Marcellos in Sunderland

We've eaten here before but rocked up on spec tonight prepared to be turned away if they were busy but we were accommodated quickly despite them having a big party coming in. We had to wait less than 10 minutes and we're given a complimentary glass of prosecco, very thoughtful and great customer service, we really felt valued. Food was fantastic as usual but it's the service that makes the difference. Relaxed, valued and well fed, what more do you want? Especially with all the new restaurants in Sunderland who are charging ridiculous money for boring food Thank you Marcello's you are a Sunderland success!

Booked a table for 6.30 ,we had a pint each of fla Moretti, by 7.30 we still hadn't had our food . People who ordered after us had eaten and left. We decided to leave as we were going to a show at 8 . The manager said they had been busy , that's no excuse, and said I didn't have to pay for the drinks I wasn't going to anyway . Can't review the food as we didn't get any . Service is terrible. Won't be back .

Decided to go here before going to the theatre on 26/09/24 and the food was really nice, service was great too - all staff very smiley.

Had the 3 course lunch prior to Theatre. The food was delicious at very good price as well as lovely house wine. The young waitress (wed 1pm) so lovely, bright and cheerful. We will definately be back, thank you for such a lovely experience.

I ordered through just eat and paid. 35 minutes later my order was cancelled. When I phoned up I was told the kitchen was busy and had cancelled my delivery order. Unacceptable behaviour! Won’t ever order from or go to Marcellos again. Have been a customer for many years and don’t expect to be treated this way. Disgraceful and should be removed from all delivery websites. It is now too late to order from elsewhere! Furious!!!!

Lovely restaurant. Good early bird lunch time menu . Authentic Italian restaurant and atmosphere. Great steak. Fantastic staff . Recommended.

Have been going to Marcellos for years, but hadn't been for a good while, and I think it's changed hands. I went today, the restaurant was full of flies, and the tagliatele al salmone was congealed when it came to the table, and had clearly been sitting out for a while. Consequently I didn't eat it, and won't be going back.

Our first visit & definitely won’t be our last. The food was lovely, nice atmosphere & very friendly staff The goats cheese starter was lovely, nice to see something different on a set menu My partner got the pizza & I got the pasta but added chicken into it. My daughter absolutely loved the kids pasta, it was a good portion for her. Would 100% try it if you haven’t been, in a good location in the town

We visited here after we had been to the theatre. Despite it being busy and we didn’t have a reservation they sorted us out a table. The staff were so friendly. Our starters and mains were all delicious and very reasonably priced. The tiramisu got a thumbs up but one of our party had cheesecake which was the letdown of the evening. All in all a great place and i would go back when next in Sunderland 😊

I never feel more disappointed then now .. yesterday I was taking the dinner out … and I’ve just take part to this scene… where the kitchen staff … was breaking all the hygiene rules … they was making fun of a pour French buldog… NEVER AGAIN

Having been regulars of Marcellos over the years we weren’t quite sure what to expect as under new management. We’ve been twice in the last month and both times service and food have been exceptional. Staff polite and friendly, high quality food, looked very appealing when brought to table. They seem to have removed happy hour from 3.00pm which could be a mistake while they are trying to promote a new business as the pre theatre meals were always very popular but having said that we will definitely be back

I’ve been coming to Marcellos for many years and always get a great welcome and great food, and I mean great food, at a reasonable price. I live down South now but when home we always like to visit, you simply can’t get lasagne like this anywhere else, even in Italy. When a restaurant has been going as long as this one they must be doing something right.

We are regular customers here, so new management was a new experience for us. Did not disappoint. The same friendly and homely atmosphere, great service and a very nice Happy Hour menu, 12-3 weekdays. The food was, as ever, excellent, with emphasis on quality ingredients and traditional fayre. We ate from the 3 course Happy Hour, with vegan and veggie available. Well done new management, youve picked up the baton and we thoroughly recommend, your veggie risotto was excellent,!!!

Booked here for a long awaited lunch. And was very pleasead we did. Were greeted by very friendly, professional waiter who let us choose which table we preferred and asked for our drinks order. Once served with our drinks we were given plenty of time to make our choices from the menu. When our food arrived it was piping hot and beautifully presented. We asked for a little time between courses and that was not a problem. Once we were ready for our mains they were served quickly and again nice and hot. The food was extremely tasty and the service was exceptional. We will certainly be returning again.

Lovely to see you open again,food was amazing,sevice was first class,highly recomend going,home cooked food at its best.

Absolutley fantastic Valentines meal.I ordered the chicken wrapped in parma ham stuffed with goats cheese, my Hubby ordered the surf and turf.Full of different flavors and very moreish.For desert homemade strawberry cheesecake in white chocolate.Delivered on time,service amazing only thing that missing was sitting in the restaurant.Would highly recomend.Jeany

Just received order from marcello's. Chips beautiful, chicken burger was the weirdest burger I have ever had. Tasted nothing remotely like chicken. Couldn't eat it. Horrible. The 3 stars are for chips.

I ordered food for myself and my daughter as a treat for New year. I was massively impressed with what arrived, firstly it was on time and ready to eat so nice and hot. Secondly the portion size was brilliant! My daughters kids meal was actually enough for an adult (although she ate it all it took her 90minutes!) We ordered steak with chunky chips and peppercorn sauce and a side salad,king prawns in garlic and wine sauce, tomato and onion salad and kids bolognaise which came with Pepsi and she also got chocolate fudge cake. It all came to £30. The steak was beautifully cooked, pink inside and tastey. Chips were so full of flavour with the prawns being the highlight. The salad was fresh and seasoned well too. Overall beautiful food and excellent service

Just been for a meal , what has happened to this place !! It has the feel of a cafe , the service was poor to say the least!! The food didn’t even seem fresh ! Chicken was like rubber !! Never again , such a disappointment..

Ordered a takeaway via uber eats for delivery between 7:30-8pm hours in advance. Marcellos then cancelled this order at 7:59pm! Absolutely appalling to cancel/reject an order so late! Would’ve given zero stars if possible!

We ordered take out for Saturday night and it didn't disappoint. I had pollo valdostana served in a huge pizza box. (Fabulous) Wife had pollo crema with veg (delish) kids had chicken nuggets which were great. Dined many time in the past and will do in many time to come.

Hadn’t been here for a while so called in after we’d been to the match last Sat. Got in just before 7pm and we got the last available table which had been set up in the bar area as they had a large party in downstairs.We ordered drinks which came quickly - jug of water and bottle of house red wine, which was delicious. We were also given a bowl of olives and a packet of breadsticks - no additional charge for these. We had to wait to order food because of the large party but staff kept us informed and apologised for the delay. However the lovely olives kept us going! Hubby had the mussels to start and I had meatballs - both were scrumptious and served with a slice of home made bread. Hubby had chicken valdostana with chips for his main and i had Pepe chicken with vegetables. All lovely.Great value and standard if service and food still great. No wonder this is a popular restaurant.

Went pre-Theatre to Marcellos for a lunch-time meal. Marcello, the owner, cheerily welcomed us out of the rain as we were 15 minutes early.Seated by the window. Wwe had meatballs and Tomato soup to start. Both home-cooked and really tasty. You can tell the difference. Our mains came shortly after. The best Pollo Pepe I have ever had and also Penne Carbonarra that was frehly cooked.Our waiter was excellent-very attentive and respectful. A pleasant change! A fabulous pre Theatre lunch. We will definitely be back.Steve

We had booked for 6.30pm arrived 10 minutes early and were abrubtly asked " did you book" before being told sit there please for now!!! We then just sat near the bar for 15 minutes before someone said would you like a drink until a table is free. We had a glass of wine whilst waiting for 40 minutes and still no table. To our astonishment a couple then walked in were seated served with wine,beer,olives and breadsticks...They were then presented with menus and offered to select their meals.At this point we made our objections and left!!

Always have a great meal at Marcellos, changed a dish on the fixed menu and staff were very happy to allow change. Best house white wine Ive ever had in an Italians - would recommend

Excellent food and staff as I’ve come to expect here. Always a friendly welcome and sound taste in wine! We had a lovely family get together.

We ate here before theatre show. My partner is a chef and a fair critic. He ordered tortellini and said it was the best he’d had in years! Me and my daughter really enjoyed our meals too, lasagne and pizza great atmosphere and waiter recommended a red wine .. delicious. We had a great meal good atmosphere. Thank you.

Well not so little, it’s actually quite a large restaurant but due to the layout it feels cosy although the decor is a little dated. The food is good but not exceptional but it is very good value. We both chose to share the Tiger Prawns to start, they were fairly small for Tiger Prawns and not very many but it was a starter and they were quite tasty. We also both went for the Sea Bass with fried potato ‘chips’, (a cross between chunky fries and roast potatoes).There was quite a lot of fish to be fair, I think 4 fillets each and they did seem to be fresh and well cooked, the ‘chips’ were plentiful and very tasty. Overall a good meal for a very reasonable price. For one Tiger Prawn starter, 2 Sea Bass & Chips for mains, 3 glasses of non-house wine, one pint of larger and 2 Cappuccinos we paid just under £50 so pretty good value.

Had a lovely meal with my parents last night at Marcellos in Sunderland ... great food ... so tasty ... lovely staff very helpful and such good value for money ... certainly recommend it and I’ll be going back very soon

What a wonderful place! Not only do they serve excellent food and stunning wine (hands down more superior and better value than ANY Italian in the UK), the staff are so wonderful. Apart from being knowledgeable, exceptional and helpful, they make you feel like family and even make you feel special. A bit naff I know but in today’s world it’s a lovely feeling

I’ve ordered takeaway from Marcellos but this was the first time I’ve sat in the restaurant and can I just say I was incredibly impressed. The food was on the table literally within minutes, steaming hot and just as tasty as their takeaway. Honestly no other Italian restaurant in Sunderland compares! We felt like we could stay there all day eating at our leisure and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. I highly recommend the brandy snaps from the specials menu if you can get your hands on it.

Really good family run restaurant. Good service, good food and and good selection of drinks. We use regularly . Staff really friendly go out of their way to help and will find you a table even when they are busy.

Was looking for place to eat before theatre. Booked online and stated that husband is in wheelchair and has special dietary requirements. Within a minute of submitting, Marcello was on the phone advising about steps up to entrance . I said he can manage the few steps, book it. Went the next day and Marcello was waiting to help husband up the steps, insisted on carrying wheelchair in for me, then produced a Gluten Free menu. Service was above and beyond anything I expected and the food was delicious and very reasonably priced. A lovely clean restaurant with nice atmosphere. We will definitely be going back there.

We called here early evening before going to the Theatre. We has the early special which was two courses for an amazing £5.95. We didn’t expect much for that price but the meal was fabulous and plentiful.

Ordered via just eat food was 20 mins late when we received it a dish was wrong we called marcellos but they refused to admit any liability said it was just eat fault. Surely this is not a way to treat a customer. We were advised to contact just eat even though this already impacted on our meal. Shoddy way to treat a customer.

We booked online for a parry of 11 for our granddaughters 4th birthday after being regular visitors. We arrived and were told that the booking was for the next night but she would accommodate us, although we did book correct night online. We were shown to our tables downstairs adjacent to the serving hatch. The restaurant is in desperate need of updating, the decor is dirty and the chairs sink in the middle We ordered our starters which we had no problems with. The mains took forever to arrive but as they were busy and werent expecting our large party we accepted this . The mains arrived 2 calzone pizzas which had hardlys any filling inside and was told the pizza was really doughy. One had prawns where some were very mushy inside. The crab linguine was hard and uneatable and the lady took this off the bill. We had a couple of sirloin steaks which were ok. The 2 staff were super friendly and worked there socks off but the overall experience was a total let down therefore will not be returning in a hurry, part of the party had never been before and seems we bigged it up so much was very embarrassing!!!!

I am a regular visitor to the restaurant Marcelo’s and have ordered a few times from the takeaway element and never had any major issues, until last night. Ordered a potato skins starter and the pollo cordon blue with a portion of chips. The entire thing was a disappointment. The chicken had very little filling inside, particularly the cheese. The sauce was bland and unremarkable. The skins were disgusting and barely edible. I ate what I could as I was starving and waited until the next day to contact the restaurant. Spoke firstly to the manager of the restaurant who explained that the delivery service is apparently a different kitchen & staff, which I was not aware. The manager of the delivery service then contacted me, I explained the issue and that I am a regular customer and that was why I was most shocked and annoyed. He apologised and offered a discount on my next order, which I politely declined. Given the experience I have no interest in ordering from here or visiting the restaurant again. Very bad experience.

Both myself and my partner are very ill after eating at this place yesterday. Never been before but seemed the family were regarding it as a nice restaurant. First impression was that it was a very dirty restaurant including the bathroom. They keep the lights dimmer so you cant quite see. They didnt like it when I revealed their hygiene rating here but my personal review, based on first hand experience, is do check it before deciding to eat there.

Been to this restaurant on numerous occasions and never been disappointed. The food is superb and the staff are great. My only concern is the ladies toilets. They need some attention. The wallpaper is hanging off the walls and is held on with sticky tape and brown wrapping tape. Not a good look. The floors are dirty and I cannot understand why in such a lovely restaurant. Please pay attention to this as it lets the place down. You

Took my son here for his birthday with the family and friends, staff were amazing with the young ones and the food was good had a really good night. Definately recommend

Well i dont know what the negative reviews are all about i visited with my partner.I went for the £16 2 course menu with Garlic flatbread for starter then the steak (cooked perfectly) with peppercorn sauce with chunky homemade chips and my partner had the linguine pescatora(other pastas available) with plenty of mixed seafood.Both meals were perfectly cooked and very tasty.

Used to be a regular visitor here and haven't been for sometime, extremely disappointed. The appetizers looked like they were straight from Asda still in the wrapper, and the starter didn't get much better. I had a fillet steak for main which in all honesty was the worst fillet I have ever had.

We have visited this restaurant a few times when going to the theatre.

Part of a large group booked in yesterday. We’d pre ordered off the specials menu. A couple of us ordered the tiger prawns and were highly disappointed, four small prawns arrived on my plate with a tbsp of sauce and a thoughtless handful of salad, they certainly weren’t the tiger prawns we expected. The dish was tasty mouthful, but just too small. My friend ordered garlic bread with cheese and she ended up sharing as it was huge, enough to feed two people. Sea bass for main with a small bowl of barely warm veg but again the pizza would have served 2. I just think that the portion sizes don’t match up equally! Staff were friendly and helpful. Slight problem with the bill but it was easily resolved.

£5.99 for two courses and lovely food what more could you ask for? I've probably tried all the main pizza places in Sunderland city centre and this is my favourite. Really like the cheese they use and the nice crust. Potato skins were nice and crispy as well. I highly recommend it.

Goats cheese starter was beautifully presented and full of flavour. Main, however, was disappointing. Plenty of chicken but tasted like it had been microwaved and peppercorn sauce was soup like. Chips more like roast potatoes. Tiramisu dessert was straight out the freezer and not homemade. A colleague ordered scallops as a starter and there were only 2 scallops. Sea bass was very good

Not a review for restaurant but for takeout fantastic meal absolutely the best takeaway in Sunderland I only have a slight problem we ordered grated Parmesan and by the time we got it it had melted and we couldn’t use it but as I said only a slight problem perhaps need to rethink the way its delivered

Very friendly italian restaurant with 1st class food competitve prices well worth a visit got 2 and 3 course specials including pizza and pasta dishes

Very busy restaurants and only downside is they are understaffed but apart from that food was very tasty all home cooked and authentic, staff all friendly and very italian feel to it.

Visited this restaurant again, after not being for a while. Have to say the staff were first class. We were welcomed by two very friendly girls, shown to a table( of our choice) and given a menu. We ordered a bottle of house wine and was also given a jug of iced water which was much appreciated. Also provided with olives and bread sticks while we chose our meals. The food was lovely and hot, and we asked for a little bit of time between our starters and main course which was not a problem. Staff were very attentive without being pushy or in your face. After we'd finished eating we were told just to take our time finishing our wine there was no hurry. Very relaxing I have to say. Will definitely be returning and have already recommended it to friends.

Recently discovered this restaurant and kept going here. Thought the restaurant is a wonderful romantic restaurant with a good vibe. The staff is fantastic and the food is brilliant for the price. Would totally recommend to everyone

This quaint little restaurant is a brilliant place to go. I went with my wife for a pre show dinner i booked for 6pm but did not get to the restaurant until half past 6 they were still able to seat us and we told them that we only had 1 hour until the show they told us this was fine and we would still make the show. We were seated straight away and our order was taken promptly we waited for about 15 minutes for our meals which were fresh cooked and tasted amazing, i would recommend this place to anyone that asks where to go in Sunderland, they have a happy hour to between 12pm and 7pm and this makes the pricing really goid value

Got an order delivered. How wonderful to have proper wood fired oven pizza rather than greasy takeaway pizza. We ordered a spicy pepperoni one and a parma ham one. Paid extra for jalapeño chilli on one and Olives on the other. Also my son had a napoli pasta kids meal. Great value at £3.50 for a beautiful penne with a tomato sauce topped with parmesan and basil with plenty of garlic in it plus a drink. We also ordered some fries which were well seasoned. This place is comparable in terms of price with a normal pizza takeaway but far superior. Our order came to about £20. Would definitely order from here again when in Sunderland.

we visited before our trip to sunderland empire. the restaurant was quite when we arrived but soon filled up. they even have happy hour and special set menus. the food came out promptly and was well cooked and tasty. I opted for tiger prawns in chilli sauce. these were not in the happy hour but cheap enough anyway. I had seafood pizza for main. it wasn't the best pizza I have ever had but it was tasty with prawns squid and mussels. I would definitely return. good prices and good food

just had 2 x chicken Kiev delivered with chunky chips. OMG we have died and gone to heaven they were lush thank you Marcellos xx

As friends and I were leaving Sunderland to move onto jobs elsewhere, we decided to go for a meal and I instantly thought of Marcellos. We arrived while it was still quiet and were shown directly to a table where we decided on our wine (which was beautiful. Maybe too easy to drink) and ordered our meals. We weren’t waiting long when our starters arrived. I had the potato skins and my friends had the soup and the garlic bread which were freshly made and gorgeous. We all decided on past for our main- I had penne carbonara which was better than any I tasted on my travels in Italy. After our meal we shared another bottle of wine and weren’t rushed out of the door, even though it was getting to a busier time. Overall, it was a beautiful experience for our last meal together.

Came here as a party of 6 on Boxing Day and we were extremely impressed. The service was great, staff were friendly and had a smile on their face and the food was just amazing. The menu has a good selection, with options I’ve not seen in other restaurants. We all really enjoyed trying something different and we were tasting each other’s food as everything was beautiful.

I booked the restaurant for 6 people for pre theatre food. On booking I clearly stated that one of the party is gluten intolerant, to be told it was not a problem. We arrived 15 mins early for our booking at 6 o'clock, the waiter...

Called in with mother 5th September for early evening tea we both ordered potato skins for starters they came nice...

Marcellos is the best it restaurant by far, fantastic food, excellent service and friendly staff, I have coeliac disease and...

Lovely meal here to celebrate the end of another crazy week at work. Waited at the bar prior to taking...

Después de haber visitado este restaurante con compañeros de trabajo, me decidí a preguntar sobre una reserva para celebrar el 13 cumpleaños de mi hija con unos amigos y familiares. Reservamos para 11 personas y el personal era genial. A la llegada, tenían amigos esperando sentado en la sala de espera de mi hija hasta que llegó mi hija. Una vez sentado, el personal era genial, teniendo nuestros pedidos tan pronto como estábamos listos. La comida era estupenda, todos disfrutamos de nuestro grupo y algunos de los amigos de mi hija han dicho que quieren volver con sus familias. Todo el personal en el bar, los camareros y el personal de la cocina era genial con nosotros. Muy recomendado, y sin duda pienso volver.

Mi marido y yo visitamos Marcellos sobre una base regular y siempre hemos disfrutado de distintas comidas vegetarianas. El chef siempre está viniendo con nuevos platos italianos. El vino tinto 🍷 es impecable. El personal siempre dispuesto a vernos.

Fuimos a este restaurante para una comida de trabajo. Lugar es muy justos y no hay mucho espacio para moverse.

Beautiful food lovely atmosphere great service please give this resteraunt a try seafood platter and kievs are to die for

Came here today with my daughter and friends for a birthday lunch. On the whole everything was great. We opted for the £5.99 happy hour and the food was fine. Even better was the service we got from our waiter. He really was exceptional and was always at hand with a smile and checking on our table to make sure we were taken care of. The room we were in however was cold and in need of a revamp and lacked ambiance which is important for an Italian restaurant. Also the switch machine wouldn't work so good job we had cash on us a back up. That said our bill came to £72 which included starters, mains some side orders and drinks for a party of seven which in my opinion is pretty good going.

Myself & my partner had a beautiful evening meal, chips were the best I've had in years!! We went during happy hour so the price was spot on. The staff were wonderful & friendly, couldn't do enough for us both. Definitely will be visiting again!!

place has gone right down food was nowhere near as nice than when I was there a few year ago I ordered seabass t was two tiny lttle p

This is a lovely place to eat. Staff are great too. The food is amazing and atmosphere is good here. I will go again

Went with my 3 kids for lunch, pizza and starters were acceptable but nothing special, we all ordered steaks for mains and they were all cooked wrong, then replacement was sent wrong again! Diane sauce was just gravy with a few mushrooms in, sent the food back, been before and it was lovelyVery disappointed and won't be coming back

We've been to Marcellos numerous times now over a number of years & never been disappointed. The staff, food & atmosphere have always been brilliant. The early bird menu til 7:00pm is excellent value with a wide choice of lovely options. Xmas Eve the guys accommodated us at the last minute & tonight New Years Eve we did book but I'm sure they would have done the same, nothing is too much trouble for this family run restaurant & I'm sure you will receive as warm a welcome as we've been to lucky to have had for many a year. Thank you!!

We had been to the Empire Theatre to watch the pantomime and booked a table at Marcello's for a late evening dinner. We were not disappointed!! We had a lovely dinner from the pre-Christmas set menu! It was fab!! Wine was very good and reasonably priced. The staff were excellent. We could not have asked for more. Go - you will NOT be disappointed!!

I have been to Marcellos so many times for different occasions and with different people and it never disappoints me. It is proper Italian food. They do an excellent happy hour menu starting from £6. I specially like the skin potatoes and the mushroom risotto.

Good choice of food on the set lunch menu - all served as should be by very attentive but not intrusive staff. Good choice of wines and beers.Highly recommend and would go back

We have visited Marcellos for many years and always had great service, food and drink but our last two visits have been very disappointing,Not enough staff to cope with such a busy restaurant has meant poor service and an unacceptable wait for orders to be taken and obviously for our food to be served. On our last visit we did not even have time to finish our meals and had to rush off to the theatre only just getting there for the start of the performance. I also had to complain that the chef had placed slices of normal bread in my gluten free starter. He did apologise to me and the waiter offered to do us doggy bags (which we would not have been able to take with us to the theatre anyway).I will not be returning.

My wife and I had the pleasure to visit Marcellos Italian restaurant in Sunderland, and must say that the service was first class along with the food, the wine was of the best quality, the waiter was very knowledgeable with the wine on offer. A very enjoyable night. Thanks to the team. Well recommended.

We come here regularly, varied menu, suitable for vegetarians and gluten free options. The staff are very friendly too.

We visited prior to theatre and opted for the £6 two course menu, my wife had potato skins and they came well cooked and plenty of them, I had bruschetta and again very tasty and nicely presented, mains were delivered quickly and the wife's pizza was too large for her to finish, my mushroom risotto was very tasty and plenty of it, neither of us were drinking so 2 soft drinks meant a total bill of less than £16.... a take away would have cost more and we wouldn't have had the ambience.... very very hard to beat at this sort of price, staff were very attentive and friendly.. will definitely return

Visited here with some friends on a recent trip to Sunderland. We had a fantastic evening with both the food and service being top drawer. We were treated really well by the excellent waiting staff and nothing was to much trouble. Those of us who had steak all commented on how tender it was and how it was cooked as ordered. Those who chose other dishes were equally impressed. Even more impressive was the final bill which was to say the least very reasonable considering we were drinking Prosecco in large quantities. We received a complimentary liquor of choice at the end of the evening which was a nice touch. The restaurant is in a nice location in a lovely building and is tastefully decorated. It's a shame it's so far from Brighton where I'm from because it would be a lovely restaurant to be able to visit regularly. Lucky old locals I say. Give it a try. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

We visited Marcellos when paying a visit to Sunderland. The food was OK, the service was OK, the waiter seemed a bit nervous but otherwise OK. It was a cheapy lunchtime special, so on the basis the review is a benefit of the doubt 4 stars.

Warm welcome!Food was very tasty.Scallops n prawns, a healthy portion.Mushroom risotto, very nice.Steaks lovely and chicken in tomato n chilli too.Liqueur coffees are to come back for!!Recommended.

We came here in Saturday night and it was very nice. The food is lovely, they did mess up a few of the orders and the male waiter was miserable but the female waiter was lovely. Despite these little drawbacks this is a great Italian restaurant, I would definitely come back!!

We were extremely dissapointed on the poor quality of the food this evening. It was very very poor indeed We have recently moved into the area and have enjoyed this restaurant. However on the last 2 occasions the quality has been very poor. We shall not return. Dr Maria and Roger F Barrell.

The pre theatre 2 courses for £5.95 is pretty standard like potato skins and lasagne. The 2 courses for £10.95 is a little more interesting and I would recommend the pate followed by the chicken in creamy peppercorn sauce. The chips are proper homemade tasty ones. The house red is good value at £11 a bottle and not too bad once you get the first couple of mouthfuls out the way! Service is friendly and attentive enough. The surroundings are tired with some strange portraits on sale all over the place. It's not somewhere I'd go for anything special but it does the job of a quick inexpensive pre theatre meal just a short walk from The Empire.

We are never out of this place. Friendly service, really good food and a fantastic specials menu! Two courses of really good Italian food for £5.95. One of the best in the city.

This place offers fantastic value for money, came here for lunch, enjoyed everything and could not believe of the cost.. amazing place, fantastic service, Gennaro the owner is a star. Dont expect anything fancy, just simple earthy italian food

Well worth a visit to this charming Italian resaurant. Who's staff are friendly and welcoming. Food is first class and very reasonably priced. Our first visit here but don't think it will be our last

I visited recently for lunch with a friend, and the lunch time menu is absolutely fantastic value for money. Two courses for £5.95, the choice isn't huge however there is something on there for everyone who likes typical Italian food, and you can order outside of the lunch menu regardless. We were quickly seated and served by friendly waiters throughout. The food was very good, although toppings a bit sparse on the pizza. I would return as it's definitely good value for money

Très bon accueil ...chaleureux !! On a très bien déjeuner . Une pose agréable, bon rapport qualité prix merci à Marcello et son équipe

I came here with friends, one of which is gluten free. She picked garlic bread and lasagne from the gluten free menu which she enjoyed. We ordered a bottle of house white which was decently priced and really tasty! I enjoyed my main of papardelle funghi. The atmosphere was good and the waiters were spot on with the service, even bringing a small plate for remainder if garlic bread so my friend could eat it with her main. Theres a lively little sun terrace to enjoy drinks at the top to. Would definitely recommend.

Marcello's is a bit of a gem in Sunderland. One of many Italian restaurants in the town centre, it sets itself apart as soon as you walk in with the boss - a short man from Sorrento, clad in a bright pink shirt and brighter smile - who greets you with a gesticulated "Buon giorno!". What he lacks in stature he more than makes up for in character.The staff is very friendly and helpful. Aside from their very cheap 2 course menu (either £5.95 or £10) the staff will be more than happy to make you a dish to your likely, "as long as we have the ingredients".Food is good for the price and the menu isn't too large.

This is an excellent Italian restaurant. The staff are lovely and made my 10 year old son feel very welcome.There is a good choice on the menu - including daily specials, a happy hour menu and a 2 course menu. The spaghetti with scallops and prawns from the specials menu was delicious. The restaurant is in walking distance of the Sunderland Empire Theatre, with convenient parking nearby in the Bridges multi-storey carpark. It was quite busy for early evening - you might want to consider booking, which can be done through their website.

Love this place, have been coming for years. The decor and layout has changed I loved the smaller downstairs area this timeWe sat near the doorway so not ideal but the food made up for it. Prices are reasonable too. It's well known in Sunderland and won't be shy of visitors. No doubt we'll be back soon

Marcello's is a lovely restaurant. Lovely food, friendly staff and friendly atmosphere. It is ideally located for theatre visitors visiting the Sunderland Empire and ideally located near the City Centre. The restaurant well worth a visit and is good value for money.

Unexpected visit to this place and can honestly say we were impressed. The staff were polite and helpful, pizza was to die for! Not to mention great value for money. The only reason I have not gave it an excellent is because the room we were given was quite small and cramped but I now understand that there is other rooms in this place - we were just too unfamiliar to say at the time!

5 of us visited here, early evening on Friday. I've been a few times and never been disappointed. We were seated quickly, some of us went for the 2 courses for £5.95-unbeatable value. I really enjoyed my bruschetta followed by a mushroom risotto, the portions are't skimpy-which is sometimes the case from a happy hour menu. My friend's dishes were similarly large (Asparagus with Parma ham & garlic mushrooms also recommended) The restaurant was bustling with a steady flow of diners but the lady serving was polite and efficient. I also enjoyed a 'dairy free' banoffee pie- 3 courses still came in at under £10. Our only qualm, was that the chairs are quite uncomfortable and our friend had to move, however they all just seemed under-padded. Nothing major.We'd certainly visit here again...You just can't go wrong.

Ordered a Marcello's take away this evening average spend for us £30- £40 sadly the cheese balls were not cooked through and the mushrooms in garlic, tomato and chilli were watery we would expect a well cooked meal for the price but it's not as authentic as you seem to think.

Una bella colazioneeee con tanti prodotti squisitamente fresche sono persone meravigliose e molto cordiali il caffè espresso era buonissimo simile a quello che beviamo in Italia ci ritorno tutte le mattine

We ordered a take away from Marcellos. We have never been in the restaurant so thought this was a great way to taste the food before planning a night out there. We ordered a variety of dishes - Pizzas, pastas, sides. Delivery was initially going to be 40 minutes but ended up taking an hour and ten minutes which was quite a big difference. We were really hungry by the time the food arrived. Unfortunately we were also really disappointed. The carbonara lacked the authentic Italian flavour we expected. The "lardons" were very thin slithers of flavourless bacon, the pasta seemed to be Asda's budget penne and the sauce was very bland. We also ordered a "meat feast" pasta but struggled to see where it got its name from! Kiev pizza was nice, as was the garlic bread however they were rather cold. Stated online that would you get a free dessert big enough for 2 on orders over £25 - We spent £33 but did not receive one.Overall very disappointing, we definitely won't be going to the restaurant.

We went early evening for the first time in ages. This used to be a place where you got real Italian food. It's changed a bit since then. My husband had the early evening menu of potato skins and then pasta, the skins came in a jiffy and tasted like they had been fried in old fat and had been standing around waiting to go out. The pasta had a watery orange sauce with no taste and was also brought very hastily. My gluten free pizza (which I was excited about ) was inedible- it was crumbly and pasty. It turned out that it wasn't cooked properly so we weren't charged and asked if I wanted anything else -I didn't. It felt like the lovely little Italian that served excellent fresh home made food has chosen quantity over quality get them in get them out. Maybe we called at the wrong time and should have tried the later menu. Im afraid I can't forsee us going back any time soon.