Marco Ristorante Italiano

Enjoyed our business dinner at Marco’s. Owners and servers were friendly and attentive. I had the grouper. Loved the sauce with capers. Look forward to my next dinner at Marco’s.

Haven’t been here in about 4 years and just as good as I remember. I had a special ribeye with peppercorn encrusted and a cognac sauce. Outstanding! A little pricey but very good.

Had the Valentine’s dinner tonight! Over priced, food was cold and left still hungry which is unacceptable! First time visit and will be the last. Do not recommend this restaurant!

Absolutely great food, service and ambiance. Awesome spot for a romantic dinner for two to a family evening celebration. We had the Bronzino and Steak Diane both prepared table side and most excellent. My only complaint was the corkage fee, $ 30 I felt was a bit steep. I live in California and have never had a corkage that high. Overall a great experience.

Best option in Macon. If you only have one night in town, this should be on your short list.

Took my wife there for her birthday… The service was first class and they made you feel very special .the décor was very nice romantic and well put together. the food was excellent my cod fillet wrapped in parchment and orange sauce was like angels wings… .authentic italian… and the desserts were world class. cant say enough good things about it… my wife was extremely happy… the chef came to the table to introduce himself to the birthday girl. the pastry chef made a special dessert platter for my wife… my wife felt like she was in a movie… just awesome.

Best service in town, the hostess made the dinner worth it. Such a nice lady, food was good. Can’t say the lasagna was the best I have ever had for this price. Overall I was happy with the place. I think dropping the prices a bit would bring in more people. We ate for 2 and bill ran 100 $+ again the wait staff was at the top of there game. Call ahead and ask for the b1g1 special. Monday and Thursday is b1g1 on the meals.

I visited this resturant for Valentine’s Day, and I was so disappointed. Don’t get me wrong the ambience was nice, but they should focus more on the food. It should’ve been a red flag that their holiday pre course menu didn’t have but one Italian option but i disregarded it. Odd that they were running out of the dishes they had on the pre prepared menu. How is that even possible? Especially when that’s the only options being offered. Secondly, it was as if the chef has never heard of the word SEASONING. I mean there seem to be absolutely none on the food. I sent my second course back after taking on bite of the ravioli, it was awful. How can you screw up ravioli if your Italian restaurant? For those type of prices, that quality of food does not fit. I would’ve been better off at Olive Garden. Waste of money!

Pricey and the food in my humble opinion is disgusting. I would never return. The food was very bland an lets not mention I saw a dead bug under my co workers chair. I feel horrible for leaving this review but it’s the truth. The food was TERRIBLE

Incredible food and service… Steak Diana rocks! Mmmmmmmmm!

I always give a place two tries to be fair and, in this case, two times is more than enough for me. Everything was underseasoned and overpriced. Some dishes were just OK while others were Olive Garden level sad. Even if this place had Olive Garden prices, it still wouldn’t be worth it.
If this restaurant was in ATL or any other city of size it wouldn’t last more than a few months. It’s insulting that they think people in Macon can be fooled into thinking this is both good Italian and fine dining.
Only reason for 2 stars is the lovely and friendly staff and decent wine selection.

Marcos has become our date night spot. Great service. Great food Treats us like family. Even Remembers our favorite table to sit at. Make sure to try the filet. Caesar salad. Yummy

Absolutely LOVE Marco’s. My wife and I go when we can and always LOVE it. The food is amazing, OK, so once out of 20 times we did have one «less than» meal, but even that time the staff makes up for it. I have found ALWAYS take staff advice. I have tried some things I would have NEVER imagined. The Steaks have always been cooked perfectly, but get the pasta dishes PLEASE. I am not a pasta fan normally but at Marco’s I am a convert. I can’t say it enough THEY HAVE THE BEST STAFF!!!

My favorite middle GA fine dining restaurant. We’ve been here several times, and it’s always been consistently excellent — food, service and ambiance. The manager/​owner (I’m not sure what his title is, maybe it’s both) is very, very sweet and always makes us feel like personal friends of his.
They do wonderful brunches for special occasions/​holidays. We’ve tried several in the area; the one Marco presented (Father’s Day) was by far the best.
We’ve been to Natalia’s and while it’s also good, I like Marco better for the food, service and atmosphere.

We had a fabulous experience at Marcos last night. The hostess asked how our days had been, and was very personable and kind. Our waiters and everyone we interacted with was so concerned with our having a great experience… and we did. From the first bite of our bread, to the last bite of our dessert (the Tiramisu), our meal was fantastic. Both my husband and I ordered steaks, which were cooked exactly to order. The wine recommendations were fantastic, especially the Chianti. We never felt rushed, nor did we sit around wondering when we would be served. A wonderful place to eat in Macon with a hardworking and knowledgable staff! Looking forward to the new location opening in Warner Robins later this year.

Excellent food. Amazing service. Definite must try out if in the area.

I’ve had a couple of my favorite meals in Macon at Marco, but something happened recently. The wait staff was great, friendly, and did things that most fine dining establishments don’t do, such as take your beverage from the bar to your table when it is ready, and even jotting down my phone number in case someone left something behind. That’s not the issue. The issue was the food. It was awful. A joke, almost.
Like I said, I had a Beef Wellington here that was out of this world, but this past time, with a decent group of friends and a wide entrée selection, nothing was good. My vegan friend’s plate was just pitiful. And on top of that, it was expensive! And on top of that, we waited for almost 2 hours for our entrees! My Vegan friend complained enough to get his bill adjusted, but no one else did even after vocalizing our disappointment.
I host dinners with executives with my company when they come to town, and on a few occasions have dined at Marco. I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself in the future with them as I did with my friends.
Maybe a new chef?

Marco’s has always been fairly consistent. Love the lamb chops and the frito misto, as well as the branzino dish which is very good. Service is usually attentive. Two things that I’ve had there that were subpar to me are a veal scaloppini which was too tough and a crunchy seafood risotto which was disappointing.

My plans were hijacked by inclement weather causing me to sulk. With hunger being an attributing factor to my dour mood, a jaunt to Marco with friends was just the thing to combat my malaise.
Owners Nazario Filipponi and Executive Chef Dario Leo opened Marco in 2004. With a combined experience of 60 plus years in the restaurant and hospitality industry, it’s no wonder their shared passion of Italian cuisine shines through.
Arriving a few minutes before my friends I sat at the bar to soak up the atmosphere. Breaking from my normal bourbon on the rocks I ordered a dirty martini. The bartender mentioned she had her own secret recipe.
«Bring it on», I said.
After first sip, I gave her a nod of approval. It was the perfect amount of dirty.
As I sipped I looked around at the bustling dining room that was tastefully decorated. Stuccoed walls in golden hues reflected a warm Tuscan feel.
As my friends arrived we continued to sit at the bar for a while longer, not feeling rushed to be seated. I found myself slowly coming out of my thaw. I was certain the thaw was induced by the martini coupled with my empty stomach and the restaurant’s ambiance.
Once ready to be seated our waitress Erica regaled us with the evening’s specials. A duo of appetizer specials sounded nice but my ears pricked up upon hearing the entrees. Pan roasted NY Strip topped with Maytag Bleu Cheese and glazed Mission Figs in a Port Wine reduction served with sauteed spinach and mashed potato. Veal Lemon Picatta with asparagus and mashed potato.
While we all read over the menu we ordered a few appetizers. The appetizer special for the evening, Fried Oysters with a house made tartar sauce and Fagioli with Roasted Wild Boar Sausage. While not a fan of fried foods, the oysters were remarkably light and tender. They were set off nicely by the sauce which had noticeable flavors of shallots and capers.
The Fagioli and sausage were the perfect comfort food for the cold winter night. The wild boar sausage was rich in rustic flavors layered with a delicate veil of fennel. This dish coupled with a salad it would have made a very nice meal in itself.
I had a hard time concentrating on the menu while the appetizers sat in front of me. I did notice it consisted of classic Italian favorites.
Finally decisions were made. My dining companions ordered a couple of Caesar Salads, the Veal Picatta and the NY Strip special. I ordered a Seafood Salad, a Chick Pea and Pasta soup and the Roasted Rack of Lamb encrusted with pistachios served with spinach and a pear au gratin with Gorgonzola cheese.
The Seafood Salad consisted of shrimp, jumbo lump crab, hearts of palm, asparagus, grapefruit all tossed with a Bourbon mayonnaise. It was incredibly light with a bit of tang. The shrimp was tender and the salad was loaded with crab. The crispy texture of the asparagus balanced the tender seafood and the sweetness of the grapefruit worked brilliantly with the tang of the bourbon mayonnaise. So many ingredients in one dish yet they all balanced and enhanced each other.
The soup was a drastic contrast to my salad. It was simplistic in its flavors & ingredients, a tomato broth, chick peas, and pasta. The one ingredient it regretfully lacked was salt.
My hunger was more than satisfied by the time our entrees arrived. However once seeing the beautiful rack of lamb placed before me I caught my second wind. A thick crust of pistachios blanketed the hearty portion of lamb. The red wine and shallot sauce had a rich finish and complimented the meat beautifully. The pear and Gorgonzola were a nice accompaniment. My only qualm was that a canned pear was used, but given the weather perhaps fresh were not available.
The Veal Picatta was perfection. Beautiful medallions of veal were accented by by a velvety lemon sauce. My manners cast aside, I couldn’t resist reaching over and sopping a bit of the sauce with the foccacia that was on the table. I justified it would have been far worse manners for any of that sublime sauce to remain on the plate.
The NY Strip was cooked rare as ordered, lightly seasoned & topped with Maytag Blue Cheese. The sweet lusciousness of the Mission figs added a stunningly rich flavor.
For dessert, Crème Brulee and a Semi Fredo with chunks of white chocolate drizzled with a raspberry coulis. A glass of port was the perfect finish to an exceptional meal.
Our experience was enhanced by the attentive graciousness of the staff. Owner Nazario Filiponni stopped by to greet us and tell a few jokes before he moved on to check on other patrons. His genuine hospitality clearly makes diners feel important and well taken care of. Marco is the kind of restaurant most people should be so lucky to have to have nearby. Boasting the right combination of rustic charm and elegance it’s equally suited for a relaxed weeknight dinner at the bar or special occasion.
Marco was definitely the prescription the doctor ordered.

It’s a rare and sad day when I am as disappointed in something as much as I was with my overall experience at Marco’s. I’m going to be honest here. I love a good meal. My pallet is discerning, but I am not hard to please. In fact, quite the contrary. The thing is, there was not one bright spot in my visit. From the bread before the main course, to the menu choices, to the entrée I ordered up, everything was bad. Not just average, but bad. Overall, here are my thoughts.
1. Way over priced. I don’t mind paying $$ for food equal to the cost, but this was not the case here. The portions were incredibly small, and the flavor was sub par. An honest opinion as to what something like that should cost, would be about 7, 8 dollars a plate. At Marco’s, you can expect to pay up to triple that amount per dinner.
2. Quality. As I mentioned above, the quality was extremely sub par. Very disappointing. No need to belabor that point any more.
3. Service. oh boy, where do I start. This was the most disappointing aspect. When you go to a high cost restaurant, you expect high quality service. The night I was there, the service was very amateur, and had a feeling of immaturity to it. The Waitress was a mess and had a hard time getting any part of our order right. The hostess service was impersonal, and even the management was too young and unconcerned.
Bottom line is that I don’t expect this place to be around too much longer. Especially if it remains on the unfortunate course I happened to find it on in May of 2010.
For me, this is the first place that has not earned at least a second chance.