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(CNN) - A restaurant in Rome received a wave of complaints about the alleged tourist price overload after two Japanese diners claimed they had received an account for 430 euros ($ 470) for two plates of spaghetti and fish, in addition to Water.
A photo of the considerable bill of the restaurant Antico Caffè di Marte, near the castle of Sant'Angelo, circulated in social networks after it was published on Facebook in early September.
In addition to the total of 349.50 euros for food, tourists were charged an extra 80 euros for the tip.
Other diners say they were also scammed by the restaurant.
Minh Ngoc Bui, who is Vietnamese but lives in Germany, is one of several people who left comments on Trip Advisor about their supposed experiences at the establishment.
Together with three other friends, Minh was having lunch at Antico Caffè on August 27 when the waiter suggested the “seafood - mixed fish” dish on the menu, priced at 6.5 euros per 100 grams, he told CNN.
“We agreed because it would not be a big problem to pay an extra 6.5 euros to try a recommendation plate,” said Minh. "But they brought us a plate of mixed fish of about 2 kilos."
“We were surprised to see this dish because we did not expect '100 grams of fish' to be so big. But it was our last day in Italy, so we told ourselves it was fine. They are about 2 kilos of fish so I agreed to pay around 130-150 euros for this fish dish. We don't want to have more drama in Italy. ”
But when one of his friends asked for the bill, he was told that he had to pay 4.8 kilos of mixed fish at a cost of 315 euros, Minh said.
Adding 40 euros of service fee and 40 euros for the tip, the total bill was an amazing 476.40 euros.
“He complained that it could not be so much and he did not agree to pay so much for the service and the tip, they did not announce clearly about this rule on the menu. But they told him that the service and the tip were the rules and that we really ate a lot, ”said the woman. “He tried to complain, but he was forced to pay. So he paid alone. ”
When Minh found out about the bill later, he suggested that his friend return to the restaurant to complain.
“When we returned, I asked the man who served us to put 4.8 kg of mixed seafood on that plate. Because I firmly believe that it is impossible and that they cannot do it. And just as I thought, they couldn't do it and refused to do it with the excuse that they didn't have time, ”he said.
They tried to report the restaurant to the police, but authorities told them they should have called before paying, Minh said.
CNN has contacted the Antico Caffè di Marte restaurant for comments.
After angry reviews, Tripadvisor suspended the restaurant review page with this statement: “Due to a recent event that has attracted media attention and caused an influx of review posts that do not describe a first-hand experience, We have temporarily suspended the publication of new reviews for this listing. If you have had a first hand experience on this property, check back soon. We look forward to receiving your opinion! ”
Antico Caffè di Marte responded to criticism caused by the bill of Japanese tourists saying that the menu "is clear", according to a statement published by the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.
"Everything is written in detail, just look at the prices: 16 euros maximum for a spaghetti with seafood," said Giacomo Jin, the owner, according to the newspaper. “To pay that figure, the [Japanese] girls ordered not only spaghetti, but also fish. On the other hand, our fish is fresh: the customer picks it up at the counter, we weigh it and cook it. ”
Regarding the tip, Jin said he was voluntary and that the client could choose between 10 and 20% of the total amount.
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