Getting charged for tap water at a restaurant!

I was under the impression that "Leitungswasser" meant "tap water." I was also under the impression, having been told by several German friends, that a restaurant had to allow you one free glass of tap water if you ordered food. So, this evening, my husband and I went to Pizza Hut for a taste of home (yes, we're Americans...). To avoid the high price of beverages, we ordered "Leitungswasser," then got charged 5.40€ for the two glasses. We asked to speak to the manager, but she told us that "Leitungswasser" just means water without gas, and that gastronomy standards said that they couldn't serve us tap water. Huh? We had had tap water at that very same restaurant last month, so we were a bit miffed.

So, does anyone know what the scoop is? Is this legit? And how can I make it clear in the future that I only want water that I *won't* be charged for?

Thanks!

Well I always thought that Leitungswasser was tap water as well.

I am not really sure on the gastronomy standards but surely if they had served you mineral water they would have brought the bottle over?

It does not seem legit to me! I had a similar situation in a club a few weeks ago I asked for a glass of tap water and they refused to give me any as they said the water could be infected and they could not take responsibility for it. I then proceeded to ask her if they had the same rule for ice but she didn't answer me and I ended up paying 5Euro for a tiny bottle of volvic!

Just a shameless rip off tactic, nichts anderes. Another person to go on my list for shooting after the revolution...

I don't believe there is a law giving you the *right* to tap water in a restaurant (unlike France, where I think there is, as well as bread). However, "Leitungswasser" is most definantely tap water and if you ordered tap water they should have brought tap water. They are still entitled to charge (though most will not out of customer service), though, since they do have overheads associated with the provision of the water (iirc).

Them saying they are not allowed to serve tap water is bullshit and just a way to justify the horrendous price. 5,40 is NOT a justifiable price for tap water in any establishement.

Why wait until after the revolution? Do the shooting as part of the revolution and you are likely to avoid prosecution.

As for Leitungswasser, that is tapwater (as has already been pointed out), but there is another alternative - "Tafelwasser'. Stuff like "Bonaqua". As far as I know this is Leitungswasser in a bottle.
I can, kind of, understand this situation from the point of the restauranteur. I choose not to drink tapwater at home, I drink mineral water instead, so if I were running a top class eatery (like Pizza Hut) I would not want to serve my customers tap water even if they asked for it. Just as I wouldn't serve them cheese from between my toes even if they asked for it. What seems to have gone wrong in your case is that you specified Leitungswasser and they gave you Tafelwasser and charged you for it. They should have either given you what you asked for or told you that it was not available. I think you have a case.

Jean-Pierre

afik, it not necessarily "Leitungswasser" in a bottle. Tafelwasser is simply an inferior mineral water that does not conform to the strict standards set by the health (or is food?) ministry for a water to be labelled "Mineralwasser". It can contain, and often does, ordinary tap water along with other things.

I always thought "Tafelwasser" etc stuff like Bonaqua was spring water. Is this the same as tap water in a bottle?

I personally also choose mineral water over spring water because I think it is better for your skin But it has to be without bubbles I am not keen on Sprudel.

Why should it be free, they have to pay for it. €5,40 is way out of proportion though.
But i think if you want tap water then stay at home or get a take away
Dont be so stingy

I would never go into a restaurant and only order tap water.
Only if i wanted to take a tablet. Its like asking for the left overs... dont flame me its only my opinion

I'm not entirely sure what sort of "other things" you would put in it! Urine? Cheese? Bits of old tyres?

Anyway, if the people who make Tafelwasser can use ordinary tapwater, you can be pretty sure they would. Why would they go to the expense of putting in spring water and then calling it Tafelwasser?

Jean-Pierre

Mind you, we always eat there (kids insist :doh: )

QUOTE
Another person to go on my list for shooting after the revolution...

Why wait until after the revolution? Do the shooting as part of the revolution and you are likely to avoid prosecution.

Fair point. We`ll all be drinking champaigne in place of tap water after the revolution anyway.

am I right in thinking germans in general do not drink tap water. One thing I noticed right away when I came here was the weekly ritual of people carrying crates of empty mineralwasser bottles back to the Supermarkt. Mineralwasser seemed to be more of an accepted mainstream thing, every prole and his dog drinking it, whereas in England it had pretentious continental (french..) overtones. Perrier ads and all that.

Britain seems to have caught up with the continent in this respect to some extent since then. But the mineralwasser ritual still seems to be more firmly entrenched here.

For myself, I drink mineralwasser "quellwasser" I think its called, but always without gas (makes me fart). Otherwise I buy water filters and filter the Leitungswasser at home to drink.

Can Carbondioxide make you fart ?? Well I didn't know that. Maybe Maisflocke can tell us more about that ...

The Britta water filters are ok, but the quality of german Tap water is better than the Bottled stuff. Tap water has to go through many more tests than Bottled water, and the quality is often better than the bottled water.
I dont filter mine, I just "gas it up" and drink it !!

I use a Britta filter because it makes the tea taste nicer but still drink bottled water at home.

I think 'Quellwasser' is spring water and not mineral water but like I said I am not 100% sure on the difference between the two. All the detox books say you should drink mineral water instead of spring water as it is better for your skin but then I am a sucker for believing that kind of rubbish!

I'm not sure the term "caught up" is correct here. I think "dragged down" is more appropriate.

mutter mutter, grumble, bloody waste of money...

Tafelwasser is tap water that has "other things" added to it to affect taste etc. as Coca Cola tried to point out when they released "tafelwasser" in london but failed misserably.

bbc

more info from bbc

I use a brita filter, but only to save having to descale the kettle every week.
Tap water here tastes better here than in the UK as they don't chlorinate the water here (at least here in NRW) so I don't have a problem drinking it.

can't be arsed to search for the studies of how much mineral water you would have to drink to get your daily amnt. of calcium, but seem to remember it being a bit extreme. Stick to the "brausetabletten" like the rest of the hypochondriacs here if its minerals you're after.

I grew up always drinking tap water, but when I first moved to Europe (Denmark), my host family was horrified when I grabbed a glass and headed for the tap. They seemed to think it was dangerous on the same level as bathing in toxic waste. I will say the water over here is 'harder' than what I was used to in the states, but I don't think it's dangerous.

I guess this links in with the dangerous food thread again. They seem to think that tap water is not good for you, therefore spread panic and everyone starts buying bottled water.
Maybe there used to be a reason for not drinking tap water, like there used to be a reason for lead in tinned food, but the reason is no more, it takes a lot to change the public perception. Especially when people are making millions of euros from that perception, why change it and how?

And make sure you don't lick the lid of the yogurt

why - what happens when you do that?!?

check this Glasgow

When I worked a bar in Sonthofen, the boss was horrified when I drank from the tap. The previous barman drank the profits I think Hot, smokey and stuffy place to work and water kept me upright! Cant be bothered with the carbonated stuff as I cant drink it fast enough! 3 ice-cubes in a half litre glass with tap water and your sorted. Germans thought I was insane though.

The water in Sonthofen and the Allgau in general is first class, and Bad Hindelang is great.

Ulm water on the otherhand is terrible, very chalky. We had to de-chalk the taps weekly and could never drink the stuff.

I always asked for tap water when having food or coffee and never got charged for it.

Understand that one, didn't go as far as one expat in China who went he first went into Subway got on his knees and kissed the ground but I guess after several years of eating dog snake rats etc Subway looked really good.