Serial dine and dashers ‘devastate’ newly opened Swansea Italian restaurant after leaving without paying huge bill

Staff at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Castle Street, Swansea, say the family-of-eight ordered ‘the most expensive things on the menu’ including expensive steaks, double desserts and 15 bottles of pop on Friday night, but left without paying their £329 bill.

Other local outlets have also accused the mother and father from that family of leaving their premises without paying the tab in the past year.

In August, the River House Lounge & Restaurant in Swansea posted CCTV images of the same two family members onto its social media page after they had run up a ‘hefty bill’ and then ‘carefully disappeared’.

Similar images of the mother were also uploaded by the Mediterranean eatery La Casona, in Skewen, who said it had reported the family to the police after they ‘robbed’ them back in February this year.

The Italian food spot shared footage and snaps of the family to their Facebook account accusing them of getting off, adding ‘shame on you’.

Bella Ciao owner Tyrone Reese said:

“They were ordering the most expensive things on the menu, like T-bone steaks and the like.

“My wife said ‘Something’s not right.’ They went full-on with their order but they were also sending plates back half empty.”

In the Facebook post, the restaurant alleges that the woman attempted to pay with a savings account card twice but it declined and assured her son would wait inside while she went out to get her ‘other card’.

“Of course she does not return and then the son receives a phone call and says he has to go and does a runner,” the Facebook post adds.

Bella Ciao say it was unable to contact the family as they used a ‘fake’ number to make their reservation, so it had ‘no choice’ but to report the incident to police.

“To do this to anyone is disgusting but to do this to a newly open restaurant is even worse!” the restaurant adds.

A statement from South Wales Police said:

“Police were called just before 9.40pm on April, Friday 19, with a report of making off without payment from a business premises on Castle Street, Swansea.

“Investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances behind the incident and to identify those involved.”

The family’s dine and dash have gone viral online since the incident with millions viewing a post on Social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Reese has said he was flooded with calls from other nearby restaurants detailing similar incidents with a family.

“I don’t understand how they [the family] can get away with this.It annoys me to know this is happening and that they are getting away with it.”

The only positive has been that the restaurant ‘tripled’ its booking following the incident.

“I took it as a sign of solidarity. I felt fantastic, not about the money but about how people reacted positively to such a negative situation.”

[Lead image: Facebook/Bella Ciao Swansea]