Donatello

I agree with the cheap and cheerful. Very busy, we were one of a number of large groups on the Xmas Menu conveyor. Service wasn't that quick but we were planning on a longish sit-down so that worked fine. My cheese salad starter had no cheese, but a scoop or two of parmesan helped. Pizzas and pastas all were well received around me. Melazane alla parmigiana had barely any aubergine, so was effectively a bowl of hot cheese, which at least made up for the salad. Wines were good, even the house red Sangiovese. No complaints for the price, the food rating here seems about correct, and if you want a noisy, fun venue, its fine. Not for romantic, candle-lit dinners, it's a great spot for bargain lunches.
Comment on this reader review

Tim - View all reviews by this user
Sunday, December 23, 2007

I think its a brilliant restaurant. The hustle and bustle is brilliant and the food is even better. You can see its busy from the outside, so if you dont like it, dont go in!

The people who run it are so polite and friendly, and so interesting to watch!

It is speedy, but thats not always a bad thing, i would rather have my plate taken away quickly then have it left infront of me!

It is cheap and cheerful, and the hen and stag dos only make it more so. there are different areas to be seated in, so if you want a quite one, ask too be seated somewhere else!
Comment on this reader review

Fran
Wednesday, November 14, 2007

We went there last Saturday (3rd November) and we were in there for less than an hour the service was so rushed! We sat down and literally a minute later one of the waitresses came and asked if we wanted to order our food, even though she had only just given us the menu!

The food came quickly and was good, but as soon as we put our forks down they took our plates away. We felt like we couldn't even enjoy ourselves as everything felt so rushed, almost like we were taking up space even though we had booked the table days before.

After dessert we thought we'd leave getting the bill for a few minutes and finish our drinks, but they took the plates away again and then gave us the bill straight away.
Comment on this reader review

Leanne
Friday, November 09, 2007

OK if sitting next to a hen party is your idea of a great night out. The Donatello chain seems hell-bent on taking over the city in it's various guises. Maybe it should stop and realise that quantity definitely doesn't mean quality.
Comment on this reader review

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

I used to first like this resturant, but now mildly like it........

It is so noisy that you are almost shouting at each other across the table. You are packed into the resturant like sardines. The food is standard.

You get what you pay for, nothing great guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment on this reader review

Friday, October 26, 2007

Visited with family on a Saturday night. The place was heaving with a mixture of hen & stag parties, couples, families and single diners. Despite this, the service was first rate. Good food, well presented and nice 'n' hot. My only complaint would be that with all the noise goig on, it sounded like a school dining hall, but hey, what do you expect when it's as popular as it obviously is ?
Comment on this reader review

Welsh Boy on Tour
Wednesday, October 24, 2007

We visited Donatello on Saturday night to celebrate a family birthday. We knew that it would be busy but didnt realise we would be treated quite so bad! As a previously satisfied lunchtime customer we had hoped to enjoy a reasonable dinner, but instead left vowing never to return. We were seated 40 minutes late, served slowly and poorly, had starters forgotten about, had main courses served barely warm... I could go on. If you are anything but a large group I would encourage you to consider going elsewhere
Comment on this reader review

darren
Monday, October 01, 2007

I'd rather listen to the sound of my toes being broken than eat at Donatello again. I went with my boyfriend and best friend a few weeks ago, and can safely say that it was the worst dining experience I've ever had. The bar was so full (right behind our table) that people were leaning on my chair. Hen and stag parties were coming in and the noise was unbelievable. It was like trying to eat in the middle of a packed train. The waitress was rude, we asked to be moved downstairs (we asked nicely) and I specifically said, 'As we've been here an hour already, the next table which comes up, can we please have it?' I was given a 'yes', but it never happened. The prawn cocktail was hideous, like something from an Iceland 'starter for one' packet. Hard avocado, crappy little frozen prawns. The pasta was overcooked, and we got up and left without paying. Seriously. Nobody even noticed. We'd asked to be moved, we'd had to tell people ourselves to please stop leaning on our chairs, and still they were ushering people to the bar. At best, it was extremely noisy, irritating and an awful experience. At worst, it was a potential fire hazard. Awful.
Comment on this reader review

Jules
Thursday, September 06, 2007

cheap and cheerful, spinach & ricotta canelloni was not the best I have ever had in brighton (i got that in Il bistro around the corner!!) Waiter we had had very poor english and mumbled when he spoke, very slow service, dont go if you only have a hour to spare !!
Comment on this reader review

Jo
Thursday, August 30, 2007

My boyfriend & i tried this restuarant before we ended up in Zissi's, it was very busy & looked lovely especially with it being a warm night & tables outside. We went inside & yes it looked busy, we were greeted by a very nice gentleman to be told that we would only have to wait 15mins for a table, so we decided to wait & sit in the bar for a drink.....we started to notice a few couples around us who had arrived before us, they had already been waiting 25 mins, so we decided that we couldn't bother to wait., we would have much prefered if the guy had told us it was longer than 15 mins becuase then we could have made a decision to go or stay instead he was trying to cram people in & all this means it that we probably wouln't have had the service expected & also we would have felt rushed! Sorry donatello's but don't think i will be trying you anytime soon!
Comment on this reader review

merryn wing
Tuesday, August 28, 2007