Da Marco

Saturday 9pm and we craved comfort food. We knew Da Marco would be busy but hadn't quite expected so many diners when we walked in. The place was kicking! We were seated on a small table on the side, and we found out that apparently there isn't a designated non-smoking area. What gives?

My husband's minestrone. It looked home-made and he said it was quite nice. It's a healthy alternative nonetheless.

I didn't think I could stomach a starter so I went straight for my ultimate comfort food item: spaghetti and meat sauce. To be honest I think my own creation at home tastes better. This version was not nasty tasting or anything but it lacked flavours. No tastes of meat, tomatoes, or herbs whatsoever. It was so dull if I had my eyes shut I wouldn't be able to tell what I was eating, except pasta and salt. It was way too salty.

My husband's pizza #10 with mushroom and Italian sausage was better than my pasta. It was freshly made and the sauce was yummy. Could use a bit more toppings though!

Overall the food and service were not as good as our last visit. We found out last time already that the food can be a hit or miss. Perhaps the chef should stay in the kitchen more often, instead of talking to customers (ouch that was catty, sorry). Given the reasonable prices I guess we can't really expect fine-dining standards. It is after all a casual place with hearty home-cooked food. We will go back again and stick to starters and pizzas!

Dinner came to RMB200 with 2 drinks.

Da Marco

103 Dong Zhu An Bang Rd., (near Jiangsu Rd.), Shanghai. Tel: 6210-4495