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?

Restaurants make money on drinks, the mark up is pretty high!

I usually ask for tap water and if the children would like a drink then that is fine. I think before when eating out was cheaper it was OK to pay out for drinks, but £4 for a coke is too expensive!

That’s your taste we like it and it’s with kids I wouldn’t go on my own 🤦🏻‍♀️

Why would you be embarrassed asking for a jug of tap water? We always do, for the whole table, regardless of whether or not anyone has ordered other drinks too.

Buying two 'refillable' drinks and using them for 5 people is not on, imo, though I suppose there’s nothing to stop you doing it if they don’t have a rule against it (but I bet they do). It would be like going to an "all you can eat" buffet and five of you passing the single plate around and refilling it until everyone has eaten enough.

As already said I won’t be doing it. It was a question and I see it’s unacceptable. I already said I will just pack drinks for before and after (not in the restaurant!)

Believe me, they do have a rule about it. And they will charge per head.

@SlushMountain , it's exactly the same as paying for one person to go to the all you can eat buffet but feeding the other 4 people with it. Bad manners, CF and not permitted.

You wouldn't buy one plate and pass it around the group, why would you do the equivalent with drinks? It's stealing. Also bizarre you are more embarrassed about asking for tap water - I mean it's a sentence: "Please can we have some tap water for the table?" Than you are about stiffing the business by not buying drinks for everyone. None of this makes sense. If you don't want to pay the price for drinks then eat somewhere else I guess.

I mean it depends on ages and restaurant but we usually just take a beaker with water/juice in for our younger two (they basically go nowhere without them anyway and they wouldn't drink a fizzy drink anyway) and just order drinks for me, DH and oldest who is now practically an adult.

No on has ever questioned it but we're eating in family chain restaurants anyway.

Tap water.

Just ask for tap water it isn’t embarrassing we do becuase DH usually drives so doesn’t want an alcoholic drink and I don’t want the calories that come with water. DD and DS do order drinks but just want one and then want to drink tap water

all your choices are weirder and more embarrassing than just ordering water

Just sat there drinking nothing with bottles of drink in your bag for after is modelling odd cheapskate behaviour to your kids! Ans surely telling them they can’t even have a sip of water while eating their pizza is just going to ruin everyone’s enjoyment of the meal?! This is so bizarre.

Also £4 per head for as much fizzy drink as you like isn’t ‘crazy’. It’s fairly standard,

Not embarrassing to ask for tap water. I often do it for environmental reasons - no glass or plastic waste involved.

It is embarrassing to abuse a refills system to get drinks for more ppl than you are prepared to pay for. That actually costs the restaurant money.

No it isn’t as Pizza Hut have an option of a buffet with a drink (and ice cream) and without a drink so obviously people do go to restaurants and not have a drink?! It’s not compulsory to drink and eat I only really have a drink at the end of my meal anyway!

Just get a takeaway

No I don't think it's right to share 2 refillable drinks between 5 people.

I do not feel there is any shame in asking for tap water. It's very common practice and the waiting staff wouldn't bat an eyelid.

You can have the drinks and order tap water for the children? If anything, it's better for their teeth.

I would be thinking cheapskate! Just ask for tap water if you don’t want to pay!

Don't be embarrassed about asking for tap water. It is much healthier, restaurants are used to it (even posh ones) and it is not being cheap if you are having food anyway. If it's good enough for Ronaldo, it's good enough for the rest of us! (In this video, he moves coke bottles away and tells his fans to drink water) m.youtube.com/watch?v=gzAoi9Xdm-A&pp=0gcJCRsBo7VqN5tD

We always do it in Nando’s. My children aren’t allowed a lot of fizz but like some occasionally as a treat. I would only have one glass. So we get one refill, and share it along with water.

Honestly op if it is pizza hut or nandos theres a reason they have massive jugs and smaller glasses - its for people asking for water ☺️

My other friend openly takes in her own drinks for her DC and plonks them on the table while asking for the water 🤣 can only assume the reason they've never said anything is they don't care 😬

This is what I meant. I didn’t see what’s a big deal about it! My kids don’t drink loads of it anyway.

They do have a drink…tap water.

I regularly ask for tap water when out for lunch/family meals as I am not keen on fizzy or hot drinks. Not embarrassing at all, it is there as an option in restaurants for a reason.

Once you have asked a couple of times and realise no-one blinks an eye when you do ask, it will become normal to you. Good to normalise for your dc too.

What would be embarrassing is getting challenged for, what is essentially, stealing from a restaurant by sharing refillable drinks meant for 2 people between 5 people. If 5 people want fizzy drinks you pay for 5 people.

Agree with this.
I don't know how anyone can eat without a drink anyway. I probably drink at least half a litre with a meal.
In a restaurant I order wine or soft drink plus a jug of water for the table.
I do prefer water but it feels mean to not pay for a drink.

No it’s not reasonable e.g. Wetherspoons coffee less than two pounds with free refills.should I buy two for five people..absolutely not.

These people are ordering tap water my friend!

The option of having the buffet without the drink will be for people who want a different drink than the one offered in the deal. I don’t think many people go to a restaurant and have no drink.

Getting 2 refillable drinks and tap water for everyone else, then sharing the refillable drinks would be better than only getting 2 refillable drinks or getting no drinks.