While visiting Greece on vacation from Honduras, one couple encountered a crazy restaurant bill that almost ruined their trip.
Tourist Oscar Maldonado and his boyfriend were charged $643 for two drinks and a bowl of lobster pasta at DK Oyster in Mykonos, Greece. The couple told The Mirror that although the service was good, the pricing on menu items was not clear.
“We ordered non-alcoholic drinks,” Maldonado said. “Just some smoothies. I didn’t ask for the price, then they brought the menu over. It was misleading to say the least. My boyfriend had the lobster pasta.”
The pair were encouraged by restaurant staff to enjoy free access to their sunbeds near the beach. Given that the other sunbeds seemed overpriced, the couple agreed to purchase beverages in exchange for the beautiful beachside experience. Unfortunately, the moment took a turn for the worst.
When the couple decided to order the lobster pasta with their smoothies, they were shocked when the waiters brought out the biggest lobster they had. Maldonado said the food tasted good but he had no clue that the restaurant charged by the gram for the lobster. When the bill arrived, they were charged $500 for the pasta and $65 for each smoothie.
“I felt tempted to call the police, but I didn’t want to cause any trouble,” he said. “I said ‘How do you calculate this?’ He just went on a rant repeating ‘service fee.'”
Maldonado and his partner paid and left the restaurant, however, the couple wasn’t the first tourists to feel dubbed by the Greek restaurant.
A Repeat Offender
Maldonado and his boyfriend join a long list of disgruntled travelers who were left short on cash after being surprised by a large bill at DK Oyster. Currently, the restaurant has a 2 rating on TripAdvisor and 815 negative reviews. Like Maldonado, many people felt the restaurant’s pricing was unclear and deceiving.
Canadian traveler Lindsay Breen and her husband Alex told The Daily Mail they were given cocktail menus with no pricing while visiting the Greek restaurant. After ordering two drinks and a dozen oysters, the waiter handed the couple a bill for 400 euros.
“We were really shocked, especially because we’d had some really nice meals in Italy and we’re willing to spend when it’s justified but we didn’t get much,” Breen said.
Other tourists chimed in on TripAdvisor having similar experiences as Maldonado and Breen at DK Oyster.
“A bill of over 100 euros for non-alcoholic drinks! Don’t be fooled…spend your money on the many other lovely venues nearby,” one review read.
The Daily Mail spoke with restaurant owner Dimitrios Kalamaras who they described as “unmoved” by the negative reviews online. Kalamaras remembered Breen’s accounts of her time at DK Oyster and insinuated she lied about her experience to boost her online influence.
“Every time I received such a complaint, always by anonymous users through Trip Advisor, I consulted with the personnel, reminding them that it is crucial for our reputation to be sure that procedures are followed carefully,” Kalamaras told the Daily Mail in an interview.
A TripAdvisor spokesperson released a statement regarding the accusations against the restaurant saying, “The stories coming out from travelers about their experiences at this restaurant are horrifying, and we sympathize with any who may have been affected.”