Published by Swiss James on 01 Jul 2009 at 12:44 pm
Contacts #2: Da Marco
# 2 In a series of the business cards in my wallet.
Who? Da Marco
What? Italian Restaurant
Where? Inside a block of apartments, Jiangsu Lu (one stop from Jing-An)
Metropark Service Apartments
103 Dong Zhu An Bang Lu, Changning
东诸安浜路103号京华酒店公寓内(镇宁路江苏路间)
tel: 021 62104495
Why? The pizza here- blue cheese and sausage flavour, is great. Normally I cannot be swayed from the pizza topping that Jesus would choose (Tuna & Mushroom) but I make an exception here.
All of the other stuff I’ve eaten- seafood platters, unusual salads, umm little breadsticks- were solid tasty Italian food too. The wine is totally reasonably priced, and two people can eat there for 300RMB, which is more than you can say for most good western restaurants in town.
The deserts are crap, but they’re Italians so what can you do?
And…If you arrive early with a booking and your table isn’t ready, they gave you a glass of Prosecco at the bar.
If you turn up without a booking and there are no tables ready, they give you a glass of Prosecco and a stern telling off.
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This restaurant was the reason I moved to Shanghai. Fell head over heels with the town after the complimentary glass(es) of Prosecco while waiting for our table.
The service and decor have gone down since but it will always be my first (well not really) love!
I go there at least 12 times a week. The portions are so huge I took my company there last week and ordered 3 pizzas and a salad between 26 people and there was still some food left over that we had boxed up for lunch the next day.
I went there once and ordered 5 loaves and 3 fishes and- oh wait no, I’m mixing it up with something else.
I don’t have much to compare it to since I only started going a few months back, but it’s been consistently good for me- although freakishly busy on random mid-week nights.
5 loaves and 3 fishes for all those people? A likely story James.
It’s lucky you didn’t go to my school WoAi- they treated that story as gospel
By far the best Italian in town and reasonable prices.
Does the Xu Jia Hui franchise stack up?
Best Italian in town? Well at price to performance ratio, sure, but if I had a large expense account like WoAi, I’d hit Issimo up every night and twice on Sundays over Da Marco’s.
Pizza e Pesto in Taikang Lu does a mean pizza!
T – I think you mean if you had the large expensive expense account like WoAi *used* to have. I agree, it’s definitely not the best, but hard to beat in terms of value for money.
Cankles – XJH franchise definitely NOT as good but it’s okay. I used to go there because it was closer and the wait wasn’t as long.
James – I suppose you believe in Santa too!
Dingle – Is it better than Papa Johns? John swears by them.
John???? Do you mean “John”?
No, this is much better than Papa Johns but then Papa John’s isn’t too bad really, much better than Pizza Hut or that other one I forgot the name of
Tuna and Mushroom?!
I was just a little sick in my mouth.
Hmmm I think we have different benchmarks. The one time I tried Papa Johns at “Johns” I thought it was greasy and nasty. And I’m not sure tuna should ever go on a pizza!
yeah it’s greasy, but so far as delivery pizzas go it’s not too bad, a long way behind Pizza Marzano though
For delivery I always get Coolzey- but I swear there’s a slight disenfectant taste to the base.
In fact on Saturday I announced to Emma that we had to have a serious rethink about our pizza delivery options, and she agreed that it was time for a review.
And yes. Tuna and mushroom- I will hear no arguments against it!
Bet you a tenner you do ….
The best mushroom pizza is available in the freezer section of Jiuguang – try Dr Oetker’s funghi. No fuss, no messy service, no need to tip the wet delivery boy. Their tuna is not as good but I always jazz it up with a can of sardines.
Have to agree with T about Issimo for best Italian restaurant. But for Pizza, Sashas is quite good and the Monday night promotion of one pizza plus 2 beers for RMB 100 is a great deal.
Issimo…okay haven’t been there yet. Will add it to the list.
DeMarco’s sucks.
I’ve never understood why people rave so much about the place.
Service is appalling now also – outsourced, and insipid.
I used to love the Hello Pizza 10RMB pizza’s, but I’m sure that was more the pricing, than the Pizza itself.
Casanova I like(d), not sure of quality now that Paolo has gone to the great Italian restaurant in the Sky.
Issimo is just pricey, nothing special. Nice music usually though.
My only recollection of Issimo is when I got treated to dinner there, and the lady I was with complained the next day to a friend that she treated me to an expensive dinner, and I didn’t even put out.
That Italian one in the Portman is ok too.
As is Bella something or other opposite Bellagio on Xi Kang lu (by the Portman).
Any other suggestions for good Italian or Pizza?
The italian place above Velvet Lounge is quite good – especially the argulua pizza. But I’d have to disagree that Issimo isn’t that nice. It’s by far my fave Eye-talian in town. (Well aside from Babala)
That’s Casanova about Velvet Lounge isn’t it?
How about Saizereya? great if you have a 10 rmb budget!
Lawrence – I never realised you were so cheap! How can you accept a dinner invitation at an expensive place and then not put out? Consider my dinner invitation withdrawn! As for Da Marco, I completely agree the service is terrible. I’ve NEVER been there and NOT seen some angry laowai screaming at the waiter that he’s been waiting for 90 minutes for a pizza. But that’s not the point. It’s busy so there’s always a great buzz about the place, it’s incredible value for money and the food is (for the money) very good. Casanova has always been a solid choice for me also.
小杜 – I would reply but as soon as I read that bit about Da Marco’s sucking, I smashed up my computer in a rage.
In fact no, I’d already smashed it up shortly before that when Colin started talking about frozen pizzas with sardines on top. OH THE HUMANITY!
I like the frozen pizzas they have at Fei Dan. 24 kuai for a personal pizza? I think its the best pizza deal in town.
(And the pizza of the week special at California Pizza Kitchen)
I’m not clear on the concept of a personal pizza- anything below 24″ is, in my book, not for sharing.
Too posh for frozen pizza I see *sigh*
Go ahead and put some kimchi if you like. *shudder*
Lets not start with the BK 7″ jokes.
Yeah yeah, Mr Swiss hulk go smash smash.
Seriously though, I’ve never ever been happy at DeMarco’s food wise, and still fail to see what the big fuss is/was about the place.
My experiences with DeMarco’s have always been bad, even from first visits >10 years ago (hmm, probably 14-15years, but I don’t want to show my age).
Thats Amore is another decent place – I’ve had *very* good food there.
However, I was with the owner, and the chef was cooking for us, and the Italian restaurant “mafia”, so I’d expect it to be better than average!
Lots of wine, and discussions about how to bring in a Vespa.
I met an new ‘in town’ Italian chef over at my office the other day for some Computer support, he’s working at one of the hotels here. Usually they tend to quit and open their own restaurants here after a while, so will be interesting to see if he does the same.
Have to persuade him to feed me one day. (Can’t remember which hotel offhand, will update if people are moderately interested).
I’m moderately interested!
Maybe my bar on Italian food is set too low, I refuse to pay anything like top dollar for pasta and pizza, and have never really been to Italy (one overnight stay in Turin doesn’t count as all I did was watch football, get drunk, and miss my train back to Switzerland).
The pizza at Da Marco’s is great and the wine list seems good to me (i.e cheap, and none of it makes you cough), free bread…yeah maybe I’m not really a high dining type.
[...] just after stoking a raging inferno of comment fire on the merits of Italian restaurants in Shanghai, this delivery menu landed on my [...]
One up for Da Marco’s here, I thought the food there was good and a great atmosphere in the restaurant.
I’ve been to That’s Amore and thought the food was crap, I swore never to go again. Mind you, not the fairest of nights to judge, I went on valentines night and was forced to order their set menu (although half the restaurant was ordering from the normal menu).
Lawrence – Your observation is only partially correct. The Italian chefs usually work in a hotel for a year, find a Chinese girl 20 years younger than themselves to marry, then open their own restaurant with the extended wife’s family all employed in the new venture.
I’m never calling you again to fix my computer after what you said about Da Marco. Although actually I might need help setting up the wireless in my new apartment. Then I’ll stop calling you!
Jalapeno (imagine the n with wave on top) Pizza from New York Style Pizza. Hands down.
Lukas – You mean like this: jalapeño?
Had dinner at DaMarco’s (against my will) last night.
Was actually decent for once, although the service was still hopelessly bad as usual.
Recommend the Octopus Salad – very good!
shamelessly sold out here my man…what did you get for this post? free ham cubes and breadsticks at the bar?
Against your will? You need better will power! Glad you didn’t think it was entirely bad.