Rome restaurant faces wave of tourist complaints after $500 bill goes viral

Question: Have you ever been ripped off?

A Rome restaurant has attracted a wave of complaints over the alleged overcharging of tourists after two Japanese diners claimed they had been slapped with a bill for €430 ($470) for two plates of spaghetti and fish, and water. A picture of the hefty bill by Antico Caffè di Marte restaurant, near Castel Sant’Angelo, made the rounds on social media after it was posted on Facebook earlier in September. In addition to the €349.50 total for food, the tourists were charged an extra €80 for the tip.

“We agreed because It would be not a big deal to pay €6.5 extra to try a recommendation dish,” Minh said. “But they brought us only one plate of mixed fish around 2 kg.”

But when one of her friends asked for the bill, he was asked to pay for 4.8 kg of mixed fish at a cost of €315, Minh said. Adding €40 of service fee and €40 for the tip, the whole bill was a staggering €476.40.

“He complained that this could not be this much and he doesn’t agree to pay this much for the service and tip, they did not announce clearly about this rule on the menu. But they told him that the service and tip were the rules and we really ate that much,” the woman said. “He tried to complain but they forced him to pay. So he paid by himself.”

They tried to report the restaurant to police, but authorities told them they should have called before the payment, Minh said. CNN has contacted the Antico Caffè di Marte restaurant for comment.