Restaurants & Food Rules in Every Country

Do not tip, water is always free, and set lunch meals (teishoku) at ¥800–1,500 offer outstanding value.

The UAE is a global food destination — all cuisine is halal, pork is restricted to licensed venues, and Friday brunch is a beloved local institution.

Thai street food is outstanding, safe at busy stalls, and incredibly cheap — always specify your spice level, explore pad thai, green curry, and mango sticky rice, and price-check seafood before ordering.

German food is hearty and regional — bread, sausages, pretzels, and Schnitzel are staples, and lunch is often the main meal of the day.

VAT is included in displayed prices; service charge may be added separately; and British food culture spans the Full English, fish and chips, Sunday roast, and a world-class curry scene.

Service is legally included in all French restaurant bills, bread and tap water are free, and the best value is always the lunchtime formule (set menu) at €12–18 for three courses.

Australian food is multicultural and excellent — brunch culture is outstanding, coffee is world-class, and tipping is optional at 5–10%.

Hawker centres are Singapore's greatest culinary institution — eat there for SGD 3–8 per dish with no tipping and no service charge.

Italian meals follow strict timing and regional variation; coperto (cover charge) appears on every bill and tourist-zone restaurants near sights are dramatically overpriced.

Turkish cuisine is extraordinary — share mezze, try regional kebab varieties, eat a full Turkish breakfast, and always finish with çay or Turkish coffee.

Mexican cuisine is UNESCO-listed; street food at busy stalls is generally safe, and the menú del día offers outstanding value at around 80–100 pesos for three courses.

Lunch (2–4pm) is the main meal in Spain — order the menú del día for a 3-course meal with wine for €10–15, and expect dinner to begin no earlier than 9pm.

Brazil's food scene is extraordinary — from churrascaria BBQ and feijoada to street snacks like coxinha and pastel — eat at local boteco bars and kilo restaurants for the best value.

Indian cuisine is extraordinarily diverse and delicious — start with cooked, hot foods at busy restaurants, avoid raw foods initially, and explore thali meals for outstanding value.

Chinese food has enormous regional diversity — point at photo menus or neighboring tables' dishes, and street food is excellent value but choose busy stalls.

Korean BBQ is a must-do dining experience, banchan side dishes come with free unlimited refills, and 24/7 convenience store food is genuinely excellent.

Vietnamese cuisine is exceptional — pho, banh mi, bun cha, and fresh spring rolls are must-eats, with street food at busy stalls being very safe.

Greek food culture centres on shared meze, very late dinners, and fresh fish priced by weight — always confirm fish prices before ordering.

Portuguese cuisine is outstanding and affordable, but always check whether couvert (bread and olives) will be charged before accepting it.

Dutch cuisine is hearty and unpretentious; must-tries include stroopwafel, bitterballen, raw haring, aged Gouda, and the Indonesian-influenced rijsttafel.

Canada's food scene is diverse and multicultural — try poutine in Quebec, butter tarts in Ontario, and note that tax is always added to menu prices at the till.

Indonesian cuisine is extraordinary — nasi goreng, rendang, satay, gado-gado — with warungs (local stalls) offering excellent food from 15,000–30,000 IDR; halal food dominates except in Bali and Chinese restaurants.

Malaysian food is extraordinary — a multiracial mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisines eaten at hawker centres, kopitiams, and mamak stalls at very low prices.

Egyptian food is delicious and very affordable — koshari (the national dish) and ful medames are must-tries available everywhere.

Moroccan cuisine is outstanding — tagine, couscous, harira, pastilla, and the Djemaa el-Fna food stalls are unmissable, with excellent street food from 10-30 MAD.

Saudi cuisine centers on kabsa, mandi, and shawarma — portions are large, pork is absent, and meal timing shifts dramatically during Ramadan.

Qatar offers excellent local cuisine including machboos and harees alongside a vast international food scene, but all food is halal and pork is unavailable.

South African food is meat-centric and braai-focused; try biltong, bobotie, boerewors, and bunny chow; Cape Town has a world-class restaurant scene.

New Zealand food is excellent — world-class lamb, seafood, and coffee; look for BYO-licensed restaurants to save on drinks costs.

Filipino cuisine features adobo, sinigang, lechon, and kare-kare; turo-turo cafeterias offer filling meals from 60–100 PHP, and Jollibee is a beloved national institution.

Asado (Argentine BBQ) is the cultural institution, dinner starts at 9–11pm, and dulce de leche appears on almost everything.

Colombian food is hearty and regional; the menú del día (set lunch) is excellent value, coffee is world-class, and tropical fruit juices are a highlight everywhere.

Costa Rican cuisine centers on the casado (rice, beans, meat, salad) and gallo pinto (breakfast rice and beans) — eating at sodas (local family restaurants) is cheap, authentic, and delicious.

Peruvian cuisine is widely considered one of the world's best — from street ceviche to Lima's world-famous fine dining — and eating well here is affordable and extraordinary.

Swiss cuisine is outstanding — fondue, raclette, rösti, and world-class chocolate are must-tries — but restaurant prices are very high, so use lunch set menus and supermarket picnics to manage costs.

Austrian cuisine centres on hearty classics like Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz, and Sachertorte, served in traditional Gasthäuser and celebrated coffee houses.

Czech cuisine centers on hearty meat dishes, dumplings, and exceptional beer — seek out local hospoda pubs and the Lokál chain for authentic food at fair prices.

Polish cuisine centers on pierogi, żurek, bigos, and kiełbasa — try a Bar Mleczny (milk bar) for authentic communist-era canteen food from as little as 15 PLN.

Sweden's food scene ranges from world-famous New Nordic fine dining to beloved classics like köttbullar, gravlax, and kanelbulle — and the dagens lunch (daily set lunch) is outstanding value at SEK 100–140.

Norwegian cuisine centres on world-class salmon, seafood, and unique dishes like brunost (brown cheese) and fårikål — restaurants are very expensive, so lunch specials and supermarket food are essential budget tools.

Eat at a local konoba rather than a tourist restaurant for authentic Dalmatian food at 30–40% lower prices.

Hungarian cuisine centres on paprika, hearty stews, and unique street foods; dinner is typically served from 7-9pm and set lunch menus (ebéd menü) offer excellent value.

Jordanian food is outstanding — mansaf (the national dish), falafel, and hummus are must-tries, and local restaurants offer exceptional value.

Rice and curry is the national dish served daily; hoppers, kottu roti, and fresh seafood are must-tries; food is spicy by default so specify mild if needed.

Dal bhat (lentils and rice) is the national meal eaten twice daily by most Nepalis and comes with unlimited refills — it is both the most authentic and best-value meal available.

Hong Kong is a world-class food city — from Michelin-starred dim sum to cheap wonton noodles — with a must-try local café culture.

Resort food is excellent but expensive; local Maldivian cuisine centres on fresh tuna, coconut, and distinctive short eats available cheaply in Malé.

Try nyama choma (grilled meat), ugali, Swahili coast pilau and biryani, and samosas; local mama mboga restaurants offer filling meals for KES 200–400.

Tanzania's food highlights include nyama choma (grilled meat), ugali, Zanzibar's spiced seafood cuisine, and the legendary Forodhani Gardens night food market in Stone Town.

American regional food culture is extraordinarily diverse — from NYC pizza and Texas BBQ to New Orleans Creole and California cuisine — with portions that are universally enormous.