After tourists complained about being charged extortionate prices for snack while on holiday in Greece, Britons heading away this summer are being warned about another prime location that has hit the headlines for facing a string of complaints about the cost of their meals and drinks.
Italy’s beautiful floating city of Venice, home of St Marks Square, canals, gondola rides and more, is well-known for being pricey but these eye-watering receipts are ridiculous.
One Venetian restaurant found itself at the end of a £12,300 fine after it charged four Japanese students €1,100 (£970) for four steaks, a plate of fried fish, water and service.
The group had eaten at Osteria de Luca restaurant, close to St Marks Square, when they were presented with the astonishing bill.
After returning to Bologna, where they were studying Italian Cuisine, they went to local police to report the restaurant.
Four Japanese students went to the police when they returned home to Bologna to complain about the cost of their meal Osteria da Luca in Venice (pictured here). It has not been revealed if they received a refund but the restaurant was eventually fined by authorities
Following the complaint, it was also revealed that their friends who had chosen a different restaurant to dine in had been charged €350 for three plates of seafood pasta.
The restaurant currently has a rating of 1.5 on Tripadvisor, with one recent review stating: ‘I went there by random. I didn’t check their rating. But I should. Location was good, service was terrible. If I can rate zero I would do it. They don’t ask you give you water add on $4, then I ordered fried seafood they said 100g was too small they will give me midsize . I didn’t thinking they charge me $50 for fried seafood and $18 dinner set on menu was terrible too. Also add on 15% service charge , I asked the waiter he said that is tax. [sic]’
Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, promised to look into the matter and authorities eventually slapped Osteria da Luca with fines totalling £12,300, after visits police, health officers, building inspectors, and the national financial crime police.
This wasn’t an isolated occurrence though.
A year before the students’ complaint in 2018, a man from Birmingham on holiday with his parents was stunned when they were charged €526 for lunch, which included oysters, chips and grilled vegetables.
Luke Tang, a university lecturer, was dining with his 70-year-old parents and was so appalled by the bill he received at the Trattoria Casanova restaurant that he wrote to the mayor to complain.
In an interview on Italian television, Mayor Brugnaro said then: ‘They’re cheapskates. Someone eats and drinks in a restaurant, then says they cannot understand the language?’
And it seems it is not just lunches and dinners that tourists need to be watchful of after one couple were charged €43 for two coffees and two bottles of water.
Juan Carlos Bustamente, 62, from Chile, shared a photo of his receipt from Caffe Lavena on social media.
The cafe, located in the expensive area of St Mark’s Square, revealed the extra cost was due to a surcharge added for sitting in the square.
Luke Tang and his elderly parents dined at Trattoria Casanova (pictured here) in Venice where they ordered a lunch that included oysters, chips and grilled vegetables
Luke Tang, a university lecturer from Birmingham, was so appalled by the bill he received at the Trattoria Casanova in Venice he wrote to the mayor to complain
Mr Tang and his parents ordered a seafood platter at Trattoria Casanova (pictured here). Restaurants in Italy often charge for meat and seafood by the gram, which is where issues can often arise
After Juan Carlos Bustamente’s receipt for €43 for two coffees and two waters went viral, many people argued the price was to be expected
The post, which went viral, attracted a number of comments from fellow outraged diners but also those who defended the price.
One person wrote: ‘On Markusplatz, this is a common fare at all cafes, if you want to sit outside. This is how it is..’
‘Well, I think you can appreciate, that you pay the main price in these kinds of establishments. Also applies to cafes at Ponte Vecchio or the Eiffel Tower. Better check the map first, before ordering. Take your loss I would say!,’ added someone else.
While a third follower wrote: ‘It’s pointless complaining, there’s a price list outside the entrance.’
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