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25th July 2025
11:05am BST
It's no secret that Parisians aren't the biggest fans of tourists, especially American tourists, who are often deemed loud and obnoxious.
For that reason, it's long been suspected that tourists pay more than locals at restaurants in the French capital.
However, the newspaper Le Parisien has finally put the theory to the test.
The news outlet sent a reporter masquerading as an American tourist and Radin Malin, similar to Martin Lewis in the UK, to a cafe situated near the Eiffel Tower.
Both parties ordered the exact same thing: lasagne, a Coke, and water.
Surprisingly, or not, they both ended up with very different bills.
The Frenchman was presented with a can of Coke for €6.50, along with a carafe of water.
The 'American' was only offered 'medium' or 'large' Coke, with no further explanation regarding the sizes of the beverage or the price. He ended up with a pint costing €9.50 and a bottle of water costing €6.
The server also presented him with some garlic bread, without mentioning that it would add another €6 to the bill.
Franck Trouet GHR, the hotel and restaurant umbrella group, said: "In France, water and bread are free. You can refuse bottled water. A tip is a thank you for great service if you’re happy. Above all, it is not compulsory. This isn’t the United States."
He went on to say: "It’s a disgrace to the profession. You can’t even call these people waiters."
Afterwards, they headed to another cafe to test out the tipping culture. The 'American' agreed to a 10% tip, however, the waiter discreetly raised it to 15%.
Meanwhile, the Frenchman wasn't asked to tip at all.
The difference between their bills was €10 in total.
Just last month, some Parisian bars were caught serving their cheapest €5 sauvignon on the menu, despite customers ordering more premium wines.
A professional sommelier posing as a tourist ordered a €9 glass of Chablis, but was served a glass of sauvignon, and still charged the higher price.
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