Donatello

Review summary

1. C

   Christy

   VIP

   Washington DC

   7 reviews

   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We discovered this gem several years ago. Whenever we are in Florida we visit this awesome restaurant. Vacationing in Orlando this tome but still made the extra hour trip to eat here
   

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2. A

   Arnaldo

   Miami

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Best restaurant experience in Tampa! I highly recommend this institution
   

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3. B

   Bret

   Orlando

   12 reviews

   3.0

   12 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 2

   What we thought would be a relaxed Italian-style dining experience of elevated quality was actually a 45-60 minute rushed event of average dishes available just about anywhere. The bread was stale, the calamari and clams appetizers were Olive Garden quality. The carbonara and tortellini alla panna were good but not memorable. Our lamb chops for two were very good, perfectly cooked and tender but somewhat overpowered by the sauce. The accompaniments, however, were an almost un-cuttable lump of broccoli and a half of a tomato, which was very unappealing. Service was impersonal and hurried and we did not know who our server was for about the first 10 minutes.
   

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4. F

   Frank

   VIP

   Tampa

   19 reviews

   5.0

   19 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food and service . Everyone is always so friendly and accommodating.
   

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5. J

   Jeffrey

   Tampa

   47 reviews

   5.0

   47 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Family in town for the Holidays - they all insist on a visit to Donatello’s. Food was excellent as always. Service was superb. Continues to be our favorite restaurant.
   

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6. G

   Gabriela

   VIP

   Tampa

   19 reviews

   3.0

   19 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   We decided to give Dontello's another chance after a previous subpar experience, but unfortunately, encountered similar issues this time. Despite arriving on time for our reservation, we waited over 25 minutes for our table. This was particularly challenging as my mother has difficulty standing, and there were no available seating options during the wait, making it quite uncomfortable for her. Once seated, service fell short of expectations. It took a considerable amount of time for our server to bring menus and take our order. Throughout the meal, the server was noticeably inattentive, failing to inform us of any specials or engage with us about the menu. We frequently had to flag down other servers just to request drinks, water, a dessert menu, and the bill. While the food remains excellent, the level of service does not align with the premium prices. For a restaurant of this caliber, the service should be significantly better. If you enjoy the cuisine, I would recommend opting for takeout instead to avoid the disappointment of the dine-in experience.
   

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7. T

   Teri

   Fort Lauderdale

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   Have eaten here a few times, but due to the holiday, service was way too slow...over an hour to get the food ordered while much larger parties demanded all the attention. Food normally ordered was way off, again probably due to understaffing and way too may bookings for one evening. I don't mind paying for an overly priced tiny portion of pasta, but not if its exectued poorly. They are usually a good restaurant but for now I am disappointed and will look elsewhere for higher end Italian. Disappointed!
   

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8. L

   Lynn

   Tampa

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Such an incredible restaurant. We love coming here and will be every Christmas Eve.
   

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9. A

   Amy

   VIP

   Tampa

   12 reviews

   4.0

   12 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Food great as always. Our server seemed quite rushed and skipped over offering wine lists, etc when we sat down- not offering suggestions or asking questions. Atypical of past experiences.
   

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10. d

    david

    VIP

    Jacksonville

    27 reviews

    4.0

    27 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4

    Having been going to Donatello for years. Food experience is always exceptional. Prices have become some of the highest for food in the Tampa Bay Area. Our reservation was made online and had been modified for 6 diners, confirmed through Open Table. The Maitre D seemed surprised by us being 6 diners at our arrival. We were taken to a table set for 5 people. A 6th place was added with a chair and utensils only. Napkin and bread plate had to be asked for twice and bread plate never came. The table was too small to accommodate 6 people, bread, food, drinks and wine. Dinner arrived when we were still eating appetizers, forcing us to rush to finish as there was no room for the food. We asked for a second bread basket which arrived near the end of eating our entrees. It was our daughter's birthday and we ordered dessert and cappuccinos. While the coffee came quickly, and was delicious, dessert arrived 30 minutes after we'd ordered it, after the coffees were finished and only after I reminded a different waiter that we had ordered dessert. We did enjoy the birthday salutation sung in Italian by all the waiters, something the restaurant is known for. The busy holiday season must always bring the restaurant's "A" game, especially at the price point charged, never to be excused for being too busy a time of year or difficult to staff. I was very disappointed for the "C" service experience we received.
    

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