A multi-millionaire holidaymaker stunned staff at a posh Italian restaurant by leaving them a GBP 1,500 tip after a night out with friends.

The mega-rich sheikh – whose GBP 380 million yacht was moored off the Italian Riviera – and his guests tucked into a lavish meal at the exclusive Miky Ristorante.

And staff were astonished when he left them a EUR 1,800 tip (GBP 1,530) for their hard work.

Michelin’s guide rates the restaurant as “one of the best restaurants for fish in the region.”

Restaurant manager Sara Defina said: “He sent his assistants to scout ahead, then came to dinner the same evening with about 20 people.”

She added: “They ordered many of our more traditional dishes, tasting, among other things, red prawns from Santa Margherita, red mullet, Monterosso anchovies and scampi.”

Sara – whose father Michele founded the eatery in 1980 – went on: “As for the first courses, they chose ravioli filled with cuttlefish, linguine with squid and clams and the ever-present Genoese pesto, which many at the table were curious to taste.”

The restaurant manager also revealed that the super-rich customer sent his assistant into the kitchen to find out more about local cuisine.

She told local media: “We realised that he appreciated every dish when, at the end of the evening, he sent his assistant into the kitchen to get some advice from our team.”

Local media only refer to the generous client as a ‘sheikh’ who was holidaying on his 150-metre (492-foot) yacht worth EUR 450 million (GBP 383 million).

Italian media reported his visit to the Monterosso al Mare eaterie on 22nd August.

The generous customer reportedly sent his gratuity to the restaurant staff using a special tip app.

It was designed to stop waiters from missing out because many guests in the area are so fantastically wealthy they never carry cash.

His reward is said to be the biggest-ever tip staff at the eatery have received.