Tucked away in the tourist belt
of Batu Ferringhi stands Mario Ristorante, an Italian restaurant. Because of
the location, it is largely considered a hidden gem. Conversely, the fact that
it is located on the same row as Bella Italia and The Eclectic while standing
directly opposite Rasa Sayang Hotel, Mario’s naturally becomes a regular
hotspot for the tourist crowd. There are indoor and sidewalk seating, with the
interior having designs that are extremely cozy with warm colors, giving this
place a signature Italian flair.
As far as the food is concerned,
there’s plenty to enjoy like appetisers such as bruschettas, the “Veggie Wonder”,
clam chowder in homemade sour dough bread bowl, and much more. Since it is an
Italian restaurant, items like an array of pastas and pizzas are naturally par
for the course. Some of the pastas customers can expect to find here include pasta
with creamy-pesto sauce and pine nuts, pasta with marinara sauce, beef filled
cannelloni, and much more. The pizzas here are heated via a wood oven to create
pizzas like the Mario's special pizza - thin-crusted pizza and topped with
pepperoni, capsicums and onions; a simple, yet flavourful pizza that anyone can
indulge in. The great thing about Mario Ristorante is that they extend their
menu outside of the confines of Italian food with Mexican and Spanish dishes
like fajitas, and tortilla wraps.
In short, Mario Ristorante is an
Italian restaurant that has been great in delivering all the necessary
components when it comes to Italian dining, and shows no sign of slowing down.