The dark side of Santorini: Some restaurants on the magical Greek isle beloved by high-end holiday makers are targeting Brits with hugely inflated rip off bills

British tourists in high end Santorini – the ‘crown jewel’ of the Greek islands – are being ripped off by some bars and restaurants charging hidden fees and extortionate prices for substandard food and drinks.

An undercover Daily Mail investigation found holiday makers from Britain being asked to pay outrageous amounts including:

• £59 for a whole chicken with potatoes
• £40 for three prawns
• £30 for fish and chips 
• £24 for an instant coffee and a piece of orange cake 
• £18 for two scoops of ice cream  
• £10 for a single instant coffee 

Many were also pressurised into paying tips despite poor service and when they challenged the exorbitant bills, were met with a volley of abuse by foul mouthed staff and owners of the establishments they had just frequented.

The findings follow similar questionable practices that were uncovered recently by the Daily Mail in Corfu which aimed to squeeze unsuspecting visitors of every last Euro.

Santorini, which has a permanent population of 15,000 people and measures only 11 miles long and three miles wide is considered one of Europe’s premier holiday destinations, despite its size, attracting around 3.4 million visitors each year.

Known for stunning sunsets, dramatic volcanic scenery, whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches, an array of A-listers have holidayed there in recent years including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Justin Bieber and the Kardashians.

But behind its natural beauty and celebrity glamour, lies a darker side of ordinary visitors being exploited by unscrupulous bars and restaurants determined to hit them in the pocket as hard as they can.

British tourists in Santorini are being ripped off by bars and restaurants charging hidden fees and extortionate prices for substandard food and drinks - including a traditional cold coffee, known as café Freddo, costing £7 (pictured)

An undercover Daily Mail investigation included visits to notoriously costly establishments on the Greek island, including Katrin (pictured) and Caldera Sunset View Bar

A waiter at Katrin brings Daily Mail journalists a slice of baklava and two scoops of ice-cream that totalled nearly £20 at Caldera Sunset View Bar (pictured)

One of the areas where tourists are most in financial danger is the dramatic cliff side caldera, a breathtaking crescent shaped volcanic bay close to the town of Fira, the island’s capital.

There the Daily Mail visited the Katrin restaurant, which is perched on the cliff overlooking the majestic Aegean Sea, providing visitors with a jaw dropping picture postcard view.

A lunch of three prawns accompanied by some soggy vegetables cost 45 euros (close to £39) while a traditional cold coffee, known as café Freddo cost 8.5 euros (over £7) – almost three times more than anywhere else on the island or Greece for that matter.

When the drink arrived, it was submerged in frothy milk and barely tasted of coffee, even though the waiter claimed it had two espresso shots in it.

The prawns worked out at just over £13 each – a huge amount given that they tasted chewy and not fresh, despite the restaurant’s promise that they had been caught that morning.

Even more troubling was the offer by the elderly waiter, who was named Evangelos, of a plate of fava bean puree and pitta bread which he indicated was complimentary.

But when the bill arrived, the dish was listed at a cost of 20 euros (£17).

When challenged, Evangelos said: ‘You must have misheard me, I never said it was complimentary. People always want something for free, we have this problem all the time.

‘Our prices are not high, they are listed on the menu but more than anything, look at the wonderful view this restaurant has. It’s the best in Santorini.’

The final bill came to 81 euros (£70) for a lunch made up of three prawns, two coffees and a plate of beans and pitta bread promised as ‘complimentary.’

A lunch of three prawns accompanied by some soggy vegetables cost 45 euros (close to £39) at Katrin 

An elderly waiter at Katrin named Evangelos, who offered a plate of fava bean puree and pitta bread which he indicated was complimentary, then claimed to have been 'misheard' when later charging £17 (pictured)

While settling the bill at Katrin, Evangelos hinted that he would like a 20 euro tip and offered to escort undercover journalists to a nearby ATM to withdraw cash

As in Corfu, the figures had been scrawled across the paper with the itemisation illegible. And there were further problems when it came to paying.

Asking the Daily Mail to step inside the restaurant to settle the amount, Evangelos insisted that they only accept cash, even though this is not made clear anywhere on the premises or the menu.

He then hinted that he would like a 20 euro tip and offered to escort us to a nearby ATM to withdraw cash.

After being firmly told that he would not get a tip and we would not hand over any cash, we were taken to a neighbouring restaurant where we were allowed to pay using its card machine.

Greek businesses are required to accept electronic payments, with the rules tightened as part of efforts to tackle tax evasion.

But Evangelos insisted: ‘We prefer cash, and I don’t want to get into the reasons, but this is Greece and we’ve always done things our way. Most people don’t have a problem, and I don’t understand why you do?’

Other visitors to Katrin also had a similar experience to that of the Daily Mail.

Lisa, a British tourist who was on the island for the day having arrived on a cruise ship, was left irate when she was charged 28 euros (£24) for an instant coffee and a piece of orange cake.

After being presented with the bill and asked for a ten euro tip, she shouted: ‘Why is it so expensive, that’s disgraceful. It’s an absolute rip off. Nowhere in Santorini or the world is as expensive for an instant coffee and a slice of cake?

‘People need to be warned about this restaurant. If you’re coming here, be prepared to get your wallet out for bad food and service. And you must be joking if you think I’m going to give you a tip.’

In response, Evangelos shrugged his shoulders and replied: ‘Maybe you need some glasses lady. Read the menu, the prices are all there. It’s not my fault.’

Holidaymakers have claimed to be 'ripped' off at Katrin, with one calling their visit 'the worst restaurant experience of my life'

Two scoops of ice cream, which turned runny within seconds of being delivered accompanied by baklava that tasted stale, cost the Daily Mail 22 euros (£18) at Caldera Sunset View Bar (pictured)

Online reviews of the Katrin restaurant echo the experience of the Daily Mail and travellers like Lisa. On Tripadvisor it has a rating of 1.2 with 652 reviews rating it as ‘terrible.’

One from just a few days ago, under the title ‘Rip-off!!!’ raged: ‘Very bad experience!!! We paid 234€, and unfortunately, it absolutely did not reflect the quality of the meal or the service.’

After posting a long list of complaints about the meal, it concluded: ‘Overall, we felt misled and overcharged. When paying €234, customers expect honesty, quality, and professional service. Sadly, this restaurant delivered none of those. We cannot recommend this place and will certainly never return.’

Another review warned: ‘Please avoid this place there are plenty more lovely places to go in lovely Santorini.’

One tourist noted: ‘This was, without question, the worst restaurant experience of my life. There are so many wonderful restaurants in Santorini.

‘Do yourself a favour and avoid Katrin completely. Spend your money somewhere that values its customers and treats visitors with basic respect. Absolutely unacceptable. I would never return and cannot recommend this place to anyone.’

But Katrin is not alone when it comes to claims of travellers being exploited in Santorini.

At the Caldera Sunset View Bar, located on the cliffs above Katrin, waiters rushed around serving food and drinks to tourists, many of them from Britain and the US.

It claims to offer the ‘best’ sunset view in Santorini but the same cannot be said for its prices, which make for ugly viewing.

A small bottle of water cost six euros (£5) at the Caldera Sunset View Bar

Two scoops of ice cream, which turned runny within seconds of being delivered, accompanied by baklava that tasted stale, cost the Daily Mail 22 euros (£18), while a small bottle of water cost six euros (£5).

Other items on the menu included a kebab at 30 euros (£25), fish and chips at 36 euros (£30) while a whole chicken with potatoes cost 70 euros (£59).

One American visitor complained about the quality of the food and the length of time it had taken to come after being hit with a bill of 100 euros for two burgers and chips.

But bar owner Alex hit back, cryptically telling him: ‘Everybody wants to drive a Bugatti but don’t want to pay Bugatti prices.

‘What can I do if you don’t like the food and how much it costs? This is not the US, this is Santorini.’

The establishment’s online reviews have been so scathing that it is now calling itself the 360 bar in an attempt to distance itself from the criticism.

On TripAdvisor it has a rating of 1.1 and is described as ‘terrible’.

One weary traveller noted: ‘Horrible food, horrible cocktails, overpriced and scruffy dirty waiters. The salad was 20 euros for a bit of lettuce, tomato and a slab of feta, the kebab looked like an animal had passed it and tasted like it, views were good though, don’t go here!’

Another noted: ‘Really bad food, the moussaka was served frozen. The wine came open and we asked for 8 dishes, and they brought us 6. Not recommended at all.’

A young waiter admitted: ‘We’re now called something else because the reviews have been so bad, but we’ve still got the old sign on the front. We still get lots of tourists in, despite the negative comments about this place.

‘People are on holiday, they want to relax and see the famous Santorini sunset, so it doesn’t matter what people say about us or what we charge.’

And when it came to paying, as with previous experiences, things got tricky.

At first the waiter insisted on cash and then after speaking with owner Alex, he eventually relented and allowed us to pay with a bank card but refused to provide a receipt.