Osteria Marco

Someone from this business manages this listing.

1,005 reviews

#51 of 2,666 Restaurants in Denver₹₹ - ₹₹₹, Italian, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

+1 303-534-5855+ Add website

Hours

Sun

10:30 am - 9:00 pm

Mon

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Tue

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Wed

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Thu

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Fri

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Sat

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

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Ratings and reviews

4.5

1,005 reviews

#51 of 2,666 Restaurants in Denver

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Italian, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

“The meatballs, polenta, pasta, vegetables—everything was delicious.”

Special Occasion Dining, Romantic, Groups, Bar Scene, Business meetings

“Great food/ great menu/terrific wine list and great wait staff”

“We sat at the bar and the service was exceptional.”

Location and contact

1453 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80202-1704

LoDo

+1 303-534-5855

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Is this restaurant good for large groups?

Yes

Unsure

Details

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About

Opened in October 2007, Osteria Marco is intended to be the livelier, more playful younger brother to Frank Bonanno’s esteemed Italian eatery Luca. Guests are greeted at the top of a grand staircase by a cheese maker, deep in the throes of crafting burrata and charcuterie. At the bottom of the stairs, hundreds of bottles of wine line the walls and announce an affordable, yet progressive wine and spirits program. Whole roasted suckling pigs are the hallmark of Sunday evenings, and friendly engaging servers easily navigate diners through a thoughtful menu that runs a gamut from pizzas and panini to oven-fired shrimp, to crispy calamari and braised, lamb meatballs.

PRICE RANGE

₹1,261.00 – ₹3,361.00

CUISINES

Italian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Street Parking, Validated Parking, Valet Parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

1,005 reviews

Excellent

558

Very good

313

Average

Poor

Terrible

Jan S

Mississippi Gulf Coast383 contributions

Delicious Upscale Italian

Apr 2021 • couples

Originally picked here because of restaurant week, but there were so many delicious items we ordered off the main menu! We took advantage of the happy hour specials which ran from 4-6pm, $2 off wine by the glass, $2 off some cocktails, and discounted appetizers. We started with the marinated olives, house made burrata, and calamari. The olives were so delicious and with so much variety! They had multiple different types of green and black olives, some pickles, garlic and even caper berries! Absolutely delicious! The house made burrata was so delicious we considered ordering a second!! Then split the Bucatini Carbonara, and oh my goodness was it delicious! Creamy, rich, with a hint of spice, and the bacon used was perfect! The house wine, violetta 75 and tap beer were all great as well! We sat outside, even though a little chilly there were fires that warmed it up and our waiter was very attentive and personable. They do inform you they charge 22% for gratuity built in with the check, which was no problem to us since it was such an amazing experience! I would recommend reserving a table!

Written 23 April 2021

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Michael O

Golden280 contributions

Great atmosphere, great food and excellent service

Mar 2020 • none

This was our second visit, and once again, we were delighted. Who knew we would fall in love with Burrata, especially since we're not fans of straight-up Mozzarella. OM's Burrata is outstanding: Smooth, tasty, creamy. Yum!! Four of us shared it, the home marinated olives, the cheese board, an arugula salad, and a Prosciutto Pizza. All were excellent, as was our server.

Written 30 May 2020

Jeffrey R

Miami Lakes14 contributions

Delicious Food and Great Service

Mar 2021 • family

We visited Osteria Marco for dinner with our kids. Although they have a great outdoor seating area, we had reserved an indoor table in the basement dining area. Our server Meagan was fantastic. We asked for her recommendations several times and none of them disappointed. The Chef's Assortment plate with house made meats and cheese was delicious. For dinner we ordered the Bucatini Carbonara and the Wild Mushroom Fusilli, both of which were made with delicious fresh house made pasta. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a family night out or a romantic dinner for two.

Written 29 March 2021

Margit M

Denver3 contributions

Very disappointing

Apr 2021 • none

I had lunch there today with a friend and sat outside. There were only 2 other tables when we arrived at 12:30 , we were seated right away, received a menu and then it went downhill from there. We ordered the garlic bread as an appetizer and at the same time we both ordered our meal - a cesaer salad for each of us and 2 separate pasta dishes (one the mushroom and one the carbonara). We waited until 1:15 for the bread to arrive, which we had to finally ask for, we then had to ask for our salads, which were then served at the same time as the pasta dishes. My carbonara was cold and so gelatinous that I was able to pick up the entire pasta bowl with my fork, as was the mushroom pasta. We finally to ask another server where our food was, and then our server brought it, along with the bill (since I mentioned that we were at our office lunch hour). The food was good but cold; I ordered hot tea which I received but had to ask for another tea bag and hot water. Unfortunately I was taking a co-worker to lunch as a thank you celebration; she had never been there before and it was a disappointment to me that the service and food was not up to par. It was not that busy outside, and we saw a number of other servers so I don't think it was because they were understaffed, and our server was able to serve others who came after us with their food - I think she forgot our food under the warmer. Not impressed at all and definitely not worth the $132 bill.

Written 9 April 2021

GotOpin

Denver28 contributions

What A Scam!

Aug 2020 • none

Lovely setting sitting outside for dinner in Larimer Square listening to live music. Very good service; our server Jake took good care of us. However.... if you’re hungry, do NOT order the scallops; you only get 3. Tasty, but very skimpy portion. Over priced for what you get. Be prepared when you get the bill. There’s a 22% COVID fee and tip automatically added on. We were told 10% of it goes to the front of the house (wait staff) and 12% goes to the back of the house. Shame on us for not reading the very fine print on the menu. The most insulting part of the bill was the $3.00 charge for ice for an alcoholic drink on the rocks. Since when do restaurants charge for ice?

Written 7 August 2020

newyorknewyork24

New York City57 contributions

Extremely disappointing

Dec 2022 • none

Arrived around 330 on a Sunday, and the host looked at us, silent, with a blank stare on his face. After we asked if they were open for a late lunch, he led us to a table downstairs. Waitress was nice but seemed completely spaced out. We ordered two drinks, an app to share and a pizza to share – super simple order. After waiting 15 minutes, our drinks finally came, along with our pizza…but no app. A few minutes later, we asked for our app and she acted like this was the first time she had heard of the order (even though she has asked us a few questions on it when we originally ordered it). It finally came, we ordered more drinks, and asked for olive oil and salt. Salt never came (even though when we asked for it, she responded with ‘of course, would you like pepper as well?’). Finished our meal (pizza and ciabatta just average – nothing special at all), was going to get another drink and dessert but a random waiter comes out of nowhere and lays down the check without a word, not asking if we wanted anything else. Look at the check and see a 22% ‘creating happy people’ fee and a 1% HPRF fee. Up until this point, we were still going to tip, even though the service had been horrible since the minute we walked in (and they weren’t busy at all) – but seeing both of these fees sent us over the edge. At this point our original waitress had been ignoring us from afar, not making eye contact, even though we had been polite to her the entire time and hadn’t complained about the terrible service. About 10 minutes after the check was dropped off, we were able to flag someone down who happed to be a manager. We asked that the fees be taken off so we could decide what to tip based on the service, and explained nicely and calmly how bad it had been. He apologized, said he would take the app off along with the fees. When he came back with the updated receipt, the fees were still on it. Before we could ask about it, he disappeared – and never came back. We were finally able to get the attention of another person, who also happened to be a manager. She was finally able to update the receipt. The whole experience was just slow, bizarre and disappointing. The last time I was there on a busy Saturday evening for dinner, the food and service was great…sad to see it has gone down hill and the automatic extra fees are always such a turn off no matter where you go. And of course, if you are putting the insane 22% fee on the bill, you should be providing excellent service with a great atmosphere.

Written 14 December 2022

Marcello

1 contribution

Hidden fees and dirty

May 2021 • none

I will start off with the good. The food was AMAZING. However, that is the best thing I have to say about the place. We made our reservations 3 weeks in advance. When we arrived we were informed about an additional 22% fee that is added onto the meal (not to mention an additional 1% fee that they didn't disclose), we asked the hostess if it was in lieu of tipping. She said no. I thought this might have been a mistake since it was loud, maybe she just did not understand the question. We asked the waitress and she said the same thing. No there is a 22% fee on top of the meal, and you still have to tip. I will admit I because a bit frustrated at the fact that when I made the reservation no one said anything about it. However, the fact that a meal (for four) consisted of two pizzas, and two salads was nearly $200, it was rather disappointing. I also found it shocking at how dirty the restaurant was. Next to our table was a large wooden island/bar, that had about 1/4 inch of dust on it. How could it get that dirty without any of the staff going "Oh maybe I should clean that... Gross"? After ~5 years of always making a point to come eat here, whenever we went to Denver, I do not think we will be coming back. It genuinely was an immense disappointment to see how far downhill they have gone, and how they are screwing over their customers. If you are okay with adding an additional 43% to the menu prices to factor in all the fees and tip, then this is a great place to eat. However, until they remove the fee, I can attest that my family will not be coming back.

Written 29 May 2021

CRMotorbikes

Seattle392 contributions

Great Pizza and Customer Service

May 2022 • none

This was our first visit to Denver and we decided to try Osteria Marco on Larimer Street. We were not disappointed. This is a busy restaurant. We had the Artisan Pizza with a side salad. The pizza was delicious and the salad was the size of a dinner salad, it was simply delicious. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. I would definitely recommend this place because we enjoyed our meal. The only downside was that they automatically charge a 20% tip to be split by the entire staff. Then you can tip your waiter/waitress on top of that. I'm not a fan of this system. Just charge us the appropriate amount, and pay your people a proper wage, like in Europe where we are NOT expected to tip.

Written 20 May 2022

DJBadger

Shipston on Stour337 contributions

Poor service and simple food at a price

Mar 2022 • family

Menu was surprisingly short for a large restaurant. We were told this was because it was Denver Food Week. Which wasn’t really an explanation. Mushroom fusilli and radiatore bolognese were good, but the prosciutto pizza was better. Few pastas and no carne or pesce choices. The service was offhand and the waiter clearly uninterested. Then the service charge: mandatory 22% plus a mysterious additional 1%. Not a good way to treat customers and the resulting price tag was high for essentially simple cooking in a nice setting. Poor value for money.

Written 13 March 2022

Loveland4 contributions

Bad, bad, bad and unethical

Aug 2022 • friends

Hostess seated someone else under our reservation (after we had paid a $15 pp reservation fee). Menus (2) at bar had different pricing. When finally seated, waited 15 min for server. Drinks another 7. Menu's again had two different prices. Food was good, but not worth terrible service. Bathrooms out of paper towels, ended up drying my hands on my pants. At end of meal, 22% charge was there, plus another mystery charge, but reservation fee was not credited. Overall, disappointed.

Written 14 August 2022

TrickyNik127

Denver69 contributions

Know Before You Go

Nov 2021 • business

Over the years I have enjoyed Osteria Marco, so much so that when I had the opportunity to host business guests from around the country I made a reservation. After doing so I received numerous follow ups. Imagine my surprise when I arrived with my group of 10 and was told everyone had to show proof of vaccination. My issue is NOT vaccination. My issue is, at no time did the restaurant make me aware of this requirement so I could inform my guests. Instead of being able to enjoy a good lunch I had to scramble to find another spot that could accommodate 10. This through the meeting scheduled off by 30 minutes.

Written 17 November 2021

Eileen

Bethlehem203 contributions

Beautiful Place, Great Drinks

Jul 2020 • none

We stopped here on our last night in dinner for just a drink and an appetizer. I recommend calling ahead for any type of seating at any of the places in Larimer Square because it gets quite busy. I would have loved to eat dinner here as well but we were too full from eating a late lunch. The cheese platter was amazing and their bread was seriously to die for. They have a fun drink menu as well that made us feel super fancy. Loved it!

Written 13 July 2020

SROSE6

Timnath233 contributions

Great concept outdoor seating.

Aug 2020 • couples

Great concept outdoor seating. The service was slow, food was cold, and the staff was alittle rude. We get that COVID is an issue. That is why we tend to stay home. There should be a COVID disclosure about tips by staff as your seated. Tables I felt were a little close together. They probably need to find a way to serve food still hot. My husbands pasta was really dry. I think once they figure out how to get the food out hot it will be a better experience.

Written 14 August 2020

Chase D

Colorado Springs33 contributions

Very nice place

Feb 2022 • none

Recently had lunch here for the first time definitely a very nice Italian restaurant real Italian food and fresh I had pizza and butter scotch cake and the pizza was good a little on thin side cooked right but I think it needed a little more dough but it’s probably Just the way they make there pizza. only issues I had was there was no garlic bread they gave me some other kind of bread after I asked for garlic bread it was ok bread definitely fresh made and they charged 3 dollars for the bread that should have been free since every Italian place gives out free bread but for some reason they charged for it. I did not make a fuss about it but next time I will make sure they will not charge for the bread. The dessert was so fresh and so good actually the dessert was amazing. I will be back with the family and to try other dishes they do roll there own pasta which is a big plus for me. I recommend this place but it is pricey be warned.

Written 1 February 2022

Lauren B

Tulsa48 contributions

Underwhelming and average

Oct 2022 • couples

You can tell when a restaurant has become an institution rather than interesting or inventive. Everyone at the restaurant seems just a little bit bored. Going through the motions. I was looking forward to this restaurant because it was close downtown and the burrata was made fresh. We were underwhelmed. Service - why do restaurants who seat older couples (read discretionary income) next to the kitchen in a room full of empty tables? Always a poor way to start and sets a frustrating tone. Our waitress, while not attentive, was good with a great wine rec and a pleasant disposition. She was the plus. The loud music overhead was distracting and annoying. Food - the burrata I longed for was good but the presentation was boring and it fell flat. I’ve had burrata a lot of places and this was less enjoyable than most. The bolognese was dull and reminded me of something from a jar and the pizza was 6.5 of 10. We were hoping for a cozy evening with tasty comforting food. That didn’t work out. There were a number of larger groups there and I think that makes sense - it seemed like that kind of restaurant.

Written 2 October 2022

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OSTERIA MARCO, Denver - LoDo - Restaurant Reviews, Phone Number & Photos - Tripadvisor