Tourist finds 'spit in your eggs' note on restaurant receipt in Italy

A Brazilian tourist in Italy says she was shocked to discover a receipt message instructing the chef to "burn the eggs and spit in them" after a breakfast order went awry.

Maria Clara visited Victor Lab, a restaurant on the Viale Ceccarini in Romagna, on 19 August, as reported by LADbible and the New York Post, which cited local media. She ordered scrambled eggs, juice, and coffee. When the eggs arrived runny, she politely asked for them to be cooked a bit more. According to Clara, the waiter replied that they "don't make raw eggs here."

"I was polite. I simply asked if it was possible to have the eggs a little more cooked," she told Italian outlet Corriere, as quoted by LADbible. "I was rudely told that they don't make raw eggs there."

The eggs eventually arrived very soft, and Clara said she didn't ask for them to be recooked because she didn't want to argue. Her order also came with a salad she said she had asked to be left out.

Then she noticed a handwritten note on the receipt. As described by both outlets, it read: "This is pissing me off. Burn the eggs and spit in them." The New York Post noted that the message, written in Italian, insulted Clara before the instruction to burn and spit.

Clara included a picture of the receipt in a one-star Google review of the restaurant.

Family 'scared' after discovering message

Clara said her family initially thought the message was a joke but then became "scared" that their food might have been contaminated. A manager was called, though she claimed they were initially told one wasn't in the building. The waiter, she said, went "white" and became "very nervous." When he tried to throw the receipt away, Clara threatened to call the police.

"We told him not to do it and that otherwise we would call the police," she said, as reported by LADbible. "He apologised and said it was a joke between him and the chef."

She added: "If I had been rude, I could at least understand someone getting angry. But I wasn't. I simply asked, as politely as possible, for slightly more overcooked eggs. I'm still in shock. I can't believe this happened to me."

Restaurant responds with apology and TikTok video

The restaurant later apologized to Clara under her review. "The behavior you reported was absolutely inappropriate and in no way reflects the values, customer service, and professional standards we strive to ensure every day," the restaurant wrote, as quoted by the New York Post.

LADbible reported that the restaurant stated the waiter was 17 years old and had been with them for a fortnight. The restaurant said it cancelled the bill and offered complimentary items, but Clara did not accept.

On 22 August, however, the restaurant uploaded a TikTok video that appeared to make fun of the incident. According to the New York Post, the video showed the owner portraying a demanding customer ordering a dish with "spit." The video also included a poll asking whether the server should be fired.

Clara told LADbible she has since received racist abuse and death threats since the story went viral. She maintained that no one should fear waiters tampering with their food.

The restaurant has also been review-bombed, though some reviewers have countered with five-star ratings, according to LADbible.