Marco Pierre White is a big name in the food industry, I can’t imagine there’s many people that haven’t heard of him. His Marco Pierre White Steakhouse in the center of Birmingham has arguably the best view in the city from the top floor of the Cube Building, so I was intrigued to hear about the opening of one of his ‘New York Italian’ Branches over in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The restaurant is located in one of Stratfords’ historic traditional buildings, and inside is dark and romantic, with the original overhead beams, mixed with black leather and white tablecloths. There are pictures of Marco adorning the walls everywhere, even in the ladies loo, which is a little disconcerting, but a useful reminder of where you’re eating if you’re the forgetful type…!
The menu is just what it says on the tin – a mix of Italian classic flavours and modern New York dishes, think pasta, pizza, burgers, steaks and you’ll be about right! What struck me about the menu is there really is something for everyone on it from children to adults, vegetarians to meat lovers, I think you would be hard pushed to find someone that wasn’t happy with the choice on the menu.
For my starter I chose the Buffalo Mozarella with Avacado, Tomato & Basil Oil. The ingredients were of good quality and presented well, a clean fresh and tasty starter. Lee chose the Plum Tomato & Rocket Soup, again presented in a lovely manner in a lion head bowl. The soup had a gloriously deep red color and tasted divine, so rich and velvety in texture and such a depth to the flavor of the tomatoes. Soups are so often done badly, but this one was a standout.
For mains, Lee chose a salad (unusual for him!) but I think he fancied something a bit lighter for a change – the Gorgonzola, Chicory and Pear Salad with a Walnut Dressing sounded just this. He felt the flavours of all the ingredients worked really well, with the soft pears which had been poached in red wine complimenting the crunchy bitter chicory and unctuous gorgonzola excellently. He did however feel the presentation could have been a bit better. I chose the Yellow Fin Tuna Steak with Olives, Capers, Tomatoes Fresh Herbs and New Potatoes. I was pleased that they asked me how I wanted my tuna cooked – as I love a lightly seared pink tuna steak – they did a pretty good job on this but it was still a little overdone for me. Again the quality of ingredients stood out for me on this one – and the classic Italian flavours were very good.
Throughout our meal the staff were pleasant and attentive, and the service was slick. The clientele ranged from couples to families to groups of friends, so it’s quite clear that everyone is catered for at Marco’s Stratford, so if you’re in the area, it may be just what you’re looking for.
Disclosure: We were invited to dine complimentary at Marco’s, thanks to all their team there. All views are our own.
