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100+ Restaurants in Singapore That Do Not Serve Free Water

For a long while we have noticed an annoying trend in many restaurants. An increasing number have a no-water policy: They do not serve free water to diners even when requested. Instead, we have to buy their bottled water. Not only is the bottled water overpriced, the bottles are eco-unfriendly as well. We find this [...]

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About the Editor

Veron Ang is the Founder and Chief Editor of Sparklette, a Singapore restaurants guide, lifestyle and travel blog. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and runs a web design firm at Sparklette Studio. To get in touch, head on over to the contact page or follow @Sparklette and @VeronSG on Twitter.

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Responses Leave a comment

Fanessa
4 comments

Bar Bar Black Sheep at Robertson Blue doesn’t offer free ice water unless you purchase a beverage from them. It’s as if purchasing their food isn’t enough! The only plus point is that there’s no service charge.
Reply
Posted June 8, 2010 at 7:44 pm
- kelly
  2 comments
  
  Bar Bar Black Sheep is a Coffee Shop, and altho the ambience is upmarket, the bar (drinks stall) doesn’t make a single cent from the food… and as you rightly mention, there is no service charge, plus GST is absorbed.
  I don’t think they deserve to be featured here; in fact, think of it as them making it easier for people like us to order everything from one centralized source.
  Reply
  Posted June 11, 2010 at 11:29 am
Alvin
1 comment

Renn Thai Restaurant at Clarke Quay.
Was told they don’t serve plain water there and had to order their bottled water for 1 for $4.50 or a larger one at $7.50 for 2.
Reply
Posted June 22, 2010 at 10:19 pm
carrie
1 comment

paragon’s bakerzin DO serve water. actually most of the outlets serves water, sometimes you gotta ask.
Reply
Posted June 23, 2010 at 9:14 am
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  Bakerzin only started serving water recently. In any case, they aren’t on this list.
  Reply
  Posted June 23, 2010 at 11:20 am
Karen Lin
3 comments

soup spoon only sells bottled water… might as well punch mother nature in the face
Reply
Posted June 23, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Happie
1 comment

Crystal Jade Hong Kong Cafe – (Liang Seah Street) the stretch opp Bugis Junction.
They do serve free water intially .. towards end of 2009 they stop serving anymore .. u will be given free water unless u or your friend order a drink from the cafe. Else it will cost you 0.50 cents for a glass of water..
Reply
Posted June 24, 2010 at 3:37 pm
James
6 comments

Boon Tong Kee Hainanees Chicken Rice Restaurant at East Coast Road charges water at $0.40 per person.
Reply
Posted June 26, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Kris
1 comment

I went to this Red Lacquer restaurant at jp2 today with my family,we have order curryfish,and realised that the fish is not fresh,we finish our food and let the staff over thr to know the fish is not fresh,she asked “do we want her to change a new one?”,we said “it’s okie”,and she went to tell her colleagues,then we heard they said “not fresh still finish the fish”,we are so pissed off with this kind of attitude,especially the girl with short hair standing at the drinks counter,she keep staring at us,even say out so loud lik specially for us to hear,what kind of attitude isit?We spend $19 over for the curryfish,why can’t we finish it?Even they could change a new one,will they confirm it will be fresh?We are just commenting,isit that they don’t allow comment even though their food are nt fresh?This is seriously ridiculous,staff over thr don’t deserve the job,they don’t even know the basic of service,customers is right,we didn’t expect anything,just wanted them to improve on their food,is that wrong?
Reply
Posted June 27, 2010 at 8:54 pm
- Veron
  3439 comments
  
  We had a nasty experience at Red Lacquer in Jurong Point, too. The food was good, but the service was abysmal. In fact, it was our bad experience at this very restaurant that prompted us to start this list. The rest is history :)
  Reply
  Posted June 27, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Jas
1 comment

Just read this web of yours.very helpful.Now I know where to go or not for my anniversary dinner next month..certain outlets’ owners comments sound so arrogant-its like “if u want come if not dont!what the heck!
Reply
Posted July 26, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Christine
1 comment

Bliss Restaurant @ Punggol Park
Reply
Posted October 11, 2010 at 10:46 pm
James
6 comments

Hi Veron.
Please add Fiesta Brasilia located at the basement of United Square. They charge $4.90 per bottled water.
Not only do they not serve water, the waiters kept asking if you would like to order more drinks.
Best regards
James
Reply
Posted October 26, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Lucy Tan
24 comments

Not sure if this cafe’s on your list. Creative Organics at Fortune Centre (2nd floor) charges 20 cents per cup of water.
Reply
Posted November 1, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Lisa
1 comment

Intro Bar at Swissotel Stamford. Tiger beer costs $21. No free water LAH.
Reply
Posted November 13, 2010 at 9:27 pm
auntielucia
24 comments

Pse add to your Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao no free water list: outlet at Great World City.
Reply
Posted November 24, 2010 at 11:00 am
Catherine
1 comment

I went to Nandos at Tanglin Mall. No free water is served. No idea if there is a service charge, walked out after placing order and finding out there will be no free water served. Pity, was going to try out the palce since it was new.
Reply
Posted December 3, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Colin
1 comment

Lao Beijing @ Novena Square
$0.30 for hot water
$1.00 for their bottled water (Crystal Jade brand)
Spent $80+ and upon checking my bill discovered that the boiling hot water served to my 4 year old (after we politely refused their $1.00 bottled water) was chargeable. It’s not the cost but the explanation was quite laughable .. “Its not tap water … ”
Drive for profits is really going mad .. Guess which restaurants I will not be patronizing for all future eat-outs ..
Reply
Posted December 12, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Steph
1 comment

Lerk Thai is listed above but let it be know that the outlet at Changi T3 charges S$1.00 for bottled water and refuses to serve tap water.
Reply
Posted December 19, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Chris
1 comment

Fiesta Brasilia, United Square. Despite ordering a bottle of wine to go with the meal, they refused to serve water. I used to like this place, but too bad I won’t be going back.
Reply
Posted December 25, 2010 at 4:44 am
Chris
1 comment

About a year ago I went into a restaurant with my in-laws and extended family recently.. ..about 16 of us. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon, and we were the only patrons.
When the waiter approached to distribute the menus, my mother-in-law asked for a glass of water. She was clearly hot and suffering slighting from the outside heat. The waiter informed her that she needed to order a bottle water. My father-in-law interrupted and pointed out that there was 16 of us and that surely the boss wouldn’t deny his wife a glass of water. The waiter apologised and said it was the restaurants policy.
The Manager was summonsed – who, incidentally, had been watching and listening to the whole affair. He too, armed with a patronising smile, confirmed the policy. Again, my father-in-law protested and clarified that it was just a single glass of water that was request… The answer was no.
Without a word, the entire family immediate stood up in unison and calmly walked out.
Every restaurant I eat at now, I immediately ask for a glass of water before ordering to see their response. It’s not about the water… it simple reflects to me an attitude and the standards of the establishment. Consequently, I have walked out an many places BUT I have also enjoyed my dining experience so much more knowing that the establishment appreciates my business and understands the concept of dining experience.
Reply
Posted January 24, 2011 at 6:03 am
j
1 comment

Hubers butchery cafe, dempsey.
Reply
Posted January 24, 2011 at 4:15 pm
pete.d
1 comment

Thanks for the list! I only came across it after I was curious about policy in Singapore (I live in the US, visiting family here) when we were denied plain water at Nandos in Bugis Junction the other day. This article is a great resource, and has spurred a wonderful conversation online.
Personally, while I think charging for plain water would be silly, I don’t really object that much if a restaurant wants to do that, and the charge is reasonable ($150 is not reasonable :) http://people.timezone.com/pchong/pepperino/menu.jpg ). Fact is, if the restaurant owner feels they need to charge for water, they are going to do it one way or the other, whether explicitly or simply by padding the rest of the menu prices. The precise mechanism and exact charge is less relevant to me than the overall quality and cost of the meal and level of service provided.
What really annoyed me at Nandos was that plain water was not even an option. I neither need nor want water that has been sitting in a bottle that’s leaching BPAs into the water, which required oil to produce and transport, and which has to be disposed of later. Especially in a country where the tap water is safe and free of noxious tastes (there are even places in the US where I would not drink the tap water without an effective filtering first…in those places, it may be safe, but it’s still pretty awful to drink).
Keep up the good work!
Reply
Posted February 7, 2011 at 11:22 am