donatello

old school and incredible. thisplaceis a gem, the real deal truly great italian food, old school in an old school atmosphere. i have been coming to doatello's since 1985 it was great then and great now! you want a great night out where food matters and they treat you like they want your business this is the place.

the staff is great, too. they make sure to check in with us occasionally, but are never pushy because they know how to take care of their customers. i definitely recommend it for a romantic night out or any time you want old school italian food. yes it could be a bit on the pricey side for some but you do get what you pay for and thisplaceis worth every cent!

this is my favorite italian restaurant in tampa for the 27 years that i have been coming to donatello's i have never once been disappointed. i find myself craving their food often and when a newby that has not heard about donatello's comes along asking for a recommendation this is theplacei recommend hands down. i'm not a fan of chain restaurants mainly because i like real food not industrial strength food. thisplacehas so much history and charm, run by the same family for years and they have become friends and make you feel like a family friend no matter who you are! they have wonderful food and we are always happy once our evening there is done. i recommend starting with the sampler and be prepared to be wowed from there

on my scale of 1 to 10 one being the worse well they are 10! plus 10 plus 10.

ordered a variety of items to try things out including the veal puccinella , tortellini donatello , mozzarella bella appetizxer and calamari almafina and caprese salad. calamari was incredible, fresh and light with olive oil, lemon and mild garlic. caprese was practically a small wheel of fresh mozzarella and delicious . the mozzarella bella was quite tasty but not incredible (as the cheese inside wasn't completely melted ). it was accompanied by a very respectable homemade tomato sauce.

for the main courses the tortellini , also freshly made with veal and prosciutto was delicious and bathed in a cream sauce. the veal was perfectly cooked but a bit drowned in fontina cheese. very tasty but not a favorite preparation in my opinion but i'm sure others will certainly enjoy it . desserts are all made on premises and excellent. their napoleon is top notch. overall an excellent meal and i look forward to return to try the ossobucco which looked really good. one note, when theplacefills it can be quite loud. service is impeccable and prices are higher than you might like but the quality of ingredients is part of why it's higher than the norm. but if you are looking for a traditional decent italian meal you can't go wrong here. it doesn't have a super wow factor but it certainly hits some high notes in certain dishes.

thisplacewas horrible and overpriced. do not go! the food is not worth the price ( very expensive ) and is bland and tasteless and theplaceis outdated.

overpriced for low quality. i had to explain what was needed in my carbonara and it still was awful ( how easy can it be ?) , so the food is basic and theplaceneed to be redone , it's not very romantic and if you want better food for better price there is plenty of other places , i don't recommend thisplaceat all .

not worth the $$$. 0

1
amanda a.

tampa, fl
12/23/2010 not at all happy. food was way overpriced & no tastier than any other chain italian restaurant. paid $27 for blah veal, $3 per ice tea refill (in a very small glass), $12 for tiramisu that tastes just like every other tiramisu and $13 for fried mozzarella with an anchovie on top. the only reason i went to thisplacewas a $50 gift certificate i was given. the bill for 3 people was over $130 + $30 tip, no alcohol & 2 people drank only water. if i ever receive another gift certificate i will throw it in the garbage.

all access transportation inc.. the food is great. the owners are personal and professional. i am a born and raised new yorker and finding a great italianplaceto eat has been found. as a owner of a limousine, i recommend my best / all clients to donatello with knowing they are going to be pleased.

one of tampa bay's best local restaurants!. this has been one of tampa's best local restaurants for many years and continues to be first class! we recently had another great dinner in their private dining room. we had a large party their along with a set menu that featured steak, sea bass and veal. the appetizers, caesar salad and homemade pasta were all delicious. we had a large party, and all the food came out perfect. the servers didn't miss a beat! my fellow co-workers and friends will be talking about this fantastic dinner for a long time. this continues to be a greatplacefor anniversary's, special occasions or nice romantic dinner for two. don't miss the lounge featuring live jazz and blues music!