Holidaymakers hit by ‘two-tier pricing’ at popular European destination as locals eat out for much less
27 August 2024, 13:41
Restaurants in Lisbon are reportedly charging locals less than tourists as a backlash against mass tourism continues in parts of mainland Europe.
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Portuguese people in the know are able to take advantage of cheaper rates in restaurants with venues in the centre of Lisbon showing tourist prices on menus in several different languages.
But when a local turns up to eat at these establishments, waiters tell them in ‘whispers’ that they can get a lower ‘local’ price - according to Expresso, the weekly Portuguese newspaper.
Experts told Expresso that charging different prices for food based on the customer’s nationality is “completely illegal”.
However Portugal’s hospitality industry association AHRESP said it had no knowledge of the practice of restaurants having different prices for tourists.
It said that rates for dishes must be equal for all customers.
According to the Expresso newspaper, the code for the lower prices is “transmitted verbally, in whispers or indicated on menus placed in inconspicuous or even hidden areas".
One example cited by the paper shows that in the Baixa neighbourhood, a steak at a restaurant cost £12 - but Portuguese people pay £8.38 for a full meal deal including a drink, dessert and coffee.
A customer at the restaurant, who works at a nearby jewellery shop, told the paper: “They don’t give tourists this menu.
"The waiters give them the normal list, which has prices that we cannot afford."
