First time there celebrating a graduation, the atmosphere is nice, customer service great and the sauteed chicken and vegetables was really good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
DL S
This was my first time when visiting Tampa. It's my son's favorite Italian restaurant. Service started out as well as it could. Middle of dinner my son asked for a second glass of wine and I asked for the dessert menu. We never received either and dishes were cleared. So we sat at the table with just water in front of us for 15 minutes! Finally we got the attention to just get the bill. As the bill was brought he asked if we would like a dessert menu. After being ignored and forgotten we paid bill and left.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Carlos Contreras
The restaurant has a great ambiance due to the amount of time it's been there. I feel this is it's main seling point. The food is good, but does not merit it's price. I feel if you're visita for the ambiance and good food it can be worth It. Otherwise, if you are looking for food quality and memorable taste there are better places.
Mary Rogers
Had a totally enchanting evening for my sister in laws birthday. Opera Tampa was there making the night charged with excitement along with a phenomenal pianist. Food and wine were fabulous. The singers sang Happy Birthday at our table for a night to be always remembered. Beautiful decor with roses on the tables. Charming Gino handing us roses made for a perfect end to an exquisite night. ❤️?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu and Cheesecake, Birthday Cake
Chris Walker
If you’re looking for the newest, latest, greatest, most up to the minute, fashionable place….this is the opposite. Valet parking, waiters in tuxedos, a rose for the ladies, amazing food.This is iconic not trendy. The atmosphere is elegant, classy, spacious and comfortable. Service was terrific and on point, the food was delicious.I had fried calamari as an appetizer. It was light and tender with a very nice fried batter, not chewy or heavy at all. The Veal Pulcinella with a side of Angel Hair Pasta was perfect.So happy to have enjoyed this place for the first time with friends and family, it really did meet all of the expectations based off of the previous reviews.You aren’t herethis long with this reputation without a good reason.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Mousse Cake, Caesar Salad, Veal Piccata Al Limone
Brittany Post
I was excited to try this place after several recommendations over the years and chose it to celebrate a birthday with close family. I was very disappointed, mainly in what we paid vs. what we received between food, drinks, and service. The bill totaled almost $900 with tip for six people. We ordered two beers, a bellini, black coffee, a Diet Coke, a glass of red wine, and a glass of moscato for drinks. For food, we ordered a steak, the Dover sole, a chicken dish, a shrimp, scallop, and grouper entrée, the swordfish, and another beef meal (not steak). (Perhaps we should have ordered more traditional Italian plates...) The food, overall, was bland and lacked presentation. The sole was almost tasteless at $80 and came with a side of mixed vegetables. (There was also a small fried potato stick that was very plain and didn't fit with the rest of the items on the plate.) The steak and grouper with the scallops and shrimp were the best meals, though all had odd, sloppy presentation. Dessert was one of the few highlights. All the items we enjoyed--lemon cake, chocolate mousse, and cheesecake--were delicious (best chocolate mousse I've ever had). Maybe it was because it was Sunday evening, but the service wasn't what I would have expected from a place with such a high Google rating and community longevity. I sat with the single birthday dessert to the tune of an awkward amount of time waiting for the waiter to take the dessert orders of my family members. Also, I realize the place has been around quite a long time, but it feels old and tired, not upscale with character history I expected. The long-stemmed rose for each lady at the table was nice, and singing an Italian version of "Happy Birthday" was sweet, but I was so sad about the bill and my family paying such a high price for such subpar food I left with massive regret at suggesting it.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Mousse Cake
jayden simmons
I went there for my anniversary and it was lack luster to say the least. We had reservations at 8pm. We were not seated until 9pm. There were 3 individuals with later reservations, and all three were seated before us.Once we were seated they give us bread as most Italian places do; however, they give us 4 slices of cold, seemingly stale bread. They accompany that bread with 3 knobs of cold butter.My fiancée and I both ordered pasta dishes, both of which the pasta was not al dente, it was uncooked to the degree and was hard in the middle for some of the noodles. I got pasta with a white wine sauce and crab, the sauce was bland and lacked salt, and the crab tasted as if it was canned, it was too fishy to be fresh. The best tasting thing that night was the water which was cold and refreshing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Frederica Lester
My husband, daughter and myself went on a short trip from NY to Tampa, FL for my husband's birthday. I wanted to take him to an authentic Italian restaurant on the day of his birthday so our air B&B host Juan recommended Donatello to me. After reading their reviews, I immediately made reservations for 3.The atmosphere at Donatello is warm, romantic and inviting. Upon being seated, we were served with warm Italian bread w/butter. My daughter and I were also presented with a red rose. How awesome!? My husband had Fettuccine Alla Bolognese, my daughter had Linguini Al Grancho and I had Piccata Al Limone and house salad. Definitely no regrets. The service was top notch and the food was damn deliciously amazing!? No exaggeration. It's my reason for the 5 stars. Go check it out. You will not be disappointed. The amazing waiters/staff even brought a slice of cheese cake and sang happy birthday to my husband in Italian.? Thank you Donatello for making us feel very special!Parking: There's parking at the back of the restaurant.Kid-friendliness: It is definitely family friendlyWheelchair accessibility: There's easy wheelchair accessibility flat entrance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu and Cheesecake, Ceasar Salad, Veal Piccata Al Limone, Creme Brulee, House Salad
Reşat Samiye
Above and
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Piccata Al Limone, Risotto
BillS
Normally superb, our dinner Saturday night was not up to Donatello standards. Very busy, service was slow, table was not fully set...meaning we had to repeatedly ask for condiments, refill water, table setting and so on. My wife's salmon was overcooked...we'll chalk this up to an off night, and will return another time in the future
10/10 every time - amazing service from the moment you valet your car until the moment you leave. This is our favorite italian in Tampa. We can't wait to bring our family in for Mothers Day. Thank you for always making the experience so special for us.
Zest4life
Donatellos is a family favorite with old school Italian favorites prepared extremely well. We typically get a mix of appetizers, pasta dishes, and typically veal dishes since these are high quality. Anyone from the Northeast U.S. would love this place!
Letita Mckenzie
We celebrated my husband's birthday. The food and service was great. The music was top notch. We danced for hours.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gabe Samson
I expected more. The decor is very outdated. The staff is slow and then pushy to upsell. The food was not good at all. No one at our table liked the food. It seems like it is very low quality and "soupy". But worse than that the food is very overpriced for what you get. Then the music was awful. Not sure why they play that kind of music in an Italian restaurant. Go elsewhere you will be glad you did.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Allison W
Always liked coming here. Our server treated us horribly, along with the rest of the staff. Placing our orders took too long, the staff was rude, and I am genuinely upset with how everything was handled. There is a lot better Italian places than this, treat yourself and do something different not just what the ratings show. Train your staff.
First time there celebrating a graduation, the atmosphere is nice, customer service great and the sauteed chicken and vegetables was really good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was my first time when visiting Tampa. It's my son's favorite Italian restaurant. Service started out as well as it could. Middle of dinner my son asked for a second glass of wine and I asked for the dessert menu. We never received either and dishes were cleared. So we sat at the table with just water in front of us for 15 minutes! Finally we got the attention to just get the bill. As the bill was brought he asked if we would like a dessert menu. After being ignored and forgotten we paid bill and left.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
The restaurant has a great ambiance due to the amount of time it's been there. I feel this is it's main seling point. The food is good, but does not merit it's price. I feel if you're visita for the ambiance and good food it can be worth It. Otherwise, if you are looking for food quality and memorable taste there are better places.
Had a totally enchanting evening for my sister in laws birthday. Opera Tampa was there making the night charged with excitement along with a phenomenal pianist. Food and wine were fabulous. The singers sang Happy Birthday at our table for a night to be always remembered. Beautiful decor with roses on the tables. Charming Gino handing us roses made for a perfect end to an exquisite night. ❤️?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu and Cheesecake, Birthday Cake
If you’re looking for the newest, latest, greatest, most up to the minute, fashionable place….this is the opposite. Valet parking, waiters in tuxedos, a rose for the ladies, amazing food.This is iconic not trendy. The atmosphere is elegant, classy, spacious and comfortable. Service was terrific and on point, the food was delicious.I had fried calamari as an appetizer. It was light and tender with a very nice fried batter, not chewy or heavy at all. The Veal Pulcinella with a side of Angel Hair Pasta was perfect.So happy to have enjoyed this place for the first time with friends and family, it really did meet all of the expectations based off of the previous reviews.You aren’t herethis long with this reputation without a good reason.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Mousse Cake, Caesar Salad, Veal Piccata Al Limone
I was excited to try this place after several recommendations over the years and chose it to celebrate a birthday with close family. I was very disappointed, mainly in what we paid vs. what we received between food, drinks, and service. The bill totaled almost $900 with tip for six people. We ordered two beers, a bellini, black coffee, a Diet Coke, a glass of red wine, and a glass of moscato for drinks. For food, we ordered a steak, the Dover sole, a chicken dish, a shrimp, scallop, and grouper entrée, the swordfish, and another beef meal (not steak). (Perhaps we should have ordered more traditional Italian plates...) The food, overall, was bland and lacked presentation. The sole was almost tasteless at $80 and came with a side of mixed vegetables. (There was also a small fried potato stick that was very plain and didn't fit with the rest of the items on the plate.) The steak and grouper with the scallops and shrimp were the best meals, though all had odd, sloppy presentation. Dessert was one of the few highlights. All the items we enjoyed--lemon cake, chocolate mousse, and cheesecake--were delicious (best chocolate mousse I've ever had). Maybe it was because it was Sunday evening, but the service wasn't what I would have expected from a place with such a high Google rating and community longevity. I sat with the single birthday dessert to the tune of an awkward amount of time waiting for the waiter to take the dessert orders of my family members. Also, I realize the place has been around quite a long time, but it feels old and tired, not upscale with character history I expected. The long-stemmed rose for each lady at the table was nice, and singing an Italian version of "Happy Birthday" was sweet, but I was so sad about the bill and my family paying such a high price for such subpar food I left with massive regret at suggesting it.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Mousse Cake
I went there for my anniversary and it was lack luster to say the least. We had reservations at 8pm. We were not seated until 9pm. There were 3 individuals with later reservations, and all three were seated before us.Once we were seated they give us bread as most Italian places do; however, they give us 4 slices of cold, seemingly stale bread. They accompany that bread with 3 knobs of cold butter.My fiancée and I both ordered pasta dishes, both of which the pasta was not al dente, it was uncooked to the degree and was hard in the middle for some of the noodles. I got pasta with a white wine sauce and crab, the sauce was bland and lacked salt, and the crab tasted as if it was canned, it was too fishy to be fresh. The best tasting thing that night was the water which was cold and refreshing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
My husband, daughter and myself went on a short trip from NY to Tampa, FL for my husband's birthday. I wanted to take him to an authentic Italian restaurant on the day of his birthday so our air B&B host Juan recommended Donatello to me. After reading their reviews, I immediately made reservations for 3.The atmosphere at Donatello is warm, romantic and inviting. Upon being seated, we were served with warm Italian bread w/butter. My daughter and I were also presented with a red rose. How awesome!? My husband had Fettuccine Alla Bolognese, my daughter had Linguini Al Grancho and I had Piccata Al Limone and house salad. Definitely no regrets. The service was top notch and the food was damn deliciously amazing!? No exaggeration. It's my reason for the 5 stars. Go check it out. You will not be disappointed. The amazing waiters/staff even brought a slice of cheese cake and sang happy birthday to my husband in Italian.? Thank you Donatello for making us feel very special!Parking: There's parking at the back of the restaurant.Kid-friendliness: It is definitely family friendlyWheelchair accessibility: There's easy wheelchair accessibility flat entrance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu and Cheesecake, Ceasar Salad, Veal Piccata Al Limone, Creme Brulee, House Salad
Above and
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Piccata Al Limone, Risotto
Normally superb, our dinner Saturday night was not up to Donatello standards. Very busy, service was slow, table was not fully set...meaning we had to repeatedly ask for condiments, refill water, table setting and so on. My wife's salmon was overcooked...we'll chalk this up to an off night, and will return another time in the future
Restaurantji Recommends
10/10 every time - amazing service from the moment you valet your car until the moment you leave. This is our favorite italian in Tampa. We can't wait to bring our family in for Mothers Day. Thank you for always making the experience so special for us.
Donatellos is a family favorite with old school Italian favorites prepared extremely well. We typically get a mix of appetizers, pasta dishes, and typically veal dishes since these are high quality. Anyone from the Northeast U.S. would love this place!
We celebrated my husband's birthday. The food and service was great. The music was top notch. We danced for hours.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I expected more. The decor is very outdated. The staff is slow and then pushy to upsell. The food was not good at all. No one at our table liked the food. It seems like it is very low quality and "soupy". But worse than that the food is very overpriced for what you get. Then the music was awful. Not sure why they play that kind of music in an Italian restaurant. Go elsewhere you will be glad you did.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Always liked coming here. Our server treated us horribly, along with the rest of the staff. Placing our orders took too long, the staff was rude, and I am genuinely upset with how everything was handled. There is a lot better Italian places than this, treat yourself and do something different not just what the ratings show. Train your staff.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1