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Date Published: 07/12/2021

Bread, ice, water: what can Spanish restaurants charge extra for?

In general, the price of any additional extras must be clearly written on menus in Spain

Many diners in Spain have been caught out by unexpected charges being tacked on to the end of a bill, for anything from a basket of bread to a small bowl of olives. These added extras can quickly hike up the price of a meal out, so it’s important to know what eateries are allowed to charge extra for, and which items should definitely be complimentary.

Tap Water

It’s one of the great dividers, but tap water is essentially safe to drink in Spain. However, in all but four autonomous communities, restaurants aren’t obliged to offer a free jug of water and instead are entitled to charge a fee for bottles of mineral water. Any establishments that offer tap water are merely doing so “as a courtesy,” according to Legálitas lawyer Araceli Durán.

However, if you are eating out in Andalucía, Castilla y Leon, the Balearic Islands or Navarra, it is mandatory for restaurants to provide tap water, free of charge.

Ice

It’s becoming increasingly common for bars and restaurants to charge customers for the additional ice they order for coffee or soft drinks. The general rule here is that, if an establishment wants to charge for ice, this must be expressly stated on the menu.

As a rule, “unsolicited services cannot be charged”, so if ice is not listed on the menu, the premises can’t charge extra for it.

Bread

According to Legálitas, bread and wine must be included in the final price stated on special offer menus, such as the Menu del Dia. For the regular menu, the cost of the bread must be clearly stated, and if it is brought to a table, a customer can simply ask to have it removed and not be charged.

This is perhaps the most common practice in Spanish restaurants and cafes, and something which the experts claim is “abusive” towards customers.

Bathrooms

Consumoteca have indicated that premises cannot charge for the use of the toilets “if you are a customer”. However, if not, then the establishment is within its rights to refuse access.

VAT

It is not legal for restaurants to hand out menus that don’t include the VAT.

Image: Archive

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