Impeccable service, exquisite cuisine, outstanding experience. Our only regret was that we couldn't eat everything twice. Highly recommended. read more

went for a wedding anniversary dinner and it couldn't have been better. True authentic Italian food and impeccable service. We had the truffle risotto for a special treat and it was divine. read more

Food: 10/10 Ambience: 10/10 Service: 8/10 Wine: 8/10 Parking: 5/10 My boyfriend took me here for valentines dinner. We had a reservation at 8:30. We arrived on the dot, but it was really busy inside because of vday, was instructed to wait by the bar until the table was ready. There were barely any space to even stand at the bar, but the wait wasn't too long so it wasn't too bad. Because it was Valentine's Day, they were having a prix fixe menu. The food was delicious. Wine: the wine list is good, but Italian wine only, and they don't have cocktails. Antipasti: was good, but nothing exceptional Primi: sweet corn ravioli with lobster. This was awesome. The lobster and the sauce were perfect for the ravioli. 10/10 would recommend. Secondi: Australian lamb loin with cumin yogurt. This was an interesting combo I've never tried together before, surprisingly tasted really good. It well seasoned, not overcooked, meat still moist, it was good! Dolce: panna cotta with "Saba" serious the best panna cotta in town. Creamy, perfect hint of sweetness, melts in your mouth yumminess. 10/10 recommend this dessert. This place is on the pricier side, but I'd definitely come back. read more

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Consistently one of the best in town. Clearly for special occasions unless your wallet is unlimited. An early Xmas celebration for us. Great service. Large wine list (all Italian) but plan on spending a bit. Unfortunately only beer and wine so no fancy cocktails to start. We has 2 ($75/btl) Puglias. Appetizers were octopus, branzino carpaccio, another fish carpaccio, and burrata salad. All winners. Entrees were whole roasted fish, gnocchi, pasta special, and pork loin. All were well presented and tasty. Shared 2 fruit desserts. There is nothing to quibble about here. Enjoy a memorable meal. Folks tend to dress up so minimum of "elegant casual". Damages for 4 with tip was $450. read more

Amazing service, amazing food, unique selections among great favorites. Quaint atmosphere with folks who are very serious about providing the best dining experience in town. Italian wine selection top notch and I'm not sure how one could serve fresher, more delightful fare. Jeans and blazer and no ugly stares...just a happy tummy. Worth every penny and then some. The grilled Octopus is a favorite of mine, so tender and fresh, and the homemade boar stuffed pasta is fabulous. One of Houston's best read more

Taken to dinner for my birthday and this place was absolutely delicious. A bit on the pricey side but it's a great intimate place. I felt a little awkward walking in because tables were so close to each other and everyone's just there staring. The service was a little slow, no one came to our table for awhile, and the menu is a little hard to understand (for me that was). The waiters mannerism was great though and when water or bread needed to be refilled they were on top of it. For starters they gave us this crostini topped with some sort of veggies I believe and Parmesan cheese. Super good! And they also give you unlimited bread and olive oil. --Branzino Carpaccio Pinenuts & Foie Gras - (5/5) This was one of the most amazing dishes I've ever had. The fish was super fresh and cold and it went so well with the foie Gras that was warm and melted in your mouth. Soooooo good! --White Truffle Pasta - (4/5) A light dish with pasta, ricotta, and shaved truffles to top it off. It was good but too much would be overwhelming because the truffle is super strong and when you get to the bottom of the dish there's just so much buttered oil. Good thing we shared. --Chianti Braised Short Ribs w/ Burrata Risotto - (3/5) The short ribs were tender enough where it would come off when you stick your fork into it but still a bit chewy. The brown sauce is on the light side so the meat was a bit bland and the risotto I felt was a bit under cooked. I could find better braised short ribs elsewhere. --Panna Cotta - (4/5) I've never heard of this and I didn't know what it was but since everyone ordered this and said it was the best on yelp we decided to try this. Very rich thick, milky, gelatin dessert. Not too sweet topped with some sort of tart syrup. Pretty good. Dinner was great altogether and I would definitely come back. I need to try the lobster ravioli. Great place to have an intimate dinner with your significant other. This is probably one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to. (: read more

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Rose K.'s love letter and Daniel H.'s complimentary neologisms really made this place sound amazing. Perhaps it is and I was just in on a very off night. But my thoughts: pretentious in the super-bad-way; ignorasaurus and haughty/arrogant waiter that was talking DOWN to us; and overall something worth avoiding for entirely different reasons than why I avoid the Olive Garden at all costs. Damian's is worth putting up with their classist atmosphere because the food is amazeballs. The food is not amazeballs here no matter how many extra unneccessary syllables (and ingredients) go into something basic that any half-witted Italian grandmother could spit out of a kitchen even if she had to improvise like in the Food Network's Dinner Impossible where her kitchen consisted of a tin can, a Zippo lighter, a box of Tic-Tacs, and a raven's beak. read more

Love Letter to a Restaurant: If I could propose to an Italian restaurant, it would be you, Da Marco. You are the one. You have a very unassuming bar area, the kind I like to savor and spend some time in. You feel like home, but more dressed up and ready for a special occasion. Your waitstaff is... perfection. It makes me weak in the knees just thinking about how fast the emptiness of my bread plate would be replaced with a warm slice. How the wine came out quickly and efficiently, and how when my date's wineglass stem broke, it took not one second for a waiter to replace it and say comfortingly- "Don't worry, it happens all the time." Your tablecloths are white and clean as fresh snow. Your gnocchi is fluffy and light like air. The wild boar sausage was spiced perfectly and not greasy. Melted in my mouth. Your mango sorbet, to top it off, is surprisingly sweet but not in an inauthentic way. I felt happy chills on a summer night. Thank you, Da Marco, for the perfect birthday dinner. I will await our next meeting with breathless anticipation. read more

Some dishes are ok, others not. But that's not why I walked away from there and remember it as the worst dining experience I've had in Houston. And see my other reviews if you are doubtful. Rarely do I give scathing reviews, and I think this is my first in Houston. I took my friend here for his birthday - went for the whole-grilled fish, and also got a lunch pre-fixe as well as an extra pasta. The bottarga (dried roe) pasta was okay but the other pasta (I forget) was flavorless. The fish was decent. The soup that came in the pre-fixe was not, and the chocolate something or another dessert was ok. I went 3 weeks ago. I apparently don't remember the food very well but know that the only thing I would get again - if I were dragged there - is the fish. But I do remember very clearly that not only were our waiters snooty, they and the manager discriminated us. It sounds like a stupid thing to do. But not once did the manager stop by our table to say hi whereas he stopped by the table right next to ours and pour water to say hi to the two River Oaks mom types that were at lunch. Did I go in jeans and flip flops? No. I was wearing a skirt and top and my friend a button down and slacks. Maybe if I wore more jewelry, I'd be welcomed. If I'm paying $40 per person for lunch, the last thing I want is walking away feeling like a) I got bad service, and b) I was discriminated. So be your own judge. If you want to go, go. Personally, the food wasn't good enough to warrant another visit. Valet parking only even though it has a private lot. Just the cherry on top. read more

We have enjoyed Da Marco's amazing food for more than 20 years. It has been the go-to for birthdays and special occassions as well as meeting up with friends for no reason at all. So we were in shock when we finished our last meal at Da Marco. The staff refused to honor a gift certificate we had been given as a gift from a grateful patient. We disagreed with the staff's decision and agreed to disagree. As we were paying the bill, the owner, Marco Wiles, came over to our table, screaming at us. He was screaming in English and Italian, cursing at us and was physically and verbally agressive and threatening. He ripped our gift certificate out of my wife's hand, invited me outside after threatening a physical fight. My wife asked for the off duty police officer to come in from out front and we left with Marco Wiles continuing to scream profanities across the restaurant at us. Unbeknownst to us, a major conflict between Marco Wiles and the prior manager at Da Marcos who signed our gift card exists and this appears to have been the catalyst for refusing to honor the certificate and for Marco going off on long-time, loyal customers. Needless to say we will not be going back. Our meal was superb, as always, but the unhinged, unprovoked, threatening and agressive behaviour by the owner, Marco Wiles was an episode that was simply unimaginable. Patrons be forewarned. read more

I went here for lunch today with a group of colleagues to celebrate my boss' birthday. This is not typically a restaurant I would go to. I prefer more casual dining restaurants. This was my second time dining here. The first time our VP treated us to a nice lunch for Administrative Professionals Week. Service today was slow. We were never given menus which was odd. We had to ask for them. We were seated for a good 20-30 minutes at that point. My boss had to ask the servers TWICE if we could go ahead and order. She shouldn't have had to ask more than once. She commented that this was very unusual for Da Marco. The servers are usually on point. They served fresh, warm bread with olive oil. One of my colleagues said they should have put some herbs in the olive oil and I agree. Even though it was good, it would have been better with the herbs. The servers went over the specials for the day. I opted for the 3-course business lunch for $29. I ordered the soup special today which was similar to an egg drop soup. It was a brothy soup with spinach, pasta and parmesan (I believe). Not bad but nothing special. I didn't finish it. For the second course, I ordered a pasta dish which consisted of "paccheri, fresh pomodoro, basil and bufala." It was large pieces of pasta that didn't taste cooked all the way. Perhaps it was supposed to be served "al dente" but I prefer my pasta cooked more. The tomato sauce, fresh basil and bufala cheese were AMAZING! The dish did have a great flavor but again, I didn't finish it. For dessert, I chose the Coconut Cream Cake. It was good. It was a small portion but that's OK because I was already full from all the fresh bread and the two previous courses. The cake was light and yummy. It was served with blueberry compote and a scoop of sorbet. It was hard to pick which dessert because the chocolate cake and apple crostata sounded delicious too. This course I finished. There were 7 of us total. And we were there for over 2 hours. Like I mentioned, service did seem very slow. The total for my portion was only $41 which wasn't bad considering we split the ticket and divided by 5. I wouldn't usually spend over $40 for lunch but this was a special occasion. We were covering my boss' lunch for her 40th brithday. After reading some of the previous reviews, I was worried some of my male colleagues couldn't get in because they weren't wearing jackets. Their website has a dress code stating "jackets preferred for gentlemen." We didn't have issues luckily. So that was a relief. I read an older review where they wouldn't let a 9-year old in because he didn't have a jacket. The manager practically chased them out and upset the boy. Wow. Personally, I think this restaurant is over-priced. The food was good but nothing spectacular. I don't think this is a place that I would ever suggest to go to. But if you prefer fine-dining/upscale restaurants, Da Marco is for you. read more

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It would be hard to criticize the food because it is good. NOT outstanding but it is good. There are other Italian choices in the neighborhood that have food of the equal or better foodie appeal. We know this is not bargain dining and that's okay. However, the wine ordered ($156/bottle) wasn't available, it was "substituted" with a $200 bottle. Then I ordered an apetizer from dinner and the server was clearly disapproving. The whole thing is just disappointing beyond belief when the bill came, for 3 people, drive out, was $635.00. That is more than dinner for 3 at the Jules Verne in Paris, but without a view of the Seine. Again, quality food, but silly prices. Probably won't go back as I have nothing to prove and there are many great Italian options close by that are not charging usurious prices. read more

SO BLASTED TASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG. I had the asparagus ravioli with slow cooked rabbit. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. EVERY piece MELTED in my mouth. Went for a bday lunch at work....a bit FAR from work but it was SOOOOOO worth it. *dreaming of my meal* read more

My friend and I had a wonderful experience at Da Marcos. We decided to go for an impromptu dinner on a Friday after work and called on our way to the restaurant at 6:30pm to find there was no wait. By the time we left around 8:30, the place was PACKED. I suggest making reservations around 7pm for the sweet spot (don't have to squish through people and less noisy). Please note that this place is very expensive. My friend and I split an appetizer, I had two glasses of wine and my entree. We split the bill in half and my portion with tip was $115. The wine by the glass is about $18 on average (~7 oz pour). All food portions are very large though. Neither of us finished even half of our food. The next time I return, I'll split two appetizers and an entree with my husband. All that being said, I do recommend this place and will be returning. Every bite of food and sip of wine was delightful. Bring a jacket as the AC was on high and the place was rather cold. read more

Da Marco - My friend enjoying a glass of wine. The Pinot Noir was lovely. - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Took friends out for a very late birthday dinner. They had never been to Da Marco, and it had been a while since my last visit. The dining room is intimate and cozy, with excellent service. They are known for truffles and service, and they didn't disappoint on either! Since there were 3 of us, each of the appetizers and pastas were separated into portions for us. crostini with goat cheese, almonds, and honey: a nice light bite Veal meatball w/ truffle: light textured meatball on a light salad branzino carpaccio, pinenuts and foie gras: delicate fish, savory foie, slightly buttery pine nuts Black truffle tagliolini: AMAZING. Prepped tableside, perfectly cooked noodles in a light cream sauce with plenty of shaved truffle sweet corn ravioli and lobster: fresh corn, fresh pasta, fresh lobster! daily special halibut: flaky but firm fish, fresh and clean taste maple leaf duck with grapes and saba: duck done the right way - seared breast, braised leg. Tasty accompanying veg calf liver "veneziana" with polenta: the creamiest polenta, tender liver Sour Cream Chocolate Torte with dark chocolate gelato and gianduja curls: good texture, not too sweet, creamy gelato Warm Chocolate Ricotta Cake with espresso granita: fluffy and warm, chocolate enhanced by the coffee granita, texture and temperature contrast Panna Cotta with "saba": smooth and creamy, mildly sweet, hint of tartness from the saba poured over I forget why I don't come here more often! Everything was delicious and the service impeccable. read more

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We ate here last week to celebrate my sister's birthday. It was the first time for my wife and I and Da Marco met every expectation. I had heard a great deal of positive hype about Da Marco over the years. Multiple friends of ours mark it as the top, or one of the top, restaurants in Houston. Arriving to Da Marco, you'll be greeted by the mandatory valet, as their parking lot is a tiny patch of concrete. Also front and center, is an off duty police officer standing guard just in case some joggers try to walk in and look at the menu. (see review below from an angry jogger) The off duty cop made a great impression on us though, as he started singing happy birthday to my sister. My mom had called ahead and made mention of the celebration. Interior is smaller than I was expecting but very intimate. You walk past the front desk through a doorway of curtains and into the dining area. To the right is a compact bar, in front of you is a table with the daily whole fish special on display and the rest of the room is comprised of roughly a dozen tables, maybe less actually. There is a private dining room off to the left which I'm guessing is available for special events or overflow, though I didn't get much of a look at it. Service, impeccable. When eating at a higher end restaurant, I pay close attention to the awareness of the wait staff. I give the front of house as much credit as the food when it comes to overall great dining experience. Da Marco's front of house was on point. They were like sharks circling just outside your periphery, the moment something was needed, a plate finished or a water glass 3/4 empty, they pounced, but with less blood and gnashing of teeth. The food was remarkable. It was some of the, if not the, best Italian food I've had in recent memory. We started with a series of plates to share for the table. Whole artichoke lightly fried, Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio with lumped crab meat and the famous white alba truffles shaved over pasta. Those 3 dishes alone nearly filled me, thanks to how rich and delicious the white alba truffle plate was. The artichoke was delicate and crisp, the yellowfin tuna was a great light plate of citrus and seafood and the truffle pasta, although small in appearance, was a goliath of rich decadent flavors. I settled on the Sea Urchin and crab meat pasta for my main, which was absolutely perfect. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the the portion of Uni and Crab was more than generous. The flavors were evenly balanced between the sweet brine and umami of the uni and crab meat and the richness of the pasta and its sauce. Other main courses ordered at our table were the butternut squash filled pasta, the quail, and the wild boar. I tried a bite of most and can say that no one had a bad plate. I was a little confused when I logged on to Yelp to write my review to see so many 1-3 star reviews of Da Marco. Based on my one visit, which of course isn't very comprehensive, I couldn't think of anything that irked me in the least. I know that when it comes to restaurants with so much hype though, people tend to bring their magnifying glasses with their expectations, or perhaps it just isn't always as impeccable as our first visit was. Time will of course tell, but for me, 5 stars hands down. read more

WOW! This is one restaurant that is definitely worth the hype. I was with a group of 5, and from the moment we stepped inside til the moment we left we were treated like royalty. Now for the most important part, the FOOD! I began with the special appetizer of veal cheek with black truffles and salad. The veal was the kind that I could cut with my fork; so tender and juicy and perfectly flavored. For the entrée I had the corn and lobster ravioli. They were not the least bit stingy with the chunks of lobster and I felt that it was worth the money. For dessert I had the passion fruit merengue custard and it was devine. If you want a great meal and don't mind shelling out a few bucks, I would highly recommend Da Marco. Not only did I love it, but all four of my friends did, too! 5 stars all around ! read more

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Great food! Nothing that blew my mind away, but everything tasted great and is probably come back again to try the truffle pasta - first time that I didn't Yelp before ordering and instantly regretted it when I saw everyone else around me order something that was prepared at the table (later found out it was the truffle pasta). Appetizer: Branzino carpaccio with foie gras (3.5/5) - something about the pairing wasn't mind blowing. I like foie gras, I like branzino, but the two together didn't seem to complement each other. It was fantastic, don't get me wrong but I almost felt like I had to make sure I got the right amount of foie gras and not too much branzino to make sure they didn't overpower one another. Maybe it should be prepared differently so you get the right amount of each. But anyway, pretty good so if you try it your won't be disappointed. Octopus (4/5): it was flavored and prepared well! I usually get over cooked octopus but they know how to cook it here, and the mandarin oranges and bell peppers were a good break for the palette. Entree: Uni and crab spaghetti (4/5) - good stuff! Uni added a buttery taste to the pasta, and the crab chunks were a great addition. First time to try an uni pasta, so nothing to compare it to. This is a must try if you're an uni lover, but I think they could've added more uni. However, I think fresh and raw out of the shell is the way to go. Lamb chops (3/5) - my fiancé loved it! He likes his meat cooked medium well, but this tasted a bit more on the well side for me. So, too chewy and tough IMO. Go to peli peli for some killer lamb chops. Dessert: Caramel bread pudding (3/5) - pretty good, but pretty average. Nothing spectacular about it so not a must try, but if you're in the mood for bread pudding while dining out - go for it. Atmosphere: On the smaller side for Houston restaurants, and dimly lit. Not sure if it was cause it's close to Valentine's Day but everyone was wearing dresses, made me feel out of place coming in jeans. So pretty dressy place, and tables are super close together. I can probably touch the couples on both sides of my table so you can definitely hear other people's conversations if you try. There's also valet parking in front. All in all, a pretty good place! We liked all the food that came out. Nothing particularly stood out that we HAVE to have again, but we'd definitely come back...sometime. read more

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Delicious and great service! Our three dishes the celery salad, the ravioli, and the tagliatelle definitely had way too much cheese which overpowered the flavor of the dishes. read more

Just finished dinner at Da Marco and, as most of you already know, the food was amazing. Great stuff. Compliments to BOH. I was especially impressed by the more subtle dishes, there's not much you can hide behind in simplicity. Nice. This review is about the service. Wow! I have been to a few captain-style service restaurants, and the experience was always a little awkward. I love great service but I hate the feeling of being doted on out of obligation. I just don't like to make anyone go out of their way! So I was a little intimidated knowing there would be a team of such high-calibre servers taking care of us. I've done causal fine dining plenty of times (I even work at a casual fine dining restaurant!) but this is still fairly new to me -- what if I was found out as a formal fine dining "imposter"? I was so wrong! All the servers and food runners/assists were so personable and kind, and always made us feel at home. Every single person that came to our table not only did their job impeccably, but added some personal touch that made service even better. Whether it was a funny joke, polite conversation, or just informative and friendly tablesides, it really felt like we were guests in a family's home and not some stuffy fancy place. And don't get me wrong, the service and the interior are both classic and sophisticated without being outdated. This is a very, very nice place. But also a place I felt completely comfortable in, and we had an amazing time. When I said that everyone that came by our table was fantastic, I meant it. But from whose names I can remember, Jose and Angel were stellar. Knowledgeable of course, but I especially liked how they treated us like family. There was another server whose name I forget (I'm sorry!) but he talked to us about Nirvana after my partner mentioned them, and gave us a great wine recommendation. He, like Jose and Angel, made us feel relaxed and welcomed and was also stellar. All three struck a perfect balance of high professionalism and making us feel at home. As did the other staff. Seriously -- these people know their stuff. And they seemed happy and proud to be there. Thank you all. It was a great experience. We learned some of the staff has been there for 15+ years. We can see why. Come to Da Marco because you know the food is great. Keep coming because each visit you know you'll have a unique experience tailored to you. read more

I always enjoyed coming to Da Marco, even though this is the first time I have written a review. The service is one of the best around town. Sparkling rosè was the best I've ever had.... crisp and refreshing. The duck was a bit on the gamey side, other than that, was cooked to perfection: tender and juicy. Spaghetti with clams was okay.... pasta was perfectly al dente, dish was not fishy, very mild, and not salty like many restaurants. We also had the San Danielle prosciutto, fig jam crostini: was very good. Prosciutto didn't have a porky aftertaste and wasn't overly salty. It compliments well with the fig jam crostini. Perfect with the sparkling rosè.Parpadelle wild boar, pecorino toscano: mild and refreshing. We came here for the truffle pasta, and ended up getting different dishes for lunch. Will come back for the truffle pasta!! read more

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Very fancy and cute place the food is just delicious and very well presented service on point quiet perfect for a date small but chick if you go there don't skip the grilled octopus amazing read more

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We waited for our food for two hours. All The tables around us had rotated twice. Our food never came. The server was rude. Instead of apologizing his response was "I'm not the chef".. despite Da Marco's stuffy and snobby reputation I have been going and sending people for years through my food blog. It was a terrible experience with friends that were visiting Houston and this was their only dinner in town. read more

Amazing service and we enjoyed our dinner. Our server Alex was very attentive and suggested us the best dishes to order.

Sorry to be the black sheep...but my food experience was (3/5) and service was (5/5) so it rounds out. This is not a semi-casual place. We strolled in with polos and felt extremely under-dressed and 20+ years too young. It's really dark inside and the tables are close together. The couple beside us was having a really intimate and sensual date. and the druken girl to the right of us made me want to slap the parents for buying her alcohol. But definitely nice for a romantic date (ie. couple to left) I had to try to black truffle risotto (3/5): gasp. i know. i thought the truffles were good...but the risotto did not impress. maybe we should've dished out 30 more dollars to try the fresh black truffles instead...ha maple leaf duck (4/5): my roommate's friend ordered this. i felt awkward asking for more than one taste...but that one bite was delicious. braised short ribs (3/5): decent over more normal risotto I ordered the wild boar sausage (3/5) with gnocchi (4/5): impressed by my gnocchi, cooked to perfection. The sausage was fluff for me. PS a glass of house wine is 12 dollars. haha...who was i kidding trying to be cheap in a sneaky way. read more

Great good, good atmosphere. I've now gone to Da Marco twice, and can't convince myself to get anything other than the Maple Leaf Duck. It's amazing. Cooked perfectly and comes with a sauce that can't be beat. Make sure you meet the dress code (business casual). We were fine with button down shirts and slacks (no tie needed). read more

My experience at Da Marco has been great, but I do find this place a bit overrated and overpriced. I must admit it is one of the most authentic Italian restaurants in the Houston area. There are two dining areas. I was rather unhappy when they seated me in the outer dining area. This area is not as elegantly decorated and the ambiance is not as pleasant. I asked the waiter to sit inside but he stated that the inside room was reserved for anniversaries only. (There were plenty of empty tables) I was annoyed at this comment as I had made reservations months in advance. I started with the black truffle tagliolini. This is different than the truffle risotto which is found on the menu. This dish was prepared for us tableside. Absolutely phenomenal! Very authentic. The pasta was cooked perfecto al dente with a generous portion of black truffle. Well worth the $40. I still dream about this dish all the time. (For those of you on a tight budget, the portion size is generous enough for you to order this as your main entrée) For dinner, I have tried a fish dish before. It was a special on the menu and I cannot remember the name. I found the fish to be a bit bland. I have also tried the lamb chops, which were pretty delicious. For dessert, the warm chocolate cake is rich and luscious and the perfect way to end your night! Overall, I would return to Da Marco just for that black truffle tagliolini! You MUST try it! read more

Grilled octopus is spectacular. We are blown away by its texture and how tasty it is. The artichoke was amazing too. Didn't dare to try before but the dish here changed my impression. I have to come back to order the chocolate cake for my husband birthday cause he's a chocolate lover and he definitely will love it. They can offer the cake only, which is appreciated. read more

Delicious dining experience! Generally, the food was great, but, for such a "white tablecloth" restaurant, the service was so-so. Food: Wild boar pasta - my favorite dish of the night! The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the sauce was savory and delicious. Short ribs - fantastic. Tender and juicy, it fell apart at the touch of a fork, no knife needed. Fig and prosciutto appetizer - good and creative, though I'd like to try something else next time I visit Nutella dessert - it was chocolate-y goodness, though nothing mindblowing, and definitely something I could get at any nice restaurant Service: We arrived on time for our reservations, but they made us wait at the bar for a while. Our server was nice, but he was informal for the quality of restaurant that Da Marco is. And one of my pet peeves: another server brought over the special board and commenced to read all ten items to us pretty much verbatim while adding really no other color/content--pretty annoying. I very much liked Da Marco, but if I were to pick another fancy dinner, I'd probably choose another restaurant like Pax Americana. read more

Service is beyond exceptional; this cannot be overstated. Wine selection is filled with choices that would please the greatest of connoisseurs to the beginner both in price and serving size (half bottle to 3liter magnums). This was an unbelievable experience because from the outdid the restaurant does not look like much. But once you enter and see a glorious ice table with fresh fish and greeted by 10 enthusiastic servers, the experience is transformed. First course: Raviolo - egg, ricotta & truffles; Decadent and rich. Fish Carpaccio - grilled foie gras & pine nuts. Great balance between tangy citrus and rich foie gras Entrees: Chianti Braised short ribs with Parmesan Risotto. The meat could be cut with a spoon. Grilled Duck with roasted brussel sprouts. Large portion of duck, sweet taste, complemented with sprouts. Dessert: Pana Cotta with Saba. Sweet and rich, but still light. Just an overwhelmingly great experience. Would recommend to anyone who wants to experience a top notch meal with elegant service. read more

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My family and close friend had a spectacular dining experience during our recent visit to Da Marco Cucina E Vino on July 6, 2018. Ever since we discovered Da Marco several years ago, it is a restaurant that our family visits for all of our special occasions (birthdays, Mother's day, Father's Day, anniversaries, etc.). Da Marco's top notch service, intimate atmosphere, attention to detail, and world-class food makes it among our favorite restaurants not only in Houston, but in the country. Our party had the pleasure of being served by Eric that evening. Eric had served us during our previous visits to Da Marco, and his level of consistency when it comes to service is unparalleled. Eric is always courteous, polite, professional, and catered to our every need. Eric is very articulate, able to explain the menu and the off-menu items. That night, we dined on the grilled octopus and the san daniele prosciutto as our appetizers. These choices were a wonderful start to our dinner- the grilled octopus was perfectly cooked and well-balanced in flavor. For our main courses, our friend had one of the specials- the grilled prime steak (which she loved). My wife and I usually dine on what we call the "sleeper hit" of the restaurant- the 48 oz. prime porterhouse "la fiorentina" for two. My wife and I cannot say enough about this steak. We have dined at a multitude of steakhouses in the county from Peter Luger's in NYC, and this is by far, one of, if not our favorite restaurant to dine at for steak. This steak is absolutely phenomenal! When it arrives at the table, the wonderful aroma of the seasonings fills the air as the server meticulously serves the sides (the spinach and cannellini beans) on your plate. From the first to last ounce of meat, every bite is astounding! The steak is perfectly cooked (we enjoy our steak medium), and the truffle/garlic oil blend adds the right amount of flavor to entice every taste bud. Among the attributes of this restaurant that we love is that it is child friendly. Our seven-year old son dined with us that evening, and the staff welcome him with open arms. They always ensure he has his favorite bread at the table. The staff prepare him his pasta with parmesan cheese. Unfortunately, our family lost our 7-year-old daughter. We always bring our son to every function we attend, and am very thankful that an establishment like Da Marco welcomes families. Among the other staff who catered to us that evening was Angel. Angel was also very accommodating to our family. He was courteous, professional, and always greeted us with a smile whenever he checked on our table. A big thanks to Eric, Angel and the entire staff at Da Marco that evening for treating us like family. As with our journey with Mikayla, it was displayed through the staff's acts of kindness that reminds us that the human spirit is still alive. Please share this review with your staff, as people need to be rewarded with the fruits of their labor and hard work. Keep up the wonderful work! read more

I came here for lunch and had their business lunch, which was $30 for almost any appetizer, entree, and desert. I had a really great experience there. My waiter Robert was very nice, and the best part was that he wasn't pretentious at all (which happens quite often at nice restaurants). I had the artichoke for appetizer, the duck breast for entree, and the sorbet for desert and all three were excellent. I would definitely recommend the duck breast, which had a pear arugula salad on top. The combination of flavors was amazing. It wasn't too heavy, and the sweetness and the salty were just right. I would definitely recommend anyone to come try this restaurant. In general, I had a great experience and the food was delicious. read more

Da Marco - Artichoke which was a bit citrusy but delicious. Boyfriend had arugula salad - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I love truffles and I love Da Marco's truffle pasta and everything that has truffles in it. They are generous with their portions too. Da Marco is my favorite Italian restaurant in Houston. read more

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Came to Da Marco for Valentine's dinner and had a wonderful experience. Great service from Anthony, start to finish. The $120/person V-Day menu was a little steeper than I was anticipating but was well worth it in the end, as the Chianti braised short rib of the third course was one of the best things I've ever eaten. Excellent wine selection. Will be back for date night in the future (just gonna have to brush up on my Italian before I return). read more

Da Marco - Chianti Braised Short Ribs (bottom), Prime Strip Tagliata (top) - Italian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Da Marco is high-end dining that skews more classic than hip. In a world of teensy dining rooms, molecular gastronomy, and prolific use of offal, Da Marco is the lone ranger with an expansive, two-room dining area and classic Italian preparations. What the new culinary kids and Da Marco have in common is uber-fresh ingredients. My husband and I started with a prosciutto and fig jam crostini served with bright salad greens simply dressed in lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. The crostini itself reminded me of a gourmet fig newton, which sounds weird but was actually quite tasty. We then shared the corn ravioli with lobster which was - hands down - the standout of our meal. Delicate and delicious. I then had the barramundi with shrimp and cabbage, which was good, but nothing to write home about. My husband had the braised short ribs with burrata risotto which tasted like winter in a bowl. Yum. We finished our meal with a panna cotta served with saba syrup that provided a light, sweet finish to our dinner. I know that many folks rave about the service, but we found it overly hurried. The waiters were attentive, never leaving our water glass or drinks empty. However, they were almost too efficient. We had an amuse bouche, cocktails, an antipasti, a primi, two secondi, and a dolci, all of which were served within 45 minutes. We would have preferred a little more time between courses to savor our food and conversation. We felt rushed, especially when we watched them turn the neighboring two-top before the couple who departed had made it to the front door. Overall, we're glad we celebrated our anniversary at Da Marco, but won't put it on our top twenty list of culinary experiences. read more

Had dinner here with friends. Best meal I have ever had in Houston. The risotto with black truffle was so delicious and memorable both myself and my dinner companions had dreams about it. You must also try the artichoke alla "giudia" which was equally memorable. Everything we ordered was wonderful. Fantastic wine list and service was perfect. I look forward to returning. Refined, Cody atmosphere good for a meal with good friends are a special date. read more

While in Houston for work I decided to venture out and try out what Houston has to offer after a local recommended this place. I'm sure glad I did because so far I've been eating at chain type restaurants. It was packed for a Wednesday night, which I hear it's always like this. The bread was crunchy on the outside and chewy in the inside. I ordered two items from today's special menu. 1. Tuna tartare topped with octupus in a pear fennel salad. - Octopus was so fresh and tender, and the yellow fin tuna was delish. 2. Snapper ravioli in english peas sauce topped with lump crab meat and pecorino cheese. wowie, I never had anything like this so I was very pleased with this dish. It was not heavy and the seafood was so fresh it had no fishy flavors. I was too full for dessert but I will come again because I need to try the sweet corn ravioli and lobster next time. read more

Probably my favourite Italian restaurant so far! The service is really good, and the food excellent! Loved the roasted branzino, just like my mom does it read more

The truffle pasta is to die for here! Not many order or know about this, but Da Marco has the best uni (sea urchin) pasta in town, too. Their service is always impeccable, they are a Houston staple! read more

Hands down one of my favorite places in the entire city for lunch. Valet parking, friendly professional staff and great aesthetics. Normally start with the shaved celery salad with beets and pecorino. My favorite lunch entrée is the papardelle wild boar with pecorino toscano. Hearty, smoky, tender, delish. Their wine menu is all Italian and very well curated. Whether you are looking for a perfect business lunch or cozy romantic spot, Da Marco abides. Make sure you take a look at their fresh seafood display. Tip: Consider the Three Course Business lunch for $29.00 read more