Osteria Marco — Restaurant in Denver

I recently dined at a lovely restaurant, and I must say, the food and ambiance were truly exceptional, deserving an easy 5-star rating. However, I feel compelled to share my experience with the service, hostess, and management, which unfortunately did not match the excellence of the culinary offerings.

Upon arriving without reservations, the hostess initially informed us that obtaining a table that evening was impossible. While I understand the challenges of a weekend night, it seemed peculiar given the noticeable availability of empty tables. To my surprise, I checked OpenTable and found an opening, only to be told by the hostess that walk-ins couldn't schedule reservations. This left me perplexed. I then asked if they will be paying for the $25 deposit on OpenTable, she then got very moody and sat us down at a table and told us we only have 2 and half hours...that's plenty of time for dinner!

Despite this initial hiccup, we were eventually seated after making a reservation through OpenTable. Our waitress, while pleasant, was somewhat forgetful, leading to multiple requests for items and an occasional oversight, such as forgetting to bring bread until we were almost done. Although she confirmed our orders twice, there was a noticeable awkwardness in the service.

The final disappointment came with the bill, which included a 20% fee for the Back of the House tip. I believe fair compensation for staff should be managed transparently by the management, without the need for such additional charges. This aspect left me with a sense of dissatisfaction, and regrettably, it affects my decision to return despite the restaurant's outstanding cuisine.

In conclusion, while the food and ambiance were praiseworthy, improvements in service and transparency in fees are essential for a more satisfying overall...

Worst place I've been to in a while. Should have read the negative reviews beforehand but now I can agree with them as a result.

The positive reviews must be fake or paid. Walked in and immediately upon being seated I was told a 22% gratuity would be added to my bill, then if I would like to add a tip it will go directly to my server. Yeah, read that for a second, makes no sense right? Scam job. Let's get right to the money as a guest sits down too.

The service was abysmal. The server came up to my table 2 times total, once to take my order and once to bring me my bill. Another "historic building" fee was added to the bill which was never disclosed, on top of the 22%. I went to use the restroom, when I came back the food was there sitting on the table. Nobody asked if I needed anything else or how the food was, despite me wanting to order a side salad.

Good segway into the food. The pasta carbonara was literally disgusting. It tasted like throw up and the plate was filled with the lowest grade bits of pig fat. Additionally, the pasta was undercooked and borderline raw. The portion also was miniature sized, I barely got any food. 50 dollars for a plate of this crap and I didn't even order an alcoholic beverage. If only I could find the one server in the entire restaurant to inquire on the food, but who cares they got their 22% gratuity plus whatever additional tip I'd like to leave right?

This place should be ashamed of itself and its staff. No idea how it has good reviews. There are just some experiences you can't forget because they are that bad and absurd. This was certainly one of them.

Best of luck to your business, can't recommend for anyone to...

First, I'll say that I'm happy there are businesses like this one that are trying to keep Larimer Square thriving. My overall experience at this restaurant was pleasant.

Our two person meal was $230+ for 3 drinks, one appetizer, a dessert, and two entrees. Our waitress was wonderful. The burrata and sourdough is an outstanding appetizer. I mean the best burrata and also the best sourdough I've had. I believe both are made in- house. I regret not ordering this as my entree. I ordered the eggplant parmesan. It had two squares of cheese on it, not shredded cheese or sliced whole mozzarella. The sauce was a very dark color, it was very thick and almost dry; it didn't look or taste homemade. The meal looked like it was run through a conveyor belt heating system. The pasta on the side was good. Eating fried food with pasta isn't something I usually do and an alternative would have been great. The salmon was very cooked, but the risotto was creative. The carrot cake was fine but has very minimal frosting. The crunchy carrots and pralines were a great addition.

The taste of food is subjective and other reviewers seem to really like the food here. I'm glad we tried out this place. I do feel the prices were fit for a gourmet restaurant, and I'd describe this food as more like that served in a pizzeria. If this had been $130 meal, I feel like the cost would have been worth it. $230 for food that didn't seem made from scratch and might even have had processed elements felt a bit overpriced.

It's a fun environment but could be made more sophisticated with candles...