A couple of Japanese tourists dining in Rome were shocked to receive a bill for more than £380 (€429.80) after ordering two plates of spaghetti and fish and two glasses of water.
The pair uploaded a picture of the bill to TripAdvisor, which shows they were charged €349.80 for the food and an extra €80 as a compulsory service charge.
The incident took place at Antico Caffè di Marte near Castel Sant’Angelo in the city centre and the review quickly went viral.
TripAdvisor has since suspended the restaurant’s review page, saying: “Due to a recent event that has attracted media attention and has caused an influx of review submissions that do not describe a first-hand experience, we have temporarily suspended publishing new reviews for this listing.
“If you’ve had a firsthand experience at this property, please check back soon – we’re looking forward to receiving your review!”
However, the vast majority of remaining reviews rate the restaurant “terrible”, with customers branding it a “scam”, “rip-off” and “dishonest”.
The issue for many diners seems to lie in ordering fish from the menu, which various reviews claim is listed as €6.50. This price actually refers to the cost per 100g, leading to unexpectedly high bills for those not in the know.
The restaurant has hit back at accusations it is scamming tourists out of hundreds of euros, telling Italian paper Corriere de la Sera: “The menu is clear, the reason they (the Japanese tourists) paid that price is because they not only ordered the spaghetti but also the fish that was fresh.
“The customers chose it at the counter themselves.”
However, Italian police are starting to crack down on repeat offenders thought to be misleading and overcharging patrons after a string of highly publicised incidents involving eye-watering bills.
These include a group of Japanese charged £970 for a meal in Venice, and a restaurant in Rome criticised for charging tourists £70 for two burgers and three coffees.
Claudio Pica, head of the Italian Federation of Public and Tourist Traders, said this latest incident in Rome was “very serious”.
“It greatly damages the image of Rome’s restaurateurs,“ she said.
“We ask that Rome’s police and tourist police intervene and make them pay a high penalty such as losing their license or face criminal charges.”
