£3 per person for tap water, not mentioned on menu

Unexpected Charges for Tap Water: A Lesson in Miscommunication

Recently, I dined at a local Japanese restaurant specializing in tapas and ramen and encountered an unusual situation involving charges for tap water. Upon ordering the water at the beginning of our meal, there was no mention of a fee, yet I discovered later that we were charged £3 per person.

Typically, if a restaurant imposes a fee for tap water, it’s clearly noted on the menu. In this case, the restaurant used a digital menu, and given our haste to finish the meal, I initially assumed I had overlooked any indication of this charge. However, upon review, the menu did not list any cost for tap water, although it did include a note about a 10% service charge.

This raised a question: Is it now becoming commonplace to expect a charge for tap water? For context, our party consisted of three people, and each of us had just a single glass of it. Considering this was not a high-end establishment, the unexpected charge seemed out of place.

After sharing my experience, other patrons came forward, stating they had not faced similar charges during their visits. Additionally, while the restaurant’s website lists bottled water for £3, the in-house menu reflects a new price of £4, suggesting recent updates to their offerings. This discrepancy prompted me to reach out to the restaurant directly to clarify whether this charge was a mistake.

The situation underscored the importance of clear communication in dining establishments and left me pondering whether this was an isolated incident or part of a broader trend. I’ll update on any further developments regarding this particular case, as it seems rather improbable that such a charge wouldn’t have been previously noted in the abundance of reviews online.

Thank you to the community for your valuable input, and here’s hoping for clearer waters ahead in future dining experiences.