American restaurants are so fucked up it's unbelievable.

In Europe, restaurants are mandated by law to show final price on menus - including all taxes. Zero math: if I order a €9 plate, that's exactly what I'm expected to pay, period. I might let them keep the change from a €10 note if they were particularly friendly or the food was better than expected.

Edit: that "large parties fee" is particularly stupid. If I'm making reservations for a larger group, I'll probably discuss a menu with them ahead of time. This way they get to prepare ahead of time, and I get a cheaper price.

Also why not go in as 4 + 3 instead of 7, and avoid the fee altogether?