Couple walk out of Welsh restaurant without paying after enjoying £115 meal

A couple had eight cokes and a seafood lunch before leaving without paying at a family-run waterside restaurant in Wales.

The man and woman enjoyed a lavish meal at El Puerto restaurant in the old Custom House in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan.

One of the pair had dined on an ‘all day set menu’ while the other enjoyed a dover sole costing £52.90 as well as a £9.50 portion of calamari.

Between them, the couple got through eight Coca Colas adding up to a total of £22.

But they were pictured leaving the eatery without settling any of their £115 bill.

In an appeal for the couple to pay up, the restaurant wrote on Facebook: ‘A polite request to two customers who visited The Custom House today…

‘We’d kindly ask you to return and settle your outstanding bill. We’d much rather resolve this directly and appreciate you getting in touch with us as soon as possible.’

It added that staff had recorded the couple’s number plate, which was ironically MD11 RAN.

They were captured on CCTV entering and leaving via the restaurant’s main entrance.

The man was wearing a dark sleeveless top and shorts, while the woman wore a headband, a white top, and blue leggings and was carrying a black handbag.

Restaurant owner Tanny Martinez said the incident was ‘hugely disappointing’ for the team, adding that the impact went ‘beyond the financial loss’.

He said: ‘The hospitality industry is already facing an incredibly challenging economic climate, with rising costs and pressures across the sector, without having to deal with situations like this.

‘It’s incredibly frustrating when the hard work and dedication that goes into creating great experiences for our customers is not respected.’

His family has been running the restaurant for 20 years in an 1865 Grade II listed Renaissance-style dock building, which was previously the site of the Penarth Head Inn.

South Wales Police said it had received a report from the business about a theft on June 30.

Online users were quick to offer their support to the owners and condemn the law-breaking customers.

One wrote: ‘I love it when people are caught out and publicly shamed, well done guys.’

‘So sorry to hear this folks, hope it gets resolved’, another commented.

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