Still and sparkling water on tap? London shows Hong Kong the way

When I was in London last month, I received a pleasant surprise. At every restaurant, as soon as we sat down, the wait staff would ask, "Sparkling or still?"

When I'm in Hong Kong, I almost always answer, "Tap is fine."

This time, I was on unfamiliar territory, so I'd usually reply, "Still, please."

At several restaurants, the wait staff would then bring over a carafe of the City of London's finest tap water, which had been filtered in-house. If we requested sparkling, it was the same water, carbonated.

What a great idea; I hope it catches on in Hong Kong.

We all know that restaurants sell bottled water because it's an easy way to make money. I don't mind that; if they don't turn a profit, they'll close (nobody starts a restaurant for altruistic reasons). But I have, on occasion, been refused tap water, and this insistence on bottled water is petty. Yes, I can afford to spend HK$60 (or more) on bottled water, but it's annoying to be forced to do so.