Is tap water free in restaurants in Italy?
In Italy, don't shock your waiter by asking for tap water
In fact, it's a customary practice for restaurants to serve tap water to diners at no cost. However, some higher-end or tourist-oriented restaurants may offer both still and sparkling bottled water, which is typically not free and will be listed on the menu with a price per bottle.
Italians are used to buy six-packs of 1.5 litre plastic bottles of water from the supermarket. Instead of buying bottled mineral water, you can just fill it for free on the street. Interestingly, Italy is full of ancient water fountains. They can be incredibly beautiful, so bring your water bottle and camera!
The short answer is yes. Drinking water from the tap in Italy is considered safe. Tap water in the major cities and towns around Italy is safe for consumption, and there are thousands of old-style water fountains dotted around cities, like Rome, where you can fill up water bottles.
Most European restaurants have paid for water from a bottle or sparkling water, so the costs of buying bottled water are passed on to the customers. Plus, in general, waiters may find it rude to ask for a free drink when dining at their enterprise. After all, they are a business, and they are trying to make a profit.
If you ask for the tap stuff, some waiters will simply refuse. And this isn't because the restaurant is trying to fleece you or because water from the tap is bad — Italians will drink it at home. Rather, it's because the water in Italy tends to be mineral-rich, making it hard.
In Italy, it is generally considered polite to finish the food on your plate. Leaving food may be seen as wasteful or disrespectful to the cook. However, if you are full and cannot finish your meal, it's acceptable to leave a small amount of food on your plate.
Fist Tip: Expressly Ask for Tap Water
If you want tap water, you should specify it to the waiting staff of the restaurant or bar, asking for a glass of “acqua di rubinetto”.
Fountain Water: The country of Italy boasts of many fountains like the Trevi Fountain and the Fountain of the Four Rivers. To avail drinking facility at the fountains, it is recommended to carry an empty bottle that can be refilled at the fountains located in many major streets (nasoni fountain).
Europeans, who are notorious water connoisseurs, generally pay to drink bottled water with their meals — for taste, not health. At restaurants, your server just can't understand why you wouldn't want good bottled water to go with your good food. Luckily, it's never expensive to order a half-liter of bottled water.
Can you drink hotel bathroom tap water in Italy?
The short answer is yes. Drinking water from the tap in Italy is considered safe. Tap water in the major cities and towns around Italy is safe for consumption, and there are thousands of old-style water fountains dotted around cities, like Rome, where you can fill up water bottles.
You don't really need to bring this from home, of course — Italy does have toilet paper! — but it's a smart thing for ladies, particularly, to throw in their purses before leaving the hotel in the morning.
Italy ranks first in Europe and second in the world ranking of mineral water consumers. The fact is in Italy, tap water is not always drinkable: in many areas it's only used for washing things and washing youself, which is why we consume so many bottles of water.
European restaurants may charge for tap water for a variety of reasons. In some cases, it may be due to cultural differences in dining practices, as providing complimentary tap water is not as common in Europe as it is in some other parts of the world.
If you ask for water at a restaurant in Europe, you will almost always get bottled water and then charged for it, unless you know the secret words. If you're in France, ask for “la carafe d'eau” or a pitcher of water. This is tap water that they will provide free of charge.
Ireland is one of only two countries in the world (Turkmenistan is the other) that provide free water to residents, according to Global Water Intelligence, a British research outfit.
Rule #1: Do not order Cappuccino with a meal
A salad is a side dish to a secondo, not to a primo. If you don't want a secondo, it's fine, but finish your primo before eating your salad. But what about cappuccino? Traditionally cappuccino is a breakfast drink, and should not be ordered after 11am.
The water is perfectly safe to drink all over Italy, and you can ask for tap water if you want. But no one usually does, and your waiter might not want to bring it to you.
No, tipping isn't considered rude in Italy. While not expected, a small tip shows appreciation for exceptional service and is generally well-received. Just remember that overtipping might be seen as unusual or unnecessary.
But Italians value pasta so much that they would never cut a knife to it—it should be treated with respect! This is why it's considered bad dining etiquette to use a knife on any type of pasta.
Is tipping rude in Italy?
If you ask locals “Do you tip in Italy?”, they'll explain that while they sometimes leave a small tip, it's generally not necessary. In Italy, gratuity (or una mancia, pronounced oo-nah MAN-chah) is considered a bonus for exceptional service.
Tap water in Italy is completely safe and potable, you can drink from it rest assured that you will not get sick, but many Italians still refuse to and prefer to only drink bottled water.
As of August 2022, the average selling price of carbonated mineral water in hypermarkets, supermarkets, mini-markets, and discount stores was 0.26 euro per liter. The average selling price of still mineral water was 0.20 euro per liter.
Though the aqueduct was meant to deliver clean water then, it most certainly doesn't do that today. According to Rome Experience, the fountain produces some 80,000 cubic meters of water each day, but adds, “The water is recycled and just for show, so don't be tempted to drink it.”
| Member State | Price tap water (EUR/m3) | |
|---|---|---|
| 24. | Italy | 1.90 |
| 25. | Ireland | 1.85 |
| 26. | Croatia | 1.68 |
| 27. | Portugal | 1.68 |
