9 Tips for Avoiding Restaurant Scams in Paris
Eating out in Paris should be a highlight of any trip, but near the Eiffel Tower and other tourist zones some places take advantage of visitors.
Reports of refused tap water, surprise charges, and pressure to tip are common. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls and enjoy your meals.
1. Ask for a Carafe d’Eau
Tap water is free by law in France, but you need to ask correctly. If you say “still water,” many servers will bring a bottle and charge for it. Order une carafe d’eau instead.
Repeat it politely when placing your meal order, and stop the waiter before they open a bottle. The tap water is perfectly safe to drink.
2. Check Reviews Before You Sit
A two-minute scan on Google Maps saves frustration. Restaurants clustered around the Eiffel Tower and Champs de Mars often score below 3 stars, with thousands of reviews warning of refused water or inflated drink prices.
One well-known spot lists soft drinks at €14. Low ratings in these areas are a clear sign of a tourist trap.
3. Know Tipping Culture
Service is included in every restaurant bill. Locals might round up a euro or two for excellent service, but nothing more.
Payment machines in tourist areas sometimes flash preset tip percentages, starting at 10%. It isn’t required. Press “no,” or pay in cash with the exact amount. A polite “non, merci” is all it takes.
4. Don’t Give In to Guilt
Many visitors, especially Americans, feel pressured because refusing feels rude. That pressure is cultural conditioning, not a French norm.
Parisians are clear: tipping when it isn’t expected only encourages staff to push harder next time. If you really want to leave something, a coin is symbolic and sufficient.
5. Greet Your Server First
Service often improves with one simple habit: start every interaction with “Bonjour.” Skipping this is seen as impolite.
Even if your French stops there, acknowledging the staff sets the tone and shows respect.
6. Avoid Dining Next to Landmarks
The closer you are to the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur, or Notre-Dame, the worse the food, the higher the prices, and the stronger the upselling. Locals themselves avoid these areas.
Step a few streets away, or head to neighborhoods like the 11th or 12th, and you’ll find normal prices and better meals.
7. Walk Out if Necessary
If your request for tap water is repeatedly ignored, you don’t have to stay. Some travelers report leaving when served bottled water they didn’t want, or when staff refused to provide a carafe.
Restaurants only continue this behavior because most customers accept it. Walking away sends the clearest message.
8. Report Bad Practice
Refusing tap water or pressuring for tips is against consumer rules. France has reporting channels where you can flag places that do this. Filing a complaint takes minutes and helps authorities track repeat offenders.
9. Learn a Few Key Phrases
Even basic French helps avoid problems. Order une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît for free tap water. Add “non, merci” if pressed for tips. A little knowledge in the local language goes further than speaking only English in a tourist zone.