Lunch bill hard to stomach

TOKYO - A Japanese couple have turned down a free trip to Italy offered to make up for a huge Rome lunch bill.

Yasuyuki Yamada and his fiancee were hit with a €700 ($1500) bill at Il Passetto restaurant last month. The Guardian reports that the couple complained to police about the bill, which included €207 for a pasta dish and a €115 service charge. The restaurant was closed after the complaint but was expected to reopen. The Guardian said that a few weeks earlier another Japanese couple had complained about Il Passetto after being charged €352 for a meal.

The Government offered the latest couple an all-expenses paid return trip as its guests. Yamada thanked Tourism Minister Michela Brambilla but said it was a "useless way to spend Italian taxpayers' money". They plan to return to Italy for another holiday at their own expense.