Drinks in restaurants?

[SlushMountain]

Say a family of 5 go to a restaurant, is it acceptable to buy only 2 refillable drinks and share them or is that not allowed/ frowned upon? Last time I went we spent £20 on just drinks! What do other people do?

Just ask for glasses of tap water with ice. Perfectly normal thing to ask for.

If you were suggesting sharing one non-refillable drink, then your analogy of sharing plates would be valid. But you're not. The valid analogy would be paying for one child/person at a buffet or other all-you-can eat place and having another two child/people also eat.

The only snobby comment is here is your comment on not wanting to be seen to be asking for water.

A lot of families order tap water for some and a couple of soft drinks for sharing, saves money without feeling sneaky.

Nothing embarrassing about having tap water. I imagine they make their money on the drinks. Places like the Harvester do refillable drinks, I don’t think the food is great and it’s £££ for what it is because of the free salad bar and rolls and the refillable drink. There must be so much waste and fudging going on with drinks/food- probably why it’s pricey.

You would be noticed doing that and you’d likely get charged for 5 drinks anyway because it’s really weird

When my kids were younger we only ordered tap water because I didn't want them filling up on soft drinks, it's what we drink with meals at home.

It’s not snobby to say that 5 adults sharing two refillable glasses is wrong, it equates to stealing and the restaurant staff should tell you no if they’re aware that your party is taking advantage like this.

Yes cheeky - they are pricing that on per person, not per cup. It’s like going to a theme park with unlimited rides included in the price of your ticket. You wouldn’t just buy two tickets.

It's not 'frowned upon' it's proper stealing!!

When a restaurant offers 'refillable drinks' they have worked out the cost based on what one person would likely drink. If you share the cup between two, you are paying for one person but actually taking more than you're paying for. You have broken the terms of the offer, which is unlimited refills for that one paying customer, not the whole table.

You might as well order one roast dinner and then wander into the kitchen and help yourself to another couple of roast dinners for your family because you've paid for one for you.

Also, is tap water not just served to the whole table as soon as you sit down in UK?

2 drinks between 5 people. You all must go home thirsty.

two kids sharing a plate = two kids sharing a bottle of coke = fine.

5 people sharing 2 refillable drinks = 5 people sharing 2 all you can eat buffet plates = not fine.

i don’t understand why you feel saying “5 glasses of tap water please” is more embarrassing than “2 refillable soft drinks please and nothing for the other 3”.

Mumsnet is snobby but you’re the one embarrassed to ask for tap water?

Why not go out for a bottomless brunch with your friends, but only two of you pay and you just pass the glass around the other three people? It’s the same concept. Of course you can’t do it.

Re: asking for tap water- what on earth? I drink tap water everywhere I go because I genuinely want to! It is a perfectly normal thing to ask for. Even if you did have an embarrassing request, who cares what a waitress in Pizza Hut really thinks? Not disparaging that job at all but it’s not like it’s getting printed on the front page of the local paper that @SlushMountain drinks tap water in restaurants. It’s just one waiter/waitress who probably serves 50 people a day and wouldn’t even notice.

We do this in Nandos when we go out with a friend as a 6. Order 3 refillable drinks and water then just share the soft drinks. DC only tend to have a few mouthfuls anyway and me/friend only refill once so we dont feel too bad about it then it means we can order a couple more sides 😬

You are being cheap £4 a drink is an ok price. If you can’t afford it don’t go. Everyone I know always have tap water, you are going to look so so odd sneaking drinks out of your bag or what if one of the kids gets a bit of food stuff and needs a drink there and then?

not to mention the backwash you are all sharing that is actually repulsive.

some people order water as it is healthier, no one on a restaurant would think of it as weird - a table of 5 however ordering no drinks - yeah they’re all going to be talking about you behind the counter

I always ask for water for the table. It’s normal

Ordering a drink of water is totally fine. I do this nearly every single time I go to a restaurant and no one bats an eyelid.

I would ask for water and bring a little mi wadi shot in my bag to flavour it. Fizzy drinks are not healthy so I wouldn’t feel mean not ordering them.

The senario you describe is stealing and I’m not snobby.

Mumsnet can be snobby? Says the person too embarrassed to ask for tap water? 😂😂

Refillable drinks are per person. It likely says that on the menu . In places like Five Guys they are so expensive.

There is nothing wrong with asking for tap water for the table, if having a meal . If ordering food, I don't think additional drinks are necessary.

Just have tap water- it’s a completely normal thing to ask for even in the smartest restaurants. Can’t believe that you think stealing drinks is a better option.

I’m not sure why ordering tap water is embarrassing. In most restaurants I go to, they ask you at the end of the drinks order if you’d like a jug of tap water too.

Our kids are only 2 and 4 so we always get them tap water.

I think it's fine. It makes no difference to the restaurant whether one person has two refillable drinks or if two people have one each. The refillable cup has still been filled twice, which one person is perfectly entitled to do with a refillable drink.

Asking for tap water is much less embarrassing IMO.

I think you either order no drinks or one per person.

Usually anywhere we go has glasses on the table set up already and once we’ve sat down they will bring over a jug of water for the table before you’ve ordered anything.
Yes it’s tight to bring drinks with you and not order any there. Can you not just let the kids order drinks and you order a tap water for yourself if there isn’t water brought to the table? £20 for drinks for 5 does not sound steep.