The cutlery/serving plates and bowls in which soup was served is chipped, service staff very rigid and inhospitable. Over All experience not good. Ambiance nothing great. I got put off when I saw that dishes were served in a very ordinary, chipped. Food was good. If I have an option I would not come back to Donatello. read more

Donatello Restaurant - Broken/ Chipped serving plates and bowls - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

One of the worst restaurant experiences I have had in a long time. Poor service. Found 3 hairs in our food. Starter was unappetising. read more

5 star for the food. 2 stars for the service. Food was absolutely fantastic. It seemed like the staff didn't really understand English. At least my American-English. I wanted an appetizer and entree, a la carte. I didn't want to order the lunch special. When my food came out, I didn't bother trying to correct them since the lunch special was cheaper and the special actually looked very delicious. Donatello is situated in an alley in Brighton and has a pretty good view for people watching. read more

It's cheap. That this the only good point. Don't even think about trying the profiteroles... Serving this is a crime! Following up on the previous comments, the service is poor and generally uneven, either friendly or downright hostile. Despite this, a 10 percent gratuity is included by default!!! read more

Donatello Restaurant - The bottle was savaged and simply dropped on the table without a word. Brought the wrong bottle and no chance to taste it. - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

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Donatella's serves lovely authentic Italian food lovely atmosphere friendly staff and very reasonably priced especially the two and three course deals give it a visit u you won't be disapointed read more

Donatello Restaurant - Donatella - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

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Excelent service with great food. A must try! The three course meal including desert was well priced. Tiramisu was my favorite though anything on the menu is good. read more

This is a good place to take friends/workmates to for a cheap nite out. The food is not great. I had Minstrone soup for a starter. It was tasteless and more tomato than anything. The tuna salad was bearable. But yet again poor in flavour. So, if one wants tastes bursting out of a plate of food don't go here. Their pizza's are bog standard as well. I had a fruit salad for pudding. It was nearly £4 and was 4 cubes of apple, 3 pieces of pear and two chopped up strawberries. Oh! Not to forget 4 grapes! Not value for money. Large parties are put on long tables. This means its not possible to talk to everyone one went with! read more

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Great atmosphere, servers were always quick. The food was pretty good and the mojito was refreshing! read more

Donatello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

Ok, Donatello's isn't going to blow your socks off as far as the food is concerned, but it's kind of become a Brighton institution over the years. It's a massive place (seats 400 + extra seating outside when the weather is kind), the food is mega cheap and the service is quick. If you want a quick, cheap bite to eat in Brighton then you could certainly do worse. There are numerous seating areas - upstairs, downstairs, in the bar and outside. Because of it's size, it's great if there is a large group of you. As already mentioned, the food is pretty standard Italian - pastas, pizza, antipasti etc, and the menu is huge so you should be able to find something for everyone. I would recommend the tortelloni gratinati if you like rich, cheesy dishes. The toilets aren't that special, but hey, you can't have everything. Oh, and they sponsor Brighton and Hove FC! read more

The food at this restaurant is of very decent quality indeed. It is also ludicrously cheap as well which means that it is always busy. The thing that majorly lets it down is the service. The service is so insanely slow that I once was in there 3 hours for a pretty simple two-course meal. The restaurant is also pretty cramped upstairs. read more

Donatello was highly recommended. Being Italian, I was thinking 'how good can Italian food be in England?' Holy hamhocks! This place is better than some restaurants in Italy! We started with meat and cheese antipasti which was a bit overpriced for the portion but yummy. I ordered the Gnocchi alla Gorgonzola (potato gnocchi in a blue cheese sauce). So awesome, I think I cried a little bit into the cream sauce. The best thing about dining anywhere in England is the tea. I love ordering tea and getting a whole pot all to myself and for only 1.30 pounds. Brighton is a big vegetarian town, and there were lots of menu options for vegetarians. read more

Am a big fan of this place, the pizzas are amazing and delivered to your table really quickly The only criticism I would give it maybe invest a bit more into the salad bar. Friendly staff well worth a visit read more

... Michelangelo, Rafael, Leonardo and, of course, Master Splinter complete the Ninja Turtle clan. We walk the streets with an air of frivolity, without acknowledging these ninjitsu experts keeping the dangers of the sewers from spilling over and threatening the tranquillity of our lives. What? Donatello is a restaurant?! Oh, erm, sorry! So, Donatello (the Italian restaurant) is situated in the comfortable surroundings of the South Lanes. With the likes of Katie Price among its diners, it is a classier establishment (no, I'm not being sarcastic or facetious, she's a millionaire!). In terms of Italian restaurants it offers an authentic enough experience, but it's far from perfect. I am always disappointed by Italian restaurants here, as they have the potential to nail the perfectly simple recipes (it's all about fresh ingredients people), but often leave a lot to be desired. Donatello is good, but would crumble against a local Florentine restaurant where you'd pay half the price and be twice as happy. But then again, we're not in Florence! read more

Donatello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

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I was a bit underwhelmed by the food at this famous Brighton establishment. The Good: + Friendly staff + The garlic bread was great (how can you ruin garlic bread anyway?) The Poor: - The pizza. A strangely hard crust, a completely run of the mill tomato sauce, and some bizarre topping options made the pizza a complete miss. There are definitely better options for authentic Italian food within a mile radius. read more

The only reason I ate here was because of the advertised specials on the sign out front. The prices were very reasonable and I think it's best that you judge your food based on that. Do not expect fine dining. Everyone at my table was certainly satisfied with their meal but no one was blown away. It's also in a nice part of the Lanes which is a plus. read more

Mama Mia! The location- hidden treasure in the lost, yet mystically alive lanes of Brighton.Truth be revealed, i hadn't the clue to its where abouts. Upon asking a few strangers along the electricity fueled streets, i was given the correct coordinates and set sail to reach the destination. Hint- look out for the monsoon. Once inside, the friendly Italians guided me to our table booked for 12 and highlighted the bar for a full selection of delectable and intriguing cocktails. The menu was easy to follow; rates were amicable and service was clear cut. The starters arrived promptly despite the large order as well as the mains and desserts. It was a close friends birthday; they cleverly and very genorously brought out a slice of mouse chocolate cakes with fresh strawberries and cream avec sparklers! The entire table and staff joined to sings happy birthday. Great atmosphere. Splitting the bill was a piece out cake; literally and well done. read more

At my previous company one of my work colleagues organised an evening in Brighton starting with a meal at Donatellos a few years ago. During the meal they managed to get my starter wrong and, despite having done that, then completely forgot my main course. The restaurant was so busy that they were unable to cook the main course without it seriously delaying the evening's plan for the whole of the party. We were a party of 8 - 3 of the orders were wrong and 1 completely missing. Since that time I have moved to Brighton and as I am a forgiving kind of chap I thought I would give them another try - big mistake. The starter order was wrong, my second choice was 'off' and despite coming in quite early in the evening, several items were off the menu. What of the order they did managed to get right was reasonably good faire for the money, but this restaurant is a tourist trap and gets enough passing trade that they'll never see again that they just don't make the effort. They are plenty of much better restaurants in Brighton, take the effort to walk out of the tourist area of the Lanes and visit one. read more

This place is the leader of the pack when it comes to Italian cuisine. You will be sure to get served with a smile but sometimes cheeky staff/manager, I find it a good ice breaker as long as it's not offending which it never is for me. Reach out to your pocket and you won't find you need to go very deep to take your girl out for an Italian. Went with a colleague the other day and the bill surprising came at a mere £25 for the pair for two course each and drinks. Need I say more? read more

Donatello's is a classic example of "Italian". I use the quotes as a way of outlining the fact that it is quasi-authentic trying to pose as authentic. The menu is actually not that bad. There are loads of choices, and they cater to our healthy- gluten free friends, by offering whole wheat and gluten free pastas. My huge dish of whole wheat spaghetti was doused in oil and garlic, and instead of dried chili flakes had massive red and green fresh chilies which gave the dish some serious kick. Everything was slightly above average. From the Twenty minute wait for a table to the salad bar???. This is the type of joint where you celebrate birthdays and milestones, and even where teens go on dates (I saw a bunch). I wouldn't recommend it for someone looking for real Italian cooking, this like I said has big quotations around it. read more

Donatello's is one Brighton's more famous set-ups: the head restaurant in a big old chain of Italian eateries all over the centre of town. The food in all branches is generally the same: bog-standard Italian fare, well-made and perfectly nice for extremely reasonable prices. Of all the branches of this set-up around town, unfortunately Donatello's is my least favourite: it's the worst organised, with far too many tables for far too few waiters. Still, it's good food, although the whole chain isn't without issues either! The basic set-up for all of these chain restaurants is generally great: the food is good and very cheap, with plenty of lunchtime deals and that kind of thing: the prices here are really impressively low! The food isn't the best ever: more often than not a little over oiled and salted, and the service leaves much to be desired: it's traditional Italian service, if you know what I mean: gruff, surly and often a little rude. As the head restaurant in this chain, Donatello's has all of this in spades, but here it causes some greater problems. You see, in the smaller branches, the busy atmosphere is as a real boon: you can forgive surly waiters if everyone around you is having a good time! However, Donatello's itself is so big that the waiters are all overworked, making them even more short-tempered. Also, the atmosphere suffers even more from there being too many people, too many tables, and just too much noise. No, this is not a nice set-up, but the food is quite nice. I'd recommend going to Fat Leo's across the road: mostly the same food, a bit less cramped. read more

Happy to be back in Brighton and at my favorite restaurant here. I like the food, location and staff at Donatello's Italian restaurant. I recommend Donatello's to all my local friends. read more

I've eaten at Donatello countless times, mainly because it's seriously cheap (£6.95 for two courses or £8.95 for three) but also because it's one of the few places I can actually go out for pasta, as their rigatoni dishes all come in a gluten-free option. They also do a mean risotto marinara. However, if you expect no less than gourmet food and excellent service from a place, Donatello's is most definitely not for you. The food is very edible, but I do find that a lot of their main dishes are too strongly flavoured (particularly the cheese-based ones, which can be a little sickly). Their starters are wonderful though particularly the mix 'n' match salad bar and the insalata tricoloure (which has an ENTIRE ball of mozzarella on the plate). The service really isn't great either. I always end up waiting absolutely ages for drinks, then ages for them to take a food order, then ages between the starter and main course. But if you're out in a big group and you've had a few drinks beforehand, then it doesn't really matter too much you definitely don't feel like you're being rushed! Despite all this though, this is a good, dependable place to eat. You know the service is going to be slow, but you know the food is going to be OK. If you're a bit strapped for cash, then it's a perfectly nice evening out. read more

Great cheap and cheerful Italian place. I always enjoy it and find a lot of pasta and pizza dishes to choose from. Kind of a Brighton institution. If you have a larger group dining, it's good. My only objection is the picture of a topless Fatboy Slim on the wall. Clearly he donated money to the restaurant because why would you want to see that while you're eating? read more

I wasn't very impressed with Donatello. It's like a poor man's Pizza Express, filled to the brim with hen parties and drunks. The food may be cheap, but it's not exactly edible. Each pasta dish ordered on my table looked exactly the same - brown slop over cold pasta, it didn't matter whether the sauce was meant to be cream or tomato-based, it all looked the same. The pizzas, whilst big, with plentiful toppings, felt like they'd been frozen. They weren't fresh, and weren't cooked long enough either. I barely ate half, I was quite disappointed. It's cheap, you can expect to pay under £10 a head, but personally, I'd rather spend a few quid more for Pizza Express of ASK. read more

The fact that Donatello is always so busy is an indication of how popular it is. It serves good Italian food and is cheap - you can get a two-course meal for £6-35 or a three course for £8-35. Their soups are very taasty and they do some delicious ice-creams. They also cater well for Vegetarians - my own favourite is the Tortelini al Funghetto - a delicious mushroom dish. The restaurant is family-run and family-friendly - it is particularly popular for parties of people celabrating birthdays etc. dDonatellos is also idisability friendly - there is a ramp at the entrance on one side of the building and a disabled loo. There is also disabled parking facilities close nearby. read more

plenty of space for groups, but not ideal for xmas- I felt like a sardine, last time i went. they were literally cramming them in (surely not safe, if there was a fire, etc..?) fare value, though rather bog standard Italiano fare. I feel Al Duomo is far better, across the road.. And I HATE having to wait at the (expensive) bar, for a PRE-BOOKED table!! read more

It's probably the biggest restaurant in Brighton, yet it gets so busy in the weekends that you have wait for a table. I would recommend it in weekdays, as in weekends it's so busy that you can not enjoy your food. There's a special menu during the week that lets you have two courses for about £8 I think, which is a very good price. For starters they have a very nice prawn cocktail. However there's a wide range of starters to choose, including a self service salad bar. I've tried some of their pizzas and my favourite was their Calzone. Their spaghetties also worth trying, if you like seafood, I recommend their seafood spaghetti. For dessert Tiramisu is highly recommended. £10 is the expected cost for one in Donatello. read more

It does seem to have become a running joke amongst my friends regarding my love of Donatello's; mainly because I love their calamari. I think of the many times I have been there I have not had it only once or twice. It's very good calamari, and they are not stingy with the tartare sauce which is a plus in my books. It is true that this tends to be my choice of restaurant for group dinners, but it is not just for selfish calamari-craving-based reasons. The menu here is massive. Seriously, both sides are covered in food in small print. With options for style of pasta to be interchanged with different sauces, as well as pizza, meat, fish, and a range of starters and desserts. Therefore, it tends to be a safe bet because there is something to suit everyone; they even do gluten free pasta! It is also remarkably cheap: £6.95 for two courses, £8.95 for three from a fixed-ish menu and £15.95 for three courses of a wider variety. Therefore as someone whose friends include cash strapped students it further proves the point that there is something here for everyone! The food is good and tasty. It's nothing particularly fancy but better than would be expected from the price tag. The portions are also big, with the option of making them bigger for £1.50, though this is something I have never done as I can barely finish my carbonara. Donatello's downside is it's service. I've never had anyone particularly rude, but it is always slow. It also does not seem to be very well organised, which doesn't make things any more efficient. Although, if you tell them you have to be somewhere that can normally help speed the bill along. Donatello's seems to be the restaurant equivalent of the phrase 'cheap and cheerful'! And their calamari rocks. read more

The food was very good, but it took them ages to serve is out food and we were starving. So if you are not that hungry, it's a good place to go to. If you are hungry, go somewhere else... read more

Given the wealth of diversity in Brighton's eateries, The Lanes offers more than it's fair share of the range in national cuisines on display. Of these, Italian does seem to be a dish the area does well and right there with the best of them is Donatello's. Whether eating in the spacious restaurant or out on the terrace overlooking the lanes watching the world pass you by, Donatello's combines an authentic Italian range of meat, fish, pasta and pizza dishes with a truly relaxing atmosphere and a range of deals to suit virtually any pocket. All in all a markedly pleasant dining experience I would heartily recommend. read more

Donatello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

I've been here many times..... I like the minimalistic décor, good choice of menu and the food quality..... best of all, I love the 3 course meal deal they do which works out a great deal. read more

Donatello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brighton, BNH

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When i went here last week it was very crowded and busy hence the loss of a star and it felt like they didn't care for the customers only the amount they can cram in! The waiters where nice, polite and friendly and where quick to help. The food was lovely and tasted fresh, and was surprisingly cheap. The service was nice and the food however the atmosphere was too much! read more

We watched the new Bond movie and headed home through the Lanes in Brighton, looking for a restaurant. Usually this is easy, but on Christmas Eve at 9 p.m. this is hard. However, Donatello looked busy but inviting, so we ventured in. First off, we noticed an interesting beer menu and no free seats, so we sat at the bar. Our wait was short and soon we were seated in a pleasant part of the extensive restaurant with a very attentive waitress and lively atmosphere. I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered that the piped music was very quiet (off would be better), and was even happier when our food arrived just ten minutes after ordering it. We had superb garlic bread (simple, traditional, and crispy), aubergine cheesy back, and spaghetti with garlic, chilli, and parsley. These were all very tasty indeed. We had around two beers, two palatable house reds, one Grappa, a bottle of mineral water, and one double espresso. For dessert we had creme caramele and ice cream. The bill, remarkably, was in the region of £40 for the two of us, including service, which is amazing good value. I've paid a great deal more for a great deal less, not least in Italy. I know we were very lucky in getting in at a good time, but on this experience I place Donatello very high. It wasn't just that the food was really delicious, it was the pleasant ambience, outstanding value, and attentive, friendly service. I can't ask for more. read more

Donatello's is ideal for families (with children) and a group of friends with its easy to read menu, friendly staff and value for money food, which tastes good too. It is always busy and they cram the tables in, so don't expect much 'elbow' space and you will need to speak loudly to hear each other at times, mainly due to the big party groups they get in. I would not go here for a romantic meal but ideal for a catch up and for those of us who want to go out but don't have much money. read more

I do not like leaving bad reviews, but feel this one is necessary. Poor service and the food was mediocre. We ordered garlic bread, the Donatello pizza and the vegetarian lasagna. Not sure how anyone can ruin garlic bread, but it happened. Our servers had an attitude from the moment we sat down till the moment we paid our bill. No class in my opinion. Would not recommend this restaurant. read more

Very good Italian restaurant in the lanes. I love it here, but I hate it at the weekends, when it is at its busiest, for me it is way too loud. But I much prefer it in the week, when it is so much calmer. During the week, the food is at its best, service is much better, but the prices are very good. And the menu, there is so much to choose from! read more

Reasonably priced Italian food. I first ate at Donatello as a skint uni student, when my friends and I didn't have much money but wanted to eat out, we would go there. The food is good, nothing amazing, if you have friends or family visiting that want a meal out at a decent price I would take them there I suppose. It's cheap and cheerful, always busy which is a good sign. I think they do a two course meal for around 7.95 which is a bargain really. Some people really hate the place, some people love it...I'm neither here nor there really! Nothing to write home about but you should try it at least once. read more

I don't recomend this restaurant. The people is very rude including the boss. Expensive and not tasty.... I'm disapointed :(

Went along for a lunch break from shopping in the sales. It was busy but we only had to wait 10 minutes to get a table. The best value is either the 2 or 3 course set menu which the four of us decided to go for. I ordered the spagetthi Donatello upon the recommendation of a friend who said it was great. Unfortunately I found it very salty and didn't finish it. I would say the food as a whole is pretty decent and good value but it isn't for that special occasion. Service was slow and I had to ask for a jug of water. The waitress had a rather brusque manner but overall can't complain. read more

I'm surprised this place has got so many good reviews from others, and I'm starting to wonder whether my friends and I have just been unlucky when we've visited here. The place is huge, and always packed, thanks primarily to the special deals that they offer and the convenient location in the heart of the Lanes. However, the food in my experience is rather mediocre, and the service excessively slow. They simply don't employ enough staff to cope with the size of the place, which is presumably why they keep prices down, but I would rather pay a little extra and not have such a tedious wait. To be fair to them though, there are always a large number of big groups here celebrating birthdays and the like, and that must be every waiter's nightmare. Last time I visited I had a fairly tasteless canneloni, allthough I think the pizzas tend to be better quality. Generally though, one for the tourists. read more