Is ordering tap water in a restaurant rude?

Depends where you live.

Tap water is laden with chemicals. Why not pay for mineral?

MaryMaryVeryContrary · Today 18:47
A lot of defensive cheapskates here!”

Or people with palates who don’t appreciate artificial bubbly crap when they can drink perfectly good water.

Will happily pay eye-watering sums for good wines. £5 for a can of brown e numbers? no, thank you.

This is nuts, of course not. I don’t drink out of plastic bottles and I don’t drink sugary drinks so always get tap water. Why should you pay for bottled water when our tap water is perfectly fine?

I order tap water all the time, most of the time its actually automatically brought to the table, i also have a small appetite and order starter as a main or a half portion, i also like my desert so leave room for that as well sometimes. I acn afford to eat out often its just i dont have a huge appetite and don't like to see food go to waste

This is one place where cultures that have tipping at restaurants is a plus. If I know I have ordered on the low side of an average seating for that restaurant at that time, I can make up for it with a very generous tip. Since I have an ASD child who orders very odd combos this happens often. Occasionally we tip 100% of the bill. No food waste and money still changes hands.

I don't think it's rude at all. Maybe she is just more focused on your company and getting to catch up with you rather than making the restaurant money?

A lot of defensive cheapskates here!

Oh

Oh and Coke is just a can of chemicals. Why would you pay for that?

Of course it’s not rude! Personally, I find there are areas of the UK where the tap water tastes horrible but in others, most of Scotland, for example, it’s lovely. It would be my first choice there, over bottled.

The water in Vienna is amazing. Piped to the city straight from the mountains, no processing required and free to residents. Why would you drink anything else? (Gin not withstanding)

Does the friend normally drink coke or similar at home with meals? If she doesn't eat a lot then she's right to order a smaller meal instead of buying a larger meal for the sake of it and then wasting the food just so she's spent more for the taking up of a table. I don't think she's rude as realistically even if she did order a coke instead the bill would only be a couple of quid dearer so I don't think it would make that much difference to the restaurant

No it’s not rude. And I often order a starter and a side rather than a main.

This.

I drink 80% water, 20% coffee with the occasional G&T.

I don't want to buy coke or other rubbish just to be "polite"

I’m prediabetic and have been told not to have sugars or sweeteners. There are other health and non-health related reasons why you would avoid them too. If she has a small appetite then a drink other than water could also fill her up but without providing the appropriate nutrition.

I’d have said something to her and no way would I have been taking up a table drinking tap water. Edinburgh is busy at this time of year, your relative could have sat in Princes Street park with a bottle of water from a shop, that’s really rude.

Just noticed you were near the castle probably on The Royal Mile, I’m surprised they never asked you to leave as the tables are like hens teeth around that area in good weather.

If I'm in a restaurant I always ask for tap water for the table alongside any alcoholic or soft drinks we order.Some restaurants ask if we want a jug of water for the table.I wouldn't ask for just tap water and not order any other drinks.

If that's what you want to drink, then no, of course it isn't rude.

Whether they charge you or not is a different issue. Our local pub charges 50p for washing up the glass but you can have as much water as you want if you are eating.

Nothing wrong with ordering tap water if you don't want juice or fizzy drinks. Some places have really crap soft drink options

Bottled water is one of the best rip offs ever invented! In hard water areas it tastes a bit different due to the calcium carbonate (but I am used to it anyway) but, in blind tastings, in most areas, people can’t actually tell the difference.

However, I think it is polite to be cognisant of total spend. If it is 8pm on a Saturday night and the restaurant is full, a tap water and a side seems pretty mean. If the restaurant is pretty empty, it is fine, whatever you spend is a bonus for the restaurant as their costs are fixed.

Personally I always order tap water (unless our with friends and they want to share a bottle), but I like my food and order at least a glass of decent wine with it.

If I'm not drinking alcohol I always order tap water because that's what I prefer to drink with food. I don't want a glass of sugary liquid spoiling the tastes of my savoury food.

Definitely not rude.

She is ordering a meal, just a small one. Perfectly fine.

Of course its not rude. Good restaurants will usually provide a jug of fresh water without even being asked and I'm certainly not going to pay for soft drinks I don't like just because tap water is free.

Restaurants are perfectly free to set a minimum charge at peak times or reserve the right to serve only meals rather than just tea or coffee during such times. If restaurants don't set such requirements then they are not finding it a problem.

So don’t go to a restaurant if you’re not ordering a meal? Not hard

I think it is fine to order tap water.

When she orders a side salad or kid's meal, are you ordering a "normal" meal? I would feel quite uncomfortable in this situation - if friends go out for lunch or dinner, they should have a shared experience. Even if she says "Oh no, I'm fine with this kid's meal!", I'd feel quite judged for ordering an adult's main.

It sounds as though eating out with this person isn't an enjoyable experience. You are allowed to refuse to eat out with her.

Someone said upthread that we shouldn't worry about restaurants losing money when we order tap water and a salad. It's really hard to run a restaurant and make a profit - even restaurants that look successful. A lovely restaurant near me closed down a couple of years ago - it was always full but the owner said she was working a 100+ hour week and barely paying herself; she couldn't reasonably charge any more.