Aren't I good to you ladies and gentlemen? With Valentine's Day just around the corner it seems only fitting that food takes centre stage. Hopefully, my posts will give you a few ideas for where to go in the run up to the big day.
When I received the invitation to dine at Marco's New York Italian, I literally scrapped my plans and made sure I could make it to the picturesque town of Stratford Upon Avon.
Stratford is of course, Shakespeare's birthplace, but today it is a beautiful destination for tourists from abroad and the UK. With plenty of theatres, restaurants, shops and bars to choose from, I love heading over for a little break from the city and taking a walk by the river.
Stratford is also home to Marco's New York Italian. Inspired by Marco's Italian heritage and love of American food, the restaurant serves up everything from steak and shrimp to pizza and hotdogs.
Housed in a Tudor building, the restaurant interior is simply stunning. Complete with wood floors, wood panelling, leather padded bars and quirky touches such as Marco's chefs whites and signature black and white armchair, the restaurant is full of suprises.
Onto the food. The menu is varied and split into antipasti (appetizers), primi (starters), insalate (salds that can ordered as both starters and mains), pasta, risotto, pizza, carne (meat) and pesce (fish) as well as contorni (sides) and desserts, with a good selection of wines too.
A rare treat for a Tuesday night, we started off with the mixed olives and a glass of prosecco (a reasonable £5.25) to set the tone. After what felt like hours deliberating over the menu, I eventually settled on the Garlic and Lemon Prawns on Toasted Rustic Bread and 10oz Rib Eye Steak with Rocket, Parmesan Cheese and Vintage Balsamic. Just because I couldn't decide, myself and the beautiful Georgie from Cotswold Create shared the Steak and Sea Bass, Simply Grilled with Lemon and New Potatoes.
The olives were incredibly moreish, and some of the best I've ever eaten in a restaurant. By the time the prawns arrived on gluten free bread (bonus points) I was very ready to eat as I'd managed to get soaked on the way to the restaurant.
Good sized and plentiful, the prawns were simply delicious; simply cooked but flavourful and finished off with the lemon, these were tasty and filling. The gluten free white bread was also fantastic, lovely thick slices with a good glutinous texture, and again, one of the best I've ever tried.
Next up was our sharing course of steak and sea bass. I started off with the steak and this was juicy and soft, and again, simply flavoured but good. The chef had very artfully managed to cater to our (joking) request and cooked half medium rare and half rare! The chips were beautiful and the tomato brilliantly flavoured with garlic. I also tried the sea bass and again, this was simply cooked but lovely and definitely a great healthy option.
Naughtily, I said yes to dessert and chose the usually gluten free friendly option of Panna Cotta. This came out in a huge whisky glass and was full of creamy white panna cotta, topped off with a delicious berry compote. Full of real vanilla, this was a very naughty treat!
During the evening we were able to chat to James Curran, the general manager and had a few insights into the food and venue. When asked about the ethos of Marco's New York Italian, he said: "Affordable luxury and good food cooked well". This was certainly clear to see from the food on offer. Much of the food is locally sourced with the meat coming from Barry the Butcher across the road. The style of food was simple but in order to allow the quality of the food to shine through.
The restaurant is a great place to come and eat or drink for any occasion. Whether it's a quick pre-theatre menu or lavish ladies lunch, there is plenty of choice and they were fantastic at catering to my gluten free diet.
This would be a lovely cosy restaurant for a Valentine's Day meal too, and any lady would be glad to be taken here for an evening meal after a walk around Stratford, if they're not fully booked already!
Overall, Marco's does offer affordable luxury and a good choice of food and drink in a beautiful, atmospheric Tudor building. Thank you to the team at Marco's for having me!
For bookings and more information on Marco's New York Italian Stratford, click here. To see the food menu click here the dessert menu click here and the drink and snack menu (including cocktails!) click here.
Marco's New York Italian - 17-19 Chapel Street, Stratford Upon Avon, CV37 6ER.
*I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant. All views are my own.
When I received the invitation to dine at Marco's New York Italian, I literally scrapped my plans and made sure I could make it to the picturesque town of Stratford Upon Avon.
Stratford is of course, Shakespeare's birthplace, but today it is a beautiful destination for tourists from abroad and the UK. With plenty of theatres, restaurants, shops and bars to choose from, I love heading over for a little break from the city and taking a walk by the river.
Stratford is also home to Marco's New York Italian. Inspired by Marco's Italian heritage and love of American food, the restaurant serves up everything from steak and shrimp to pizza and hotdogs.
Housed in a Tudor building, the restaurant interior is simply stunning. Complete with wood floors, wood panelling, leather padded bars and quirky touches such as Marco's chefs whites and signature black and white armchair, the restaurant is full of suprises.
Onto the food. The menu is varied and split into antipasti (appetizers), primi (starters), insalate (salds that can ordered as both starters and mains), pasta, risotto, pizza, carne (meat) and pesce (fish) as well as contorni (sides) and desserts, with a good selection of wines too.
A rare treat for a Tuesday night, we started off with the mixed olives and a glass of prosecco (a reasonable £5.25) to set the tone. After what felt like hours deliberating over the menu, I eventually settled on the Garlic and Lemon Prawns on Toasted Rustic Bread and 10oz Rib Eye Steak with Rocket, Parmesan Cheese and Vintage Balsamic. Just because I couldn't decide, myself and the beautiful Georgie from Cotswold Create shared the Steak and Sea Bass, Simply Grilled with Lemon and New Potatoes.
The olives were incredibly moreish, and some of the best I've ever eaten in a restaurant. By the time the prawns arrived on gluten free bread (bonus points) I was very ready to eat as I'd managed to get soaked on the way to the restaurant.
Good sized and plentiful, the prawns were simply delicious; simply cooked but flavourful and finished off with the lemon, these were tasty and filling. The gluten free white bread was also fantastic, lovely thick slices with a good glutinous texture, and again, one of the best I've ever tried.
Next up was our sharing course of steak and sea bass. I started off with the steak and this was juicy and soft, and again, simply flavoured but good. The chef had very artfully managed to cater to our (joking) request and cooked half medium rare and half rare! The chips were beautiful and the tomato brilliantly flavoured with garlic. I also tried the sea bass and again, this was simply cooked but lovely and definitely a great healthy option.
During the evening we were able to chat to James Curran, the general manager and had a few insights into the food and venue. When asked about the ethos of Marco's New York Italian, he said: "Affordable luxury and good food cooked well". This was certainly clear to see from the food on offer. Much of the food is locally sourced with the meat coming from Barry the Butcher across the road. The style of food was simple but in order to allow the quality of the food to shine through.
The restaurant is a great place to come and eat or drink for any occasion. Whether it's a quick pre-theatre menu or lavish ladies lunch, there is plenty of choice and they were fantastic at catering to my gluten free diet.
This would be a lovely cosy restaurant for a Valentine's Day meal too, and any lady would be glad to be taken here for an evening meal after a walk around Stratford, if they're not fully booked already!
Overall, Marco's does offer affordable luxury and a good choice of food and drink in a beautiful, atmospheric Tudor building. Thank you to the team at Marco's for having me!
For bookings and more information on Marco's New York Italian Stratford, click here. To see the food menu click here the dessert menu click here and the drink and snack menu (including cocktails!) click here.
Marco's New York Italian - 17-19 Chapel Street, Stratford Upon Avon, CV37 6ER.
*I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant. All views are my own.
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