Is water free in Barcelona restaurants?

Can You Drink Tap Water in Spanish Restaurants? According to a new law passed in Spain in April 2022, all restaurants and bars in Spain are obliged to provide free tap water to their patrons. This law was created to reduce the consumption of bottled water and subsequent plastic pollution.



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Great news for Spanish diners - the Government has made it a legal requirement to provide free tap in all restaurants and cafes. Before now, the EC's 2020 drinking water directive had only encouraged public venues and restaurants to offer tap water for free.

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In some places you can ask for tap water (for free) but it's not the custom in barcelona so you can get strange faces or negative answers. Agua del grifo, un vaso o una jarra (glass or jug). Dont ask for a bottle. What happens in Barcelona is that the water, although perfectly fine, doesn't have the best taste.

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Restaurants generally serve bottled water, not tap water, however the Barcelona water company has started a campaign to encourage restaurants to serve tap water like they did in the old days. This is also to reduce the use of bottled water in plastic bottles.

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A question often asked by foreign visitors when they come to Spain is “Is it okay to drink the tap water here?” The simple answer is yes, you can! Spanish tap water is considered to be 99.5% safe to drink, although the taste may vary somewhat according to the region.

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Restaurants in Barcelona Tipping at restaurants is a widely accepted practice in Spanish tipping etiquette. The bill will include a service charge representing the tip in most cases. The most common tip amount to leave is 10% of the total amount on your bill.

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In Spain, you can simply say la cuenta, por favor (the check, please) when you catch your server's attention. Another common phrase many locals use is ¿Nos cobras cuando puedas? (literally Can you charge us when you can?). Either one is a perfectly fine way to ask your server to bring the bill.

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Tipping in Spain works differently: The customer actually has the option to not leave any tip at all. However, restaurants expect a 10% tip on each bill—although it's not a formal rule, and that percentage is much lower than tipping practices in other countries.

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Tipping Your Servers: Tips aren't expected in Barcelona, but they are always appreciated. Credit cards – tipping is possible with a card, just be sure you ask them to add it to the total as they run your card. There's no space on the credit card receipt when it comes time to sign.

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And don't worry, Barcelona isn't short of budget-friendly options. Here you'll find everything from classic tapas to cheap pasta, and fresh dumplings to gnocchi bars. At most spots on our list, you can get lunch for around €10, which is an absolute steal. Here are our favourite cheap eats in Barcelona.

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In Spain, tipping is entirely optional and it's not very common. You may see people leaving small change at cafés and bars and, eventually, someone tipping at a nice expensive restaurant. But most of the time, you won't see anyone other than tourists leaving a tip.

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Complete your plans today by reserving a ride with Uber in Barcelona. Request a ride up to 30 days in advance, at any time and on any day of the year.

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It's almost always the case that when you pay with card, a machine will be brought over to your table or you'll have to go behind the counter to pay. You should also make sure to check the bill before you pay, Spanish restaurants are notorious for inaccuracy when it comes to charging.

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The Water Law is the legal framework for water management in Spain. Legal amendments to the Water Law introduced in 2004 and 2005 transposed the requirements of the WFD and launched the development of River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) in each of the 25 river basin districts.

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