Eater editor advocates for restaurants to offer filtered tap water without framing it as an inferior option, citing an annoying upsell tactic and the growing prevalence of sparkling water consumption.
The Eater Today newsletter recently featured an opinion piece by an editor arguing against the increasingly common practice of restaurants asking diners “Still or sparkling?” before offering filtered tap water. The editor finds the question frustrating, as it implies filtered tap water is a less desirable choice, akin to requesting water from an alley hose.
The author notes that most diners simply want filtered tap water and do not wish to pay for bottled water like Evian, which they find tastes worse and warms quickly. They also point out that requesting bottled Pellegrino is always an option if desired. The core issue, according to the editor, is the framing of the question as an upsell, attempting to turn a basic necessity into an additional expense before the diner has even viewed the menu.
Khushbu Shah, a cookbook author and former Food & Wine restaurant editor, is credited with naming her newsletter “Tap Is Fine!”, a sentiment the Eater editor echoes. The author acknowledges a broader trend of sparkling water fixation, noting a former colleague’s daily consumption of a case of La Croix. While not necessarily objecting to sparkling water itself, the editor finds the “mania” for it irritating, and suggests some annoyance stems from a perceived pretension among those who avoid tap water. The author personally drinks filtered tap water at home, using a Brita filter.
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