Social Media Users Are Up In Arms About This Bizarre European Menu Practice

Have you ever sat down at a lavish restaurant, only to be given a menu without prices? This practice was occasionally seen in the U.S. until 1980, when business owner Kathleen Bick noticed her menu at an upscale Los Angeles restaurant was missing prices, while her male business partner's menu included the full price list. She sued, and the rest is history.

While increasingly rare — thanks to a wave of viral social media posts and some local bans — the "priceless" menu still pops up now and then on travel blogs, Reddit threads, and TikTok videos. Dining at fancy restaurants in Europe can mean following various customs, but many outspoken diners offer different theories about why some restaurants, often in Italy or France, continue this particularly controversial tradition. There's another twist, too: like what happened to Kathleen Bick all those years ago, when a man and a woman sit down together, it's often the man who receives the menu with prices, while the woman gets her own version — prices removed.

This tradition has sparked outrage from travelers who stumble into it. Worried she had comitted a gaffe against an important Italian custom, Linda Chou of the blog Beauty Love Travel was embarrassed when she questioned a waiter about her price-less menu at a five-star resort restaurant in Italy. He politely informed her that the menu with prices was only for the man. While initially flustered, her conclusions quickly turned cynical: perhaps the practice existed so women would hopefully order the most expensive dish?

A Quora commenter took an even harsher view, writing that the thought process was "women shouldn't worry their pretty little heads." Popular TikToker Abbie Chatfield echoed this sentiment in a viral video, lamenting that she was the "breadwinner." A Reddit thread on the topic offerd more nuance: some users speculated that sometimes the host, or the person who reserved the table, receives the only menu with prices, while others are given versions without. 

While most netizens seem to agree that, even in the most authentic restaurants, the practice feels antiquated, one Reddit user commented, "I wish more places had [priceless menus] available. When I take my parents out to eat as a treat, they always order the cheapest thing on the menu." Another agreed, saying that even if he tries to order something expensive so his mother "knows [he] can afford it," she'll still choose a cheap dish "to offset the cost."

Top rated 4th Base Restaurant in Milwaukee offers a fresh take on the custom. The restaurant displays fresh meat, seafood, and vegetables, and based on guests' preferences, the chef helps them build a custom meal — no prices given. While reviews are mostly positive, one ecstatic commenter on TripAdvisor mentioned they'd looked at reviews before receiving the bill and "knew the prices were going to be much more than bar food," but ultimately felt the cuisine was well worth it and cheaper than expected. Still, not everyone's a fan: one TripAdvisor review was bluntly titled, "No menus??? No price???? No dice!!!!"

Luckily, thanks to the internet and social media, you can check reviews before stepping into that charming seaside Venetian café — just in case it's clinging to the past. Otherwise, don't be afraid to ask for prices. Or, you know, make a TikTok about it.