US tipping in general is covered on the United States guide, but NYC runs at the high end of the national range. Menu prices exclude both sales tax (8.875% in the city) and tip, so the amount at the till is meaningfully higher than the menu price suggests. Many servers are still paid a lower base wage on the assumption that tips make up the difference.
20% is now the standard restaurant tip in New York City, with 18% treated as the minimum for acceptable service rather than the norm. Food delivery riders are typically tipped $3-5 or around 15-20% of the order, especially in bad weather. Doormen and building staff are usually tipped individually around the December holidays rather than per visit, commonly $20-50 depending on the building and how often they help you.
Card machines and delivery apps usually suggest tip percentages calculated on the pre-tax total — check which base they're using if the suggested amounts look unusually high. For a quick gut check when splitting a bill with tax and tip in NYC, doubling the tax shown on the receipt is a fast way to estimate an 18% tip.
Open the calculator with 20% pre-set →