Afternoon:
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Why is asking for free tap water in some restaurants an act of daring verging on the suicidal? Despite this paper's campaign three years ago, the reaction of some waiters to such a request still puts it almost in a criminal category. So you came here to get something for free? You think you can just take whatever you want? This is a dining establishment not a charity. So which is it to be: still or sparkling?
Acquiring a glass of Thames Water's finest has become the neurotic middle-class equivalent of looting. Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough. (And God knows, the water is in some areas. Not that I'm complaining. It's free - when you can get it.)
At dinner with friends this weekend at Bob Bob Ricard, a celebratory evening was marred by the Great Comedy Tap Water Ritual. An initial water request was rebuffed. "Sorry, still or sparkling?" Then understood. "Oh, no, we don't have any jugs here." Quite right too. After all, what respectable eaterie would lower itself to stock such an unwieldy and obscure crockery item?
By this point, at least one member of our party (me) was on the verge of shouting, "Look, just forget it, people. I will happily go into crippling, mineral water-related debt just to avoid the awkwardness of this situation. Break out the Badoit." But the bravest of us persisted, carefully avoiding use of that incendiary word "free". "We would just like some tap water, if that's all right."
Iced tap water by the glass was duly brought. And for the remainder of the evening every time each of us had almost drained our vessel, another would appear on a silver platter. After the initial reluctance, it was the most stunning display of liveried tap water provision I have ever witnessed and I wondered if it had been specifically designed to make a person feel very small indeed.
It has been like this in restaurants across London ever since bottled water was invented. The recession only seems to have made it worse. Now, I have every sympathy for restaurant overheads and the problems of keeping a business afloat. (And we ordered plenty of other drinks, by the way, including BBR's legendary rhubarb gin and tonic, which is quite extraordinarily delicious.) But this tap water censorship simply does not exist anywhere else in the world.
In New York and across the US they have the best deal. Waiters bring you gigantic tumblers of free water whether you ask for them or not. In other cities across the globe they wait for you to ask for the drink you want and then bring it to you. A crazy notion!
What you don't get is someone asking you repeatedly "Still or sparkling?" A question which actually means something very different. It means this: "We are going to pretend that you came here expressly for mineral water. And we are going to offer you a bogus choice between bubbles and no bubbles. So choose." Here's an idea. Just bring the tap water and let the matter rest.
The only drawback? You will not have the hilarious joy of experiencing the bill we had on Saturday night which listed, excruciatingly and pointedly, "19 glasses of water: £0.00."
No wonder we all had to go to the loo on the way out.
Reader views (7)
I ask for tap water in cafes and restaurants all the time with no problem. In many establishments it's is the onlayeay to get a drink for children these days that is not contaminated with unwanted chemicals, additives and complex sugars and syrups.
- Karen, London, 28/08/2011 06:53
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And yet the EU legislated (apologies for the shivers you are immediately feeling) that all European restaurants are now legally obliged to offer tap water if requested. It's astonishing how few restauranters have actually heard (or, at least, admit to having heard) of that! And especially in Venice - has anyone, EVER, had any success in getting a Venetian restaurant to serve tap water???
- Keith, London, 16/08/2011 13:39
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It's important to note that consumers should have the option between bottled water and tap when dining out – and that tap and bottled water are NOT the same.
90% of the bottled waters sold in the UK are naturally sourced waters, which makes each one of them a unique product with several key features. Naturally sourced bottled waters come from naturally protected underground sources which are in turn naturally purified by filtering, sometimes for many years, through underground aquifers present in the land.
This helps explain why the majority of bottled water is actually drunk in addition to, not instead of, tap water. Over the past 20 years as bottled water consumption has more than doubled the amount of tap water drunk on its own has not declined.
Ultimately, quality natural mineral waters often have a superior taste thanks to their unique mineral content; which makes them the perfect accompaniment to fine dining. As long as restaurants continue to serve fine wines and fine food, their diners should be offered a water of comparable quality and taste.
Kinvara Carey
Natural Hydration Council
- Natural Hydration Council, London, 16/08/2011 10:09
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You're lucky the staff didn't p*ss in your tap water, with your patronizing attitude - and there were 19 of you? I feel sorry for the waiters. I have never had any problems when asking for tap water in restaurants, so I think you are exaggerating the extent of the problem nowadays. "Verging on the suicidal"? Have you run out of ideas for an article?
- Pam, London, UK, 15/08/2011 16:12
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Sorry Alex but there is very little difference between tap water and mineral water.Most tap water comes from underwater aquifers anyway (would you like me to explain to you what an Aquifer is Alex?) so there is indeed very little difference. Bottled water is a Gimmick pure and simple!
- Andrew Fry, London, 15/08/2011 16:09
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Sorry but if you don't grasp the difference between mineral water and tap water, you really have no business writing an article on the subject.
- Alex, London, 15/08/2011 14:11
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I have to agree I hate this whole 'still or sparkling' question! It seems to be even worse on the continent as in France or Italy, they never seem to agree to give away free tap water.. One particular incident in Milan springs to mind where the surly waiter said that in this country we do not drink the tap water as it is unsafe!
- Claire, Tooting, 15/08/2011 13:30
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