Da Marco (Dong Zhu'anbang Lu)
| PHONE: | 6210 4495 | |
| ADDRESS: | 1/F, Golden Bridge Garden,
103 Dong Zhu'anbang Lu, near Jiangsu Lu |
|
| 东渚安浜路1楼,
近江苏路 |
||
| RESERVATIONS: | - | |
| AREA: | Jing'an | |
| HOURS: | Daily, noon-11pm | |
| CARDS: | Local and international cards accepted | |
| PRICE: | $ $ $ $ $ | |
| WEB: | www.damarco.com.cn | |
Taxi Printout
Print the Chinese address for the taxi
Print the Chinese address for the taxi
Write a Review
Share your dining experience
Share your dining experience
Printable
Printer friendly version of this page
Printer friendly version of this page
Add to your Favorites
Add this venue to your SmSh favorites
Add this venue to your SmSh favorites
Report Mistakes
Report mistakes or missing information
Report mistakes or missing information
Editor's Description
Last updated: February 2nd, 2010
Da Marco is a perennial expat favorite for Italian. Its simple formula -- inexpensive, decent Italian -- has kept this, its original location, going for years. The menu is mostly pizza and pasta, with a few more ambitious mains, but generally, the simpler, the better. Great for a weekday meal; not so good for impressing a date.
Jan 12th 2010
" Moan Moan Moan!!! "
| Value for money |  |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date |  |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
Hoooold on! What's with the moaning guys?!
Ok, so I went through the reviews the other day and was genuinely saddened by what my once favorite restaurant in town had turned out to be... a bad place where bad waiters serve bad food... Outch!
I've lived in Shanghai for nearly 4 years now and remember the time where I used to live on Da Marco pasta.
So I felt like I owed it to the Gorgonzola and spinach gnocchi to get a first hand impression before writing Da Marco off forever!
Seen the bad reviews and the fact that it was a cold and rainy monday night, I did not feel the need to book a table in advance and was very surprised when we saw the place was packed!
We got there, put our names down on the waiting list and were offered some sparkling wine at once.
In a nutshell:
- Granted, the service has always been mama huhu at the best of times, but despite the fact that they had just lost 5 waiters that very morning (Chinese NY = quitting season) I found the service was better than ever. The waiters were smiling, forthcoming and efficient and the managers were happily chipping in to make the place run as smoothly as possible.
- The food was as finger-licking good as ever, and was brought to our table way quicker than expected. Little downside: no tomato dip with the bread basket anymore... buuhuu!
- The house wine was more than decent.
- We still get our shot of limoncello at the end of the meal.
- And last but not least: the mai-dan did not hurt (2 starters, 2 mains, bottle of red: 350 rmb)
All that just leaves me wondering: what's with all the whining guys??? I honestly don't see what there is to complain about?
And Marco: You still have me hooked! I'll be back soon for more!
Yum yum and peace out!
Ok, so I went through the reviews the other day and was genuinely saddened by what my once favorite restaurant in town had turned out to be... a bad place where bad waiters serve bad food... Outch!
I've lived in Shanghai for nearly 4 years now and remember the time where I used to live on Da Marco pasta.
So I felt like I owed it to the Gorgonzola and spinach gnocchi to get a first hand impression before writing Da Marco off forever!
Seen the bad reviews and the fact that it was a cold and rainy monday night, I did not feel the need to book a table in advance and was very surprised when we saw the place was packed!
We got there, put our names down on the waiting list and were offered some sparkling wine at once.
In a nutshell:
- Granted, the service has always been mama huhu at the best of times, but despite the fact that they had just lost 5 waiters that very morning (Chinese NY = quitting season) I found the service was better than ever. The waiters were smiling, forthcoming and efficient and the managers were happily chipping in to make the place run as smoothly as possible.
- The food was as finger-licking good as ever, and was brought to our table way quicker than expected. Little downside: no tomato dip with the bread basket anymore... buuhuu!
- The house wine was more than decent.
- We still get our shot of limoncello at the end of the meal.
- And last but not least: the mai-dan did not hurt (2 starters, 2 mains, bottle of red: 350 rmb)
All that just leaves me wondering: what's with all the whining guys??? I honestly don't see what there is to complain about?
And Marco: You still have me hooked! I'll be back soon for more!
Yum yum and peace out!
Dec 30th 2009
" More And More Disappointing "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
I completely agree with the previous review. Service and food have drastically fallen to an abysmal level.
I remember 4 years ago when I was living not far from Da Marco, it used to be my "cantine". Since the renovation, what it has gained in pretentious decor, it has lost in services and quality.
It's always crowded, you have to push the seats of nearby tables if you want to leave your seat, and waiters don't even seem to enjoy serving you when you look Asian. I always got irritated in Shanghai, when services give me the feeling that there's this double standard services. I hate the attitude of Parisian Bistros waiters, and I can get even worse here.
Last time I made a reservation. Not only did they butcher my name, which is usual everywhere in shanghai, but they also gave my table to someone else saying that the people had the same name, and there was a misunderstanding. Who can have the exact name as my butchered name? I'm sad for the guy...
I would give a -5 for the service if it were allowed.Food has lost its signature.
If you add More tables + more customers + more "sous-chefs" , the results = less quality + worst services. It definitely lost its edge.
I remember 4 years ago when I was living not far from Da Marco, it used to be my "cantine". Since the renovation, what it has gained in pretentious decor, it has lost in services and quality.
It's always crowded, you have to push the seats of nearby tables if you want to leave your seat, and waiters don't even seem to enjoy serving you when you look Asian. I always got irritated in Shanghai, when services give me the feeling that there's this double standard services. I hate the attitude of Parisian Bistros waiters, and I can get even worse here.
Last time I made a reservation. Not only did they butcher my name, which is usual everywhere in shanghai, but they also gave my table to someone else saying that the people had the same name, and there was a misunderstanding. Who can have the exact name as my butchered name? I'm sad for the guy...
I would give a -5 for the service if it were allowed.Food has lost its signature.
If you add More tables + more customers + more "sous-chefs" , the results = less quality + worst services. It definitely lost its edge.
Dec 22nd 2009
" Great Restaurant, In The Past "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
Couple of years ago I would tell all my friends that Da Marco on Dong Zhu An Bang Lu has the best food hands down in Shanghai, after dining there last night, it's a safe bet I will never again.
Upon arrival the host is missing as usual, waited for quite a while before we were finally seated.
Inside was SO smokey it was unbearable. Manager on duty explain their ventilation system was broken but refused to open more windows upon my request. His attitude was unprofessional throughout the night as he only caters mainly to Caucasian guests and leave us Asian guests hanging. Never came to ask how the food was.
Service was horrendous. Requested vinegar for bread and never came, had to the counter and grabbed the entire bottle myself. Ice tea took half an hour to arrive, must be harvesting the tea leaves or lemon after order. The entire floor had only around 4 staff, SEVERELY under staff and service.
Worst of all, food was terrible! We ordered pumpkin gnocchi since it was written on the black board, it didn't have any pumpkin taste nor did it even look orange. Fettuccine carbonara also tasted poorly, how can an Italian restaurant screw up carbonara?!
All 9 of my friends went home smelling like the kitchen of Da Marco, needless to say none of us will ever return again. It's sad how a great restaurant went downhill into the valley of bad restaurants so effortlessly.
Upon arrival the host is missing as usual, waited for quite a while before we were finally seated.
Inside was SO smokey it was unbearable. Manager on duty explain their ventilation system was broken but refused to open more windows upon my request. His attitude was unprofessional throughout the night as he only caters mainly to Caucasian guests and leave us Asian guests hanging. Never came to ask how the food was.
Service was horrendous. Requested vinegar for bread and never came, had to the counter and grabbed the entire bottle myself. Ice tea took half an hour to arrive, must be harvesting the tea leaves or lemon after order. The entire floor had only around 4 staff, SEVERELY under staff and service.
Worst of all, food was terrible! We ordered pumpkin gnocchi since it was written on the black board, it didn't have any pumpkin taste nor did it even look orange. Fettuccine carbonara also tasted poorly, how can an Italian restaurant screw up carbonara?!
All 9 of my friends went home smelling like the kitchen of Da Marco, needless to say none of us will ever return again. It's sad how a great restaurant went downhill into the valley of bad restaurants so effortlessly.
Dec 10th 2009
" Serious Food, Not Service "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
We went to Da Marco's for dinner with my girlfriend (who happens to be half Italian). We are both quite used to traditional italian food and I must say that we were not dissapointed by the quality and authenticity of the food. However, we were quite dissapointed by the quality of service. They seem to lack a waiter or two to have it right. We needed to ask twice for several of our drinks orders... However, we will definitely go back to this place!
Oct 4th 2009
" "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
Da Marco was quite busy even on the National Day eve, which I found pretty impressive as most other places were awfully quiet. I really liked the whole feel of the restaurant. Something memorable was that we were waiting for seats (they had quite a couple of reservations), and the waiter quickly served us flukes of champagne, which was a nice touch. My friend and I ordered a salad, arugula with buffalo mozzarella cheese and ossobucco with saffron risotto. The salad was great, refreshing with a touch of bitterness from the arugula. The ossobucco not so. The veal was overcooked and the risotto wasn't fantastic. I think it could've been done better. I saw the boss walking around the place chatting to customers, which made the place warm and welcoming.
Sep 3rd 2009
" Over Rated "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
Despite making a reservation, kept waiting for ages for our table. Plied with drinks to keep us happy, but that's not good enough. My date loves Da Marco's so it was her choice, but then maybe thats because she has never eaten at a really good Italian restaurant. Food, average. Service slow.Will never go there again.Seems to succeed on the owner's popularity, and I do have to say he was charming.
Aug 10th 2009
" WAITER!!! "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
Ok, so I have a major problem with bad service. Let's start with some history.
The first time I was at De Marco I, was being entertained...had a late lunch with a client from out of town. We were practically the only patrons in the place. Service was slow but there was no rush and I was really impressed with the food. We started with a margarita pizza topped with fresh arugula greens and it was cooked perfectly. Our main courses were a spicy rigatoni and the gnocchi with pesto which were both delicious.
In fact, I was so impressed that I brought my GF back the same week for dinner on a Friday night. She fell in love with a beef dish with a balsamic glaze but she service was lousy. I mean waiting 10 minutes for water and asking multiple servers for the same thing lousy. Still, we come back for the food.
This brings us up to the present. My GF who is Korean had a friend in town so the three of us went for dinner. GF ended up arriving first. At De Marco, the bar serves hors doeuvres and a complimentary glass of something bubbly to anyone waiting for a table or for other guests. Except this night, with 5 people behind the bar she waited 20 minutes and nobody even approached her. She was furious when I arrived and seeing the staff falling all over themselves to wait on this Western couple at the other end of the bar made her decide that she would never be back.
After we were seated, it didn't get any better. Waits of 10 minutes or better to get a drink are the norm here and the waiters cater to large groups at the expense of pairs on a regular basis. I couldn't get help with the wine list and we waited and waited just to catch somebody's eye to order.
SO, if you are looking for some good food and have a group of friends, they will take care of you. If it's just you and your lady or a client, it will just be embarrassing.
The first time I was at De Marco I, was being entertained...had a late lunch with a client from out of town. We were practically the only patrons in the place. Service was slow but there was no rush and I was really impressed with the food. We started with a margarita pizza topped with fresh arugula greens and it was cooked perfectly. Our main courses were a spicy rigatoni and the gnocchi with pesto which were both delicious.
In fact, I was so impressed that I brought my GF back the same week for dinner on a Friday night. She fell in love with a beef dish with a balsamic glaze but she service was lousy. I mean waiting 10 minutes for water and asking multiple servers for the same thing lousy. Still, we come back for the food.
This brings us up to the present. My GF who is Korean had a friend in town so the three of us went for dinner. GF ended up arriving first. At De Marco, the bar serves hors doeuvres and a complimentary glass of something bubbly to anyone waiting for a table or for other guests. Except this night, with 5 people behind the bar she waited 20 minutes and nobody even approached her. She was furious when I arrived and seeing the staff falling all over themselves to wait on this Western couple at the other end of the bar made her decide that she would never be back.
After we were seated, it didn't get any better. Waits of 10 minutes or better to get a drink are the norm here and the waiters cater to large groups at the expense of pairs on a regular basis. I couldn't get help with the wine list and we waited and waited just to catch somebody's eye to order.
SO, if you are looking for some good food and have a group of friends, they will take care of you. If it's just you and your lady or a client, it will just be embarrassing.
Jul 1st 2009
" Great Food, Bad Service "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
Da Marco used to be one of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai. Its got great food and pretty good value for money. The waiters and waitresses are usually pretty good but lately there is one particular western woman (maybe a hostess or assistant manager) who is extremely rude to all customers and very unhelpful and its put me off going there all together.
For my money if I want Italian - I recommend going to Xujiahui Da Marcos (so you dont have to deal with her) or try Pane e Vino - great food, service and owners are super friendly!
For my money if I want Italian - I recommend going to Xujiahui Da Marcos (so you dont have to deal with her) or try Pane e Vino - great food, service and owners are super friendly!
Mar 25th 2009
" Not That Good "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
Pizzas ain't really that good altho it does have nice environments. Besides, we ordered for steak and it turns out we have to wait for nearly an hour to have it served, and we had finished our whole plate of pizza while my next table couple has also finished theirs. Thinking the steak should be good after waited for a while, but turns out to be bad anyway. Well, not that it sux, but comparing to a real good one, pizzas and steaks here aren't really that up to standard. However the price are reasonable for the quality served.
Mar 19th 2009
" Four Thumbs Up "
| Value for money | |
Suitable for... | |
| The food | |
.. a date | |
| The service | |
.. business dinner | |
| The decor | |
.. with friends | |
This is a huge place, and packed out when I arrived. So we waited at the bar with a free glass of Prosecco and real snacks to nibble on (good cheese, chunks of salami).
Shown to our table in a big room full of a mixture of Chinese and western diners, with couples and groups of friends all enjoying the atmosphere.
Service was on point- wine arrived just as the (free) bread basket showed up, starters arrived quickly after ordering, main course arrived as they were clearing away the starters.
Chicken + Fennel salad (around 50 I think) was tasty, with loads of chicken and good flavours. Mussels and clams (48RMB) were delicious and plenty for two people to share, sausage and mushroom pizza (68RMB) was as good as any I've eaten anywhere but we just couldn't finish the last slice as the portions are so generous.
304RMB all in (Enjoy card 10% discount)- we were so happy that it was tempting to make a reservation for the next visit on the way out.
Shown to our table in a big room full of a mixture of Chinese and western diners, with couples and groups of friends all enjoying the atmosphere.
Service was on point- wine arrived just as the (free) bread basket showed up, starters arrived quickly after ordering, main course arrived as they were clearing away the starters.
Chicken + Fennel salad (around 50 I think) was tasty, with loads of chicken and good flavours. Mussels and clams (48RMB) were delicious and plenty for two people to share, sausage and mushroom pizza (68RMB) was as good as any I've eaten anywhere but we just couldn't finish the last slice as the portions are so generous.
304RMB all in (Enjoy card 10% discount)- we were so happy that it was tempting to make a reservation for the next visit on the way out.
Click here to write a dining review for Da Marco (Dong Zhu'anbang Lu) »
There are currently no events or promotions listed for Da Marco (Dong Zhu'anbang Lu).
Start browsing Upcoming Events, Weekly Events, Lunch Deals, Brunch Deals or Dinner Promotions.
You might also like
Bella Napoli
Tucked away in the center of Shanghai, right next to Portman-Ritz Carlton and Plaza 66 provides Southern Italian cuisine. Bella Napoli's menu has an array of salads, antipasti, home-made pastas. Lunch sets available. View listing »
Pane e Vino
Honest Italian food in a down-home environment. If you're looking for a few favorites at prices that won't break the bank, Pane e Vino is a great option, and you can put together a nice meal excluding wine for under 100rmb. Of note is the pizza, th.. View listing »
Da Marco (Xujiahui)
Da Marco is a perennial expat favorite for Italian. Its simple formula -- inexpensive, decent Italian -- has kept its original Dongzhu'anbang Lu location going for years, and financed this, a more modern-looking store at Grand Gateway. The menu is mo.. View listing »What's nearby
Eight minutes walk Phoking
All your regular Vietnamese-style dishes, including beef noodle soup, rice paper rolls and lemongrass pork at reasonable prices. View listing »10 User have added this venue to their Favorites:
09 Feb 10:
31 Dec 09:
04 Nov 09:
15 Oct 09:
19 May 09:
19 May 09:
06 May 09:
24 Sep 08:
24 Sep 08:
16 Jun 08:
Jetlag Digital - Italian food @ Hongqiao, reasonably priced
Add it to Your Favorites by clicking here »
