Spain holiday warning Brits face being kicked out of restaurants under new rule

SPAIN PAIN Published : 13:04, 13 Aug 2023 Updated : 13:06, 13 Aug 2023 BRITISH tourists headed abroad for sunshine could see their drinks cut short after a pub in a tourist hot spot introduced a new rule. The bold rule in Valencia gives diners 20 minutes before ousting the customer from their table in an attempt to increase profitability. 2 Brits have been warned of the timed rule Credit: Alamy 2 Other Valencia pubs are said to be considering the rule Credit: Alamy Ximo Lorenzo, the manager of the Clandesti bar in Valencia, said he’s attempted other ways to stop customers from lallygagging but they failed. He said: “This is a cheap place where we had board games for people to play, but I’ve seen people arrive at 6pm, stay until 12pm and only order a coke. That’s not profitable.” At first, Lorenzo said board game players were required to order a drink every 40 minutes, but customers didn’t listen. He then limited glasses for shared drinks and dropped board games, which he said was a “shame”. He said: “In general, people do have common sense and order several drinks if they are there for a long time. “But on the days when we brought live music, some people came in to see the concert and didn’t drink anything, so I had to put up a compulsory consumption sign.” The Valencian Hotel and Catering Federation said this kind of rule remains a rarity, and is not a “representative practice of the sector”. They said: “It is within the business decision of each establishment, as long as they advertise it in a way that the client is aware of.” Another man shared his frustrations after being rejected three-times by restaurants with plenty of free tables in Barcelona. Resident Eudald said: “On the first terrace that I got a table, a waiter quickly arrived and told me that it was reserved. It was not. “As soon as I got up, a group of foreigners who were behind me sat down,” he explained. “In the next one, they warned me that I would only have 20 minutes. I specified that I wanted to have dinner, but they insisted that I should do it within that time frame.” The latest crackdown comes as Brits heading to Spain were warned of a  simple mistake which could land them with a £170 fine. Cops are said to be keeping their eyes peeled for tourists who lack one thing in particular while behind the wheel – and it’s not what you’d think. Brits are being warned to not strip off in the heat, as driving topless could see them slapped with a fine. Majorca Daily Bulletin  reported that while being shirtless isn’t illegal, Spanish law bans anything that impacts safe driving.