Do NOT drink alcohol and drive. In PEI it is illegal to have a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or greater when driving. People under 19 years of age or who have held their Drivers Licence for less than three years must have a zero blood alcohol content when driving.Online Guide for Newcomers to Prince Edward Island - Canada
Restaurants
There is a variety of places to eat out on the Island: restaurants, cafés, or fast food places. Check in the Yellow Pages under 'Restaurants' to find them. [See Related Resources]. Many of them offer international cuisine.
- Drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by restaurants (mostly fast food) that allows customers to purchase food or drinks without leaving their cars.
- Many restaurants take orders over the phone or the Internet. The order can be either delivered to your home or workplace ('delivery' service), or picked up at the restaurant when it is ready ('pick-up'). You can also order 'take-out' or 'to go' if you buy the food at the restaurant, but eat it elsewhere.
When you choose to eat at a restaurant, the final bill can add up quickly. Depending on the type of food offered, location, type of place and the level of service, prices of restaurant food vary greatly.
The menu prices do not include sales tax of 15.5% (GST and PST). Some restaurants have a menu displayed outside so you can see which foods they offer and the prices before you go in.
Tipping
It is customary to tip your server. On the bill there is a subtotal before taxes. Most people tip 10-20% of the subtotal. If you did not like the service you can tip a smaller amount or nothing at all.
If you buy food at a restaurant where you take the food out to eat, it is not a custom to tip. This is also true at 'fast food' restaurants.
Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholic beverages can be bought only in restaurants and bars that are licensed to serve them, and they must be consumed on location.
International Cuisine
There are more and more various 'ethnic' food restaurants in PEI every year, offering food from all corners of the world - Lebanese, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Indian, German, Turkish, Japanese, Mexican, just to name a few. Many of those restaurants are owned and operated by first generation Canadians. Because there are so many, we can not list them all in this Guide. Ask in your community or at the Association for Newcomers if there is a restaurant in PEI offering food from your part of the world.
