A diner was left shocked after he was forced to shell out a small fortune to buy fish and chips and orange juice.
The Melbourne man shared a photo of food he bought at beachfront restaurant Republica in St Kilda on Monday.
“Fish and chips and a drink cost me $40,” he captioned the Reddit post.
‘I knew St Kilda would be more expensive because it’s a tourist area, but what the hell! The fish was also battered.
The restaurant’s menu shows a price of $34 for beer-battered hake and French fries and $5.50 for orange juice.
Social media users were equally disgusted by the exorbitant price.
‘Obscene prices for mediocre food. “Sounds like St Kilda beach,” one wrote.
“It’s getting out of hand. “Jesus,” said another.
The Melbourne man shared a photo of the food he bought at beachfront República restaurant in St Kilda on Monday.
“Yeah, damn robbery,” added another.
Some argued the price was justified in the bustling pub and many claimed beachfront venues typically have to pay higher rents.
‘I pay a lot for the location. Renting on the beach would be too expensive, one said.
“To be fair you sat down and ordered a main meal at a beach front restaurant and not at the local RSL or even a fish and chip shop,” another agreed.
‘The area has a high customer turnover and locals can afford the prices they are willing to pay to live in the area. There’s nothing wrong with it, but I can’t complain,” said a third.
Some commentators questioned the diner’s order.
“Orange juice with fish and chips. I’ve never seen anything like it in almost 40 years on this green Earth,” one wrote.
‘Who drinks orange juice with fish?’ another questioned.
Market research showed Australians are reducing their eating out, with many admitting they will look to reduce their spending during 2025.
A Compare the Market survey indicated cash-strapped Australians would ditch takeaways, holidays, streaming services and morning coffees to save money.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Republica for comment.