Looking for the List of Restaurants That Do Not Serve Free Water?
Hello to all you Sunday Times readers in Singapore, who may have found your way here after reading today’s article in the paper.
If you are arriving here for the first time, a big, warm welcome to you! My name is Veron, and I am a blogger in my free time. This blog, Sparklette, is developed single-handedly, dedicated to helping people locate the best and most interesting restaurants in Singapore. All this is built purely based on my own dining experiences.
Of course, it won’t be peaches and cream all the time. Occasionally, I may blog about the darker side of things, such as unpleasant dining experiences.
Looking for the much talked about list of restaurants that do not serve water? Here it is:
If you like what you read here, you can subscribe to my future blog posts through my rss feed, via email (on my sidebar), or follow me on twitter.
Thanks for stopping by! :)
Much love,
Veron
Jul 12, 2009
1
hi..u’re on The Sunday Times today…
Jul 12, 2009
4
Hi…read about your list in Sunday Times and the feeble claim by that Italian restaurant to sue you….what a crap excuse for their lack of basic service to customers. At least some of the restaurants have the decency to say they will review.
Well done ! Such establishments deserve to be named so that the public can be informed regarding this. Its a shame that they charge 10% service tax and GST yet does not even want to offer something as basic as tap water.
Jul 13, 2009
3472
Opting to employ a legal threat as their first response to me, in a mainstream newspaper no less, speaks volumes about them.
The funny thing is, if they would bother leaving a quick comment or emailing me, I would gladly remove them from my list, as I did quickly for other restaurants. Like I have stated in my disclaimer, anyone that notices any discrepancy can simply notify me.
Jul 12, 2009
1
hit ’em where it hurts. i cant believe the arrogance of some of these guys, that girl from la forketta, “our customers come here to for the good food, not to taste water, people who ask for tap water are on budget” that other guy from mad jacks, “people who complain are not educated and dont know business”. to the guy from mad jacks, maybe you should charge people a fee for the chairs that they sit on too, that should make you real profitable. and to la forketta, you just lost me as a customer with your arrogance!
Jul 13, 2009
3472
You have to question their business sense too. While they were trying to defend their stand, they had to know that their snobbish comments would turn away dozens of potential customers.
Jul 12, 2009
11
Kudos for the list you have complied and I am amazed by how strong some of the eateries have reacted. If they have made a stand of not serving tap water, I don’t see why they need to kick a fuss. Ultimately, customers do have the rights to know about this before having their dining experience ruined over a cup of sky juice…
Jul 13, 2009
3472
Yeah, bringing awareness is my main objective. I hate going into a place, having settled down and ordered the food already, only to be told “we do not serve iced water here.” It really turns me off.
Jul 14, 2009
7
I think The Tapas Tree Group seriously need to talk to their PR company if they have one. Threatening to send lawyer letter before contacting the blogger directly reflect very badly on your company.
Don’t be dishearten by the news report. I think you are doing a great job here. Customers have the rights to be informed about which establishment does not serve ice water.
Jul 14, 2009
1
I was in a restaurant in Tg Pagar once, I think it is called New Harbour and it serves Fish and Chips. The waitress refused to serve me water, even after I had finished a glass of coke. So I threatened aloud that I will refill my glass from the toilet myself. The waitress then left and returned to bang a glass of water loudly in front of me and walked off.
It is basic courtesy to serve water, especially if the food is savoury or very sweet.
I agree that we should get into the habit of walking out if water is not served. In fact, I think we should organise a day on which we visit in groups of fours and fives the restaurants you listed simply to walk out when they say that they do not serve water.
These restaurants deserve to be named and shamed. Keep up the good work!
Jul 14, 2009
24
I think LW has a very good suggestion. Let bloggers n their fans who object to no water policy visit those restaurants with this policy and insist on water.
Btw, I’ve been so inspired by this no-water post, I’ve written something on it myself in my blog. My central point is that restaurants with such a policy shld thank her for helping them b transparent with their customers. That way, they have been forewarned and cld take it or lump it ;)
Jul 15, 2009
3472
Hey, if anyone is doing the group visits, please start with those mentioned in the Sunday Times article!
I read your blog too. Thanks for putting in all the good words and being so supportive!
Jul 15, 2009
3472
I have added New Harbour. Haha I’m rather amused by what you threatened to do back then :D That waitress’ attitude definitely has a lot of room for improvement!
I’m all for making a statement in my own quiet way. Right after the waiter(ess) is done taking my order, if he/she refuses to serve free water, I would simply get up and leave.
Jul 14, 2009
1
Great initiative!! Congratulations!
I have to confess to being one of those ‘cheapskates’ who get really irate when restaurants don’t serve water. To me it’s just lack of common courtesy, and the restaurant that cannot even extend that courtesy to its customers, are really signalling what they think of their patrons, and do not deserve my business.
I have actually walked out of restaurants before on being told they cannot serve plain tap water.
Just plain no manners.
I would really encourage as many people as possible to do the same….and to make a big issue of it before they leave.
Jul 15, 2009
1
according to the straits times article
“The managing director of Italian restaurant La Forketta, Ms Gracie Vitale, said: ‘Our patrons are serious diners and come for our food, not to taste water. It’s the customer with a budget who insists on tap water.’ She added that, outside Singapore , ‘nobody really asks for tap water’.”
Before making such comments, the MD should get his/her facts right. I’d like to refute that statement. Here in Australia, it’s common to serve tap water to customers. Since we’re not at the restaurant to taste water, what’s the big hoo-ha about serving tap water?
Somewhere down the article, “Bakerzin, which started serving free water in April last year, said it incurred costs of $25,000 to install special water filters at its 10 sit-down dining outlets.”
No one forced Bakerzin to install special water filters. The PUB publishes online the components of its tap water and Water quality here is well within World Health Organisation guidelines. Its their own business practice and decision to install the filters, presumebly so that the water tastes “better” and for it to be served chilled. However there are other ways to do it, including using ice that the restaurants use for their soft drinks anyway. And this cost would have been factored into the operating costs/price of food, instead of wingeing that it eats into their profits.
I’d personally prefer restaurants to serve me unchilled water as it’s healthier for the body but I will understand why people in Singapore would want it chilled – Hot weather.
I refuse to drink bottled mineral water because of the ill-side effects it has, including the possibility of plastic leeching into the water due to ill-storage practices, and the amount of minerals it has in it which could potentially harm my body (according to chinese beliefs that it could cause weak bodily parts). Sure, laugh at me for being a traditionalist, but I strongly believe I have the right to believe in such stuff, and if you (the restautants) are not happy with my belief, i’ll just let my wallet do the talking by walking off to another restaurant! They are concerned about their bottomline and so can we by using the consumer power (ie your money!).
-M