A diner has been accused of enjoying a lavish two-course lunch and a bottle of fine wine before hotfooting without paying his $200 bill.
French Canadian tourist Mario St-Amour, 57, appeared in the North Shore District Court this week charged with stealing food and wine from the newly opened Botswana Butchery restaurant in Auckland, as well as one charge of motor vehicle theft.
Botswana Butchery manager Kieran Turnbull claimed St-Amour spent about 1 hours having a leisurely lunch, including an entree of sashimi salmon and a main of rib eye on the bone with salad greens. It is alleged he washed it down with a bottle of pinot gris.
"He sat outside and had quite a nice lunch, he was engaging with the staff and was even speaking to our French waitress in French," Turnbull said.
The waitress noticed St-Amour leaving, so followed him to Britomart where she asked him about the bill.
