The only time we were ripped off was in a small pizzeria in Rome. We decided to have a more reasonable priced supper since we had been spending so much on eating out. The place we stopped at had no prices marked but we each ordered a piece of pizza and a small carafe of wine. It cost as much as a good meal in a good restaurant would have. Their excuse - we ordered wine!! (Bad as it turned out). We had just come from Sorento where we had a big carafe of GOOD wine for next to nothing, so my advice is to check the prices before you order something from a pizzeria in Rome.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8123 posts
Yes, I nearly had a similar experience a few blocks from the Vatican. We specifically avoided "tourist" type places and only really wanted some wine and a beer and maybe a snack. After walking, we found a snack bar type place with wine and pizza. We had a half bottle of wine, a beer and a slice of spinach pie (order at the counter place not a restaurant) I tried to pay when ordering but he demurred, when done he picked up a pile of receipts and gave me one for 25 Euro, no itemization. I used what Italian I had to argue, pointed out what I had, and of course noticed then no posted menu. I surprised them enough that he found another ticket, I made an offer, we came to a grudging agreement and we walked out. The lesson re-learned: always look for a menu beforehand, even in what should be a cheap pizza shop.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA, USA
5 posts
Sounds a lot like our experience, except we were in central Rome, not far from Trevi Fountain. I think we pair $25 or $30 Euro for our 2 pieces of pizza and half litre of wine. It wouldn't have been so bad if the wine had been good. Another American couple in the pizzeria were dinged same as us. In Sorenti we had a whole litre of good wine with our meal at the Capri Hotel for I think $1.50 Euro so our guard was down.
Posted by
XXX
1170 posts
It's a pity you all couldn't give a name or close enough location so others could boycott these places. Does Rick warn travellers about these places?
Thanks anyway for posting, so others can be on the lookout for these rip off places.