Whatever happened to the “jarra de agua”?
Posted by By Gwen at 5 September, at 11 : 06 AM Print
It used to be that at most restaurants, especially the less tony ones, you could choose between a “jarra de agua” (a jug of water) and bottled water, fizzy or flat. Now, there is no choice. When you ask for water, you get the bottle. Sure, I know what that is all about–a bit more profit for the business. And I’m happy for the restaurant to make an extra buck, it’s a tough business and these days even tougher. But, environmentally, things ain’t so great either. And, at least in Madrid, the tap water is just fine. I’m getting to the point where I feel like I’ll have to be downright belligerent about my right to choose. I suspect it will be to the point where I still will end up losing. If I ask specifically for a tap water and am told they don’t serve it, then I’ll say I don’t want anything. This will be my statement and their loss in terms of my ordering any other beverage, whether it be beer, wine or a stiff drink. However, I’m going to also end up thirsty and grumpy. So, does this come down to policy again? Do we have to wait, like we did for the no smoking law to actually function as such, for local administrators to order restaurants to give their clientele the choice between bottled or tap? Probably. Because it’s unlikely that there are many who will protest in this individual way like I will. So not enough pressure will be applied to the restaurants to change their ways. They want to make that extra couple of euros. Well, until the day comes when the choice is given to me again, I’ll just take my chances and keep on making my own special request.
PS Lately, I have found that this request is met with the possibility of a glass of water, or several glasses if we are at a full table, but still no “jarra”. I guess, now that supermarkets have just gotten on board about charging for plastic bags or offering none at all, then restaurants will go back to the more traditional, simple choice of bottled or tap. Pleeeeease.
