restaurant review: marmoleo in medellin

Marmoleo.

For a romantic dinner in Medellin, I'd like to suggest a steakhouse restaurant called Marmoleo. It is located up in a hill overlooking the city. The views there are fantastic as one can see a valley of city lights surrounded by towering mountains.

I know, you might say that usually restaurants with great views do not deliver on the food. But, I can tell you that my experience dining here with Mr. Sazy Rock was positive.

Tip 1: when reserving a table online, check the website for the configuration of the tables vis a vis the view. Then, choose the perfect table. 

Tip 2: The place is usually empty until about 8 pm, when everyone starts arriving.  


The Scene

We made our reservation at 8 pm but we got in early at 7:30 pm. It was empty. But, it suited us fine because we took lots of pictures of the view. Sadly, I had my iPhone and they did not turn out well.

Our table had our reservation name and time. Around 8 pm, people started to trickle in. For a weeknight, it was somewhat buzzy but it was not a full house at all.

Our server told us that their clientele consisted of 50-50 tourists and locals. 

Funny sign.

The Food

Mr. SR and I started off with some cocktails. The gin and tonic was weird because it was pink and had cucumbers. It was also too sweet.

Gin & Tonic.

• Chips - I could taste the corn and the guacamole was creamy and sharp. 

Chips & Guacamole.

• Pulpo - it was perfectly grilled and smoky. 

Pulpo.

• Chimchurri - served with onion, parsley, pepper, garlic and olive oil, it was tender and not mushy.
• Chicharron - it was served hot and crunchy and so good. The Arepa de Mote (crunchy but soft inside) and Cebollas (onion) pickle (vinegar and lime) went perfectly with the chicharron.

Chicharron.

• Baby Beef (Sirloin Veal) - we chose this dish from the Nacionales menu (they have imported USDA selection, which we avoided because we could get that back home). Beef on the Nacionales menu came from the towns of Monteria and Bucaramanga. This dish was a sliced flank steak that was cooked medium rare and chewy. The accompanying fries were served hot off the fryer.

Sirloin Veal.

• Sterling Fuego - also chosen from the Nacionales menu, it was like a sirloin. It was beautifully cooked medium rare.

Sterling Fuego.

• Torta de Chocolate Rellena con Arequipe - for dessert, we shared this dish, which reminded Mr. SR of a sticky toffee pudding. It was like a dulce de leche stuffed with chocolate. It was served hot and appeared to have condensed milk. It was sweet and tasty. The ice cream was nondescript. 

Dessert.

The Service

Our server, Fernando, who spoke English, was attentive and friendly. Although, he was a bit put out when we poured our own wine. While we took Uber to get to the restaurant, Fernando kindly called us a cab (my signal was not very good up there).

The Price

At just under $100, it was not a cheap meal but we did not begrudge them the price.

The Verdict

No surprises here. I recommend this place for a nice romantic dinner.