on the house—said of food or beverages offered at the expense of the owner of the establishment:
- We were given a couple of drinks on the house and a complimentary bottle of wine.
Cf.: one on the city—(joc.) a glass of water (provided free of charge):
- “What will you have?” “Oh, just give me one on the city.”
on the premises—said of food or beverages to be consumed in the establishment:
- There was no age limit in 15 per cent of countries for drinking beer on the premises.