Reviews of Donatello's Italian Restaurant (Restaurant)

Jefferson Barnes

Terrific local Italian restaurant with excellent pasta and dinner entrees. Outstanding deserts that are made by the owners - pistachio cake that is to die for and great innovative gelato flavors.

Luanna Jones

Great people, great food! The ravioli Gorgonzola is awesome!

Manasa Kesa

The food was delicious and the service was so wonderful. Everyone was so kind and welcoming.

Christine Nichols

Delicious, generous-size entrees. Attentive service. Reminded us of typical family run restaurants in NYC and St. Augustine.

Lisa Stickley

This is my favorite Italian restaurant in Indy. The quality of the food and wine selections are amazing all wrapped up in an envelope of a welcoming family small business atmosphere.

Kate Stephens

My husband and I went yesterday for something special for my birthday. Well, I would never ever recommend them for Italian food!! I have briefly lived in Italy before and experienced several restaurants there; all I can say is Donatello's food is a fake bad copy, tasteless and made with cheap ingredients. I am so sorry, maybe your place is good for a cocktail bar and a decent atmosphere. Way overpriced cheap food. I would never ever recommend Donatello's.

Ashley Exceus

This place gets not stars from me. The owner or the manager was so rude and the service… OMG! I'll continue to pray for them but I will NEVER return establishment.

Mathew Tittle

The food here is SPECTACULAR. Honestly. But the environment and atmosphere is really lacking. It is not upbeat or enthusiastic, and it could really use an update; but the food is absolutely wonderful.

Burke LaShell

Fantastic meal. That was one of my favorite meals ever.

Jacob Greene

The food at Donatello's is always spectacular and the family who owns it really makes you feel at home!

Lisa Barnes

Homemade pasta, great prices, hearty portions.

Tom Schmidter

Atmosphere, service, friendliness all good. Veal Marsala was very sweet. Expected savory. Lots of salt helped. Bread could be better.

Benny German

If you don't like this place there's something wrong with you! Do yourself a favor and check'em out.

Cathy Weber

Decent food

Matthew Dodson

The BEST Italian food!

Lisa D.

My husband and I moved from NJ to IN almost 2 years ago and this is the closest to east coast Italian food we've had so far! There was no olive oil served with the bread though, but at least the bread was soft!

Clairissa DiGiovanni

Doors were still locked at 11:20... They open at 11. Staff was unprofessional and abrupt. Sauce drowned the food and it was watered down.

Luke Wade

Really bad food.

Amora Scott

Great place!!!

Quan Hu

Best Italian food you can find in Carmel. Pasta is good. A little pricey though.

Myrna Dowden

Everyone should try Donatello's!

Myrna Pettit Allison Dowden

Always excellent! Fresh, perfectly cooked food and friendly, courteous service that can't be beat. Best desserts anywhere. Beth bakes the best and the gelato is super!

Michael Kobrowski

Love the food. Great menu and the specials too are amazing. Family owned and operated. Desserts made there. Check it out

Katy Hartz

Don't waste your time! If you are looking for genuine Italian cuisine please search elsewhere. The only thing more bland than the food is the serving staff. The best part of our experience was the bread, butter and wine. Couldn't wait to pay and leave. A wasted date night away from my 1 year old. Better luck next time. We may need a pallet check on these 5 stars.

Kathy O'Mahony

My boyfriend brought me the chicken marsala dinner tonight, since I was home recovering from the flu. The food was excellent and I can't wait to go and enjoy a meal in the restaurant soon.

Christopher Anderson

A great little Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Carmel. The menu has a nice compliment of choices and the food is excellent. The staff is friendly and the ravioli Gorgonzola is to die for.

Tom Landshof

Really good white table cloth Italian restaurant. Chef knows what he is doing and makes some outstanding dishes. Don't go if you are on a diet. Risotto is outstanding. Try tender calamari steaks for appetizer and tortellini michaelangelo for main cousre. always some good specials.

David Kellems

Me and my wife went down to Carmel's prestigious art district from some unique local culinary cuisine. We settled on Donatello's. When we walked in the place was packed, we waited for a while until a very (understandably) stressed waitress came over to take us to a seat. Unfortunately she had no menu's to give us as they were out. We sat for about 10 minutes before we got our menu's. Sadly that was not the worst thing about Donatello's, while we sat next to the bar, the staff constantly forgot who was waiting on us and we had 3 different waiter/waitresses show up at our table to take our order. Even then, the staff was under such stress that they actually argued right next to us as if we weren't even there. Example: "We just had another couple come in where do you want me to put them?" "I don't care! You do whatever you want!" "No really I need to know where to pu--" "I dont have time for your crap just seat them somewhere!" The food itself was....ok, it definitely wasn't better than what I would get at a big chain like Olive Garden. Even worse, it was more expensive! They also, as we found out later, charged us 9 dollars a plate for their "house salad" which was one of the tiniest servings I had ever eaten. Maybe they were just having a rough night but unfortunately I don't think I will ever be going back to Donatello's any time soon

Grant Kirsh

Great Italian food!

Dprotography

The staff here really ruins this place. They are just so bland and rather have no customer service experience. Wake up people! Management needs to go on a staff revamp if they want to keep this place a float.

Cheryl Ann Miller

The food is so fresh. They were willing to make changes for allergies. Staff was very friendly.

pete schwartz

Good food, excellent service and atmosphere. A well rounded family restaurant.

Vernon Hintt

This place for the average joe is little pricey. That being said...it was excellent & well worth it. Such a quaint little place. If you have someone special you want to take somewhere quiet and cozy, this is definately a place to consider. I will return!

Esha Sharma

It has a great location and the outside seating is amazing. However, the staff is not the best and the food is slightly overcharged. I had the fettucine alfredo with chicken and it was pretty good. The portion size may be larger than expected, but the sauce is thick and creamy, and the chicken well cooked.

Amanda Beering

I love Donatello's! They always go out of their way to be considerate of my dietary restrictions, and even with numerous life-threatening allergies I feel safe eating at Donatello's. Consistently awesome food and an unfailingly welcoming atmosphere- Donatello's is special.

Danielle Fuller

Loved their dishes. I'll be taking the family back next.

Lauren Milton

The food is delicious and the staff is attentive without being obnoxious. My husband is very picky about how his Long Island iced teas are made and he was very impressed with theirs. Highly recommend!

Michelle Jilg

My husband and I came here once for lunch and we were pleasantly surprised by how great the food was. I say surprised because most places on Main Street have really cute decor and this place was very dark and not all that lively so we really didn't think this place would be anything special (we were wrong to think that!!!) the staff was nice and the food taste like heaven! You can't go wrong with the tortellini Michelangelo OR the chicken piccata.

Paul Gerhardt

Outstanding food amd service. Literally family operated. Adam is so knowledgeable, professional and has a great sense of humor like his mom. They always remember my family. We go here all the time for a reason!

david vanderbeck

Adam the owner went above and beyond to help us with our needs to have a retirement party here. Thanks Adam!!

John Sullivan

Very good food and service. I'm impressed. I will return to try something else. I filled up quickly and took the rest for breakfast.

Julie Mcdowell

Nothing was salted and lacked flavor. No creativity at all in dishes. There is way better Italian out there

Rafael Miranda

I think of this place anytime I’m in town and out of town. I have been going here for almost 8 years, and have never been disappointed. The service is on point, the food is made to order and always outstanding. I would recommend to any friend that visits Indiana and wants a good restaurant to bring a date.

Ethan Hanning

Great people, food, management and Pasta. Lovely owner and crew.

Michael Siaba

Amazing place, the entire staff cater to the customer. My wife and I came in after a terrible wine tasting close by. Had tickets to a show at a certain time. Smelt the food went in to see the menu. Decided we disnt have time. The oldest son followed us out and inquired where we were running off to so soon. Explained we had 20 minutes to eat and get out. They had us in and out in 20 minutes and did not scarifice quality of food or service. By far and away best dining experience I have had in Indiana!

Elyse Swoverland

The food is amazingly good and the atmosphere is unbeatable. Very welcoming.

Elaine Wolfe

Delicious .. somewhat pricey.

Terry Nelson

Great food

Matt Jonker

Consistently excellent Italian food!

Thedwick

EXTREMELY RUDE I will never come here again. I had a to-go order and this lady comes up to me to complain that I'm not dressed for "fine dining." Sorry Im not in a tux to pick food up?

Steve Haigh

We've tried this restaurant several times and always come away with the same feeling. That the food is very average. The last time we ate there, one of us got food poising too.

Jerry Zehr

I love the food, top notch, the chef came out to greet us. Great service. I had the Best sea Bass I've had in 30 years there Friday night. Glad they're on Carmel

Tom Kincannon

Our first time visiting as Carmel residents. Food was excellent, service was mediocre. Otherwise, a 4+ star experience!

Matthew Bartlett

Excellent Italian food and locally owned. This is the only place I will even think about ordering a pizza. It is so fresh and the cheese is higher quality.

Simon Willeman

Amazing food, great service, and nice dining environment

Chris H

Nice restaurant; casual feel but very good menu and service.

Chantal Brunkhart

Super delicious and wonderful service! Highly recommend this local business!!!

Brian Stanley

Very good food and extremely friendly and knowledgeable servers. Prices are a bit steep but the quality of the dishes is worth it.

Steve DuVal

Best Italian restaurant we have ever been.

Gina Heirbrandt

Delicious food

Jennifer B

The staff was amazing, we had the owner and his mother wait on us. The atmosphere was pleasant and they were accomadating to my daughter. The food was good but I am not sure if it is worth the price. We will try other italian restaurants that are close by to compare.

jose alejos

Excellent service and the food was outstanding ! We had a party of 10 and we had multiple appetizers that were fantastic. The main course was served promptly and the chocolate gelato was freshly made and the best I've had.

Dion Isselhardt

The Special Manicotti was really good.

Damion Sturdivant

It was just ok.... I won't be returning

Douglas Delee

Great food, staff, and experience!

Ro Alegria

Meeeeeeeh :/

David Rusk

Excellent chicken parmesan. Very good warm gingerbread with homemade whip cream. The warm, fresh bread is crisp on the outside and soft inside. Service was prompt and efficient. Prices are reasonable and the menu offers a nice selection. It was our first visit, but certainly won't be our last.

Tony Opperman

Family owned (and run). Mom and Dad run the kitchen and Son waiting tables. Enjoyed the mushroom pasta special.

Alison Burkhard

The service and food are always excellent! You won't be disappointed!

Maureen Boulanger

Menu variety is wonderful. Good wine list.

Alberta Dixon

Lemon gelota tasted a bit chalky otherwise, excellent.

Dan Reeves

Great food

The Pizza Fan

Donatello’s Italian Restaurant is located in Carmel’s Arts & Design Distict and boasts a recently expanded restaurant and menu. The expansion of their restaurant included adding outdoor dining and a coffee lounge. However, the most important expansion, to me at least, was adding pizza to their menu. I would classify Donatello’s food as being fairly consistent with that of a rather upscale Italian restaurant, so it is nice that they have begun offering pizza as a more cost-effective option to help please everyone. Still, since pizza is a new offering to them, it is certainly not their speciality, and their Tortellini Michelangelo is one of my wife’s favorite pasta dishes. Your meal at Donatello’s Italian Restaurant begins with warm bread accompanied by butter and fresh mozzarella. We then ordered the bruschetta pictured above, and it was very flavorful and loaded with diced tomatoes, red onion, basil, olive oil, and garlic. Next, I decided to try a pizza with sausage and garlic. Donatello’s pizzas are on a very thin and crispy, cracker-like crust that allows the other flavors of the pizza to shine. I think the best part of the pizza is their homemade sauce that includes garlic and oregano. Additionally, the toppings are fresh, and I enjoyed the crumbled sausage, although I didn’t taste very much of the garlic. While I may recommend Basbeaux Pizza just down the road as a better place if you are only looking for pizza, Donatello’s Italian Restaurant offers a very nice setting with friendly staff and a great overall menu that makes it ideal for dates and special occasions.

Alex Anderson

Wonderful place. Very small. Also. Too many peas on the fettucciini.

Christine Heisler

We made reservations on a Thursday night, and it was a good thing we did as they were full. The acoustics make dining a little loud, but otherwise it was comfortable. The salads were just average, but the minestrone soup quite good. The entrees, however were memorable. Each of us had something different, so we could report on the shrimp, veal and chicken. All were absolutely wonderful. My shrimp were cooked to perfection, very tender and flavorful. It was a joy to not have them dripping in garlic as many Italian restaurants seem to do. The sides were small potatoes and broccoli, both quite tasty and fresh. We also had a bottle of lovely wine and sampled 3 different desserts- tiramisu (fantastic!), chocolate chip cannoli and chocolate cake. Also very fresh and good. We thought the bill was off and added it up carefully, only to realize they'd overcharged us. It was quickly repaired with many apologies. The total bill with tip was about $150, which considering what all we had, we thought very reasonable. We will definitely go back again and try more of their entrees. A wonderful dinner. I would recommend this place highly.

Kimberly Starrett

The food was amazing. There were not any childseats for my 18 month old but it's not really geared toward little little kids. Service was amazing I just felt bad for the clean up the server had to deal with because of my little guy.

David Summitt

Great meal - great atmosphere!

Naresh Sharma

Family-like environment......excellent food.....never mind the price!

Erica Gunn

Love this place. Absolutely amazing. They make their own pasta. The soup was a creamy base with lobster, shrimp, potatoes and clams. AMAZING. We will be back again soon....and we live an hour away. Worth the trip! :)

Bruce Mills

Very nice!

Jason Hagen

Wow, hidden gem alert! The food, service and atmosphere here was great! I went for lunch and was not disappointed. Stop here if you're in Carmel!

The Freaky French Family

I can't say enough great things about this place! It starts at the food (you must even try the pizza) Right down to the service! I don't know a single place in Carmel that treats their customers as well as Adam, Pat and Beth. We can't than you enough for making the Art's district a better place! I mean its the only place on Main that's not just yet another burger joint! Thank guys!

Bill Blaser

Great Italian food!!!!

Olivia Underwood

Cute little place with nice atmosphere and good Italian food

Joseph Toole

Excellent food, ambiance, & wine; but very poorly trained wait staff with bad attitudes. $100 tab for two doesn't deserve such poor service.

Sean Shepard

Superb, locally owned restaurant. Nice variety to the menu, great service and a cozy, classy atmosphere. Everything has always been great here and they have patio dining when weather permits!

Etta Marshall

Loved the Shrimp Scampi and the Fettuccine Alfredo! Very reasonable and authentic Italian.

Jacqueline Wherry

What a nice surprise! This restaurant has a lovely atmosphere, great service and fantastic food. We had the mushroom ravioli. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone! Oh, and don't forget the Pistachio cake!

Ben Browning

Food was excellent! Dishes seemed to trend toward the lighter side, which is fine! So many italian places only have rich sauces on everything.

Jonathan Chapman

Classy food

Shane Booker

Overall not very impressed. The wait staff were not very professional. They seemed to be waiting on all of the tables at the same time. I was surprised by many little things such as using our dirty bread plates for appetizers, wait staff touching a persons straw, and clearing plates without asking if you are finished. I was a little grossed out when bread was delivered in a basket with a dirty napkin. Never before have I had bland pesto, although the chicken parmesan was a much larger portion for the same price and was quite good. Overall it was a pricey meal and poor experience.

Deanna Lewis

Wonderful food great service and atmosphere

Kim White

Have dined here a number of times and love it!! Last week I had the Sea Bass special and it was by far the best I've ever tasted. Above some of the finest restaurants in Indy. Intimate atmosphere and friendly staff.

Denise Moe

We adore Donatellos Italian. We really feel special every time we go there. We can choose pizza and eating outside for a casual lunch or get dressed up and eat inside with the white table clothes for an elegant dinner. The Gorgonzola ravioli is awesome and the pistachio cake... to DIE for. I always get a catering one to go as my birthday party cake. Donatellos is locally family owned and the service is excellent. I have hosted several events there and all attendees were very happy with all aspects. I love that the owners are very involved in the community, always hosting and sponsoring charitable events and giving back to the local community.

Steve Brannen

A great dining experience. Did not knock our socks off, but still highly recommended. Food was really good.

Kiran Kaur

Food was really good!

Nora Winkowski

They have the best homemade food. We always have excellent service & great conversation with the owners. Whether we eat in or take out the food is AWESOME. The restaurant has nice table cloths etc but it doesn't matter to them if we come in shorts & t-shirt. We still get great awesome service. Love this is also a family owned business.