Say what?!? This is how much a bottle of water costs in top restaurants
Food ordered, wine on its way, bottle of water arrives at the table. Yes, that’s how it usually goes in a restaurant, right? What isn’t standard is the price of a bottle of water. Especially in top restaurants, it can really add up. Do you know how much you pay for water at the table?
Water at the table is a great way to prevent yourself from diving into your glass of Burgundy like a crazed Labrador, allowing you to sip it calmly and sensibly instead. Water for thirst, wine for flavor – that’s the motto. But water is also a rainy-day fund for some restaurants, which dare to put downright absurd amounts on the bill if you want water at the table. Feeling a little shocked?
Better than mineral water
Free tap water is still not commonplace everywhere. That would make sense if guests only drank tap water and ordered nothing else, but alongside a cup of coffee or a bottle of wine, it’s hardly strange to offer water as well. Mineral water isn’t even necessary, because what flows from the tap in the Netherlands is higher quality than mineral water. In 2019, Koninklijke Horeca Nederland conducted a small survey, which showed that 43 percent of hospitality business owners have no problem serving free tap water. A quarter only want to do so if guests order something else too, while 14 percent only do so if guests explicitly ask for it.
For charity
Some restaurants deal with it creatively. They charge for tap water, but donate the money to charity. And there are restaurants where you can only get mineral water, not tap water. Magazine Quote investigated how water is handled in top restaurants. A few years ago, they called ten highly ranked restaurants in the Lekker500 and asked about it. Handy, because the prices for table water aren’t always listed on the menu. And conspiratorially asking the waiter “how much does that cost?” in response to being asked whether you’d like water doesn’t feel quite right either.
“We’d rather not say”
The prices vary: from 7.50 euros for a bottle at InterScaldes to “we’d rather not say” at Librije’s Zusje. The restaurants that charge a fixed amount for the entire evening are particularly noteworthy: this ranges from 7.50 euros at Ciel Bleu to 3.50 euros at Tribeca. Sometimes the water at the table doesn’t come directly from the water company, but is something very special. Restaurant Joelia, for example, says they serve mineral water from Wales, at 5.95 euros for half a liter. For comparison: the price of tap water in the Netherlands varies somewhat by region, but expect to pay around 0.0014 euros per liter.
Read also:
- Eddie’s food frustrations: that layer of water at the bottom of the fridge
- Here you’ll find the most expensive and cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants
- When a trip through an unfamiliar supermarket makes you want to stay indoors for the rest of the day
Source: Quote, RTL Nieuws
