A group of tourists in Spain were left stunned after ordering paella while enjoying a sea view, only to discover the bill was far higher than expected. The friends had anticipated paying around €23 for their meal, but the menu's price was charged per person, not for the entire dish.
The experience was filmed and shared on TikTok, where it quickly drew attention from viewers divided over whether the group had been caught out by an expensive meal or had simply misunderstood the menu.
The bill reaches three figures
The video was captioned: "We thought a paella for three with a sea view would cost us 23 euros." Footage showed the friends reacting to the bill with laughter and disbelief. One of them pointed out that the final amount had reached "three figures", while another appeared less than impressed, saying: "I'm not paying."
The confusion centred on the €23 price advertised for the paella. Rather than being the cost of the entire dish, the amount was charged per person, leaving the group facing a considerably higher bill than the €23 total they had anticipated.
Viewers defend the pricing
The friends appeared to take the misunderstanding in good humour, with the incident becoming a source of amusement online. Their video was accompanied by the message "fallo no pensar que era por persona", which translates as "a mistake not to think it was per person".
However, plenty of commenters were quick to point out that the restaurant's pricing was not particularly unusual for paella. One person wrote: "€23 per person isn't much." Another questioned how anyone could expect a paella for three to cost just €23, while another commenter asked: "So, you wanted to take up a table for 7 or 8 people and pay €23? While eating paella?!"
Per-person pricing common in coastal spots
Others highlighted that paella is frequently priced per person, particularly at restaurants in popular coastal destinations. "€23 per person, my friend; I've seen it go up to €32 per person for a paella," one commenter said.
Another shared their own experience, writing: "That happened to me with a lobster paella in A Coruña. Honestly, I don't get why they price it per person; they should just set the paella at €80 and be done with it." The location also appeared to influence people's views on the price, with one commenter saying: "€145 for two paellas with a view, and you think that's expensive? That blows my mind. Just go to McDonald's; a meal there only costs €12."
