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Surely more than once you have noticed that on the restaurant’s ticket there was an extra charge for being on the terrace, for a table or for bread. Or maybe lately, when you go to make a reservation on a restaurant’s website, they ask for your credit card or you have to pay a fee to confirm your table. Many of these issues are included in the regulations that restaurant establishments must comply with. Consumers should also be aware of these measures so that their experience is satisfactory and without any surprises. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has published some advice in this respect, while the Madrid Regional Government’s consumer portal also contains a series of indications to bear in mind. Take note!
One of the issues that has recently been of most concern to consumers is the charging of reservations. This is a measure that more and more restaurants are putting into practice, due to the no-shows that many customers make after booking and that can considerably damage the establishment by not covering this service. For this reason, restaurants can charge a certain amount to confirm your reservation, as long as this money is deducted from the final price, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. In this case, you should consult in detail the cancellation policy of each restaurant to take this into account.
What about the supplement for the terrace or the roof?
The supplement for the terrace, for the place setting or for bread are concepts that the customer is very familiar with, but they also generate a lot of complaints among consumers. The General Law for the Defence of Consumers and Users is quite strict on these matters and demands that the cost of any service or product must always be indicated beforehand and in a visible manner. In other words, concepts such as “terrace” or “bread service” can only be charged if they are detailed in the menu or on a sign in a place visible to the public. The same applies to establishing price differences between bar, table or terrace; if they are stated on the menu, there would be no problem. The same would apply, for example, to the controversial ice or snack service, as long as it is displayed in advance in a visible place.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs states that it is not allowed to charge for table service or cutlery. This must already be included in the price, as also reported by the OCU.
What about tap water?
Customers have the right to be served tap water free of charge. The Law on Waste and Contaminated Land for a Circular Economy, passed just over a year ago, stipulates that hotel and catering establishments must always offer customers the possibility of drinking tap water, not bottled water, free of charge. This is a measure adopted mainly to promote the consumption of drinking water and to avoid the abuse of disposable plastics.
Another important point is the issue of the final ticket. The information provided by the Community of Madrid is the obligation to issue a ticket or invoice in which the different concepts and their respective prices must appear. And, in the case of a set menu or combined dish of the house, only its composition and total price could be stated. Finally, with regard to products not on the menu or with the acronym S.M. (depending on the market), the price should also be indicated beforehand when these options are proposed during the order.