service charge and tap water in restaurants

[gatso]

water sure is a good thing to counteract spicy food. if you're going to order something that won't help you may as well just get a beer

[Free_Rollin]

Sunny!

I think we should go bud and do a proper review on the place!

That sounds like a plan sir!

The official Blonde food critics? Every review will probably be the same though:

We arrive on time at 7pm, and we are directed towards the bar whilst the waiter just checks our table. I do a quick scan of the whiskey on offer and quickly set my eyes on the full bottle of Black Label glistening on the top shelf. Mr Hopkin, meanwhile, discovers they have Guiness on tap, and offers to buy the first round. 5 hours later, we are told the restaurant is closing, but by this time none of us care for any food, we simply want another drink! We are escorted outside, and we comply since we figure we can still get in at the local Oceana nightclub. We didn't eat a single bite, but due to the very efficient and polite bar staff (look out for Cindy, she's gorgeous), we award this place 5 stars. 

[The_nun]

Sunny!

I think we should go bud and do a proper review on the place!

That sounds like a plan sir!

The official Blonde food critics? Every review will probably be the same though:

We arrive on time at 7pm, and we are directed towards the bar whilst the waiter just checks our table. I do a quick scan of the whiskey on offer and quickly set my eyes on the full bottle of Black Label glistening on the top shelf. Mr Hopkin, meanwhile, discovers they have Guiness on tap, and offers to buy the first round. 5 hours later, we are told the restaurant is closing, but by this time none of us care for any food, we simply want another drink! We are escorted outside, and we comply since we figure we can still get in at the local Oceana nightclub. We didn't eat a single bite, but due to the very efficient and polite bar staff (look out for Cindy, she's gorgeous), we award this place 5 stars. 

LOL.

[Hairydude]

WTF are people talking about; free tap water but pay for the glass??? "oh no sir if you want it for free you need to come in the back and stick your head under the tap and lap it up like a dog"

I hope you werent out with no ho's paul ho as that shit wouldnt go down in my town!

[ScottMGee]

Whilst I broadly agree with the free tap water argument, when you look at it from the restaurants perspective its a different matter.

There is an opportunity cost, i.e. if you are drinking free tap water then you are not drinking mineral water or a beer.
There is a cost of filling the glass, bringing it to your table and then cleaning the glass.
Even the water is not free as there will be water rates to pay.

[pleno1]

wtf would you want to go to a posh restaurant (i'm assuming it's posh as £250 a shot is quite alot) and ask for tap water? I would literally be too embarrassed. I don't agree with service charge as I like to tip depending on service, a little if it's rubbish quite alot if it's good.

[RichEO]

Went to Vermillion for new year. Basically you don't go there and winge about the bill or there would have been a hell of a lot of winging!

[MANTIS01]

Yeah the restaurant is a business and can charge for a service...but if it charges for tap water it's not doing business very well. And that should be the primary concern of a business. What's the revenue stream like on tap water in that place? Enough to appear inhospitable to your guests over? 

As a side note there was a friend of mine from school who needed a liver transplant. He carried this buzzer around with him and if the buzzer sounded it meant a liver was available, so he had to get to a phone real quick to let the hospital know he was around. This was before kids had mobiles btw. He was in Burger King one day when the buzzer sounded. He rushed to the counter and asked to call the hospital but the staff wouldn't let him use the phone cos they don't offer that service and he missed out on the liver. He got another one soon after, but he went to KFC after that.

[GreekStein]

Yeah the restaurant is a business and can charge for a service...but if it charges for tap water it's not doing business very well. And that should be the primary concern of a business. What's the revenue stream like on tap water in that place? Enough to appear inhospitable to your guests over? 

Maybe it's shrewd.

They are a high end venue, they probably don't want to attract the sort of people that order tap water.

[paulhouk03]

wtf would you want to go to a posh restaurant (i'm assuming it's posh as £250 a shot is quite alot) and ask for tap water? I would literally be too embarrassed. I don't agree with service charge as I like to tip depending on service, a little if it's rubbish quite alot if it's good.

coz the food was too spicy and my coffee wouldnt really help.

[paulhouk03]

Went to Vermillion for new year. Basically you don't go there and winge about the bill or there would have been a hell of a lot of winging!

i wasnt wingeing about the price just the fact that they couldnt give me tap water and they include a service charge

[Cf]

wtf would you want to go to a posh restaurant (i'm assuming it's posh as £250 a shot is quite alot) and ask for tap water? I would literally be too embarrassed. I don't agree with service charge as I like to tip depending on service, a little if it's rubbish quite alot if it's good.

coz the food was too spicy and my coffee wouldnt really help.

you don't want water with spicy food. get some milk or a smoothie or something.

[AndrewT]

As a side note there was a friend of mine from school who needed a liver transplant. He carried this buzzer around with him and if the buzzer sounded it meant a liver was available, so he had to get to a phone real quick to let the hospital know he was around. This was before kids had mobiles btw. He was in Burger King one day when the buzzer sounded. He rushed to the counter and asked to call the hospital but the staff wouldn't let him use the phone cos they don't offer that service and he missed out on the liver. He got another one soon after, but he went to KFC after that.

Ah, the old 'you distract them by saying you need to use the phone to ring the hospital for a new liver whilst I nip over the counter and steal the till' scam.

Classic.

[paulhouk03]

wtf would you want to go to a posh restaurant (i'm assuming it's posh as £250 a shot is quite alot) and ask for tap water? I would literally be too embarrassed. I don't agree with service charge as I like to tip depending on service, a little if it's rubbish quite alot if it's good.

coz the food was too spicy and my coffee wouldnt really help.

you don't want water with spicy food. get some milk or a smoothie or something.

  I dont think they would serve milk or smoothies or something at this restaurant
but i was thinking that tap water would be my best option as it will be cold and free.

[gatso]

I dont think they would serve milk or smoothies or something at this restaurant
but i was thinking that tap water would be my best option as it will be cold and free.

I'm not 100% sure but I don't think they do free tap water at that restaurant