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COST OF LIVING

Is it legal for Swiss restaurants to charge for tap water?

It is a common practice among restaurants in Switzerland to charge a fee for a carafe of water brought to a table. But sometimes its price is hard to swallow.

Is it legal for Swiss restaurants to charge for tap water?
Tap-to-table: 40 francs. Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

Zurich is Switzerland’s most expensive city, so it is perhaps reasonable that eating (and drinking) in a restaurant comes at a price.

But a group of friends dining recently at Osteria Sazio in the city centre were shocked to discover just how much their meal had cost.

As 20 Minutes daily newspaper reported on Wednesday, the group was, at least initially, pleasantly surprised at how (relatively)  inexpensive their food was — 14.50 francs for a pasta dish is a good price for downtown Zurich.

But that positive impression turned to anger when the bill was presented and it turned out that a 2-litre carafe of tap water they didn’t order but which was brought to their table at the beginning, cost 40 francs — that is, more than the meal itself.  

Thinking the restaurant had made a mistake, the group called the waitress back. She confirmed, however, that the price was correct; 40 francs for two litres of water.

“We were all shocked,” one of the customers told the newspaper.

Rather than offer apologies — and a discount — for overpriced water, the restaurant’s manager didn’t budge.

Instead, he said that though the water did, indeed, come from the kitchen tap, it was filtered and chilled which, apparently, justified its price.

He also said that that if customers order wine with their meal, the water is free.

Additionally, the inflated water price compensates for inexpensive food, as well as for high rent and above-average salaries of his staff, the cost of both apparently being passed on to unsuspecting customers via the water.

Is this common?
 
Many restaurants in Switzerland charge for water, though commonly not more than 10 francs per litre, and often less than that.

The reason, according to Swissrest, an umbrella group for several hundred restaurants in the German-speaking area of Switzerland, is that water is “part of the hospitality service.”

“You get the water in a glass that has to be washed and replaced when broken, and you are dining in pleasant surroundings,” the group explains on its website.

Also, “the restaurant owner has to pay rent, plus heating and electricity costs.”

Nevertheless, “many restaurants still serve tap water, in particular in conjunction with coffee or other orders, free as a gesture of goodwill for their guests.”

Yes, but is this practice legal?
 
In 25 cantons it is.

Ticino is the only canton that has a law mandating restaurants to serve their guests a free glass of water with their main meals. 

You may argue that 40 francs is too much for a carafe of plain tap water, and you’d be right.

However, restaurants have a right to set their own prices on food and beverages they serve. So a 40-franc price tag may be unreasonable, but it is not illegal.

Still, Sara Stalder, director of the Consumer Protection Foundation, told 20 Minutes that Osteria Sazio must inform customers of this cost and let them decide if they want the carafe brought to their table or not.

“The price of water must also be mentioned on the menu,” she noted, adding that 40 francs is nevertheless “excessive.”

“In the case of a restaurant like this Osteria, one cannot expect such absurd prices.”

Next time, thirsty customers would be better off just drinking — for free — from one of Zurich’s fresh-water fountains.

READ ALSO: Why the drinking water in Switzerland is the best in the world

Member comments

  1. To me, the question is whether their prices for wine are reasonable, as I would expect that wine sales are a major part of the Osteria’s business. I don’t know whether this is mentioned anywhere on the menu or wine list. If not, it should be mentioned.

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COST OF LIVING

The Swiss websites that can help you save money

You may think that ‘lower prices’ and ‘Switzerland’ should never be mentioned in the same sentence. But online resources can actually help you save on some purchases.

The Swiss websites that can help you save money

True, getting ‘cheap’ stuff in one of the world’s most expensive countries is not a given. But it is not impossible either.

Depending on what you are looking to purchase, certain sites will either compare prices of goods available at various retailers, or show you where best deals are at the moment.

Let’s start with the most ‘essential’ purchase of all: food

There are no sites as such to tell you the current prices at all Swiss supermarkets, but you can do your research fairly easily.

Just look at websites of al major supermarkets — Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, and Denner — and see which products are discounted on any given day or week.

The same applies to the two chains known to be on the more expensive side — Coop and Migros.

Their respective ‘budget’ lines, PrixGarantie and MBudget, are cheaper than their ‘regular’ assortment. 

And keep in mind too that sometimes best deals can be found in smaller grocery shops.

READ ALSO: Why it might be cheaper to avoid the big supermarkets in Switzerland 

Appliances, electronics, and sports equipment

To find the lowest prices in this category, two websites will be helpful: Preisergleich.ch and Toppreise.ch

According to Moneyland consumer platform, these two sites “compare the going prices at many major Swiss retailers. Comparisons primarily include online retailers, and retailers which have both online and offline stores.”

Insurance

Before you take out any policy, whether the obligatory health (KVG / LaMal) or car insurance, or supplemental plans, you can compare their prices versus what coverage they offer.

Though the cost the basic KVG / LaMal is the same for everyone in your canton, (based on your age and co-pay deductible you choose), complimentary policies are priced differently, depending on what services they cover.

You can compare them on Bonus.ch, or FinanceScout24

Internet and mobile plans

You can compare Internet plans which are available at your exact address, and the Internet speeds you can actually get, as well as mobile plans on Bonus.ch  and Dschungelkompass.ch

Hotels

If you are going on holiday or just away for a weekend, the price of a hotel room in Switzerland, especially in popular tourist destinations, can cost quite a lot.

While you may not necessarily find a really cheap room in a decent hotel (or location), these sites will let you see what’s available, where, and at what price:

Switzerland Tourism 
Ebookers.ch 

Overall, there are two Swiss sites that offer price comparison on almost all services in Switzerland.

They are Comparis and Moneyland.

And also…

If you sign up at rabattcorner.ch, you will get discounts thanks to cashback and vouchers in more than 798 online stores, including Manor and MediaMarkt. You can also benefit from travel discount on SWISS airline, and other travel, leisure, and gastronomy options.

READ ALSO: Six essential tips that will save you money in Switzerland

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