BAY AREA (KRON) -- The Bay Area has some of the best restaurants in the world, with the prices to prove it! But would you believe dinner at a nice restaurant for as little as $5?

Fior d'Italia may be the oldest Italian restaurant in the Bay Area, but it's still on the cutting edge of the restaurant industry. It's one of a growing number of eateries using the Internet to drum up business. With just a few clicks, you can get a $25 gift certificate at Fior d'Italia for as little as $5.

An Illinois-based website uses Ebay to auction off gift certificates for restaurants all over the country. In the Bay Area those include "Zingari" near Union Square, "Compadres" in Palo Alto, "Turtle Bay Seafood & Grill" in Foster City, "Ta-Ke Sushi" and "Milano Ristorante" both in Oakland.

We found many of the winning bids were under $5 for $25 certificates, and your best chances are to wait until the last minutes of the auction if you can.

Once you win you can print out your gift certificate right then and there.

There are restrictons: certificates are only good for the food portion of the bill, not taxes or tip or even alcohol, at some restaurants. No change or credit is given. You must dine-in, and may need to have a minimum of 2 people. Also, you can only use one gift certificate per party.

So what are the restaurants getting out of it? "It's a good deal for us because we're advertised on the Internet, costing us the amount, $25," says chef and co-owner Gainni Audieri.

Plus, most bank on the fact that you'll probably spend more than the certificate is worth. "One person this week, I don't know how he figured this out, including the tax, he was exactly $25. But there is always the other 10 coupons that will spend $50, $60, $70, $80... ," Audieri says.

The gift certificates aren't always for $25. Some are for $10, so be careful what you bid on. And there's a $1 surcharge, so figure that into your total cost when you bid.

The website to go to is www.restaurant.com.

(Copyright 2003, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)