|
A weekend in Prague - popular tourist scams
Scam 1. Dogs Bollocks, Praha (Ostrovni)
Scam 2. Pub with name i cannot remember
Scam 3. Restaurace Černý Orel
It seems the recession has hit the Czech Rep and Prague hard and the wily workers waiting patiently in bars, cafes and restaurants across Praha have too much time on their hands to cunger up scams to hit the unsuspecting tourist with.
Dogs Bollocks, Praha (Ostrovni)
This was a weekend in Prague and 3 establishments had money-raking schemes waiting for their foreign clientele. By far the worse place was Dogs Bollocks in Ostrovni. Here i was short-changed by 1000 CZK, having handed the bar-lady a 2000 CZK note for 4 becherovka's and being handed back on 820 CZK. Unfortunately i did not check my change and only notied 2 hours later when i opened my wallet in another bar. Accident, or deliberate? you decide.
Restaurace Černý Orel (Malostranské nám. 203/14)
Here we received unusually friendly service from the Italian waiter; so much so that he very cunningly brought out a bottle of Courvoisier VSOP and made light of my 4 friends having a glass each. I don;t think the price was ever fully stated but when the bill arrived we were charged 280 CZK per small glass. The beers were 100 CZK each as well. My friends were gobsmacked to say the least that the cognacs cost around £8 each; plus they were not poured at the table but at the bar, so who knows where it was the real mccoy!
Unnamed bar
Here, down some little backstreet away from any tourists, we were charged 40 kc per 0.5l beer. Ok i know that it's not much of a rip-off, but everything is relative. All other bars in the area charged only 30 kc and the barman never brought us a drinks menu and when i quizzed him about the price seemed taken aback and embarrassed.
The number 1 rip-off spot definately goes to the Dogs Bollocks. Watch your change, because if it's not some theiving oik on the tram trying to nick it then it's some unprofessional theiving barlady or barman.
My advice (in retrospect):
1) Watch what size note you hand over and always check your change (easy to say, but being caught off-guard is when you are most liekly to get hit)
2) always ask to see the drinks menu when going into a bar so you know what to pay ("listek napoje prosim" should get you this)
3) ask for a receipt and always check the bill
4) if offered something to try always confirm exactly what you will pay
|
