Tourists visiting Paris restaurants are being charged as much as 50 per cent more than French customers, an investigation by Le Parisien has found.
After several online complaints about the practice, the French newspaper conducted an experiment. It sent two journalists to the same restaurant at the same time: one in disguise as an American tourist, the other as a typical Parisien.
The men both ordered a lasagne, a Coke and water. Writer Mathieu Hennequin, disguised as a tourist in a baseball cap and an Eiffel Tower t-shirt, was consistently overcharged.
The French customer was offered a can of Coke, or a medium or large glass. He was charged €6.50 (£5.64). Meanwhile, Mr Hennequin was not offered the smaller option, instead paying €9.50 (£8.24) for the medium size
The “American” was also not offered a free carafe of water, unlike the French customer. He was charged a further €6 (£5.20) for a small bottle.
In total, Mr Hennequin was charged €9.50 (£8.24) more than his Parisian counterpart.
In another establishment Mr Hennequin was told that the service charge was not included in the final bill, which Le Parisien says is not true.
The reporter said he was charged an “almost obligatory” tip of €4 (£3.47), and that when he agreed to add a 10 per cent gratuity via the card machine, the waiter discreetly increased this to 15 per cent.
In both cases, the paper found that the bill for the fake American tourist was 50 per cent more than the French customer.
Franck Trouet, of GHR, a hotel and restaurant group, looked at these findings and said: “It’s a disgrace to the profession. You can’t even call these people waiters.
“You should know that in France, water and bread are free. One can refuse a bottle of water. The tip is to express thanks for the service if one is very satisfied. Above all, it is not compulsory. This is not the United States.”
In April, Le Parisien unearthed similar tactics during an investigation into the price of wine in the city’s cafes.
They found that some bistros in Paris were pouring cheap wine for tourists after they ordered more expensive, premium bottles.
One of undercover sommeliers, wine merchant Marina Giuberti, found a €7.50 (£6.50) sancerre had been replaced by a cheaper sauvignon priced at €5.60 (£4.86), but she was charged the higher rate.
Staff at brasseries and cafes in Paris confirmed that the behaviour is often encouraged by bosses looking to maximise their profits.
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