A new wave of water sommeliers is elevating H2O from a simple hydrator to a fine-dining experience, creating opportunities for brands to tap into a growing market for curated water.

Restaurants and hotels are curating water menus to entice customers with a discerning palate and tapping into the growing trend away from alcohol. French fine dining restaurant, La Popote, in Cheshire, introduced the UK’s first water menu this summer. Diners have the option of three types of still water and four sparkling water options, as well as the humble and complimentary tap water. The menu details the country of origin, taste, as well as mouthfeel. The French sparkling option, Vichy Celastins, offers super high minerals, has a light natural carbonation and tastes delicate and sweet.

La Popote exterior
La Popote Garden
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La Popote

In rural Virginia, Michelin-starred restaurant, The Inn and Little Washington debuted their extensive luxury water menu in December 2024, featuring 750ml hand-harvested iceberg water from Canada priced at $95. Meanwhile, Claridge’s London were pioneers in offering water menus when they first introduced it in 2007.

This spring, sommeliers at the Fine Water Tasting Summit in Atlanta, Georgia tasted and judged water from around the world. In the most eloquent, extreme examples, flavors were derived from water taken not from a spring, but from volcanic rock, pine tree forests, and the deep sea. “Fine Water is the story of a natural product with terroir, that holds experiences and gives wellness,” Michael Mascha, Founder of Fine Waters, tells VML Intelligence. The Summit takes a holistic approach to water, looking at sustainable practices, terroirs, taste, and the health of the potential consumer.

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Fine Waters water tasting and food pairing event in Quito, Ecuador. Image courtesy of Fine Waters

Sommeliers with Fine Waters, a global platform dedicated to distinguishing and celebrating fine water, ranked the top bottled waters for Food & Wine this August. The winners were rated on a combination of low to high minerality, still or sparkling qualities, came from locations including New Zealand and Peru. The winner for still and sparkling, Socosani, was acquired from the snow melt on the Chachani volcano in Arequipa, Peru.

Water is becoming a new status symbol and a vehicle for experience. The increased motivation around water pairings, menus and tastings come at a time when people are reducing and even omitting alcohol entirely from their diet. Instead, water is being elevated into an experience similar to fine wines or spirits. From low-minerality, still sips to naturally carbonated sparkling varieties, water is having its fine-dining moment.

Main image courtesy of Fine Waters

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