Menu with prices to him. The star: “In Venice they are patriarchal and make men pay at the restaurant”
An Australian TV star contested the priceless courtesy menus she’s seen being handed out in upscale restaurants. Cipriani’s answer
VENICE. Who pays at the restaurant? Man or woman? A gallant gesture or “A patriarchal system that imposes the role of ‘kept’ on women, even at the table”. The latter is the accusation made by Abbie Chatfield, Australian radio presenter and TV star, after having experienced during her vacation in Venice a dinner in the luxurious hotel overlooking the lagoon where she had stayed.
In the videos on social media, as reported by local newspapers, he explains that he found ‘boujee’ in a restaurant, a slang term to say that a place frequented by the upper middle class. But the stone of the scandal is another: “My menu has no prices – accuses – I have no prices but my partner does”.
Basically, the woman was given what is called the courtesy menu, which only shows the list of dishes, while the tourist’s escort was given the full fare menu. This sent Chatfield into a rage: “but do you think? – he vents on social media – I’m the breadwinner (word that defines the head of the family)”. You go so far as to speak of genuine discrimination against women: “Patriarchy-accuses-strikes again!”.
To take is the defense of the Venetian restaurant, Ernesto Pancin. “This is the city of love – he minimizes – and therefore also of romanticism, courtship and gallantry”.
The comment of Arrigo Cipriani, owner of Harry’s Bar, is less diplomatic: “If a man leaves, it would be to pay the bill to the embarrassing girlfriend – he declares – In my premises there is no courtesy menu but if it were it would certainly not be presented to the woman: right that you have a clear idea of the often very high amount that your companion will pay to spend that evening with you “.
Unlimited access to all site content
3 months for € 1, then € 2.99 per month for 3 months
Unlock unlimited access to all content on the site