A café near St Peter’s Basilica in Rome has been criticized for being a ‘tourist trap’ by angry customers who claim they have been scammed.
Tourists have been warned to stay away from the Italian restaurant, which serves a selection of dishes including sandwiches, pizzas and desserts. Coffee and other drinks are also available.
Bar Moretto (Caffe Moretto), located near the Vatican City, has been accused of “daylight robbery,” with dozens of disgruntled customers on TripAdvisor claiming they were charged outrageous prices for food that tasted “awful.”
Visitors also said they felt pressured to tip, with one traveler telling FEMAIL that she saw customers “chased by an angry waiter” for a tip.
“It was classic waiters outside trying to get you in by being nice, then paying over €100 for two rubbish pastas and two cokes,” she added.
A cafe near St Peter’s Basilica in Rome has been criticized for being a ‘tourist trap’ by angry customers who claim they’ve been scammed
“The menus outside had prices (but the waiters ushered you in so fast you couldn’t see anything) and the menus inside were just pictures.”
Out of 1,511 reviews on TripAdvisor, 648 rated the restaurant “Terrible,” the lowest rating on the site.
The cafe doesn’t fare much better on Google Reviews, where it has an average score of 1.5 stars out of 5.
A visitor from Warsaw, Poland, complained of a ‘disgusting scam’ where they fished out more than €50 for a pair of sandwiches.
“We wanted a quick breakfast and coffee,” they wrote on TripAdvisor.
‘We ordered two triangular sandwiches and a ham and mozzarella ciabatta + cappuccino. The waiter brought us a bill of 53€.
“This is a disgusting scam that is happening right next to the Vatican. For sandwiches they charged us 14-16€ each.’
A second added that they would have preferred “a Maccies.”
Tourists have been warned to stay away from the Italian restaurant, which serves a selection of dishes including sandwiches, pizzas and desserts. Coffee and other drinks are also available
Another tourist from Saudi Arabia shared their hefty €143 receipt, claiming the bill was much higher than what visitors are led to believe
Bar Moretto, near the Vatican City, was accused of ‘daylight robbery’, with dozens of disgruntled customers on TripAdvisor revealing they had been charged extortionate prices for food that tasted ‘awful’
‘I wouldn’t even rate the 1 star! It was horrible, it was a real scam,” they wrote.
‘I wanted to treat my boyfriend to what I thought would be an Italian lunch, but it wasn’t. Really wouldn’t recommend. STAY OUT!!! Overpriced and food was terrible. Maccies would have been a treat compared to this place.’
They continued: ‘The waiter pressured us to tip, which wasn’t going to happen, and when we said we didn’t have change, he got into an argument and TOLD us to pay him in English money, even though we were service costs included.’
“Daylight robbery,” a third added. ‘A sham place to scam tourists. Ask for the price first. The lady in charge won’t even look you in the eyes while she charges you. E38 for 3 coffees and 2 croissants.
‘Pity as great location and only bad experience in Rome. Should really be closed as a really bad example for the city.’
Another tourist from Saudi Arabia shared their hefty €143 receipt, claiming the bill was much higher than what visitors are led to believe.
Out of 1,511 reviews on TripAdvisor, 648 rated the restaurant as “Terrible,” the lowest ranking on the site
The cafe doesn’t fare much better on Google Reviews, where it has an average score of 1.5 out of 5 stars
Visitors also said they were pressured to tip, with one traveler telling FEMAIL she saw customers “chased by an angry waiter” for a tip
“To all tourists visiting the Vatican… BEWARE of this restaurant,” he wrote.
‘They have MODUS OPERANDI for their customers..they will show a menu which has a lower price and after you eat and ask for your bill… You will be shocked at the prices of your orders.. DOUBLE.
“Truly, we were disappointed despite the sanctity of the place.”
While the reviews were overwhelmingly negative, a few people had nothing but good things to say.
“Absolutely amazing burgers, great, fast and friendly service by a great waiter named Alexander,” praised one happy customer.
‘The desserts are divine, beautiful fresh food, great coffee….cannot fault this caffè/bar…..5 stars all the way.’
A visitor from Warsaw, Poland, complained of a ‘disgusting scam’ where they fished out more than €50 for a pair of sandwiches
Elsewhere, a couple from Hull said they enjoyed a wedding anniversary meal at the cafe and said it was worth the hefty bill.
“We had visited the Vatican Museums and it was raining heavily, so we decided to eat here to celebrate our wedding anniversary,” they said.
‘Our waiter Alexander was very charming and when we said we were celebrating he and other waiters sang Happy Birthday to us which I thought was very funny.
‘My starter, a tomato bruschetta, was flavourful, my husband ordered a cheese and meat platter, he wasn’t happy with 18 euros when he saw some processed cheese on it!
‘As a main course we shared a dish with steak, chips and salad. The steak was excellent, melted in the mouth and delicious. We enjoyed our deserts tirmuisu [sic] and pistachio cheesecake and this was all washed down with a bottle of Pinot Grigio.
“All in all a great anniversary meal, the bill was high and yes it was expensive but you are in Rome you have choices and if you want a cheap meal go to McDonalds.”
Numerous attempts have been made to contact the restaurant for comment.