So they sent out a Parisian\u00a0the Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower.<\/p>\n
They also dressed up one of their reporters as an American tourist and directed them to the same cafe to reveal exactly what was happening at the holidaymaker hotspots.<\/p>\n
But what they stumbled across was shocking.<\/p>\n
They both seated themselves at the unnamed diner and ordered the same dish – lasagna, a Coke and water. All the while they had been filming themselves.<\/p>\n
The clearly ‘French’ customer was served a can of Coke for\u00a0for \u20ac6.50 (\u00a35.63) and offered a carafe of water along with his dish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, the ‘American’ was not offered a small can, only a ‘medium or large Coke’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Le](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/100574629-14934069-Le_Parisien_dressed_up_one_of_their_reporters_as_an_American_tou-a-18_17533036656.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Le Parisien\u00a0dressed up one of their reporters as an American tourist to see if they would be charged more than a Parisian in a cafe<\/p>\n
![\"Foreign](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/100575905-14934069-image-a-21_1753305401193.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Foreign tourists in Paris are being charged as much as 50 per cent more than French customers, the undercover investigation found<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When it arrived, it was just half a litre and cost \u20ac9.50 (\u00a38.23).\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for the water, the ‘American’ received no offer for a carafe, which is free, but was instead made to spend a further\u00a0\u20ac6 (\u00a35.20) for a small bottle of Vittel.<\/p>\n
The server also offered the ‘American’ a side of garlic bread without specifying that it was an extra. They were later charged a further\u00a0\u20ac6 (\u00a35.20).<\/p>\n
The pair then walked to a different nearby cafe-restaurant to test its policy on tipping.<\/p>\n
When the bill arrived, the French customer noticed their receipt included an obligatory ten per cent service charge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the ‘American’ tourist was asked if he wanted to tip as ‘service isn’t included’.<\/p>\n
And to make matters worse, when he agreed to add a 10 per cent tip via the card machine, he noticed the waiter had discreetly hidden the amount and increased this to 15 per cent.<\/p>\n
But this is not the first time Paris has used elaborate scams to make the most out of their hapless tourists.<\/p>\n
Last month, Paris cafes were caught cheating unsuspecting suspects out of good-quality wine.<\/p>\n
An undercover sommelier ordered a glass of Chablis\u00a0costing around \u20ac9 (\u00a37.65), but the wine being served was actually the cheapest on the menu \u2013 a \u20ac5 (\u00a34.25) sauvignon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shockingly, the customer was then charged the higher amount.<\/p>\n
Wine merchant Marina Giuberti said: ‘It’s a pity for the customer and for the image of the wine appellation, for the winemaker and for the restaurant owners who do a good job.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/100574635-14934069-The_clearly_French_customer_was_served_a_can_of_Coke_for_for_6_5-a-20_17533036873.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
The clearly ‘French’ customer was served a can of Coke for for \u20ac6.50 (\u00a35.63) and offered a carafe of water along with his dish<\/p>\n
A number of American tourists quizzed by Le Parisien on restaurant rules thought that you always had to pay for water, as that was their experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘Usually they bring a bottle of water, you have to pay for even when we say still,’ said one French woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Franck Trouet of the hotel and restaurant umbrella group GHR said: ‘It’s a disgrace to the profession. You can’t even call these people waiters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘You should know that in France, water and bread are free. One can refuse a bottle of water. The tip is to express thanks for the service if one is very satisfied. Above all, it is not compulsory. This is not the United States’.<\/p>\n
He added that waiters’ eagerness to increase the tip had been pushed when French President Emmanuel Macron decided to waive taxes on\u00a0‘le pourboire’.<\/p>\n
Now, tips made in French restaurants and cafes using a bank card are no longer taxable.<\/p>\n
The increased usage of electronic pay machines that automatically suggest a tip of at least five per cent has supercharged the trend to try and make more from paying customers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n