink Guy
