Situated within the Marco Polo Hongkong and adjacent to a shopping mall, Café Marco is a casual environment for all-day dining. On weekends, however, it tends to be buzzy and frenetic.

The modest a la carte menu is an option for a conservative range of comfort food, but the reasonably priced buffet (HK$208/lunch, HK$408/dinner) is a better alternative. The selection on offer is various international fare. A traditional brick oven prepares freshly made bread that’s worth a try. The salad bar, antipasti and cheese selection are bland but the seafood selection fared better, with fresh New Zealand oysters, crayfish, mussels and smoked salmon. The Asian dishes are better in quality than its Western counterparts - chicken Guangzhou-style, barbecue pork, congee with chicken, Indian-style beef curry, braised beef noodles, sautéed sliced duck with black bean sauce are all satisfying. The dessert buffet is unfortunately as hit and miss as the rest - the signature New York cheesecake has a sour aftertaste and the cherry cream mousse cake is flat in flavour. So opt instead for the flaky thin apple tart or the carrot cake that has the perfect tinge of sweetness. For children, the chocolate fountain and ice cream counter with its colourful array of gummy bears and candies will surely be a hit.

Café Marco does have an unusual range of French and Italian wines, including a 2001 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac. The pairing with the casual fare, however, seems ill-thought-out.

For a fast-paced environment, staff here still takes the time to be pleasant and helpful.

Buffet for two will cost around HK$600.