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Marco’s Italian cuisine holds its space in Kigali

Friday September 20 2019
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The Marco Italian restaurant in Kigali. PHOTO |JEFFERSON RUMAYIKA | NMG

By JEFFERSON RUMANYIKA

The most enduring memory I have of trying out food in Kigali was in late 2010 when I was on a school break where I chanced upon the newly opened The Manor Hotel.

It was undoubtedly one of the better hotels to grace Rwanda’s culinary scene. Ten years later and The Manor has certainly matured and added more restaurants to its name.

Marco’s Restaurant & Lounge was and still is one of the standout restaurants at this decade old establishment.

When I went for Sunday dinner recently the majority of the guests were expatriates but ten years seemed to have pulled in the local crowd.

It is beautiful and spacious directly off the main lobby of the hotel, which is located in the grand Nyarutarama neighbourhood.

Marco’s has magnificent décor with contemporary design of the lobby, extending out to the garden and swimming pool where we eventually settled at to seize the picturesque views of Kigali.It gives you a 270-degree view of Kigali’s vistas.

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This rainy afternoon called for some Tira Misu coffee as we flipped through the menu for dinner options.

Marco’s offers Italian and continental cuisine and has a quintessentially English afternoon high tea set-up without the high fashion. I settled for a Classic Lasagne.

The coffee was delightful, rich, dark with the creamy goodness of vanilla whipped cream. It tastes like the Italian dessert with the vanilla and chocolate flavours and undertones of amaretto, rum and sherry creating this superb blend.

Marco’s Classic Lasagne took quite some time to get to us but it was well worth the wait.

The menu is not as extensive as other Italian restaurants in town with about 50 different types of pizza and varieties of pasta to choose from. But it makes up for it with its own distinct flair through classic Italian cuisine with a modern twist.

Add to this the excellent service, pocket-friendly prices and walking distance from the Kigali Golf Club and Kigali Tennis Club. Perfect choice.

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