Brenda Moulton Mykonos tourist mom and daughter made to pay 600 euro for 2 mojitos and crab legs at DK Oyster bar along Platis Gialos beach. Questionable restaurant practices? Tripadvisor reviews cite shady practises.
Hopefully they each got an extra dollop of mint with their drinks …
An American mother and her daughter have claimed being strong armed by a restaurant on the Greek island of Mykonos, best known for high flyers and the party set, while recently dining out, after being presented with a check for 600 euros ($640 USD) for two mojitos and crab legs – which they were forced to pay.
Brenda Moulton and daughter Keila, 19, visiting US tourists had planned on spending an idyllic day on the paradisiac Platis Gialos beach, only to claim experiencing the ‘scare of their lives’ when staff at DK Oyster bar told them they wouldn’t return to the US if they refused to foot the lofty bill, Mouldon claimed.
The pair insisted the food and drinks they’d ordered could not possibly justify the cost, while also admitting sitting on the restaurant’s deck chairs for two hours, which seaside outlets are known for charging out.
‘[I told them] ”two mojitos and two crab legs can not make 600 euros. I will not pay you.” He then told me verbatim: ”I will call the police. They will keep you here and you will not return to your homeland. We can easily find where you live,”’ Moulton told Greek media outlet THEMA following the May 13 incident.
The mother and daughter fearing repercussions paid the check.
Upon leaving the restaurant, Moulton claims she began warning bystanders not to enter the venue in order to avoid the reportedly outrageously high prices and alleged poor business practices, only to claim yet again being confronted by staff.
‘… the “boss” of the store came out furious and approached us in a threatening mood. I immediately raised my voice. I shouted at him…’ Moulton told THEMA.
The American tourist said a lady then approached her and told her she had seen a similar scene at the restaurant the day before which had led to police being involved.
Brenda and Keila said they were left so anxious that they stayed at the restaurant with two fellow Americans who calmed them down until they were able to leave.
The restaurant’s Tripadvisor page is flooded with reviews of customers who allege being lured with the same strategy – overly insistent ‘shady’ waiters who offered ‘free sunbeds’, vague descriptions of the menu’s prices and ultimately astronomical bills.
Wrote one recent customer in part: ‘Do not trust them!’ There are no menus, apart from the one guarded on the way in. We asked for a menu and it had no prices. Their large beer is one litre which is unusual. The prices are also very very high! 2 large beers and a bottle of water will cost you 90 Euro’s.
Mykonos restaurant defends pricing policy
While another posted in part: ‘AVOID AT ALL COSTS, NO REDEEMING FACTORS. Believe ALL of the negative reviews.’
Responding to a slew of negative review on the website, the restaurant answered: ‘There is not free country in the western world that would force us to explain to each customer why we charge the way we do.’
‘However, we have often tried to explain the great cost of operating a business like ours. Would you ask Bugatti why they charge as much as they do? Would you ask all the luxury brands to justify their prices? You may opt for cheaper products and services. There is no monopoly.’
DK Oyster according to the dailymail adamantly denies claims that they employ questionable tactics to attract customers and that guests are subjected to intimidation if they complain about the high prices.
The restaurant has also claimed on Tripadvisor that the high prices are explained by the ‘top quality raw material and our chef has been chosen among the best in order to complete our concept of an experience that surpasses the ordinary standards.’
Moulton told THEMA that although she and her daughter were not hungry on the day of the incident at DK Oyster, they had ultimately decided to enjoy the sun on one of the sunbeds that the restaurant’s waiters so insistently offered.
Smart tourists rule of thumb: ask which restaurants the locals eat at
‘We were not hungry, so we just returned the smile in a good mood, but without any intention of sitting in a particular store. However, suddenly the employee of one of the restaurants in Platis Gialos jumped in front of us and started telling us persistently and annoyingly: “Sit here! Sit here!”‘ she said.
Allegedly, the restaurant employee convinced them to stay by telling them, ‘have a drink and you will have these sunbeds at your disposal for free. It is noon, there is no problem.’
The pair then decided to order drinks and asked for the menu, but were given one that listed the products but not the prices, mother and daughter claim.
A menu shared on the restaurant’s Tripadvisor does show the prices.
After deciding on two mojitos, the mother and daughter said waiters paced back and forth and repeatedly asked whether they wanted to order anything from the menu.
‘Keila and I were not hungry, but we decided to try something from the list, hoping that they would leave us alone,’ Brenda told THEMA.
‘Eventually, my daughter ordered crab legs, a plate with two large crab legs. It looked delicious and I knew it would be expensive.’
But exactly how expensive?
Moulton said she had already ordered the two crab legs by the time she noticed tourists sitting down on the beach warning them not to order anything else. Two hours later, they were ready to leave and asked for the check.
Time to see how much fun we had?
The mother said she almost fainted upon being presented the bill.
‘At first, it was not detailed, because the paper did not show exactly what we had ordered. The guy asked me to pay almost 600 euros and I told him he could not, some mistake would be made. ‘This account could not be ours,’ the mother said.
What followed was an argument that left Brenda and Keila feeling as though they had been scammed. Brenda has since sought legal advice and made a complaint to the Mykonos Police Sub-Directorate.
‘Mrs. Brenda Moulton herself wants the culprits to be punished and similar incidents not to happen to other tourists,’ her attorney, Marizanna Kikiri, told THEMA.
Addressing the Moultons’ claims, the restaurant argued that authorities had allegedly reviewed the complaint and found no violations had taken place.
In a statement to THEMA, the restaurant wrote: ‘All the items we sell in our store are listed in detail in the catalog, according to the law. The catalogs are in front of our store in a prominent place. We give the lists to our customers before ordering. For all our products there are legal documents.
‘…The customer was charged this price because the royal crab legs are not a priced item and the costing is done according to their purchase invoice.’
Sounds vague right?
Dozens of reviews on Tripadvisor point out similar complaints to the ones made by the Moultons.
‘Maybe I’ll dare them to call the police…?’
People claiming to have visited the restaurant warned others to avoid DK Oyster’s ‘con-tactics’ ‘like the plague, and branded the establishment ‘one of the sketchiest’ on the island.
‘Before I gave them my credit card, I asked to see the bill and they refused to let me see anything. This is an extremely crooked restaurant and no one should be subject to coming here ever again,’ another reviewer posted.
Other customers who said their vacations had been ruined after visiting the restaurant alleged that they had been cursed at and poorly treated when they raised concerns about the high prices.
‘Next time you do it, remember that the consequences may be very disturbing. -and take my word for this: it is not ideal to spend 24 hours in custody during your vacation for a free meal. It is not worth it.’
