Hidden extras, tourist tax... and €3 for TAP WATER: The subtle tactics Gran Canaria's rip off restaurants use to squeeze every last Euro of Brit holidaymakers

By ADAM POGRUND IN GRAN CANARIA Published: 00:45, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 00:54, 24 August 2026 British tourists are being fleeced by bars and restaurants in Gran Canaria with hidden prices, added extras and misleading menus designed to confuse diners. An undercover Daily Mail investigation found holidaymakers repeatedly handed menus without prices, bogus taxes and items added to bills they hadn't ordered. We uncovered a series of subtle tactics used by hospitality staff to rip off unsuspecting tourists. The findings come after dubious practices were uncovered by the Daily Mail in restaurants at popular Greek tourist hotspots of Corfu, Santorini and Rhodes. And holidaymakers in Spain are also falling victim to a variety of manipulative methods aimed at squeezing their every last Euro. Gran Canaria, the third largest of the Canary Islands, has a population of around 875,000 people but attracts up to four million visitors every year. Known for its beautiful white sand beaches, plunging valleys and year round sun, it is a hugely popular destination for British tourists with hundreds of thousands visiting every year. A restaurant added a seven per cent 'tax' onto our reporter's bill despite it needing to be already included in the advertised price At one restaurant our reporter was charged €2.50 for tap water. As a bottle of water was delivered to the table, he asked the waiter if it was tap water, to which they replied 'yes' before charging for it Its picturesque scenery has drawn Hollywood A-list celebrities like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lopez to the island. But its natural beauty and allure is being compromised for some by the underhanded methods used by waiters and restaurant owners to profit as much as possible. Unexpected fees appear to be a quintessential part of tourist life with holidaymakers forced to take expensive taxis from the moment they leave the airport. Uber and Bolt are unable to operate on the island with local municipal taxis with quick meters holding a monopoly on the industry. A ten-minute journey to the reporter's hotel cost €25 with a €3.50 fee added after the meter stopped. The unexpected costs only racked up further when the Mail visited the popular resorts of Puerto Rico and Playa del Ingles. Arriving for dinner at Bombon Cafe, located minutes away from Puerto Rico's stunning beachfront, our reporter was handed a drinks menu without prices. An underwhelming ham baguette, iced coffee and smoothie cost €24.40, while an ice cream sundae was billed at €13.95. The coffee and smoothie were both priced at €7.95 although this came as a surprise given the lack of clarity on the menu. Two scoops of ice cream cost €8.45 - but melted off the cone so quickly it had to be thrown away. An underwhelming ham baguette cost €8.50. The sandwich, an iced coffee and a smoothie came to €24.40 One restaurant on the beach advertised roast chicken, chips and salad for €7.95. But once sat down diners saw it priced at €10.95 on the menu It has earned the establishment a rating of just 1.4* on trip advisor with 132 of 158 ratings declaring it a mere one star. One tourist noted: 'Make sure you check everything before paying; otherwise, they'll charge you €9 for a coffee.' Another said they 'almost had a heart attack' when they saw their bill come to €32 for two sandwiches, milk and fruit juices. Variable or no pricing on menus was a common theme encountered throughout the island. At Restaurante Venecio, on the beach, a large sign advertised roast chicken, chips and salad for €7.95. But the menus handed to those seated saw the item's price scribbled over to read €10.95. Again there were no prices on the drinks menus and while our reporter repeatedly asked for tap water he was charged €2.50 for a bottle. When the bottle was delivered to the table, he asked the waiter if it was tap water, to which they replied 'yes' before charging for it. The most troubling experience came at El Molino, a steakhouse in Puerto Rico's popular Mogan Mall. There a seven per cent IGIC tax, similar to VAT, of €2.47 was separately added onto the bill despite Spanish law declaring it must already be included in the advertised price. A seven per cent IGIC tax, similar to VAT, of €2.47 was separately added onto the bill at at El Molino, a steakhouse in Puerto Rico's popular Mogan Mall That was added on to the bill for their special T-bone steak. Again there were no prices for drinks or for dessert and our reporter was served a 'big cola' without being asked what size they wanted. That came after they were persuaded to order garlic bread with the waiter confusingly mumbling about bread and cheese before bringing it out as a starter and charging €2.50. Other Brits described similarly subpar experiences. One tourist from Newcastle said they had extra drinks they didn't order added to the bill and when raised with the owner they failed to apologise. Another said they were charged €55 for two beers with an unordered bottle of wine added to the bill. While one couple had the police called on them after they refused to pay for a chicken kebab which they claimed was raw. Matthew, a chef, said: 'Everything was substandard until my partner offered me some of her mixed kebab. I realised it was raw and complained and it was taken away. 'We were left sitting waiting for some sort of apology but it didn't come. I refused to pay so they called the police.' His partner claimed the waiter 'couldn't care less' when she told him she was served raw chicken. She said: 'I explained I wasn't happy to pay for it given the fact it was inedible and had likely given me food poisoning from the piece I'd already eaten. 'He then proceeded to call the police and intimidate my partner and I until we eventually agreed to pay. So upset, never experienced anything like this in my life.' The restaurant's punchy prices are reminiscent of Santorini where the Daily Mail was charged €81 for a lunch made up of three prawns, two coffees and a plate of beans and pitta bread promised as 'complimentary.' Another British tourist was charged €28 for an instant coffee and a piece of orange cake on the Greek island. Meanwhile, the Mail was misled into paying more than five times the perceived price of a smoothie while dining at Restaurante Bahía Playa in Puerto Rico. The restaurant offers sublime views of the sea but has no drinks menu or prices. Asked for a drinks menu, our reporter was handed a cocktail menu. Asking the servers again for a complete drinks menu, they were handed a smoothie menu. A 'Triple M' mango, passion fruit and melon smoothie was marked €1 while a 'Berry Dream' berry, strawberry and blueberry drink, was marked €2. However, the smoothies cost €5.50 with the waitress explaining the numbers, which are written next to euro signs, are merely there as names for the drinks.  A waitress explained the numbers on this menu, which are confusingly written next to euro signs (circled in red), are merely there as names for the drinks Asked why it said €1 next to the drink but cost €5.50, the waitress said: 'No, it's [named] number one. It's €5.50.' Tap water was also specifically ordered but a bottle of mineral water costing €2.50 was charged. 'Tap water is not possible,' a waiter said when questioned. 'It's an island and [there's a lot of] salt so you can't drink it'. Tap water in Gran Canaria is safe to drink and meets strict EU safety regulations although some tourists and locals prefer bottled water to avoid sometimes salty tastes. Other restaurants simply brought out bottled water when asked for tap water. Three restaurants in Playa del Ingles charged €3 each. At That's Amore, a pizzeria on the resort's beach plaza, a staff member was seen drinking a glass of tap water. But despite ordering some, a bottle costing €2.10. Once again, there were no drinks prices on the menu and some reviews of the restaurant are scathing. Last month, a tourist said the restaurant claimed its card readers didn't work, forcing them to pay in cash, only for their account to be charged the same fee.