Snooty Paris restaurants are secretly up-charging US tourists by 50%, investigation reveals: ‘Disgrace to the profession'
Parisian servers have always been notorious for their rudeness, but now it looks like they're ripping off customers as well. Paris restaurants are charging US tourists up to 50% more than local patrons, an undercover investigation has found.
Following several online complaints about the so-called American tourist tax, the city's leading rag Le Parisien sent two reporters to a cafe on the heavily-touristed Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower to see if the servers were guilty of fry-way robbery, the Telegraph reported.
Paris has become the City Of Light wallets for American diners.
Ever – stock.adobe.com
One of the journalists went dressed as a typical Parisian while the other, writer Mathieu Hennequin, masqueraded as a classic US traveler with a baseball cap and Eiffel Tower T-shirt while putting on a passable American accent, the Independent reported.
To conduct the experiment, both men ordered a lasagna, Coke and water, wherein Hennequin noticed he was consistently charged quite a bit more.
The bona fide Frenchman was offered a choice of a small can of Coke or a medium or large glass. He chose the can for €6.50 ($7.63).
Meanwhile, Hennequin was not offered the smaller option and ended up forking over €9.50 ($11.15) for the medium size.
While the French customer was offered a free carafe of water, the faux American was given no such choice and instead had to pay another €6 ($7) for a small bottle of Vittel.
All told, Hennequin was charged €9.50 ($11.15) than his fois gras gobbling brethren.
To ensure that the culinary tariff wasn't a coincidence, the epicurean narcs went incognito at another establishment to test out its tipping policy.
When the bill arrived, the French customer noticed he was given an obligatory 10% service charge while the 'American' patron was asked if he wanted to leave a gratuity because 'service isn't included.'
Franck Trouet (not pictured), of GHR, a hotel and restaurant group, called the fleecing 'a disgrace to the profession.'
Andrii Iemelianenko – stock.adobe.com
He attempted to leave a 10% tip to match his compatriot's service charge, but the waiter sneakily upped it to 15% while shielding the payment screen so he couldn't see.
In both instances, the 'American' paid 50% more than this croissant-crunching companion.
Franck Trouet of GHR hotel and restaurant group called the fleecing 'a disgrace to the profession.'
'You can't even call these people waiters,' he declared. 'You should know that in France, water and bread are free. One can refuse a bottle of water.'
He added, 'The tip is to express thanks for the service if one is very satisfied. Above all, it is not compulsory. This is not the United States.'
This was far from the first time Parisian restaurants had pulled the wool over tourists' eyes.
In April, a similar probe by Le Parisien found that some City Of Light bistros were pouring cheap wine for foreign diners after they'd ordered top-shelf tipple.
Although these Parisian scam artists don't hold a candle to the notorious seafood restaurant in Greece, DK Oyster, which has been known to charge diners $900 for some light bites and aperitifs.
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Boston Globe
25 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
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National Geographic
2 hours ago
- National Geographic
Why Alabama's emerging wine country should be your next road trip
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Wine has been grown in this area since 1894 and while prohibition shut down that practice, cousins Dylan and Joshua Laminack opened Fruithurst in 2009 and it's since become a regional favourite. The creaking rocking chair outside their wooden building looks out onto quiet backroads with 20 acres of vines just to the right-hand side. It's a serene setting for sipping their intense and sweet Muscadine white Fruithurst Gem, though Dylan and his wife Jessica's affable chatter and tales never let the volume get too low. While there's not much in terms of food served, Fruithurst does host several summer and harvest time festivals with food trucks and live music. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
The Hill
13 hours ago
- The Hill
The reverse migration: African Americans relocating to Kenya cite heritage and restoration
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Like dozens of other African Americans who have moved to Nairobi in recent years, Harris was attracted to Kenya's tropical climate and what he describes as the warmth and friendliness of the people he believes he shares a history and culture with. In search of community and a better life 'I have always had that adventurous spirit, especially when I joined the military and got to go to different countries. So I am taking the opportunity to venture out to new places,' he said. 'That is what allowed me to make a home away from home and Kenya is my new home.' Some friends have been reaching out to him to explore a 'change from the U.S for their peace of mind,' he said. Several other African Americans who have 'come home' like him have set up thriving businesses in Nairobi that include travel agencies, restaurants and farms. Many African Americans who have sought a better life abroad or are considering it said President Donald Trump's administration — with its crackdown on diversity programs — isn't the main reason they want to move. Rather, most say they had been mulling a move for some time, and the current political environment in the U.S. may be pushing them to act sooner than initially planned. 'I can't say the administration is the reason why the people I know want to part ways from America. Some are planning to move for a better quality of living life,' Harris said. Auston Holleman, an American YouTuber who has lived in various countries for almost a decade, said he settled on Kenya nine months ago because people 'look like me.' 'It is not like going to Europe or going to some Latin American countries where there are not many Black people,' he said. Holleman, who often films his daily life, said he felt that the social fabric in the U.S. was 'broken.' In contrast, he said he felt socially accepted in Kenya. He cited an experience when his taxi driver's car stopped, and in five minutes they got help from a random stranger. 'That made me realize I was in the right place,' he said. Growing numbers are interested in leaving the US Other African countries have attracted even larger numbers of African Americans. Ghana, which launched a 'Year of the Return' program to attract the Black diaspora in 2019, said last year it held a ceremony that granted citizenship to 524 people, mostly Black Americans. African American businesses such as Adilah Relocation Services have seen a notable rise in the number of African Americans seeking to move to Kenya. The company's founder, Adilah Mohammad, moved to Kenya four days after her mother's funeral in search of healing. She says the peace and restoration she experienced in Kenya made her stay — and advocate for those searching for the same. Her company helps clients relocate by house hunting, shopping for furniture and ensuring banking and medical services are seamless. 'There are 15 families that have come so far, and we have five more on the calendar that are coming in the next 90 days. We have people that have booked for 2026 with no date, they just know that they are leaving,' she says. Mohammad said many African Americans have been planning their move for decades. 'For me it is a movement. It is people deciding to make a choice for themselves, they are not being forced, shackles are being broken. When they say they are coming home, they are choosing to be free and it is mental freedom and so I am ecstatic,' she says. Experts say African economies are likely to benefit from these moves, especially from those willing to tackle corruption and create a healthy environment for investors. Raphael Obonyo, a public policy expert at U.N-Habitat, says the U.S is losing resources — as well as the popular narrative that America is the land of opportunities and dreams. 'This reverse migration is denting that narrative, so America is most likely to lose including things like brain drain,' he explained. For Mohammad, the sense of belonging has given her peace within. 'I love being here. Returning to Africa is one thing, but finding the place that you feel like you belong is another,' she said. _____________ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
