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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Milo Boyd

Couple livid after being charged £603 for two drinks and a bowl of pasta in 'sunbed scam' holiday

A couple say they were charged more than double their home country's average monthly salary at a Greek restaurant now notorious for slapping unsuspecting customers with huge bills.

This May Oscar Maldonado and his boyfriend flew over to Mykonos from Honduras for a holiday in the sun, but quickly found themselves in a 'terrible' situation.

Last summer several unhappy customers spoke of their fury and upset at being charged hundreds of euros for plates of food and small numbers of drinks at DK Oyster.

All told similar tales of being charmed into the restaurant by waiters and enjoying a decent meal, before a bill that seemed far out of proportion was slapped on their table by suddenly steely staff members.

Have you got a holiday story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Oscar said he was handed this receipt, in addition to a 100 euro service charge (Supplied)
The sunbed section of DK Oyster (Instagram)

Oscar and his boyfriend claim they were tempted into DK Oyster by the offer of a free sunbed on the beach, so long as they bought a drink.

Thinking it would prove much cheaper than the high prices being asked from other vendors, they opted for two smoothies to accompany a plate of lobster pasta.

"They were really really nice and the service was really good, they made conversation with us," Oscar, 34, told the Mirror. "We ordered non-alcoholic drinks. Just some smoothies. I didn't ask for the price, then they brought the menu over. It was misleading to say the least. My boyfriend had the lobster pasta."

Like many others who've gone public with their claims about the restaurant or written scathing reviews on TripAdvisor, the couple say they were unaware the lobster was charged by the gram.

"They brought us the biggest lobster, it was a pasta but with the whole part of a lobster. It was a big bit," the medical doctor continued. "I thought it may cost a lot, but I never thought that much."

Once they'd finished eating pasta Oscar said "wasn't that bad", a small piece of paper was slipped onto their table explaining that it cost 400 euros (£344).

"I went to pay, and the guy told me the two smoothies were 65 euro each," Oscar said.

"After that he said it was 600 euros, then he charged 100 euros for service charged. I felt tempted to call the police, but I didn't want to cause any trouble.

"I said 'how do you calculate this?' He just went on a rant repeating 'service fee'. I just paid and left. I was p***ed off for the rest of the day and it almost ruined my holiday. I would never go there. I would never recommend it.

"I really wasn't expecting it. I live on a Honduran salary, so going to Europe is especially hard. It was a couple's trip. It was really frustrating. I cannot think about Mykonos without transporting back to this moment."

Earlier this year TripAdvisor put out a "safety warning" on its page for the restaurant following a string of complaints.

The warning reads: "TripAdvisor has been made aware of recent media reports or events concerning this property which may not be reflected in reviews found on this listing. Accordingly, you may wish to perform additional research for information about this property when making your travel plans."

It has been claimed that locals are charged a fraction of the costs faced by those visiting the area. One worker, known as Costas, was told he could have six oysters for just £25 - while for tourists it costs £15 per oyster.

Dimitrios Kalamaras, owner of DK Oyster, has previously hit back against those complaining about prices, claiming they are doing it for attention.

He said that "no adult in their right mind" would order a drink without seeing how much it costs first, Mail Online reported.

"'Every time I received such a complaint, always by anonymous users through TripAdvisor, I consulted with the personnel, reminding that it is crucial for our reputation to be sure that procedures are followed carefully," he said.

"They always assured me that they abide by the rules. So, I used TripAdvisor to encourage our guests to always browse carefully through the menu and the prices."

DK Oyster has been contacted for comment.

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