Restaurant Scams in Barcelona

Gothic Quarter Restaurant Menu Switch

Restaurants clustered along Carrer dels Escudellers, Carrer de la Mercè, and side streets off Plaça Reial in the Barri Gòtic routinely seat tourists and then present a different, higher-priced menu than the one displayed outside. After the meal, diners discover an undisclosed cover charge of €3–5 per person for bread or olives that were placed on the table uninvited. Bills may also include a service charge that is never mentioned. Disputes are met with aggressive staff and theatrics designed to embarrass the tourist into paying.