Originally Posted by
Jenbel
I love the fact that in Edinburgh, diners have basically trained restaurants that we will drink tap water in preference to bottled. If we want bottled, we will ask for it. Otherwise, we're good with tap, thank you - which generally tastes good here. Even our recent excursion to one of the best known Michelins, they had a jug of tap water ready to go for those that wanted and offered it without a quibble.
It's just petty on the part of a restaurant to refuse to serve tap water unless they have a good reason (poor quality water), and I'm pretty sure if I encountered an attitude like that, they would get less spend from me, not more. So much for the concept of 'service'.
I was just in Edinburgh. The waiter brought ice water and I ordered a bottle of sparkling. He said something to the effect that I have water and I said I wanted sparkling. Kinda amazed.
So far, I've never encountered a problem with asking for tap water except at the Conrad Rangali. We'd been there 5 or 6 days, happily drinking filtered water. The staff changed and we asked for filtered water and the waiter said they could serve only bottled. We insisted on filtered and got it. I just don't see paying an arm and a leg for bottled water when good, drinkable water is available. (I also hate paying for bread in Italian restaurants when I don't eat bread.)