Imagine this. It’s a hot summer day. You walk into a restaurant, order lunch, and before you even have a chance to look at the drinks menu, you ask the waiter for a glass of tap water.
There’s a brief silence. “Unfortunately, we only serve bottled water.”
For many people in Poland, this is a scene they know all too well. Some don’t even bother asking because they assume the answer will be no. Others wonder whether it’s even appropriate to ask.
Meanwhile, in many European countries, such a request doesn’t raise any eyebrows. The waiter simply brings a jug of water and gets back to work.
So, what’s the situation in Poland? Yes, you can ask for tap water.
There is no law that prohibits customers from making such a request. Restaurants can also serve it. The issue is that in most cases, they are not legally required to do so. It’s up to the restaurant owner. That’s why in one restaurant you might receive an elegant jug with a slice of lemon, while in another you’ll be told that only bottled water is available.
At first glance, it may seem that it’s simply about selling drinks. And indeed, for many restaurants, bottled water is an additional source of revenue. But there are other reasons too.
Some restaurants worry that customers will consider tap water to be a lower-quality product. Others don’t want to involve staff in preparing jugs or glasses. And some places simply never developed the habit of serving it.
Fortunately, this attitude is slowly changing.
More and more restaurant owners are realizing that offering a glass of water is part of good service, not a loss.
From the customer’s perspective, the benefits are obvious. There’s no need to buy another plastic bottle or pay several złoty for something that is often available at virtually no cost.
But the restaurant benefits too.
Guests appreciate the gesture. They are more likely to return to places that care about their comfort and show that not every decision has to be driven by sales.
It’s also a simple way to reduce waste and demonstrate that the restaurant operates responsibly.
In many European countries, serving tap water is simply part of everyday restaurant culture.
France
Just ask for une carafe d’eau. The waiter will bring you a jug of water, and no one will try to convince you to buy a bottle.
United Kingdom
Licensed premises that sell alcohol are required to provide free drinking water to customers upon request.
Italy
Although many guests order bottled water, more and more restaurants are also happy to serve tap water. Many cities also have public drinking fountains.
Austria and the Scandinavian countries
A glass or jug of water often appears on the table even before you place your order.
This shows that access to water is increasingly being treated as part of standard customer service.
Just a few years ago, you could count the restaurants serving tap water on one hand.
Today, there are more and more of them. The reason is simple: customer expectations are changing.
More people are carrying reusable bottles, paying attention to how much plastic they consume, and simply don’t want to buy another bottle just because they’ve run out of water.
For restaurants, this is an opportunity to show that they understand these needs.
Yes. Some restaurants provide water free of charge. Others may add a small fee for service, glassware, or preparing the jug. That’s also perfectly acceptable, as long as the customer knows the terms before placing their order.
The most important thing is that the offer is clear and transparent.
Simply respect the decision. Every restaurant has its own sales and service policy.
However, if having access to free water is important to you, it’s worth choosing places that openly support this approach. In this way, consumers can also help drive change in the market.
A single restaurant that replaces some of its bottled water with tap water could prevent the use of several thousand single-use bottles over the course of a year.
At first glance, it may seem like it’s simply about a few sips during a meal.
In reality, it represents a much bigger change.
Every restaurant that decides to serve tap water shows its guests that convenience doesn’t have to mean another plastic bottle. This is how everyday habits change—not through huge campaigns, but through small decisions made every day.
That’s why more and more restaurants are joining the refill movement and making water available to their guests.
If you want to know where you can count on this kind of gesture, it’s worth using Tovoda, an app that shows places supporting the idea of free drinking water and bottle refills.
