The restaurant charges 510 euros from the client who did not cancel the reservation in time.

A Spanish court dismissed a lawsuit against the restaurant Amelia, the owner of two Michelin stars in San Sebastian. Establishment managed cook Paulo Aiuraudo imposed a €510 fine on a person who did not cancel a booking 96 hours before the deadline. The client did not consider this measure fair and decided to go to court.

According to the Spanish newspaper a countrythe situation occurred in July 2021, when the man was staying at the Villa Favorita hotel, which also houses a restaurant.

The client booked a table for three, but in the end did not come. He changed the dates of his stay at the hotel, but forgot to do the same with the appointment in Amelia. Given his failure to appear, he was fined 510 euros (170 euros per person).

The man accused the restaurant of not having a clear and concise policy on meeting cancellations. He also cited that the amount charged as a fee was “disproportionate and exaggerated”. Both arguments were ultimately dismissed by the judge.

“We are happy. Our system has been approved. This has been a basic rule of thumb since the opening in 2017,” comments Xabier de la Maza, Amélia group manager.

The Restaurant Cancellation Policy is available on the website and warns of penalties to be paid in case of late deadlines. “We operate under a very strict cancellation policy to protect our small business,” he stresses.

The fee for no-show without notice 96 hours in advance is currently €291.

“We feed no more than 20 people. If a customer has a problem, we always charge for the reserved menu, but we usually give a voucher for the customer to use for a year. If there is a good mutual understanding, we try to reach an agreement,” the manager explains.

The Amélia Group also clarifies that cancellations are free of charge if made within the deadline.