Mykonos restaurant accused of 'rip off' £700 bill claims food is value for money

‘If you can’t afford it, just opt for the special combo menu,’ says owner of DK Oyster

The owner of a Mykonos restaurant which charged American tourists €836 (£738) for some calamari and beers has insisted the food is value for money.

Dimitris Kalamaras hit back at claims the DK Oyster was a “rip off” for charging €98.50 per plate of squid, €25 per drink and €19.80 for each chicken Caesar salad.

He admitted the prices were correct but suggested that the dissatisfied customers should have stuck to the €15 (£13) “special combo menu”.

“Although we feel that they reflect the level of our efforts, care and the quality of the food served in one of the world’s most coveted beaches, we can sympathise with an unsatisfied customer,” Mr Kalamaras told the Daily Mail.

“However, the word trap is not fair...Why is a luxury hotel allowed to charge 200 to 500 euros per night and nobody compares it to a room to let? Why does a customer of a small retailer pay for a jacket 50.00 euros and others charge up to thousands? Are we all criminals, thieves, bad people?

“I want to tell you from my heart that we value our customers , and we have carefully accounted for the cost in order to produce a product which we consider to be value for money.

“If you can’t afford them, in order to avoid any bitterness, just opt for the special combo menu – which may not be the most satisfying option, but allows a small glimpse for those who cannot afford the experience.”

The Greek island eatery has a four-star rating on the review site, despite many of the more recent ratings giving it one star and saying it is best avoided.

Francisco Tajeda, a 38-year-old soldier from Brooklyn, had posted a photo of his bill on TripAdvisor in an attempt to warn other tourists.

“This place is a rip off,” he wrote. “The staff is not honest and refuse to provide a menu and prices. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS! No pun intended.”

Other reviews have also criticised the prices. One reads: “They will try and avoid giving you a menu, the €14.80 offer is a ploy to draw you in! Some fish dishes are charged per gram, but this is not told to you.”

In response to another customer review titled “scam scam scam”, the restaurant replied: “Nothing is served without prior and explicit consent from the customer. Your claim is not accurate.

“Our waiters always ask if our guests wish to order water or bread. On the other hand, the prices reported are correct. We also encourage everybody to be careful: the special offers include only the dishes and drinks specified and all additional items ordered are charged normally as mentioned in the menu.

“I kindly ask you to remove the insulting words scam. We have done nothing to justify this.”