This unassuming little restaurant didn't exactly look enticing, but having not had a bite and being starving, we bobbed in for an impromptu tea together - it was quiet, so we'd be served swiftly, and it was somewhere I'd not tried before. A waiter met us at the door, and immediately layered on the charm, which really isn't my thing. Especially when he's old enough to be my Granddad. Nonetheless, we took a seat straight away, and perused the menu. To start, the place could well do with a refurb - it's not exactly grotty, but it's not inspiring, and has the feel of an old diner. With various Italian dishes on the menu, and pasta not really floating my boat, I opted for the mushroom pizza - being famished, there's nothing that a good bready hearty bit of carbs couldn't sort out, right? Two diet cokes ordered, and fairly quickly, the food was brought out. I spotted the waiter being a little over friendly with my companion (poor her), and hoped he might leave off so that we could at least get to eating our fare. Oh dear. Oh dear. I'm sorry, but that wasn't pizza. That was a tasteless slab of slop. Except that the odd mushroom tasted tangy and weeks old. I'm not one to complain, I find it hard to waste food - especially when there's an overfamiliar waiter lingering - but I actually had to deposit a mouthful of one bite into my napkin. I barely ate half the pizza, and was not inclined to plough on - the cheese, sparse, was entirely tasteless and sloppy, and the mushrooms had really seen better days. I couldn't believe I was about to be so British as to pay about a tenner for the whole experience. The waiter questioned my half touched plate, and I could not muster the energy to tell him that it was terrible. Hoping my almost full plate would say so, and the polite decline to take the left overs home with me, here's hoping they'll freshen their act. Creepy waiter, plus terrible pizza, plus lack lustre dining space, plus long and winding walk to the toilets, past the back door bins - it'll take a lot of convincing for me to come back. read more

I took the early bird 3 meal course and all i can say +5 Stars !!! The waiter had good recommendations for appetizer and wine. I had mushrooms, a steak and for dessert Tiramisu. Unfortunately I have no photos, as I did not plan to write this review. but this good meal required a positive review. read more

We went here for dinner Friday eve and I was sick all night after. Having been to Da Mario's a handful of times before over the last 10 or so years I didn't have either positive or negative thoughts about the place but being one who loves a good deal I bought a Groupon voucher for £10 to get up to £33.80 value of food. We had a reservation but this would have been unnecessary as there were only 8 other people eating in the vast expanse of the dining area. The place is very stark in decoration and quite unfriendly and cold. The staff were quite nonchalant and stood about doing very little- beggars belief it took 10 mins to even get a drink order taken then!! The wine list is like something out of the 90's and the prices are very steep- £14.95 for house white or red!! The voucher specified certain 'exclusions' or pay and additional charge so I was careful not to order these- even when I did try order I was told the chicken dish I had picked was 'one of the exclusions'- i didn't really have the energy to argue and it was clear they weren't interested. It was OK as long as we wanted the cheapest of starters and either pasta or pizza so I felt a bit cheater out of the whole value of the voucher. Anyway, my partners starter was 'Mozzarella in Carrozza' which was nothing more than a cheese and ham toastie shallow fried in breadcrumbs! One side had no ham in- the other had no cheese in- quite gross really! I had the 'Funghi alla a'gilo con parmigiano' which were essentially garlic mushrooms- why the mushrooms were hard i don't understand. The 'sauce' was grainy cream with 'lazy garlic' added to it, unseasoned and had awful plastic smelling parmigiano cheese melted on top- it was molton hot in temperature and almost too disgusting to eat. When the plates were cleared we weren't even asked if everything was alright- common courtesy I'd say and it would have been clear that it was not OK due to the remnants! Second course was served- further disappointment! My partner had ordered a vege pizza- the asparagus had seen better days and had not been precooked so was hard, the courgette was slimy and the base was very doughy and not quite cooked. I've had better microwaved offerings! My pasta dish was meant to be pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and mushrooms in a cream and pesto sauce. Well, the sun-dried tomatoes were from a jar, bitter and again-roasting hot, the chicken hardly visible and unseasoned, the mushrooms overpowering and slimy and the sauce was the same which has been on my original dish. On swallowing the first mouthful I knew I could eat no more as i felt immediately sick. I had to rush my partner through his pizza (which wouldn't have been enjoyed anyway but he's one of these who can't leave too much ;-) ) and leave to get some fresh air before I threw up. They weren't concerned at this behaviour which I found quite odd- unless it's a regular occurrence to make people sick with the food? :-O The food is nothing to be proud of, the staff look like they're willing the time away to get out of the place and none of them even broke a smile the whole time we were there, we could see the kitchen staff stood around playing with their mobile phones and one even giving his head a good scratch! Diners next to us had dessert. This was taken out of the fridge near the door (which has been in the place since my first visit in 2002), microwaved and carried passed the kitchen where the waitress paused as if she was getting the dessert from them and then took it to the customer! what a was to fool people into thinking they had actually got a decent dessert :-( @ a £5.95 charge!! The whole experience was awful. The prices for the food are ridiculous when you get 'quality' served to you like that. I can't stress enough that no matter who takes over this place (numerous signs seen over the years of Under New Management) the key to keeping customers is actually to deliver what you claim. Lazy garlic and fried cheese/ham sandwiches does not make happy customers!!! read more

Nothing great but not bad either. Low key, almost grotty but not quite. One nice waiter the rest nonchalant . Prices are quite expensive but portions are big (ish) Doubt I will go back as it didn't wow me and there are plenty of other nicer Italian places around. read more

It all started with a Groupon voucher. So, naturally we waited until the last day of its validity to use it and went in for lunch. I always wonder if subconsciously these restaurants think they can give you worse service because you didn't pay full price for the experience. Anyway, I can definitely say that the service was very lacking. It took a while to even get our order taken, and even that was really brusque. The order-taking experience consisted of about 2 seconds of talk time and the demeanour of the waiter was really stiff. We ordered a Messicana pizza (yummy spicy chicken) and the Panzerotti (folded pizza with spinach and chicken). Food was good and portioning is enough to fill you up. The soft drinks we got were really small, though, but that may just be because we used a voucher and that was the size it allotted. The food took a while to come out, but nothing too unreasonable. The desserts looked soo good but we decided against it. Not bad for a tenner (through Groupon), but I don't think I'd go again and pay full price. read more

I decided to eat at Da Mario because it looked like the sort of local, family-run place I've always loved. Sadly, I was very much disappointed. My pizza "diavola" tasted like a Tesco-bought ready-made base topped with cheap cheese, and despite the "diavola" name, had barely any heat to it at all. My side salad consisted of chopped lettuce, cucumber and celery in a bowl, served without dressing. Had my meal been cheap, I might have thought to myself, "well, you get what pay for", but - no, it wasn't even inexpensive, and I could have spent less on my lunch at a chain restaurant. On the positive side, the staff were friendly and attentive, on the whole - hence the two stars. The food, though, was a real let-down. read more

I really like da marios! ive been a few times and unlike some other reviews i thought the service was quite good! ive only ever been at a lunch time so it may differ at night? Every time ive been i either have lasagne or spag bol (boring i know!) and its always been really tasty and a great portion, the side salads and garlic bread are also really good. My partner always gets a pizza which is freshly made and he his never disappointed. the decor is a bit stale but i go to eat not to admire the surroundings! read more

This used to be an excellent restaurant a few years ago, but now they have put a sign up in the window with 'Pizza's' on it, I can't go in. When will restauranteurs learn that the possessive apostrophe isn't for pluralising something? Get it right! Having said that, the last time I came here I had a lovely fresh pasta and creamy dish (I was also rather drunk - their wine menu's pretty good). And their pizzas (no apostrophe) are proper, italian, delicious ones. They still can't punctuate properly. read more

We called in Da Mario during a busy afternoon at the weekend. It wasn't an evening meal it was a late lunch and town was still busy with shoppers, so I'm judging the place in that situation rather than a romantic dinner! The restaurant was rammed and we found the last table. We chose a pizza to share as we weren't overly hungry and I think we paid about £6. That plus drinks came to under a tenner and the pizza itself was very nice. The service on the other hand was a little mixed - the lady serving us really didn't want to be there. I can understand - it was very busy and she had been running around like a headless chicken but the professionalism is smiling through it all! She didn't. I think Da Mario would be better on an evening, which we intend to try sometime. read more

Great place eventhough over the years it has gone from a resturant to a bistro/pizza place. You used to have to dress up to go here but now casual is the way to dress, but the quality of the food hasn't gone down. The pizza and pasta is authentic and very tasty and there is enough variety to keep most people very happy and reasonably priced. The wine list is good Italian wines but can bump up the bill if not careful as they are so delicious you can quickly get onto multiple bottles. This is a goodmore casual sit down alternative to the fancier (and much more costly) Italian resturants in the city centre read more

DO NOT GO THERE. It was the worst dinner I have ever had. - The waiters have no education, they ignore people - The food is just horrible If you want to have a good night (or day) out spend a little more and go to another place. It is not worth it at all. Bad service and bad food. read more

No. No. Oh my no. I met up with Rowena for a cheeky coffee and a catch up as we hadn't seen eachother for a while but the cafe we were at was closing early (I know, how rude! :P) Ro hadn't eaten all day, bless her so we thought to stop in somewhere quick and grab something to eat. We were both thinking pizza, and neither of us had been to Da Mario before. We were in a generous mood, so despite the less than stellar reviews we thought "Hey, maybe they've cleaned their act up since then". Ahahaha....hahaha. Yelp, I'm sorry. Forgive me for not heeding your words. I've not managed to be this disappointed in a place in a long...long time. Y'know, I must admit I think it's cute when you get the older Italian gent being suave and saying things like 'carina mia' (my sweetheart) when pulling a chair back for you to sit down. It's old world and it's charming and yes, if he's a genuinely sweet dude trying to be nice I don't mind it. He's working for tips after all! The waiter here though was laying it on thick from the start, to the point where I actually felt uncomfortable. When he told me to 'come look for him in ten minutes when his shift finished' I kinda laughed it off, then he just would not leave us alone. We'd ordered a mushroom pizza each and when I took a bit of it I kinda had a bit of cheese string between my lips and my fork...and he made the weirdest noise, something between a "mmmm!" and a letchy growl, it was bizarre. I probably would've found it hilarious if this dude genuinely didn't have the eyes of a serial killer :/ Sexual harrassment aside...the food was pretty dire. One of the mushrooms I ate actually tasted like penicillin. Y'know when you go to eat a piece of toast and you taste soil in your mouth? Yeah. Poor Ro looked thoroughly miserable eating her pizza. I knew she was starving so it was killing her not being able to delve in and enjoy it. When Mr. Creepy came back to clear our plates, she politely told him she wouldn't be needing the half pizza she abandoned wrapped up to take home. Seriously, I wouldn't insult the foxes that live outside my living room window by throwing them this tripe. We'd not even been out of the restaurant for 5 minutes when I started to feel sick. I told Ro over and over it wasn't her fault (because she felt terrible) and for what it's worth, I'm glad we went and gave the place a fair chance to prove the bad reviews wrong. It's just a shame that wasn't the case. read more

This restaurant isn't the most sophisticated or friendly Italian in Leeds but it is a good choice if you're wanting a laid-back evening without a big price tag. Nice food, good value and good location. read more

Went here on a Thursday night at the end of November and I have to say the worse experience I've ever had in a Resturant including McDonalds. We were seated, a drinks order taken and then for over 20 minutes no-one came back to take our order even though the waitress and waiter (Both with atitude problems) would walk straight past with note pad in hand to clean up another table was near impossible to make eye contact. I noticed two other tables seated after us, had thier orders taken and they hade groupon vouchers (We didn't) Thus they would have made more money out of us! Avoid at all costs! read more

It can't be easy being an Italian restaurant in Leeds that doesn't fall under the ever-expanding banners of Salvo's or Casa Mia; sensibly, Da Mario's has eschewed any attempt at matching these gastronomic giants in terms of elegance or class and has chosen instead to focus on serving cheap and cheerful food to the post-work masses. You get what you pay for, and as such the décor is rather dated and the staff nonchalant at best, but the food is tasty and generously proportioned, with various special offers making it excellent value for money if you go at the right times. There are a few negative points, such as the disproportionately priced wine list which makes the house red often twice the price of your main course and the music, which was obtrusively loud when I last visited, but if you need your fix of decent pizza and pasta but don't have the cash to fork out on a table at one of the biggies it will keep you going until you do. read more

Da Mario Pizzeria - Italian Near Me - Leeds, XWY

It's an interesting looking place. The decor is pretty basic but not bad. We went for the pizza and pasta deal which is £5.95 for any dish. I had the seafood pasta which was really well balanced. The seafood did taste cheap/frozen but more than acceptable for the price. The sauce/herbs were perfectly balanced to make up for it. My partner had a pizza (calzone) which was massive, almost shocking. My partner called it the Armadillo. Again the flavours were very well balanced. Quick and easy meal, half decent and most of it was good value. Negatives - my lager was £3.95 which is just a joke and the service charge was included, not as an option but as part of the bill. I hate that! They would have got a tip, likely more than the 10% but I think I should have more of a choice. I would go back. read more

Looking at other reviews, the service may be hit and miss, but we were pleased with the friendliness of the staff.They were being particularly helpful with keeping a small child happy, who was also in the restaurant while we were there. The pizza was good, and reasonably priced, considering the city centre location. I suspect we will be back. read more

I am a huge fan of da mario's service is fast friendly and entertaining (the old lady each time) food is great for the price. even better at lunch time and great location. read more

I took a friend here using a Groupon The Groupon was £12 and was for pizza, a pasta or chicken dish - very specific on the menu. I have been here before and although not very impressed I still bought the Groupon (silly me!). We went at lunchtime and the place was totally empty. I had lasagna which was bog standard and my friend had a chicken dish. That was it, not even a lettuce leaf to relieve the boredom. In desperation my friend had a side salad and we both had coffees. This brought the bill to over £9 (plus the £12 already paid, so £21 altogether for a less than average meal). The waitress though friendly and helpful couldn't read the menu and I had to point out our requests, she was Lithuanian. I think one needs to be wary of Groupons. I noticed on the window they were advertising any pizza or pasta for £5.99 (Monday to Thursday) so £12 for two was no bargain, especially when you buy a side dish. So sorry, it's thumbs down for da Marios, shame really, I used to go a lot in the early days when going to an Italian restaurant was considered quite posh! read more

i love this little place.. loved it more when it had the best gnocci pasta iv never had. better than in sorrento! but no longer on the menu great choice of main desserts and starters are ok.. staff are always friend.. not the best deco but i think it hads to the traditional italian theme! read more

We eat here mid-week early evening, usually on our way to the WYPlayhouse. The house wine is good value, and not just Pino Grigio. There are usually more expensive fish specials but for 6pm the pizza, pollo and pasta dishes are excellent value. The staff are cheerful and friendly and ready to share a joke. And the guys in the kitchen will appreciate a nod in their direction. read more

typical italian resto which has not moved with the times and just caters to the leeds crowds of non-illuminati. not good enough