Tourists on holiday in Italy have been left furious after being made to fork out extra at a restaurant after a bizarre music tax was added to their bill. The group were enjoying a nice evening in Ostuni, southern Italy, when they found out they had to pay an extra £1.70 each just because background music was playing as they ate.
The four tourists descended on a quaint bar in the picturesque whitewashed city on August 17 for drinks and snacks. They shared £17 worth of appetisers alongside cocktails and a fruit juice, which added up to another £25, taking their expected total to £42. A DJ was at the decks playing some summery tunes, which the group agreed was “very good” and they had a lovely evening together. However, when it came to receiving the bill from their waiter, the group was hit with a bold surprise.
The group had expected to split the bill four ways and hand over £10.50 each. However, they were all asked to cough up £12.20. The extra €2 (£1.70) per person was charged under “music” on the bill.
When the diners questioned what they were paying for, they were told it covered the costs of the DJ. He had been providing background music at the venue all night, with the customers unaware they were actually paying for the performance.
“The music was very good, but no one expected to be charged for the background music,” the tourists recalled, also confirming that they were not informed at any time during the evening ahead of receiving the bill.
The group then shared the image of the receipt on social media, and it quickly went viral, sparking a debate among viewers about whether that was a fair tax. Some users compared the fee to the traditional “coperto” table charge – a covered cost in the UK – which is often factored into a service charge fee.
Others were critical of the policy and said the diners should have been informed before they started to eat. Many also asked if the tourists were allowed to decline the music being played and, therefore, bypass the extra charge.
The incident took place in Ostuni, a city in Italy’s Apulia region renowned for its whitewashed old town. Located just five miles from the coast, the town is home to about 32,000 people during the winter, but this swells to 200,000 during the summer. It is one of the main towns that attracts tourists to the region, which produces high-quality olive oil and wine.
The “Old Town” is Ostuni’s citadel, built on top of a hill and still fortified by the ancient walls. The town’s largest buildings are the Ostuni Cathedral, boasting and impressive Rose window, and the Bishop’s Palace. In the surrounding countryside, there are typical Pugliese “masserie”, fortified large estate farms, one of which, San Domenico, was once held by the Knights of Malta.