Sparkling or still? A water sommelier has curated a collection of bottled waters from around the world at one Los Angeles restaurant. The water menu at Ray's and Stark Bar goes far beyond Evian, Perrier and other well-known brands.
The right bottle of water may sometimes seem like more fashion than rehydration. But Martin Riese takes it to a whole new level.
"Bedoit I'm taking when I want to have a little bit of sparkles but not too much carbonation," Martin Riese, manager of Ray's and Stark Bar, says. "Vichy is more like my aperitif water."
The restaurant offers 20 bottled waters from around the world on the menu.
"We're more than happy to serve a small water flight with three different waters that I'll choose. And everybody will get it then -- how water can really taste differently."
Riese says mineral water is like wine, influenced by geology and geography and priced accordingly.
Want to cleanse your palate with a bottle of Berg from Greeland. That will cost you $20. Is it worth it?
"As opposed to drinking LA tap water, yeah. Hehe," one customer says.