On the idyllic Greek island of Mykonos, a notorious beach bar has stung yet another couple with an exorbitant bill.
On their honeymoon on May 23, Canadian newlyweds Alex and Lindsay Breen, both 30, were shocked to find a €400 ($410) bill at the DK Oyster bar after dropping in for a “quick lunch.”
The locals from Toronto were forced to pay the exorbitant amount even though they just ordered one beer, one cocktail, and a dozen oysters.
The restaurant staff had handed them a beverages menu, but it didn’t include a price list, according to recruiter Lindsay, so they were in “disbelief” when they saw the tab.
The pair further asserts that carpenter Alex was brought to a back room to pay rather than being given the bill at the table, and that when he requested a breakdown, they showed him their computer screen, which was entirely in Greek.
According to Lindsay, her new husband paid the amount without disputing because he wanted to prevent a conflict.
Even if the price had been quadruple, the friendliest guy in the room most likely would have paid it to prevent any issues since he felt scared.
We had a bite to eat and a drink at the oyster bar, according to ndsay.
“They asked right away, “Do you like oysters?”” They were quite arrogant. He asked, “A dozen?” after we responded yes. So, since a dozen is an usual order, we said yes.
“My husband ordered a beer, and I requested a cocktail menu. He returned with the beer, but I had to re-ask for the menu, and he began to rhyme off the various alcoholic beverages he had, including vodka and gin, even though I had requested one.
I had no idea why it was so challenging to see what they had.
“He eventually gave me what they consider to be their drink menu,” I said. A laminated piece of paper with the different types of alcohol mentioned but no brand information or cocktail names.
I replied, “Okay, I’ll take an Aperol spritz,” as it was obvious they didn’t have a menu they wanted to give me.
Lindsay alleges that the server gave them “comically huge” drinks and then tried to upsell them on crab legs and desserts after they had already finished their order.
She alleges that Alex felt intimidated and coughed up to avoid a conflict when he was led into a back room to pay.
Since we didn’t request an extra-large cocktail, Lindsay added, “He finally returned with absurdly enormous drinks, so we were thinking it’s their weird thing that the bar does.”
He spent the entire time skulking around the table. He was never far away.
Thank heavens we declined his offer of crab legs after we had finished the oysters.
You know what would really go well with these oysters, he said? Lump crabs.
Will you people let me bring some over?” and we responded, “No, just a short snack and a drink.”
“My husband went to use the restroom, and when he returned, he said that he thought he had seen a menu inside that stated that it was 29 euros per oyster, to which I replied it was impossible.
Having already had the oysters, we wondered, “Oh God, what are we getting into with this bill?”
“The guy came back with a huge cart of sweets and he says, “So of course we’re having cake today,” and he begins placing various desserts on our table.
When we indicated we didn’t want them, he started acting irritated, so I can understand how people might feel compelled to accept more.
He was becoming angrier as we kept rejecting what he was trying to give us.
“When we were ready to leave, I went to the bathroom, and they had my husband pay in a suspicious back room,” the woman said.
They handed him a bill for more over 400 euros. He requested a breakdown after being surprised.
We don’t speak Greek, but they were turning to him with a computer screen that was entirely in that language.
He was forced to pay because he had a horrible feeling about them and didn’t want to put himself in danger.
He admittedly felt scared, but since he’s a friendly guy, he probably would have paid the bill regardless of the price to avoid any misunderstandings.
It was quite bizarre. It could have been worse for us if we had gotten into a fight or refused to pay, so I’m glad we didn’t.
They take advantage of you since they know you are tourists.
I couldn’t believe it when I saw him out front. I found it hard to believe.
It costs more than 600 dollars in Canadian currency. To pay that much for a snack is absurd.
Lindsay and Alex were on a three-week European vacation after getting married in May of this year in Italy.
They would only be at Mykonos for one more night before flying to Athens and returning to Canada.
We were very surprised, Lindsay remarked, particularly considering we had enjoyed some really great dinners in Italy.
We are happy to spend money when it is necessary, but we didn’t receive much.
We often spent around 120 euros for a full meal, two beverages, and an appetiser.
Fortunately, we still had enough cash on hand because we were utilising our credit card for larger purchases. I can see how someone may run out of money.
Although it’s not the best use of our funds, we are fortunate that we were able to pay.
Lindsay asserts that several local business owners apologised on the restaurant’s behalf following their encounter.
A store owner next door expressed his regret at learning that we left, according to Lindsay.
“He said he cautions everyone who enters the store to stay away from there and that doesn’t represent who the Greek people are,” I overheard him say.
He claimed that tourism is crucial. We advised everyone we spoke with afterwards not to go.
There are numerous one-star ratings for DK Oyster on Tripadvisor, as well as testimonials from clients who claim to have been treated similarly to Lindsay and Alex.
According to one review, “DO NOT GO HERE! Absolutely terrible behaviour on the part of the boss and personnel.
Cocktails cost Euro 125 plus service for two and are terrible!
The waiters made us feel quite uneasy.
Another person remarked, “I wish we had read the reviews first! This location is absurd! Four cocktails for 350 euros?
Going here is definitely NOT something I would advise. Save your euros, please!
DK Oyster bar defended its pricing on Tripadvisor.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review, but could you perhaps specify the precise cause of your dissatisfaction?, they said.
The pricing you provide seems accurate, therefore I’m curious as to what went wrong.
The drinks, the environment, or the service fell short of your expectations. Your feedback is valuable to us. Therefore, if you could spend a few minutes clarifying, we would be grateful.
Additionally, they made fun of clients who claimed they had been coerced into paying outrageous bills.
“Let me see if I got it right: You were taken from the beach and forced into a posh restaurant,” they wrote.
The Breens are only the most recent in a long line of irate and disgruntled clients who have been charged obscenely high bills by the beachfront pub.
Based on 1,455 reviews, including 567 one-star ones, the restaurant has a Tripadvisor rating of 2.5 stars. With the exception of one two-star and a dubious five-star review, all the numerous reviews since September 2021 have been one star.
The restaurant calls itself “the freshest, all-day entertainment venue in Mykonos!” and is situated on Platis Yialos on the Greek island in the Aegean Sea halfway between Greece and Turkey.
“Luxury and flair finally found the most deserving location at the cosmopolitan beach of Platys Gialos!”
The restaurant was sued by American vacationers Brenda Moulton and her daughter Kaylea, 19, who claimed they were conned into paying $641.15 for two crab legs and two mojitos when they went in May.
They assert that after they complained, the waiters threatened to contact the police and threatened to leave the country if they didn’t pay the exorbitant price.
They experienced a nightmare that they will never forget, according to Marianna Kikiri, their attorney.
The restaurant argued in its defence that they were “stunned” by the charge, which was “unfounded,” and that they “cannot know what and how she was motivated.”
The eatery said, “However, she was undoubtedly driven by murky, unfair, and obviously concealed competitive interests.”
After a review of their books revealed “seven or eight infractions,” the restaurant was fined €31,000 ($31,700) by the ministry of tourism in July, according to a report in the Greek City Times.
Customers who said they were duped with the same tactic, including overbearing, “shady” servers who promised “free sunbeds,” hazy descriptions of the menu’s costs, and ultimately enormous bills, have left numerous revealing reviews on the restaurant’s Tripadvisor website.
The restaurant’s decision to publish costs per 100 grammes rather than by the kilogramme, in contrast to the rest of Greece, appears to be the source of much of the resentment. Therefore, €19.80 for 100 grammes is actually €190 for a kilogramme.
Cheryl Lamphere, a 43-year-old Seattle woman, told DailyMail.com that she and her friends were coerced into paying $1,640 in May for dinner at a restaurant even though the bill did not warrant the exorbitant price.
After ordering one plate of calamari, one order of lobster pasta, a salad, and bread at the DK Oyster restaurant in Platys Gialos, Lamphere and her group of female friends said they were forced to pay the exorbitant sum.
The mother-of-two claimed that when the group arrived on the lovely island on May 3, their first evening was destroyed when restaurant owner Dimitris Kalamaras and the male staff cornered them for even daring to question the outrageous bill.
At least five of the men in the restaurant rose and surrounded us, nearly blocking us in. We were six ladies, encircled by five men, and it was a very, very dangerous situation.
I should also mention that they were all wearing black, which gave off a gangster-like vibe, Lamphere said over the phone to DailyMail.com.
In May 2019, Brooklyn resident Francisco Tajeda, 38, detailed on TripAdvisor how the employees at the DK Oyster restaurant in Mykonos failed to provide his party a menu or show them prices before shocking them with the final bill of $935.
The restaurant responded to an unfavourable comment on the website by saying, “There is no free democracy in the western world that would oblige us to explain to each customer why we charge the way we do.”
However, we have frequently attempted to explain the high expense of running a company like ours. Would you enquire as to Bugatti’s pricing policy?
Would you want a pricing justification from each luxury brand? You might choose less expensive goods and services. No monopoly exists.
When contacted by DailyMail.com in May about the more than 500 unfavourable evaluations of DK Oyster, Tripadvisor expressed concern that so many customers had had terrible encounters there.
They stated in their letter: “This story is very horrific, and we sympathise with this family and anyone else who may have gone through anything similar.
This sort of horror tale highlights how valuable a tool Tripadvisor is for travellers looking for advice on where to go.
A fellow traveler’s first-hand experience of a destination can provide a priceless window into what to anticipate there. The testimonials for this company are self-explanatory.
We advise travellers to consult Tripadvisor when making travel or domestic plans. No matter where you are, using the Tripadvisor app on the move is simple.