Question 1

What is the "No-Menu-Price Restaurants" scam in Naples?

Accepted Answer

Some restaurants near tourist sites including the Naples waterfront and near Pompeii entry points present menus without prices, then charge whatever they deem appropriate. Complaints are met with aggression. Ask to see the full priced menu before being seated. If no prices are displayed, leave. Check TripAdvisor or Google reviews specifically mentioning pricing before entering.

Question 2

What is the "Added-Item Bill Padding" scam in Naples?

Accepted Answer

The menu prices are honest but the bill is not. Items you never ordered appear on the conto: a second bottle of water, extra coperti counted per dish rather than per person, an antipasto della casa that was presented at the table as complimentary, or a higher grade of fish than the one actually served. The bill often arrives handwritten as a single total with no line items, or the card terminal is handed over with the amount already keyed in and a tip pre-added. This is a different mechanism from the undisclosed-pricing problem: here you can check the menu and still be overcharged, because the fraud is in the arithmetic. Order from the printed menu and refuse unrequested dishes out loud when they land, including anything described as a gift. Ask for the conto itemised and for a ricevuta fiscale, which Italian restaurants are legally required to issue. Read the total before you tap and key any tip in yourself. For seafood priced by weight, photograph the menu page and confirm the price per kilo and the weight of the fish before it is cooked.

Restaurant Scams in Naples

No-Menu-Price Restaurants

Added-Item Bill Padding

Experienced a scam here?