Stunned Japanese tourists charged $738 for two plates of spaghetti and fish in Rome

Two Japanese tourists received a hefty bill from an Italian restaurant. Photo / Trip Advisor

A pair of Japanese tourists travelling in Rome have posted a photo of their "disgusting" receipt to travel advice website TripAdvisor, showing off their exorbitant bill.

After ordering two plates of spaghetti, fish and some water, the pair were given a massive NZD$738 bill for the meals at Antico Caffè di Marte, news.com.au reported.

While the meals were expensive on their own, the $136 service fee bill caught the pair out — and received the most criticism from others who had dined at the restaurant.

Fellow customers said the charges were a "rip-off" and "disgusting thievery".

The restaurant, however, said the two Japanese tourists knew exactly what they were doing when ordering and had no right to complain after receiving the bill.

Speaking to the Italian daily Corriere de la Sera, the owners said their "menu is clear, the reason they (the Japanese tourists) paid that price is because they not only ordered the spaghetti but also the fish that was fresh".

"The customers chose it at the counter themselves," the owners said.

The receipt the tourists received after dining at the restaurant in Rome. Photo / Supplied

It's not the first time foreigners have been caught out with a hefty bill at the end of their meal.

Last month, ex-boxing champion Ricky Hatton accidentally ordered a $1500 steak while on holiday in Mykonos.

The British boxing legend joked he woke up in a "puddle of f***ing tears" after realising he spent $1506 on a piece of Kobe ribeye steak while on holiday and dining at the Nammos Restaurant in Mykonos, Greece.

Also in Mykonos, a US Army soldier from Brooklyn in New York warned tourists to avoid a hotspot in Greece, saying he and his friends were ripped off to the tune of $1350 for a light beachside lunch.

The soldier detailed his trip to DK Oyster in a terse, blistering review on TripAdvisor after getting the staggering bill earlier this month for six plates of calamari, three caesar salads, six beers, two waters and a glass of tomato juice.

The unsatisfied soldier claims staffers at the restaurant on the southern end of the Greek island near Platis Yialos Beach refused to provide a menu with prices before he and his friends placed their orders. The calamari topped $900 alone.