This restaurant gives a free bottle of wine — but you have to give up your phone

Wine not?

Parting ways with your cellphone actually pays off at this restaurant in Italy.

Al Condominio, which opened in the northern city of Verona in March, offers a free bottle of wine to customers who hand in their phones before meals.

“We wanted to open a restaurant that was different from the others,” owner Angelo Lella told the Guardian on Monday. “So we picked this format — customers can choose to renounce technology while enjoying a convivial moment together.”

He added: “Technology is becoming a problem — there is no need to look at your phone every five seconds, but for many people it is like a drug … This way they have an opportunity to put it aside and drink some good wine.”

Upon arrival, diners can place their phones in a box, under lock and key, at the entrance.

To claim their free bottle of wine, all they have to do is show the key to the waiter.

That’s not the only perk customers can get for locking up their mobile devices.

They can also choose to review their meal, leaving the missive in the same box their phone was in.

The person who writes the most glowing review, singing the highest praises, will be offered a free meal during their next visit.

“The response has been very positive. Ninety percent of customers have opted to leave aside their phones in exchange for wine,” Lella shared.

“It really is a beautiful thing to see people embracing it,” he continued. They are talking to each other rather than looking at photos or responding to messages on their phone.”

The Guardian reports that another restaurant in Italy, Separè 1968, offers vouchers to diners who relinquish their phones.