A friend of mine, an elderly American woman, recently went out for dinner alone in Trastevere in Rome.
She chose a busy restaurant thinking it would indicate good food quality, but later realized most of the other diners were part of tour groups. After what she described as a mediocre meal, she received a bill with several additional charges.
Charges included:
2 euro coperto
2 euros for bread (which she did not receive)
2 euros for being a single diner
I understand the coperto and sometimes bread charges are common in Italy, but I have never heard of a specific surcharge for dining alone.
Is this actually a normal practice in Rome or elsewhere in Italy, or is this more likely a tourist trap or an unusual restaurant policy?
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