How To Split The Bill At A Restaurant Without Angering Staff (Or Your Friends)

It's not far-fetched to assume that most people's least favorite part of dining at a restaurant is the paying process. While this is especially the case if you find yourself at overpriced steakhouses, frustration can easily arise as you attempt to split a check several different ways and either discover that you and your party can't or are met with an incredibly disappointed server. Ultimately, avoiding this situation is the best course of action, and while there are a handful of ways to do so, it's smart to figure it all out before you go to the restaurant in the first place.

We spoke to Nick Leighton — Emmy-winning journalist, co-host of the podcast "Were You Raised By Wolves?", and overall etiquette expert — who gave us some insight on the best practices for paying after dining with a large party. "It's ideal to make arrangements about money before the meal," Leighton advised, "If you need separate checks, best to tell the server early." When everyone is on the same page from the beginning, it makes the paying portion of the meal much easier to deal with.

Now, since splitting a check into any more than a few specialized receipts that have exactly what each individual ordered is almost as annoying for servers as the Gen Z habit of never opening a tab at a bar, finding ways to be more flexible with your waiter could be necessary, even if you warn them ahead of time. One way to lessen the burden on your server is to request that they split the check evenly, making it a much less tedious experience. However, this could backfire depending on the nature of your and your fellow diners' meals. "Assuming everyone's checks were close, an even split can work. But if you had a steak and three martinis and someone had just a salad, it's important to pay your fair share," Nick Leighton said.

Ultimately, your best bet is not asking your server to split the bill and instead taking things into your own hands. "I like when one person puts down a card, and then everyone reimburses them afterwards. This is often the smoothest option for everyone involved," Leighton suggested. Alternatively, if each diner can cover the entire bill themselves, a game of credit card roulette — each participant offers up their credit card for the server to pick from — can be a fun way to decide who foots the bill for the entire party.