We
arrived in Rome late and starving. After checking into our hotel and getting ATAC bus passes, we trawled the busy streets of Rome looking for a trattoria to
eat.
We
found a place near the Trevi fountain. The menu on display near the door gave
reasonable prices for pizzas (about 8-9 euros each). With the standard canned
drinks I believed our bill would come to around 40 Euros.
I
noticed after ordering, a woman on the next table questioning the bill. I
overheard her say, ‘This practice
confuses tourists’. I didn’t know what she meant but dearly wished I had.
After
this woman left, I ordered 3 pizzas and 3 canned drinks (a cola and 2 sprites).
The pizza was nothing special, not unlike a marguerita from Asda. Still, I let
it go because I was starving.
When
our bill came, I was in for a shock: It came to 65 euro. The 3 canned drinks
came to 15 euro alone. (Worse, the pound was weak due to Brexit).
I
also noticed at the bottom of the menu (not the one on display at the entrance)
that each guest is charged 3 Euros for ‘table’ charge. In other words, we are
charged 9 Euros before we even take a bite. This ‘charge’ was not on display on
the menu at the door.
There
were also no prices for drinks on the menu.
Now
I understood what the woman on the next table was talking about.
I
demanded to see the manager about but the waiter said the manager wasn’t in. Of
course, the manager was in the kitchen trying to avoid me.
I
told the waiter, I wasn’t paying until I saw the manager.
This
‘manager’ (who was cooking), didn’t look Italian. He was white with long
features. I don’t have a problem with this if he was a good cook, but my ‘Asda
pizza’ began to make sense. For one looking for an authentic Italian
experience, this particular trattoria isn’t the place to go.
In the end, he reimbursed me 6 Euros.
Later
in the holidays, I looked at other menus at other trattorias. Few show the
prices of drinks or define if there is a table charge. I asked a waiter what he
charged for a can of coke and he seemed incapable of giving a straight answer.
In the end, I resorted to writing out my order on a piece of paper. This seemed
the only way to empower my purse. It is mine after all.
Some
trattorias make the claim ‘no hidden service charge’. This implies that
tourists have taken issue with this dishonest practice.
Lessons Learnt:
Look
for hidden charges in trattorias such as table service.
Ask
for the price of drink in a trattoria to get an idea of what the bill will
really come to.
Avoid
trattorias near busy tourist attractions.
Read
all my articles on Rome on my Rome
a Survival Kit
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| 3 canned drinks came to 15 Euros in a trattoria |
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| Receipt from a trattoria showing service charge and price for drinks. |
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| Some trattoria menus don't show price for drinks or service charge |
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| Avoid Trattorias near tourist attractions like this one |
