Is ordering tap water in a restaurant rude?

I order tap water if I'm not drinking, as I don't like the extra plastic waste that goes with bottled. However I always add the cost of what a soft drink would
Cost to the tip at the end.

Yes it’s bloody cheeky. Fine to order alongside another drink but on its own is sign of somebody tight.

Yeah I don't think there is anything wrong with ordering water rather than a soft drink. If you were to take up a table for a long time nursing your water without buying much there is a point where you are not being fair to the establishment taking up a table and using their lighting and heating (and wifi!) but with each of you combined, assuming you left reasonable promptly after finishing your food, I reckon you were above that threshold.

And in the whole 3 hours you could tbh e ordered yourself anything?

*pissing

You don't have to feel sorry for restaurants or worry about passing them off.

I do often order a starter and a side in restaurants.Often things that I like are served as starters such as scallops etc. Most of the time a starter like that and a side are not much cheaper than many mains. Admittedly I would have a glass or two of wine along with tap water.

The staff just let you all sit there THREE hours in their restaurant without ordering or paying for anything?

Yes it really did happen at some place in Edinburgh up near the castle in the middle of an afternoon.

I think it is fine to order what you actually want to eat, as long as it is on the menu. I also prefer restaurants which automatically put a carafe of iced water on the table.

Within a group there will always be a few who order every course with sides, and a few who can't eat that much - it evens out.

Of course it's not rude! Are you really suggesting she should force herself to choke down a Coke she doesn't like and doesn't want to drink? Ridiculous.

I'm surprised they let her order off the kids' menu. Getting just a starter if she doesn't want to eat much is fine. Customers don't have to satisfy a minimum spend; the restaurant is not automatically entitled to a certain sum of your money.

@RaraRachael · Today 16:39

Personally I never order tap water when I'm out because I'd rather have a soft drink. I was mortified a few weeks ago when out with a couple of relatives when one of them said we'd go in somewhere for a drink. She ordered 3 glasses of tap water then we proceeded to sit there for 3 hours. The staff came over a couple of times and asked if we wanted any drinks or food and she kept saying 'we're fine thanks.'

The staff just let you all sit there THREE hours in their restaurant without ordering or paying for anything?

I have never, in ALL my years come across any restaurant or eatery that would allow this. Not one. Where was it? What was the name of the place?

I didn't order a drink because the relative ordered for everybody and we didn't have anything to eat.

Restaurants and cafes ought to bring you tap water for the whole table automatically in my view, and an increasing number do. I wouldn't feel remotely embarrassed asking for it. Bottled water is terrible for the environment.

I do t think the water is your issue, your issue is your friend taking up a table while not paying much money. Again, depends on the restaurant and whether it would otherwise fill that table and how much the rest of the group is spending

Not rude! Unless it's the only thing you order! 😆

Water isn’t free in the uk, where are you in the world?

in the uk we all pay for our water. It’s a monthly charge, then on top of that, restaurants have to pay staff to take the order, serve it, and wash and dry then stack the glass after, there is nothing free about it.

Does she often drink coke or other fizzy drinks ? Sone people don't like fizzy pop or alcohol

I mean I'd rather a "sitting at table charge" than a random rule that you have to order a drink you don't want

Why didn’t you order a drink?

I hope not. I have been doing this for about 35 years. I only drink water and I'm not paying for something that comes free.

I have to drink water with restaurant food anything with any element of sugar makes me dizzy as hell for hours after

What had you ordered? If you'd ordered drinks or food then there's nothing to be embarrassed about. The table was covered.

Personally I never order tap water when I'm out because I'd rather have a soft drink. I was mortified a few weeks ago when out with a couple of relatives when one of them said we'd go in somewhere for a drink. She ordered 3 glasses of tap water then we proceeded to sit there for 3 hours. The staff came over a couple of times and asked if we wanted any drinks or food and she kept saying we're fine thanks.

Not rude to order tap water, I do because I’m type 2 and don’t want to ingest all the chemicals that are in the diet/sugar free soft drinks.

Is she the only one at the table?
I guess you must be there sometimes to know this, in which case she's not taking up a table while only ordering a side and water.

Not rude at all. Ordering no food or drinks at all and only having a glass of tap water would be rude. Ordering a small amount of food because that's all you want is perfectly fine.

If she just wants a starter then she just has a starter. She's still paying for food.

An Indian near us asks we order a main meal during peak hours (7-9 Fri Sat), which seems fair. Apart from that, assuming others are ordering more that seems fine. My main issue would be if she's tipping at least 10%.