Tourists furious after ‘rip-off’ restaurant in Greece charges €82 for eight soft drinks

Rhodes restaurant charges €14 for milkshake

The bill has sparked debate online (Facebook/Vikki Scott)

A British tourist’s complaint about a ‘rip-off’ restaurant in Greece has gone viral after she shared a picture of the bill on social media.

Vikki Scott was shocked to be charged €82 for eight soft drinks at The Gate restaurant in Rhodes old town.

She uploaded a snap of the hand-written bill on Facebook – which included a €14 charge for a milkshake – along with a caption warning other tourists to stay away.

“The bill for eight soft drinks was €82 – €14 for a milkshake!” she wrote. “I confronted him and all he could say was ‘thank you lady’.

“People like him should not be allowed to rip off tourists.”

Scott added: “Please share this especially in Rhodes sites to stop others getting ripped off!”

The itemised bill shows that two drinks cost €5 a piece, five cost €10 each and one cost €14. An €8 service charge was also added, just under 11 per cent of the total bill.

After sharing the story, it quickly gathered steam on social media, garnering 900 comments and more than 700 shares.

Some users agreed that the restaurant was a rip-off, with Paula Moody commenting: “Shameful. Hope it did not spoil your holiday. Rhodes is a beautiful island with many hard working honest and trustworthy restaurant bar owners.”

However, others argued that restaurants can charge what they like and it is up to visitors to look at a menu first to assess whether they should take their business elsewhere.

Georgia Tsitsa wrote: “Each restaurant has its own prices in any case and it’s their right to position in the market with any price they wish. Why you did you not ask for a menu so as to see the price?”

The Gate currently has a one-star rating on Tripadvisor, with many reviewers branding it “overpriced” and a “rip-off”.

It is the latest in a string of stories of tourists being charged high prices for food and drink while on holiday.

In May 2019, an American tourist was left shocked after being presented with an €836 (£738) bill for some calamari and beers at a restaurant in Mykonos.

The visitor from Brooklyn shared a picture of the bill from DK Oyster restaurant on TripAdvisor, writing, “This place is a rip off.”

The bill shows the group was charged €591 for six plates of calamari, working out at €98.50 per serving; €150 for six local beers (€25 per drink); and €59.40 for three chicken Caesar salads (€19.80 per salad).

They also ordered two bottles of water at €9 a pop and an €18 tomato juice.

The restaurant owner responded to the accusations: “I want to tell you from my heart that we value our customers, and we have carefully accounted for the cost in order to produce a product which we consider to be value for money.

“If you can’t afford them, in order to avoid any bitterness, just opt for the special combo menu – which may not be the most satisfying option, but allows a small glimpse for those who cannot afford the experience.”