Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar — Restaurant in Cleveland

I was in Ohio for a limited time and tried to get a reservation here for over a month. The book up about 8 weeks out so check their website the 1st of the month to get a reservation (I e., Jan 1st, booking for March). **Helpful Tip! Go earlier in the evening and sit at the bar or lounge area. Those can't be reserved and you may get lucky like we did. They do NOT allow you to just walk in and stand at the bar, like one gentleman learned, you must wait for an opening to be seated. After he tried to storm right past the hostess stand, they roped off the area so no one else could walk in.

This restaurant is in a historic bank building. You can almost see where the bank teller cages would be. It is hard to believe that banks looked like this. The pics online do not even begin to show the awe and beauty of this place. It was absolutely stunning. I could just sit there and look around for hours. The detail in the architecture is amazing, like walking back in time with a modern flair. They also had salons upstairs and turned the old bank vaults in event space downstairs, but unfortunately they don't allow you to go into those areas.

I can't comment too much on the table service since we sat at the bar. The bartender was pleasant and answered our questions about the history of the building.

Now, onto the drinks and food...

THE DRINKS: I love whiskey, so when I saw that they had a 12 hour Sous Vide Old-Fashioned, I had to try it. Keep in mind that it isn't always available and they don't tell you the price. I was surprised that it was only $22, but I'm used to steep prices living in San Diego. The drinks were generous and although the drink was good I couldn't tell that it was really any different from a normal old-fashioned, but still worth it. They also had a fun cotton candy drink that they light up somehow for kids or anyone who wants a fun non-alcoholic drink.

STARTERS: They had plenty of starters to choose from, plus other options and specials on a smaller card that was not on the menu. We chose the duck confit spring rolls with an Asian slaw. The spring rolls were crispy with a rich duck flavor. The slaw was light and tangy and a great compliment to the spring rolls.

DINNER: Like I said above, they had other specials on a smaller card which had a 44oz Tomahawk steak for $230! We did not get this, but that would be fun to share with a group. They are known for their steaks, so we both had their dry-aged 14oz NY strip for $65. They cooked them both perfectly (med rare and medium) and they came out HOT. I hate getting a good steak and they come out luke warm. They were juicy and flavorful.

For our sides, we shared the creamed spinach and marshmallow topped candied sweet potato casserole. The spinach was flavored perfectly and not overcooked, which tends to happen. The sweet potato casserole was good, however, I thought there was too much marshmallow to sweet potato ratio. They were good but not but not amazing and I probably wouldn't get them again.

DESSERT: We ordered the Banana-Mango Panna Cotta and Baked Alaska. I'd never had either before therefore I'm unable to compare it to past experience. The baked Alaska was an extra special treat because they flambe it table side. See pics! It had a good cake to ice cream ratio with plenty to share. The Panna Cotta had a nice light vanilla flavor, I couldn't taste banana or mango, but that wasn't a bad thing. Its about as heavy as a pudding and had a salted carmel pour, topped with crunchy tapioca pearls. If you like custard then you'll love this. What I liked most about both desserts was that they were not overly sweet or heavy. The desserts were very generous-no small portions here!

I highly recommend this place for any special occasion or random weekday treat. Expect to pay about $100 per person.

See my pics of our drinks, food...

We have been wanting to try Marble Room for a few years now, but reservations are always IMPOSSIBLE to come by. Luckily we utilized American Express Concierge to get a reservation on very short notice for a very much needed Mom/Dad night out at this restaurant and it exceeded every possible expectation. From the minute you Valet your car, you feel like you are no longer in Cleveland. This restaurant could easily keep up with any restaurant in LA, Vegas, NYC, SanFran, etc. You walk through these incredibly heavy doors and are immediately wow'ed by the grandeur of this restaurant. The front of the house staff was polite and accommodating; a very nice touch. We received a corner booth immediately that basically felt like we had a private dining area, as we were away from the hustle and bustle of the middle of the restaurant. The waitress and her assistant were amazing, she recommended a great wine, appetizer, and of course the amazing main course. I had been wanting to try to Wagyu for a long time, and this was finally my chance. She explained in great detail the 3 types that they had that night and I chose the Hyda-Gyu. It did NOT dissapoint. My wife got the filet, and it would have been exceptional every other day of the year, but after you bite into the Hyda-Gyu Wagyu, nothing else will ever compare. The salad was spot on, the French Onion soup was exceptional, and the whipped mashed potatoes were some of the best I have ever had. The presentation of the food is minimalistic, everything is ala-carte, like you would expect from a fine dining establishment. Nothing about the dinner felt rushed, the server was attentive the entire time, topping off the wine glasses like we were her only table. We even were sent a cotton candy ending from the restaurant, which was a great touch after indulging on such a feast. Everything from the minute you walked in the door to the minute the valet drove our car back around was sheer perfection. Couple of notes:

1. This place is expensive, but you can dine as heavy or light as you want. A 6oz or 8oz filet is very well priced for being such a high quality meat that is flown in from Chicago. Since everything is ala-carte all of your sides are enough for at least 3 people to share. They also offer a lighter menu of sushi and a poke bowl that would suffice nicely for a quick dinner. 2 people could easily eat for $100 without drinks or eat for $600 if you decide to indulge in the Wagyu, Lobster Tails, and assorted sides and appetizers.
2. Plan accordingly for time. They do not rush you and the food comes out at a nice slow pace to let you enjoy; so if you are planning on having a 3 or 4 course dinner plus dessert, you need to plan 2+ hours.
3. Dress nice. Yes, there were people in jeans at this restaurant, but you are going to the highest end restaurant in Cleveland, enjoy yourself and look the part.
4. This is more than a place to eat, is really is an experience. Enjoy every moment of it, take in the grandeur of the building. It truly is a masterpiece of a restaurant; I would put their food up against anything we have eaten in South Beach, Vegas, etc.

Thank you for such a wonderful evening. This was our first time experiencing this restaurant, but it for sure will not be our last.

Mark &...

I hate that I am writing a negative review for the Marble Room because I have been many times and wanted to love it. I'll start out with the positives- the ambiance. Wow, the interior is a former bank building so the architecture and attention to detail is exquisite. If you come for dinner on the weekends, they often have an electric violinist performing who is extremely talented. I am not much of a drinker, but the one thing I love is a good espresso martini and the bartenders here make them very well. The staff are extremely professional and friendly.

Now, unfortunately, the not so good. The Marble Room presents itself as the top of the top, the ultimate place to be. With such self-promotion and pricing, I do expect a lot. I used to live in the building that houses the restaurant so I've frequented it A LOT. One major turnoff for me was the pretentiousness and difficulty of trying to book a table. Generally, you won't be able to walk in off the street on a weekend and get sat (even though there are often available seats) or find a weekend reservations for weeks and weeks ahead of time. The food... wow, such a major disappointment. Do not order sushi here. I know I am just a stranger on the internet, but please trust me. Gas station sushi is better. Also, stay away from most of the sides- they are SWIMMING in butter. I am not sure why the chefs here use so much butter for EVERY dish. Actually, it's not limited to just the sides. It's pretty much every dish. I feel my arteries clogging up just looking at dishes before I ever take a bite. Their steaks are very good, so I will give them that (I recommend ordering plain with no salt / pepper and then seasoning to your preference, otherwise you might receive a salt mine). And the wagyu - oh my, I have dreams about the wagyu. If you are willing to spend a bit, it is worth every single penny. The caviar service is notable- one of the few places that has actual beluga caviar and not just sturgeon caviar with beluga prices.

Finally- the ugly. My boyfriend recently took me out for a celebratory dinner. We had the lump crab cake, spicy shrimp, wagyu and the long bone tomahawk. I'm not sure which of these were the culprit, but we ended up with the most terrible food poisoning for the next few days (RIP the toilet). Now, if I had ordered food from some street vendor then I couldn't even be mad because that's a risk you take. But to drop 700 or 800 on dinner and be in pure misery a few hours later is just not it. After this experience I am not really sure whether I want to return. Perhaps for drinks and ambiance.

One final note, for those who like NA beverages, the Marble Room actually has an impressive selection. It is really difficult to find a restaurant that serves NA sparkling white wine.

Okay one FINAL final note, for my car friends- valet parking... do not do it. I'd rather you suffer the same food poisoning fate as we did than for you to hand over your keys to the valet, especially if you drive a manual. There is a parking garage right on E6TH and two directly behind the building. Pleaseeee just self park. I know the garages downtown are pricy, but just skip the...