Marco Polo is one of central Constanța's most reliable mid-range restaurants — a cellar of vaulted brick and white tablecloths on a side street off Piața Ovidiu, run by the same family for more than two decades. The menu is broadly Italian-Mediterranean, with a strong showing of seafood (grilled bream, mussels in white wine, fish soup with rouille), house-made pasta, and a short list of Murfatlar and Italian wines.
It is a useful default for a first dinner in the city — close enough to all the central sights to walk to, indoor and outdoor seating, fair prices and a steady kitchen. Reservations recommended for summer Friday and Saturday nights.