Free tap water: The false stinginess

A recent opinion piece argues that restaurants in Germany should be legally required to offer free tap water to customers. The author contends that charging for water, often at high prices, represents a form of "false stinginess" in a country where such a basic necessity is not freely provided with a meal.

The article highlights that in many other European countries, offering complimentary tap water is standard practice. In Spain and Italy, patrons are routinely served a carafe of free water. France has had a law mandating free tap water in restaurants since the 1960s, and the UK requires any establishment serving alcohol to provide free drinking water. Even in the United States, where freebies are not always expected, tap water is typically provided free of charge and refilled without limit.

This comparison underscores the author's point that Germany lags behind its European neighbors in this aspect of customer service. The piece suggests that making tap water freely available would not only benefit consumers but also align with practices common across the continent, challenging the current norm in German restaurants where bottled water is often the only, and costly, option.