This just in - for those who thought you were getting scammed in Rome restaurants, you were!
 

This was is in the NY Times today, and confirms what many of you have been reporting on this board recently. I find it very sad that this practice seems to be so widespread. Guess we'll be eating in our apartment even more than I anticipated next year! At least, I'll know the ingredients.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/09/wo...e/09italy.html

I ate lunch in a outdoor cafe down the street from St. Peters last August. My friend and I were charged 27 euros for 2 slices of pizza and two diet cokes. The waiter told us our bill was so high because we did not stand at the bar inside and eat. This happened to me the year before at another cafe but I was eating inside. I know now what to do next time I travel to Rome. Thank you for the link.

I have spent a lot of time in "small town" Germany, and something like this has never happened to me. The Italians look at Americans as sheep for the shearing. Sure, Italy has some neet tourist attractions, but it is a den of thieves. Next time, spend your vacation in Germany.

the bit about being charged more to sit at a table, as opposed to the charge for standing up at the bar, applies to everyone, maybe not at the same rate, but standing is less expensive than sitting. Many travel resources mention that--it was no doubt frustrating to not know that in advance.
All of Italy is a den of thieves?
Nice. Is it really surprising to you that chicanery is more common in large city anywhere than in small town anywhere?
Warnings are helpful, but lets not paint entire countries with broad brushes.

Wow. The New York Times scooped again.

This is not unique to Italy nor universal in Italy. It has been going on throughout Europe for decades, at least. I have been skewered in Holland, Germany, Spain, Greece, etc.

In France the posted menus specify the price at the table and at the bar. There can be no confusion. Often the bar price is less than half of the table price.

I have seen menus posted in restaurants in Italy that were in different languages.
The German menu, of which I could read about 60-70%, was invariably cheaper than the English menu. Also, the order of the items was different between the two menus.

No one to one correlation possible, and the menus were strategically posted on separate windows.

I totally agree-nothing unique here at all-and certainly not endemic to Italy-I have always had more problems with waiters and restaurants trying to shortchange/overcharge me in Paris than I've ever had in Italy-and the difference between bar and table service- doesn't everyone who's been to Europe more than once know that already?

I'm not an overly experienced travelor- but if the eatery your choosing has PICTURES for each dish or is right on a PLAZA your screwed!!!! Thats a fact!!! It doesn't matter if your in ROME, San Fransico, Paris, Minneapolis, whatever!!! Those places cater to tourists. Research,explore, get off the tour route, and you WILL NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I am a backpacker, 30 y/o and have never had this problem. I