Aibu for thinking water isn't free unless you are drinking alcohol

[Snugdrink]

Another thread people have stated water is free in restaurants due to licensing. It's only for those drinking alcohol.

Aibu in thinking people are entitled

@Snugdrink Free water in an easily accessible location reduces the effects of intoxication.

Yeah why should they get free water? You don't go into Tesco and get free water....

You aren't having a sit down meal or drinks in Tesco. Silly comparison.

I always ask forctap water whether alcohol served or not. Never been refused it, nor charged for it.
Sometimes it's just warm and horrid, others, they take the time to run the tap and add ice.
But never harms to ask

You would if you went to the bathroom.

How entitled of you

Because you're paying for a meal...?
Have you never asked for a jug of tap water for the table? Blimey. They saw you coming!

I'm very confused ? Do you mean it's not free in England & Wales ? Is there an expectation you have to pay for it there ?

They don't always....a couple of experiences quite recently in different places
We ordered drinks, and food and asked for water too.
They asked still or sparkling. we said still instead of saying tap water please....and a bottle arrived which we paid for as couldn't be bothered arguing. But will now be more careful.
DD had similar experience in completely different restaurant a week or so later.

I don't like most soft drinks because artificial sweeteners taste disgusting and I think bottled water is an environmental disaster and a rip off so I'm not paying for something I don't want.

So I would ask for a glass/jug of tap water if I'm not drinking alcohol and wouldn't object to a nominal charge such as 50 p for a large glass or £1 for a jug as I understand that restaurants/cafes etc are struggling and that it has a cost in time to serve/wash the glass/jug etc.

I don't think people should feel obliged to order things they don't want because they believe they need to spend a certain amount of money for it to be worthwhile the restaurant serving them. Individuals also need to manage their spending appropriately and not waste money.

The other thread also talked about ordering starters and mains even if it was too much food. Restaurants have to accept that people have different appetites and often the amount of food they serve is more than many people want to eat, especially if there is an expectation that multiple courses will be ordered. Usually it will balance out across different groups as some will order more food and/or drink, but if this doesn't work for the restaurant, they need to impose minimum spends and make sure this is clearly stated when booking, on the website/menu.

Even if they aren’t obliged to provide free tap water the majority of places do. It will cost them next to nothing and if they don’t provide it it will piss off their customers. I wouldn’t go anywhere which wouldn’t give me a glass of tap water (alongside whatever else I was ordering). Lots of places provide breadsticks/bread/popcorn while you wait too, they’re not obliged to but choose to in order to attract customers.

95% of the places I’ve been to in the last few years give you tap water before they take your order. I thought that was the most common thing?

I always use the loo in Tesco and they’ve never charged me for flushing or washing my hands.

However did you get that impression? I rarely drink alcohol when out and always get free water. Even if just ordering a coffee.

Easier to start a MN thread than to actually Google it first?

Are you a grumpy cafe owner or the like ☺️

And at this point you say : can we have a jug of tap water please as well or no, just tap water please.
of course the restaurant pays for all water they use but they include charge for you in prices. You don’t pay separately for electricity which is on while you dining so the tap water is the same. It’s included in overall costs of the restaurant. That’s why they charge you for this pizza more then just buying it at Tesco because there are a lot of other costs involved when they cook and serve it, then clean and wash, you sit on the premises etc etc

It's quite disturbing that you'd deny somebody tap water if they asked for it whether there is a law for it or not. Jesus.

😂Don't give the supermarkets that idea! I think the OP would insist on charging for the air in their restaurant if they owned one.

Why are mumsnet so weird about water. Of course tap water is free, haven't you seen jugs of water placed on the side of bars in pubs/ coffee shops for you to take? What if you don’t drink alcohol, you think you can’t get a water for free because people don’t drink? What about children/ teenagers? You’ve never asked for a glass of tap water in your life time?

This is madness.

In every restaurant I have been in they do

No idea where you are going which has led you to that impression

Apparently...

"All licensed premises authorised to serve alcohol, including pubs, bars, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants, must by law provide free drinking water, even if you are not a paying customer."

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles exactly this, I often go into a cafe and ask for my water bottle to filled up, no problems with doing this, never thought twice about it. Where else would you get water on a hot day?

Thinking of this back in time .though if you definitely went back in time say 70s and before , your access to fresh drinking water was lower bar maybe a drinking water fountain in a park . Or a drinking fountain in a school .

YABU. Restaurants are obliged to offer tap water for free with a meal.

One thing I miss about the USA is that as soon as you sit down, they bring you a big glass of iced water.

Quickest resolution to an AIBU ever 🤣