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Address Type of food Opening hours Average cost
402-404 Midsummer Boulevard, Italian

Mon-Fri 1130am-230pm &

Appertizers £3.90
Milton Keynes,  

530pm-1030pm

Starters £7.80
MK9 2EA   Sat 6pm-1030pm Mains £9.95 (Specials £16.95)
Tel : 01908 608 787   Sun Closed Desserts £4.50

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. 

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Food                                                                                  
Décor                                                                                       
Service                                                                                  
Atmosphere                                                                                  
Your comments
Marcellos has a lovely feel to it, and the service is good. The only downside is that the food is over salted. I have eaten there twice with the same problem. It may be worth asking the chef to let the diner choose their own salting style in this day of being more health conscious. Louise Mason, August 16, 2008

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