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Pretend for a moment if you
would, that you owned a restaurant on Midsummer Boulevard. You
are well known throughout Milton Keynes and are the first choice
for many business associates choosing to entertain their clients
either for lunch or dinner. Add to that, a steady flow of
couples of all ages and families visiting your establishment
then you wouldn’t be complaining would you? Could you possibly
ask for more? Maybe not, but what if a new development called
The Hub was to open just yards from your front door? Would you
start to worry? Marcellos certainly didn’t and they actually
welcome the competition. So much so, that you sense they are
benefiting from the increased passing trade.
If you’ve visited Marcellos in
the past, and you are like most people I have spoken to about
this fine Italian restaurant, then I have no doubt the first
thought to enter your mind will be “pricey!” We heard there had
been some changes at Marcellos so with that in mind, MK Reviews
decided to pay a visit and find out for ourselves.
Atmosphere
My guest and I visited on a Friday evening and although we
started quite early, the restaurant was fairly quiet. However,
it rapidly filled with a variety of guests from a large party,
to couples and we strongly recommend you book if visiting at a
weekend.
Very quickly after taking our
seats, the restaurant was transformed from what might have been
a quiet and rather dull dining experience, to a buzzing,
bubbling and beautiful place to be.
Décor
 I
was particularly taken by the way Marcellos have tried to create
an Italian experience. Indeed, their aim is to make you feel
like you could be in Rome. Whilst the décor will never be to
everyone’s taste, it doesn’t matter who you are, we all feel the
desire to ‘escape’ from time to time, and I did feel like I had
done just that at Marcellos. I was relaxed, and at times, it was
only a brief look out the window onto Midsummer Boulevard that
reminded me I was not abroad.
Take a look at the picture to
the right and you get a good feel for Marcellos. You might also
note another subtle difference between Marcellos and many other
restaurants. Many of the square tables are at angles, giving
guests that little extra space that many restaurants do not
offer.
The food
We skipped the appetizers but some fresh, crunchy bread was
brought to our table before our starters arrived. We strongly
suggest you try the green olive and garlic pate. It's tasty, and
has a lovely ‘kick.’
We ordered the house wine
(Soave was le Giare, £12.95) and although this was a simple yet
enjoyable wine, which complimented our meal nicely, it was not
served as chilled as it should have been and I did find that
disappointing.
I decided to start with the
Funghi Don Vito (Filled breaded mushrooms deep fried and
served with gorgonzola cheese & a creamy peppercorn sauce,
£6.95). I love Mushrooms, yet I had never tasted a dish quite
like this before. I was unsure how the gorgonzola cheese would
go with a creamy peppercorn sauce, but I need not have worried.
The two combined to perfection and when you cut into the breaded
mushrooms, which were hot, fresh and juicy, there was this
wonderful mixture of powerful tastes which even now, I am keen
to experience again.
My guest order Gameroni
vino bianco (Tiger prawns cooked in butter, olive oil and
garlic, flambe with Brandy and white wine finished with a touch
of parsley, £10.80). This was a quality starter, well cooked,
and the prawns were large, incredibly fresh and almost meaty.
For mains I opted for the
Fettuccine Pollo (Fettucine pasta with shredded chicken &
mushrooms cooked in olive oil, garlic & chilli with a touch of
cream, £9.50). The pasta was still incredibly hot when it
arrived which delighted me. I like my food served hot. My mouth
is still watering thinking about this dish. Wow! So simple, yet
so affective. How many times have you seen a dish spoilt by one
ingredient making everything else in the dish renderless? All
the ingredients here combined to make an amazingly tasty dish.
So, just for you, it was onto the desserts and
instead of receiving a menu, a large carousel-like stand is
brought to your table with plenty of cheesecakes and cakes to
choose from. I opted for the Toffee & Pecan Cheesecake
(£4.50) which was doused with plenty of cream. Yet again, I was
left thinking “Wow!” This was tasty. My guest chose the
Amaretto (Delicious amaretto ice-cream with a cream
centre, covered with crushed amaretto biscuits, £4.50).
Service
The service was professional and efficient. Our wine glasses
were constantly re-filled but I noticed that despite the fact
that we were dinking at a consistent pace, these visits to our
table did decrease once the restaurant became busy. But is this
a complaint? I don’t think so. A few more smiles may not have
gone amiss, but I certainly did not feel the waiting staff were
miserable. Id far rather it this way, than have someone smile at
me and not mean it.
Overall,
this was one of the more enjoyable eating experiences we have
had in Milton Keynes. |
