Tap water in restaurants: what the rule says

For years this depended on the habits of each establishment. Since the national waste legislation took effect the rule is the same everywhere in the country.

What the rule requires

Establishments in the hospitality and restaurant sector must always offer customers the possibility of consuming unpackaged water free of charge and as a complement to the establishment's own offer. The stated purpose is to reduce single use packaging, not to regulate menu prices, which is why the obligation refers to unpackaged water rather than to bottled mineral water.

What has not changed

The establishment may still offer bottled mineral water and charge for it, and may still apply a table service charge where it is announced on the menu. It is not obliged to serve the water in any particular vessel or with any accompaniment. What it cannot do is refuse unpackaged water or make it conditional on ordering something, since the obligation is complementary to the offer rather than an alternative to it.

Why it matters on an island

Single use packaging peaks in season, when the resident population multiplies and waste generation concentrates between May and October. Replacing one small bottle per diner on a table of 4 avoids 4 containers per service, and in a venue serving 60 covers a day across a 150 day season that reaches the order of tens of thousands of containers a year.

For the customer, the direct saving on a family meal for 4 runs 6 € to 12 € per service.

If they refuse

Mention the rule politely and, if the refusal persists, ask for the complaints book, which every establishment must hold available. The complaint need only record the date, the time, what was requested and the answer given. The consumer authority handles these through the ordinary route and the usual reply period from the establishment is 10 working days.