Restaurant Review: A Night At Marble Room Steak House & Raw Bar

As much as I love driving to downtown Cleveland and exploring the food scene in the city, cold temperatures can sometimes make me feel like hibernating at home instead. Last Thursday, however, was quite different. Temperatures were mild and Northeast Ohioans were treated to a well-deserved break from chilly temps. As luck would have it, I had dinner reservations at Marble Room Steak House & Raw Bar which made venturing out all the better.

Marble Room Steak House & Raw Bar opened its doors in 2017 and is located in Cleveland's historic National City Bank building at 623 Euclid Avenue. Locally owned by Frank and Malisse Sinito, the Sinito's found a diamond in the rough when they transformed the 1845 landmark into a top-notch restaurant.

AMBIANCE

From the moment I stepped inside the restaurant, the stunning architecture captivated my attention. My eyes followed the grand Corinthian columns that flanked the room up to the elegant coffered ceiling adorned with chandeliers from a bygone era. I am obsessed with beautiful architecture and once I was seated, I found the decor to be visually appealing in the most gorgeous possible way and entertaining at the same time. Soft lighting and lavish drapery are cleverly hung between columns to control acoustics and to create a grand, yet cozy ambiance. The past and the present do more than co-exist, they enrich one another.

We were seated at a round table for five and we had plenty of space for our large comfortable chairs as well as the room on the table for the banquet which was to come.

Many of the original bank design elements have been repurposed and even the original bank vaults are incorporated into the decor in one of the private dining rooms. To see the private dining areas, watch this short New Day Cleveland video which features all of the Marble Room party rooms. It is easy to imagine the individual alcoves on each side of the dining hall housing bank managers and tellers back in the day. Those alcoves are now intimate dining spaces with high back banquette seating.

The high tables that once allowed ordinary citizens and the wealthy of Cleveland's "Millionaire Row" to fill out their bank deposit (or withdrawal) slips have now been purposed into high top tables for eight or more. The long bar with its elegant marble top is off to the left as you enter the hall. Here you can come in and wait for your table or just indulge in a glass of one of the thousands of bottles of wine glass enclosed just above the bar in what looks like an entire floor of wine. Indeed, our waiter told us that it took all the hands they could get to form a line and hand the bottles one at a time from the loading dock to their home in the racks above the bar.

DINING EXPERIENCE

We started our dining experience with a bottle of Argentinian Malbec from the extensive list of wines from all over the world. At $46, we felt it was reasonably priced for a restaurant of this caliber. Later, a bottle of Cava Spanish sparkling wine was the perfect dessert drink.

Appetizer samples were provided by the Marble Room showcasing their sushi which was prepared by Chef Paul. A sushi and raw bar is on your right as you enter the establishment. The chef transformed succulent seafood and top quality ingredients into a dazzling array of sushi and sashimi. In all of his wonderful dishes, he artfully created and beautifully presented the tastiest treasures of culinary delights and explained what we would taste in each of the four samplers. 

The flavors, delicate texture, and vivid colors of the sushi and sashimi made it an extraordinary dining experience.

Oh my! The sushi and sashimi were mouth-watering masterpieces! Our compliments to the master sushi chef. 

The tuna sushi topped with a sliver of lime and caviar (shown above) was exquisite!

  

We had raw oysters and Oysters Rockefeller which were fresh and fabulous! Oyster lovers rejoice!

For the main entree, I ordered a filet steak that was a melt-in-your-mouth tender cut flavored to perfection.  My sister ordered her filet Crab Oscar Style (shown above) and said it was to die for! We had a variety of delicious sides including creamed spinach, brussels sprouts, whipped potatoes, and luscious zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta cheese and crab which was not even on the menu, but our waiter thought we would enjoy it, so he brought it to our table. An absolutely exquisite meal, indeed. 

During our meal, a classy and relaxed vibe was felt throughout the room courtesy of instrumentals of a DJ-mix tape along with a violinist and saxophone player. They went table to table serenading guests as they dined.

After dinner, out of this world desserts were brought out on a huge platter. We ended our meal on a sweet note with a most satisfying mix of decadent desserts. The tasty treats were accented with cotton candy poufs personalized with happy birthday wishes for my niece. It was a thoughtful and unexpected surprise and made my niece's birthday dinner extra special! The desserts from left to right: Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée (Snickerdoodle cookie and cinnamon chantilly); Liz's Gilded Chocolate Cake (Triple layer, dulcey, milk chocolate, crunch, Luxardo cherry); Marble Room Cheesecake (Blackberries, whipped cream). All three desserts were magnificent, but I am still dreaming of the heavenly cheesecake. Another reason to return to the Marble Room sooner rather than later.
  

In addition to the wonderful meal, our delightful waitstaff, Mark and Nakaela, provided us with exemplary service and warm smiles throughout the evening. 

Whether you are celebrating a special event or just want to experience the best in fine dining, Marble Room Steak House & Raw Bar is the place to go for a personal and memorable evening. For reservations, call 216-523-7000.

  xoxo,