How American Tourists Are Ripped Off In Some Paris Restaurants

French newspaper Le Parisien performed a fascinating undercover investigation, after some restaurants in touristy areas of Paris received bad reviews for reportedly charging foreign tourists more than locals. Does this actually happen, and in what form?

Undercover American tourist charged more than local

Le Parisien sent two reporters to dine at two cafes in the Champ-de-Mars area, near the Eiffel Tower. One presented himself as a local, and one presented himself as an American tourist (with a rather poor attempt at a stereotypical American accent, I must say… though I suppose it worked).

More from OMAAT Four Seasons Cap Ferrat: How To Get The Best Deal, Extra Perks Read more

They sat in the same area, and ordered identical things. How did their experiences differ? At the first restaurant, they both ordered a lasagna, a Coke, and a water. While they were both charged the same for the lasagna, that’s where the similarities ended:

• The “American” tourist was given the option of a medium or large Coke (€9.50), was brought a bottle of water (€6), and was asked if he wanted garlic bread (which he later found out cost €6)
• The “French” guest was automatically given a can of coke (€6.50), was brought complimentary filtered water, and was offered complimentary bread (not garlic bread, just the standard one)

At the second restaurant, they both ordered salmon and a water. While they were both charged the same for the salmon, the rest was different:

• The “American” tourist was automatically charged (€6) for a bottle of water, and was told that service wasn’t included; when he tried to tip around 10%, the server actually changed the tip to be closer to 15%, using the machine, without asking
• The “French” guest was offered complimentary water, and had service included, despite the salmon costing the same amount (€22)

Are these practices surprising or problematic?

As I see it, there are two separate issues here — is it reasonable to charge tourists more than locals, and are the specific tactics being used here fair?

Call it a hot take, but in theory I think it’s actually not totally unreasonable for establishments in areas popular with tourists to have different pricing for locals than tourists. We’ve seen widespread anti-tourism protests in Europe in recent times, as those in some major cities are tired of being priced out of the places they live. The way I view it:

• The concept of discounts for locals is nothing new; for example, there are all kinds of hotels that have special rates for locals
• Ultimately having locals at an establishment positively adds toward the vibe; most people don’t want to go to a cafe in Paris and be surrounded exclusively by Americans
• Locals in tourist hotposts are majorly impacted by tourism, in both good and bad ways, and that’s a tough balance to maintain

So, what about this specific undercover operation shown above? The one thing I find totally unacceptable is the server reportedly changing the tip amount that someone left, as that’s just incredibly unethical.

Beyond that, though, I’ve actually gotta say, I don’t actually find this to necessarily be so bad. To be clear, I’m not saying I love this, but I’m not clutching my pearls in shock that this is happening, and I’m almost surprised it wasn’t worse:

• Many Americans are convinced they absolutely always need bottled water, when that’s obviously not the case; so I don’t really blame the servers for playing into that to generate revenue
• For better or worse, Americans change the tipping culture in the places that travel go, since they often apply their own standards, rather than local standards, and that creates a tricky balance for servers
• At least the amount charged for food was the same, and wasn’t adjusted

I’d almost summarize this as “Americans overtip, demand bottle water, and like big sodas,” which, in some way, almost just seems like an accurate read on the situation. Perhaps the moral of the story here is to specifically ask for tap water in Paris if you’re an American, and don’t want to pay for bottled water.

Bottom line

A French newspaper conducted an interesting undercover experiment, having one reporter pose as a local, and one as an American tourist. While they were charged the same for food, that’s where the similarities ended, with the “American” automatically being brought bottled water and larger soda (both at a higher cost), and also being told service isn’t included.

Obviously no one likes to feel like they’re being ripped off, but I’ve gotta say, this isn’t quite as egregious as I was expecting the behavior to be.

Are you surprised by these Paris restaurant tactics?