Okay, so I was in Mexico City a few weeks ago. A total blast, by the way. But one thing that kept bugging me was figuring out the whole tax situation at restaurants. You know, whether it’s slapped on at the end or already baked into the prices on the menu. I mean, nobody likes surprises when the bill comes, right?
So, I started asking around. First, I hit up the hotel staff. Super helpful folks. They gave me the lowdown: apparently, there’s this thing called IVA in Mexico, which is basically their sales tax. It’s 16%, which, you know, isn’t exactly chump change.
The hotel guys said that most places in Mexico City, especially the restaurants, usually include the IVA in the prices you see on the menu. But they also told me to watch out, because sometimes it might not be. So, yeah, that didn’t totally clear things up. I had to do some more digging on my phone.
Then I decided to just pay more attention when I was actually eating out. I went to a bunch of different spots, from those awesome street taco stands to some fancier sit-down restaurants. And I noticed something interesting.
At most places, the menu price was the final price. No extra tax added at the end. Sweet, right? But then, at a couple of restaurants, the bill came, and they had separated out the IVA from the base price. It was still the same total as the menu price, just broken down differently. It wasn’t what I expected initially. I didn’t think there would be an extra line.
I also noticed a pattern. The more touristy a place seemed, the more likely they were to break out the tax like that. Maybe it’s just a way to be more transparent, or maybe it’s something else. I’m not really sure, honestly.
So, here’s the deal from my experience: In Mexico City, most restaurants include the 16% IVA in their menu prices. You probably won’t get hit with extra tax at the end. But, be prepared to see it itemized on the bill sometimes, especially in touristy areas.
Here’s what I learned and suggest:
- Most restaurants include IVA in menu prices.
- Some places (especially in tourist areas) might show IVA separately on the bill.
- If you are not sure, you can ask the waiter before ordering.
It’s not a huge deal, but it’s good to know what to expect. You don’t want any surprises messing up your meal, especially when you’re enjoying some of the best food in the world. Seriously, the food in Mexico City is amazing. Go for the food, stay for the… well, the food. And maybe the culture and stuff. But mostly the food. Okay, I’m done now. Hope this helps someone out there!
