While the implications here likely won’t be too widespread, I can’t help but find this to be an interesting ruling, especially as someone who has opinions in the tap water vs. bottled water debate (thanks to @istrakhov for flagging this).
By the way, for those curious, I think the travel angle here is how norms around bottled vs. tap water differ so much around the globe, and it’s something for travelers to navigate.
In this post:
Italian hotel restaurant refuses to offer free tap water
Italy’s highest court has ruled that a five-star hotel in Italy’s Dolomites was acting lawfully when it refused to provide tap water to a guest. This actually dates back all the way to 2019 (yet the ruling just happened now, seven years later), and involves a woman who was dining at the restaurant of the five-star Hotel Sassongher in Corvara.
During a meal, she asked for tap water, but was told that only bottled mineral water was available, at the cost of €7. The woman argued that “water is a natural resource and a universal human right.” She also claimed this was a violation of her consumer rights, saying it’s a key part of a hotel’s service, and linked it to “finding a bed with sheets” and “soap in the bathroom.”
However, the Italian Supreme Court denied her request for €2,700, to compensate her for emotional distress and economic damage. The court ruled that Italian laws and regulations don’t mandate that venues provide tap water to guests, so each venue can decide on its own policy.
As a lawyer representing the hotel explained, “there is no obligation to supply tap water,” and “company policy is, like in many high-end establishments, to serve only bottled water at the table, which is sealed.” The hotel also argued “if a person wanted running water, they could easily get that in the hotel – just not at the restaurant.”
It’s worth noting that in many other countries (like England), licensed venues are required to serve free drinking water upon request.
I agree with the traveler in principle, but not in practice
In theory, I very much agree with the traveler here, that restaurants should provide tap water. When it comes to minor things I feel strongly about, the practice of people paying for bottled water is among the most confusing to me.
Assuming you’re in a place where it’s safe to drink tap water, I just find it puzzling how people instead choose to drop a substantial amount of money on water that was bottled elsewhere, and then transported halfway around the world. I always have huge respect for restaurants that offer house filtered still or sparkling water as a default, rather than trying to push people into ordering bottled water.
All that being said, I don’t necessarily feel that strongly that this is something that should be legally mandated, rather than being a business decision:
- I don’t consider this to be a violation of human rights, as the traveler claims, since one can also just go to the bathroom and drink water out of a sink there
- For that matter, the United Nations argues that food is a human right, and I don’t think anyone thinks restaurants should therefore have to give customers free food
- Now, I’d certainly vote with my wallet if I weren’t happy with a restaurant’s water policy, and if I felt strongly about that, I wouldn’t return, would leave negative reviews online, etc.
Now, do I disagree with laws in England, which require restaurants to provide tap water to guests? No, not really. It’s not that I’m against pushing for tap water, I think it just comes down to the level of regulation that you think makes sense.
Bottom line
An Italian court has ruled that that restaurants don’t have an obligation to provide tap water to guests. This all involves a 2019 incident, where a hotel in the Dolomites refused to give a guest tap water, instead forcing her to buy bottled water. She wasn’t happy about that, arguing it’s a fundamental human right, demanding €2,700, to compensate her for emotional distress and economic damage.
The court ultimately ruled that restaurants are under no obligation to provide free water to guests, so the hotel was acting within its rights. While I appreciate this traveler’s crusade against bottled water, I’m not sure I agree with the legal argument.
What do you make of this Italy tap water court case?
Asking €2,700 for being refused tap water is insanity. The faucet in the bathroom is right there. Take the empty glass from your table there. Or your water bottle. Or stick your head under the faucet lol.
I remember asking a hotel manager in Switzerland where I could buy bottled water. He became very passionate while telling me that Swiss water is exported to everywhere and that I needed to drink from the tap. He was right. It was delicious. Ha
A human rights violation to only offer bottled water at a high-end restaurant? Give me a break. What is this, the H2Olocaust?
Italy is right
Pay for water or shut up
France is right, you automatically get water. Guess who gets my travel euros.
If you do not like a business, do not come back. However, to recommend others to leave derogatory/ negative review is quite irresponsible and harmful to the livelihood of the locals. You basically advocate those who don't understand your intent to go much farther and negatively affect others who disagree with you or decline to accommodate your preference.
To suggest a higher quality bottled water fares better than tap water, due to possible microplastic effect,...
If you do not like a business, do not come back. However, to recommend others to leave derogatory/ negative review is quite irresponsible and harmful to the livelihood of the locals. You basically advocate those who don't understand your intent to go much farther and negatively affect others who disagree with you or decline to accommodate your preference.
To suggest a higher quality bottled water fares better than tap water, due to possible microplastic effect, displays an a lack of knowledge of bottled water. Plastic is the worst invention in modern history. Years ago, 60 Minutes reported that plastic had been found in Antarctica. Water in bottle is taken from the tap. Today, it is indisputable that microplastic particles are discovered in marine animals and humans. Some animals have died from ingesting plastic --mistaken for food. Plastic is made from oil and is virtually dissolvable -- in a century. The industry has been duping the public thinking plastic is recyclable when it is not. There are photos capturing plastic bottles floating in the river flowing out to the ocean in the Philippines and many African countries. Many hotels in East Asia do not offer bottled water to reduce its harm to the environment, plus Sri Lanka in Indian subcontinent.
Restaurants all over may know that the local water supply is not especially drinkable, although technically safe, and be reluctant to serve it at table. This is considerate hospitality.
I guess an establishment could serve it on demand, with the proviso that the diner it told it is not recommended and may detract from their dining experience.
Basic acceptable water is certainly not 7 euros or the like, unless you're going for a high-end brand name.
I wonder if the hotel also had some other so-called eco friendly policies they claimed to be saving the environment with (not refreshing towels, sheets, reusing soaps, etc.) despite requiring guests to buy bottled water that is trucked around the world.
We Americans don’t know how good we have here where all food establishments provides tap water free of charge and free refills on soft drinks. Free water, free refills, free anything simply does not happen in restaurants anywhere else in the world, except maybe in Canada.
Yeah, we have it so great. 30% added to the "price" of the meal, and "get the f*ck out of my restaurant" the minute you swallow the last bite.
You mean your chlorine contaminated water nobody in Europe will drink?
Free water here in French restaurants. No free refills on soda both by tradition and, now, law.
How on earth did an open and shut small claims case make it all the way to Italy’s highest court?
Oh, I know this one. A client willing to pay the bill. Unfortunately for my practice, my clients are large corporations and would rather settle than pay me the extra six figures.
It's wild to be that Europe, which in theory is interested in the environment and carbon emissions, still pushes bottled water so much. I guess it is also like that with smoking and pets causing environmental issues which are also popular in Europe, but it's really in your face there when there is push back when people don't want to get yet another botttle for something as simple as water. When I was in Germany...
It's wild to be that Europe, which in theory is interested in the environment and carbon emissions, still pushes bottled water so much. I guess it is also like that with smoking and pets causing environmental issues which are also popular in Europe, but it's really in your face there when there is push back when people don't want to get yet another botttle for something as simple as water. When I was in Germany many years ago, I used to just always take my own reusable water bottle to restaurants and I don't think I got push back, but I was more of a backpacker at that time.
Water that has an unpleasant taste is more common in Europe. On my first trip to Italy, 3 decades ago, I was impressed by how cheap bottled water was in Italy, till I understood it sold in volume and was a life necesity.
Tap water was, in fact, undrinkable in Europe far longer than in the United States. When I was a kid in France (around 1970) you couldn't get tap water in a French restaurant and people rarely drank it at home. These days, no problem. That cultural change hasn't made it to Italy yet, though.
Bottled water is quite inexpensive until you want it at a restaurant.
Some tap water might be safe to drink from a microbe standpoint, but it still often contains harmful things for the body such as microplastics, heavy metals, fluoride, pharmaceuticals, etc. It's definitely reasonable and understandable why somebody would opt for a (presumably) higher quality water bottled water, especially in a high-end establishment
>still often contains harmful things for the body such as... fluoride
God forbid we reduce cavities and tooth decay. Do you also demand non-iodized salt for all your food?
Fluoride in tap water is not harmful.
As a DDS, Fluoride in water, within certain limits, is not harmful.
You shouldn’t say DDS, these idiots only trust TV personalities these days.
You are talking to a generation that consumes the information (specially politics LOL) from TikTok
Agree, but leave the decision to the customer not the establishment.
Fluoride and pharmaceuticals = harmful? You’ve never seen the inside of a university lecture theatre, have you? And you never will.
You just single-handedly proved that you cannot put brains in a monument.
One of the Biggest SCAMS is Bottled water. They charged me $16.00 for a 1-Liter Bottle in Venice. The Fish was measly $120.00 (No price on the menu).Bring your own Bottle., problem solved! We will never go to Venice again. shitty Place to begin with.
I won't be surprised By the Judge being Biased (Mafia threats) or maybe he owns Restaurants.
You were clearly scammed in Venice but it looks like it was your own fault. Who orders a plate at a restaurant that has no price on the menu? You are asking for trouble. I had amazing trips to Venice, ate at fantastic family owned local restaurants and paid regular prices for everything. I never paid more than 3 Euros for a bottle of water at any restaurant in Italy and I have visited the country over 30 times.
You lost me at "no prices on the menu". Bottled water in an Italian restaurant is generally about €3.
As someone who has stayed at the Sassongher, it does not surprise me at all that it is the hotel that refused to provide free water! Service there was definitely an acquired taste...
Good for travelers to know.
I saw a server vehemently try to deny someone tap water once. I was on a business trip in Port-au-Prince and in a restaurant a European (sounded more German-ish than anything) wanted tap water. He did not want to pay for bottled. The restaurant staff insisted he did not want tap water and he should have bottled only. Finally the server told him in his limited english that the tap water will make him "spend all night in the toilet."
Tap water in Haiti is a whole different story than tap water in the Italian Alps…
Agreed. Unless you grew up with it, drinking Haitian tap water is likely to cause you a whole world of unpleasantness.
" I just find it puzzling how people instead choose to drop a substantial amount of money on water that was bottled elsewhere, and then transported halfway around the world."
I find it confusing that someone who reviews hotels costing $2,000 a night, which are within a block or two of hotels costing $200 or less, is confused by someone splashing out €3 (a more typical price) for a bottle of water.
Also, bottled...
" I just find it puzzling how people instead choose to drop a substantial amount of money on water that was bottled elsewhere, and then transported halfway around the world."
I find it confusing that someone who reviews hotels costing $2,000 a night, which are within a block or two of hotels costing $200 or less, is confused by someone splashing out €3 (a more typical price) for a bottle of water.
Also, bottled water in Europe is invariably from the same country and generally from a regional source, and probably from 50 miles distance or so.
(I'm a tap water drinker myself, at least in places it's safe and customary to drink it).
Yeah, but you missed the point the bottled water is no way superior to tap.
"When it comes to minor things I feel strongly about, the practice of people paying for bottled water is among the most confusing to me" – For what it's worth, I live close to Munich, where water is drinkable, yet it has higher levels of calcium and magnesium that I'm used to, so I opt to buy bottled water. I could buy a filter or whatever, but having tried several (which are either too ineffective,...
"When it comes to minor things I feel strongly about, the practice of people paying for bottled water is among the most confusing to me" – For what it's worth, I live close to Munich, where water is drinkable, yet it has higher levels of calcium and magnesium that I'm used to, so I opt to buy bottled water. I could buy a filter or whatever, but having tried several (which are either too ineffective, slow or expensive), I've come to the conclusion that the cheap still water at Aldi is my best option.
btw when I say too expensive, I mean to the point of being on par with buying cheap bottled water, at least based on the recommended lifetime of the filter
"I don’t consider this to be a violation of human rights, as the traveler claims, since one can also just go to the bathroom and drink water out of a sink there"
I'm sorry but no thanks lmao. If I went to wash my hands and I saw someone drinking from the sink faucet I'd find it pretty funny
IMO if a restaurant really thinks it's all that then it's in their best interest to...
"I don’t consider this to be a violation of human rights, as the traveler claims, since one can also just go to the bathroom and drink water out of a sink there"
I'm sorry but no thanks lmao. If I went to wash my hands and I saw someone drinking from the sink faucet I'd find it pretty funny
IMO if a restaurant really thinks it's all that then it's in their best interest to provide good water to ensure each customer starts each dish with a fresh palate. As someone who grew up in both Asia and the US I wouldn't sue a restaurant but I certainly wouldn't return. I guess one can tell I haven't been to Italy yet though
Voting with your wallet is the best course of action.
Suing a hotel for emotional distress because you were not given free tap water is why people hate lawyers.
I grew up in Italy and asking for tap
water at a restaurant remains among the tackiest thing one can do at such a place just short of putting fingers in your nostrils and similar. People who would do that are considered true beggars and treated as such, that is, kicked out. Want tap water? Go outside theres a nice fountain, this is a restaurant!
They may be viewed as tacky, but they certainly are not. I get better food in France, and I never have to ask for the free water anymore. The shouldn't hire you to do Italian vistor promotion. You'd be an utter failure.
I have seen quite a few restaurants in Italy charge a placemat fee, essentially 7-10 euros per person for the silverware and napkin. This is especially true in Venice.
That's a common practice in Italy (called "copperto"), although outside of very touristic areas, you'd rather expect to pay something like 2€. I think there is a similar practice in Portugal.
Cover charge (coperto) payment exists in almost every Italian restaurant with table service. Usually it ranges between 2-5€ and includes bread and similars.
A per person cover charge (coperto or pane e coperto -- bread and cover) is typical on Italian restaurants with table service. I don't think I've seen above €5, and I've never seen it described to the silverware.
I was charged 15 euros per person at the Gritti Palace and it was described as covering everything on the table -- napkin, silverware, salt and pepper, etc. I complained because the menu listed the charge as 7 euros. And we were only drinking wine, not eating food. It was such a scam.