Michelin Guide Restaurant in Cheshire Launches UK’s First ‘Water Menu’
A Michelin Guide restaurant in Cheshire has unveiled an unusual first for the UK dining scene – a dedicated ‘water menu’ priced up to £19 a bottle.
La Popote, a French-inspired casual fine dining spot in Macclesfield, is the restaurant behind the move. The idea comes courtesy of local water sommelier, Doran Binder, who worked closely with head chef and co-owner Joseph Rawlins to make the concept a reality.
The list, which launches next week, offers seven premium bottled waters from across Europe and the UK – three still, four sparkling. The selection includes bottles from Iceland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the Peak District, where Binder himself produces Crag Spring Water.
Prices start at £5 for his Crag still and peak at £19 for Portugal’s luxury sparkling water, The Palace of Vidago. Each is served in wine glasses to give non-drinkers a refined experience equal to that of wine lovers.
Rawlins explained: “The restaurant scene has changed a lot over the years… we wanted to offer something a bit different. Everything has been positive, it is a bit of fun, and we are looking forward to seeing where it goes.”
Binder, 52, is one of only five certified water sommeliers in the UK. His mission? To show diners that water has flavour, texture, and depth influenced by natural minerals absorbed at source.
He said: “What I have done is put together a quality range of interesting water. They all have different tastes, mouth feels, and offer a different perspective on dining at a restaurant.”
According to Binder, the taste of water is shaped by TDS levels (total dissolved solids). Super-low TDS, like Icelandic Glacier Water (£12), delivers a sharp metallic edge, while high TDS, such as Vidago, offers a subtle salty tang.
His own Crag Spring Water, sitting comfortably in the middle, provides what he calls a “silky mouth feel.”
“Being able to choose a water with a story, something special and unique that you couldn’t just get from a shop is elevating that experience,” he added.
The idea had been in the works for several years. Binder first pitched it in 2023 during a water tasting session with Rawlins and his partner, Gaëlle Radigon, who co-owns La Popote.
Though intrigued, the couple postponed launching due to family commitments, only revisiting the project this year.
Now, after months of fine-tuning and even changing the line-up three times, the UK’s first official water menu is set to be served.
For Rawlins and Radigon, the move reflects shifting dining habits, with more guests avoiding alcohol. “We have noticed in the last 18 months a lot of people don’t drink as much and are looking for an alternative,” Rawlins explained.
For Binder, it’s about respect for the millions who don’t touch wine or spirits. “The water will be served in a wine glass, water will be put on a stage, and showed respect,” he said.
The water menu will officially debut at La Popote on Friday, August 22nd.
