Donatello Restaurant

Love this place. Authentic Italian restaurant. Very nice staff, great food, and nice ambiance.

This place is like a step back in time to what was the epitome of fine, Italian dining back in the 80’s or 90’s. The colors, the carpets, the napkins and tablecloths stained with age; ah, yes, it’s like going to eat at a very expensive version of your great grandmother’s house, minus the quality of real Italian cuisine, of course.
As others have mentioned, do not come hungry to this establishment, as you will leave hungry and will probably only have enough left to indulge in the dollar menu selection of the closest fast food joint.
Their food, as far as price goes, does not measure up. This is not real Italian food, but rather small plates of Italian-​American food found at your local Olive Garden. They have the usual selections you find everywhere, and the usual tastes; nothing in their menu will bring you back. Myself, I will probably come back ONLY if someone else pays… though even then, I’ll probably steer them clear of this place and drive them to Gio’s instead.

We went there with my family, and the food wasn’t bad but it was wayyy over-​priced for what it was and the service was terrible.

Hands down… my favorite fine dining restaurant in Tampa thus far. The bread is so good. It’s almost too good. Wonderful service. Live jazz. This restaurant has some seriously good stuff going on. Kind of an Italian mafia feel to the place… which was kind of fun. We had an amazing time! The prosciutto with cantaloupe was amazing. Oysters were fabulous. Ricotta cheesecake was wonderful. One note: Their bruschetta needs a little work. Skip that one. The staff was incredible. The owner came up to me and kissed my head…“Ah, Señorita!” They gave me a rose at the end of the night. Perfect romantic evening. They were simply incredible… catered to us. Five stars all the way.

Pros
1) old school ambiance and décor
2) in-​dining room sauté/​cooking station experience just a few feet away from your table
3) team serving style; everyone is there to cater to your needs
4) service is impeccable! The owner comes around to EVERY table and greets and offers kisses to the women. Every woman gets a rose at the end of her meal
Cons
1) the food is VERY pricey!
2) the food is good, but not great. It did not blow me away (and it should at $ 40 per plate for lump crab fettuccine). My Cesar salad was the best thing I ordered. We had the calamari (Blah) and Grouper special also.
3) they don’t turn you away if you wear jeans, but you may have weird looks. It’s a sport coat kind of place. I wore very dressy jeans, heels, a blouse, etc and still felt a little under dressed
I would return only to have others experience the level of service, not for the food. Actually, I like Gino’s better for old school, home-​style, mom and pop Italian food beyond noodles and sauce.

Great ambiance. Perfect for a romantic date night. Ladies get a rose! Try the chicken Alfredo– delicious!!!

I’m in town to help my sister who received the miracle of a kidney transplant 4 days before Christmas at the amazing Tampa General Hospital. From traveling around the country many years for a long career in sales and marketing I remembered this Italian restaurant as being excellent and my sister wanted Italian food. I called and they said they could do a take put order (she can’t leave the house as her immune system is compromised).
The food was ready when I arrived thanks to an efficient and friendly waiter. The owner graciously greeted me despite the fact I looked like a bum. Everything was packed perfectly and they included delicious hard Italian bread (with great big pieces of butter) and a small container filled with grated parmigiana cheese.
He asked if I had a lady at home. When I explained the situation he disappeared and returned with a rose to give her as well as he wished her good health. I was impressed.
The Caesar salad was delicious with their homemade dressing and croutons.
The pasta fagjoli soup was spectacular.
Her linguini and clams in white sauce was tremendous as was my cannolonni.
It was a wonderful meal. Donatellos remains excellent.

Donatello is the epitome of old school Italian restaurant. You’re immediately greeted by the maitre’d and ushered to your table upon arrival. The table glows with a spotless white tablecloth. Multiple servers will be at your attendance throughout the evening. And all the dishes are classic old world dishes. The only thing that’s not is the price! Thankfully it wasn’t my wallet feeling the punch on this visit.
Part of me knows there’s so much more to Italian cooking than spaghetti & lasagna, but the gluten addict in me sometimes can’t get past that section of the menu. Luckily with a varied menu we had lots of options to consider. I went with the Veal Scallopini with prosciutto and fontina cheese. It was a true scallopini being super thin and blanketed with the right amount of cheese and covered with enough, but not too much, sauce. Everyone enjoyed their meal and we all had a good time.
Service was stellar. Food was delicious, but didn’t wow me. Would I return? I wouldn’t say no, that’s for sure. Especially if I’m not paying the bill. I’m just not running back either. So many other places to explore in the TB area. But if I happen to be in town with someone that’s never been, I would definitely go back.

Great Resturant… Meals were unparalleled. Ambiance perfect. Great place to take visitors from out of town.

Very upscale environment with no luxury spared. If you want the old-​fashioned Italian restaurant experience with waiters in tuxedos, candles at the table, and a faint yet endearing odor of an old and water damaged building, this is the place to go. I had the tortellini with pancetta (an entrée I can only find in authentic Italian eateries!) and the oysters fiorentina. Both tasted delightful.
My only complaint, as others have said, is that the portion sizes are very meager for the exorbitant prices. $ 18 for six small oysters, $ 29 for an average size plate of pasta (read: if you try to share this entrée, you will be left hungry and wanting more).
Overall, a good experience.

My family has been going to Donatello for 20 years. We had dinner there again last night as my brother was in town and once again a fantastic dining experience. From the warm greeting as you enter to the professional waitstaff to the perfectly prepared food we enjoyed a great meal. My brother has been ordering the same entrée for 20 years, it’s not even on the menu anymore for years, but the fine folks at Donatello never blink an eye when he asks for it to be made for him.

Outstanding dining experience! Amazing food and even better staff. Could not have asked for a better dinner. The owner goes out of his way to ensure that everything is perfect. Greeted with a handshake and left with a rose from the staff and yet another friendly encounter with the owner.
Drinks were poured directly at the table, and food was fresh and plated beautifully.

The best service and tiramisu in Tampa bay! Celebrated my 25^th birthday in the lounge with the wonderful Kim behind the bar! Amazing! You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu!

This is my first review on Unilocal as I feel everyone should be aware of some of the deceptive, con-​like practices at Donatello.
As my party of ten sat down, we were greeted with a sizable portion of bruschetta. Nobody ordered it, the management or the waiter simply placed it on the table, much like you would do with a bread basket — except we would find out this cost us $ 50.00.
The waiter then offers a pasta sampler for the table, something for everybody to share. We accept, thinking it’s something that would go in the center and we can all grab a little bit to sample what pasta to have for dinner. It ended up being a plate served to each person, at a total cost of $ 200.00.
Now, my family isn’t one to skimp on food. A $ 1000.00 bill is typical for a family outing, and we never complain about cost.
However, I don’t enjoy having to pay for food I didn’t order. I also don’t enjoy being misled about an offer from the house, only to find out it costs $ 200.00 at the end of the night.
We’re a large Italian family from Long Island. We willingly go out of our way to get the best food and service possible, no matter the cost. The food at Donatello’s was amazing and reminded me of some of my Sicilian grandfather’s best dishes — but the service was deceptive and sneaky. They could quick bag us for an easy $ 200.00 without hesitation, without explanation, and honestly that is not the Italian values I would expect from such a well-​respected establishment.
We all know the saying «Il pesce comincia a puzzare dalla testa» — the fish rots from the head. I hope the management and ownership of Donatello can rectify these shady practices, as their quality of food deserves a better quality of service.

Cozy interior, excellent servers, good portions, lots of flavor. Went on a Wednesday night. They don’t have much parking, so they have a valet stand. I got the tortellini ($ 28) and enjoyed it. Attire seems to be dressy – we were wearing business casual, so that worked well. Would definitely bring a date here.

We went on a night when they had some live Jazz music, piano, a singer and a trap set. Right off the bat we were personally greeted with a handshake and a smile!
I swear we felt like we stepped back in time!
The Host was fantastic and recommended we have a drink in the bar while they were finishing our table. The music was amazing the atmosphere very cozy and beautiful! Honestly from the outside I would have never gone here!
They seated us for dinner and I knew right off the bat that this was going to score huge points with the wife!
Huge wine list and drink menus! Appetizers that I could just go back for alone! My wife had Veal & I had Ossobuco both simply out of this world!
We went back to the bar for coffee and desert and listen to the wonderful music!
The night was a total success!
We can not wait to go back!

This place is truly a gem of the original tampa culture. This family-​style, upscale Italian restaurant also features opera singers who going around the restaurant from table to table singing classical songs. They also feature a full bar and live music inside. This place gets pretty busy due to its popularity and valet will have to be your only option.
The food is amazing! All the dishes appear to be made from scratch and taste like someone’s Italian grandmother had made it. The prices are a bit higher than typical restaurant. Saving these moments for a special occasions/​dating is recommended.
The host was very friendly and affectionate as would be expected in the style of restaurant. The staff was also friendly and quick. On your way out, they hand every female a rose, which I thought was very cute. I would recommend this place to everyone!

5 stars all the way! This is my favorite restaurant not only in Tampa but anywhere. I moved away to Boston and this is what I look forward to most about coming back to tampa. The food is to die for, I can’t even pick from all of the options when I come since I want to eat everything every time I am there. Carmelo is an amazing waiter if you can get him. I love the old school charm of this place, and can’t wait for my next visit home so I can enjoy the pasta again!

5 stars! And they certainly earned every one!
If you want to enjoy a night of upscale dining and being waited on expertly, you must give Donatello a try!
The restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside. It looks a little run down actually, which is what prevented me from coming here for all these years! Big mistake!
The food is absolutely amazing and the ambiance is wonderful! Dimly lit and romantic, and all the other diners are well behaved and using their indoor voices, which, even at other nice restaurants there’s usually always that one obnoxious person or table. Not here!
As for the food, we ordered the calamari appetizer, which was delicious! It could have used a bit of salt, but I like my food pretty salty. My husband thought they were perfect.
We also got a small Caesar salad, which was good, but I don’t think I’d ever call a Caesar salad from anywhere «great», so that’s nothing against them.
For our entrée I got the Dolce Vita veal with a mushroom and truffle sauce and my husband ordered the veal shank with Marsala sauce. Both were mind blowingly delicious! I can’t even describe how incredibly it was– flavor, texture, temperature, everything was perfection.
We also had a slice of cheesecake. I’m partial to NY style, but theirs was, of course, Italian style. The flavor was great, but I’m just not a fan of the Italian style texture. I’d skip the dessert next time.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the service– it was absolute perfection. All the servers were friendly, helpful, and professional. I hope they’re paid well in addition to their tips because they so deserve it! Absolutely impeccable.
One of the best dining experiences of my entire life!

We went to Donatello’s because a friend of ours (Hi Leo!) from the Wheaton Sport Center recommended it. We love Leo, so we went
The restaurant and I got off to a bad start. They have a parking lot, but close it so that you are forced to use the Valet service (grrr…) I don’t know what it is about Valet service. but, in most cases I don’t like it (it’s not the tipping, I’m a very good tipper) especially when it is not necessary. We parked on the street around the corner.
This is an old style, classic upscale Italian restaurant. There are fresh roses on the table, the service is professional and cordial. we should have dressed up a little bit, but were never made to feel that way.
I ordered the:
14oz. Medaglioni Di Manzo Alla Pizzaiola
which is two 7oz Filet Mignon’s drenched in their red sauce. I ate every bite, they were done medium/​medium rare and were absolutely delicious, at about $ 35 I felt that this was a pretty good value.
Lisa had:
Petto Di Pollo Donatello and I think that it was close to $ 27… she said it was good (had mushrooms so I wouldn’t go near it) but didn’t feel the same love for the value.
So, other than my crankiness at the parking situation this was a good experience, I may not rush to go back… but I won’t avoid it either