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SM, I see your point about better service being expected in better restaurants, but I don't agree. I'm no more particular in a fine dining establishment than I am at a diner. The same attributes that will get you a better than average tip from me go for any kind of restaurant. Cheerful and effective and reasonably attentive service.
Perhaps super-attentive is expected in finer establishements, but I don't know why. I've gotten just as good and just as lousy service at all levels of restaurant price-point.
But I've "accepted" that the tip is based on the meal price. However, I don't figure alcohol into that price. I still tip a fixed amount on drinks, no matter what they cost, and a tip on food based on its price.
And I've been known to refuse to pay the level of "included gratuity" if the service is substandard. 99% of the time, however, even my standard tip is better than the included gratuity, so this is never an issue. Servers who work at establishments like the Jazz Kitchen that never figure an automatic gratuity get an automatic tip increase from me over the same service at establishments that presume to tell me what I should tip for service.
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