Paris Restaurants: Some restaurants in tourist-heavy areas of Paris are reportedly charging American visitors significantly more than local patrons, according to a recent investigation by French daily Le Parisien. In a social experiment conducted by the publication, a French journalist teamed up with blogger Marc, better known as Radin Malin, who specialises in spotting everyday scams. The duo went to the same restaurant at the same time and ordered the same food: one in disguise as an American tourist with a tourist cap, Eiffel Tower T-shirt and American accent; while the other went as a typical Parisian.
They visited several restaurants near key landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars to compare bills. The outcome was telling: American tourists were often charged considerably more for the same meals, the investigation found.
The experiment was prompted by recurring complaints from American visitors on social media. Tourists had reported unexplained bill surges, being charged more than menu-listed prices, and being pushed to leave tips - something that is not customary in France, where service charges are already included.
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At one restaurant, both the faux-American and French diners ordered identical meals: lasagna, a soda, and water. The French customer was served a can of Coke priced at 6.50 euros and a free carafe of water. The American counterpart was instead asked to choose between "Medium" and "Large" Coke. When he picked "Medium," a pint was served for 9.50 euros, and a separate bottle of water was added to the bill at 6 euros. No option for a free carafe was mentioned. The American tourist's bill ended up 9.50 euros higher.
Moreover, the American tourist was also offered garlic bread, which was not clearly marked as an additional item but was later charged at 6 euros, another subtle upcharge.
The pattern continued at another restaurant near the Champ de Mars, where the server falsely claimed that "service is not included" and strongly encouraged the American diner to leave a tip. In reality, as Franck Trouet, general delegate of the Groupement des Hotelleries et Restaurateurs (GHR), clarified, French law mandates that service, water, and taxes be included in the listed price, reported Le Parisien.
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In this second instance, the American tourist ended up paying 10 euros more than the French customer. This included a 4 euros tip, implied to be mandatory, and another 6 euros for bottled water that the French tourist could have replaced with a free carafe.
According to Le Parisien, these small but systematic pricing differences meant that American diners sometimes ended up paying nearly 50% more than locals for the same meal.
It is a good idea for tourists to check the bill carefully, ask questions, and not hesitate to request tap water, which is your right under French law.