Restaurants that charge for ice, glasses of water, and use of utensils must inform customers

Food and drink establishments that charge for ice, water glasses and use of utensils can do so if it is posted near the entrance to inform customers, Luse told AHRESP.

“Food and beverage establishments may determine, as internal operating rules, the charging of fees for the use of dishes or other certain situations. However […] these internal rules of operation must be properly promulgated and also posted in a conspicuous place, near the entrance to the establishments, in order to conveniently inform customers,” said Ana Jacinto, General Secretary of the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar Products of Portugal (AHRESP), in written response to Luce.

According to several reports given to Luce, there are restaurants that charge for the use of utensils when, for example, at a gala dinner, customers take a cake and use the establishment’s utensils, as well as ice or glasses of water.

“It is also allowed to charge a certain amount for the provision of ice or glasses of water, provided that this information is correctly indicated and defined in the price list of the establishment, which must be available near the entrance and inside the establishment,” he said. explained AHRESP.

The association also recalled that from July 2021, hotels, restaurants, cafeterias and catering establishments are required to have a container of tap water and disinfected glasses available for customers to consume on site free of charge or at a lower price than packaged water provided by enterprises.

“If an establishment intends to charge for glasses of water, it must do so at a lower price than the price charged for packaged water, which it also has for consumption in the establishment,” said Ana Jacinto, adding that these values ​​must be appropriate. way confirmed. specified in the invoice, in terms of the VAT Code.