A woman dining at a luxury hotel in Italy was surprised to find that she and her husband had been given different menus. Her menu did not list any prices, while her husband’s clearly showed the cost of each dish. This is not a common practice across restaurants in Italy, although some luxury establishments may offer different menus to diners.
She shared the experience online, prompting a discussion about whether diners would prefer to see prices or enjoy their meal without them. She later revealed that their meal cost $926.86, which made her rethink her initial reaction to the price-free menu.
Woman discovers different menus in Italy
The video was shared on Instagram by user Liana. In the clip, she explains that she and her husband were dining at Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como when she noticed that her menu did not have any prices.
She says, “In Italy, they do something different with their menus for men than women. My husband and I are at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como. It’s so beautiful. And I was looking... We’re looking through the menu. I said, ‘There’s no prices anywhere. I don’t really know if I want to do the tasting menu or order everything à la carte.’”
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{{/usCountry}}Her husband then told her that he could see the prices on his menu.
“This happened to us once before at a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Rome. They only put the prices on the man’s menu. Look, let me show the difference. That’s his menu, and on the same page is my menu,” she says.
Initially, Liana said she liked not knowing the prices and found the practice interesting.
Woman reveals $926.86 restaurant bill
In a follow-up caption, Liana admitted that the final bill changed her perspective. She said they unknowingly ordered two drinks costing $120 and a birthday dessert priced at $140. Including the tip, their total bill came to $926.86.
She added that she had estimated the meal would cost around $500 and wished she had been given a menu with all the prices, especially because she did not feel the food was extraordinary, except for the beef Wellington.
However, Liana said they had already set aside money in a high-yield savings account for food, shopping and taxis during their trip. She said this made the experience feel less stressful because they knew they could cover the bill.
“I loved getting to sit there and enjoy my birthday while my husband was thinking about the prices. It was really refreshing and I wish more restaurants did this!” she wrote.
The video prompted mixed reactions online.
“Please bring this to the US. It will be phenomenal.”
“My girlfriend would magically find the most expensive anyway.”
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“Single women eat for free then?”
“We love this! Let us order in peace.”
“Not an Italian thing... Fancy restaurant thing.”
“Regardless who is paying, I want to know the prices. I appreciate transparency.”
“My husband paid for the dinner I planned for him on his birthday.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)