Is ordering tap water in a restaurant rude?

[TigerOnTour]

My friend often orders tap water in restaurants and I think it's a bit rude. She also has a tiny appetite so will basically just order a side, a starter or a child's meal. I feel like we are pissing off the restaurant. Obviously we don't all have to order a bottle of champagne, but a coke isn't expensive. Friend is very wealthy, if that matters.

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)

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

Oh

A lot of defensive cheapskates here!

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?

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 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 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?

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.

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

Depends where you live.

I can't afford to pay £60 on a mid-week night for a mediocre meal for two, we used to eat out at least a couple of times a week and I've cut right back. If I go out I may well have tap water, or a Coke, and my usual order is a starter/small main and a pudding. That's how I like to distribute my calories and how I like to distribute my cash! I don't want a starter and a main and a pudding, and I would think most restaurants are quite happy for people to continue to eat out, rather than stay in, even if they aren't spending quite as much due to CoL.

If I have a meal and a glass wine then I always have tap water as well

I never really order dessert either

I think it’s fine as long as she’s ordering some food.

I went to a pub with a friend and they were doing an offer like buy one meal get one free/ half price (can’t remember exactly) and the staff member behind the bar told us we were cheeky to only order cokes and not alcoholic drinks whilst using the offer. I thought that was really rude of him.

I wouldnt drink coke, but I’d at least pay for a mineral water, not drink free water.

If it's an issue for the restaurant they can implement a minimum spend, or say only under 12s can order off the children's menu, or serve tiny glasses of warm tap water to discourage people ordering it, or whatever. If they don't, it's because they prefer to have someone ordering small/cheap meals than not coming at all.

You're only referring to occasions where she eats with you, rather than her eating alone, so she's not 'taking up a table,' she's taking up ONE SEAT at a table that is already reserved. It's not as if the restaurant would sit a random individual at your table with your group if she wasn't there!

I find your judginess much ruder and more off-putting than her ordering tap water!

I've got a friend who does this and I find it very embarrassing, particularly as she chooses to go to upmarket restaurants. So we'll sit down and she orders a main course, one of the two or three cheapest on the menu, and tap water. No pudding, no coffee. I feel so uncomfortable I'll order a glass of wine, an expensive main and coffee if I don't want pudding. I actually avoid lunching with her now, because I don't understand why you would go somewhere nice and have something you can make at home.

Miriad · Today 19:16
I wouldnt drink coke, but I’d at least pay for a mineral water, not drink free water”

Which is also chock full of microplastics 🤷‍♀️

She should order a main and drink or equivalent minimum. So she doesn't ever order a coffee, a freshly squeezed juice, a san pellegrino? Is the drinks menu very restricted on the non alcoholic options? I wouldn't want a coke tbh. What type of restaurant? If it was pub type meals with chips, I could understand choosing something smaller.

I don't understand why this is in the least bit embarrassing. Person orders food in restaurant. Hardly a bizarre practice.

No, the most ridiculous thing I saw in a restaurant was being in Scotland in an area with great tap water and people ordering plastic bottles of Highland Spring. Complete waste of resources.

I always ask for tap water. If I am in a cafe getting a small meal and a drink I put some cash in the tip jar when I order the water and say I don't want to waste a plastic bottle.

So weird. I only drink water. I dont drink soft drinks or wine. And I don't want to waste plastic. What am I supposed to do?

No. My DW always does it.