€200 lunch for US family at bar opposite Vatican Museums.

A family of US tourists visiting Rome were recently charged more than €200 for a "quick lunch before sightseeing" at Caffè Vaticano, a bar opposite the Vatican Museums.

The family of five ordered three "mix and match" plates of chicken wings and chips, costing €25 each (€75), two €15 plates of salad (€30), two small draught beers at €8 each (€16), three 75cl bottles of water which cost €6 each (€18), a €6 soft drink, two €15 "summer fruit" dishes (€30), a €6 ice coffee and a €5 cappuccino.

This came to €186 onto which the 10 per cent service charge of €18.60 was applied, bringing the grand total to €204.60.

The bar has a track record of charging exorbitant prices which have been highlighted in the past by local media including Wanted in Rome. Reviews on Trip Advisor reveal a string of negative comments about the “tourist trap”, with many reviewers listing the “rip-off” prices, and Rome tour guides frequently advise their clients to avoid the establishment.

In 2013 three eastern European tourists were charged €72 for three portions of tiramisù and three cups of cappuccino at Bar Amore on Via Cavour, while more famously four British tourists were charged €64 for four take-away ice cream cones at Caffetteria Antica Roma on Via della Vite near the Spanish Steps.

Some 25 million pilgrims are expected to descend on the capital during the upcoming Jubilee Year which begins on 8 December and ends on 20 November 2016.