This Italian restaurant has fabulous food. It's a nice atmosphere, and when we visited there were several large family groups dining (as well as more intimate tables). Service very friendly. Our water glasses were kept full. The menu changes frequently. I had Cappelletti: prosciutto and cheese stuffed pasta with a roasted walnut sauce, currents, and a fig reduction. This was AMAZING as the sweet fig reduction was tangy and sweet and balanced the salty meat. My husband had an eggplant stuffed pasta which was also good, and our dining companions had rock cod and another pasta dish. We normally go to Belotti for pasta. What Donato has over them is more choices on non-pasta items, easier to get a reservation, with equally good pasta, and a larger dining room to accommodate a larger party. Chocolate dessert was rich--the way we like it--but this is a tough dessert menu for lactose intolerance folks. Parking easy and free in the neighborhood above the restaurant read more

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Exceptionally marginal. Salad - over dressed to the point of virtually inedible. Bolognese was good, but just good. Cacio e Pepe, watery and flavorless. The menu warns al dente, which is fine, but this was ultra al dente. All of this marginal goodness comes with an extraordinary tab. Seemingly friendly but inattentive service. Not a lot of Italian in the east bay, and based on this visit I understand why. read more

Horrible service. I dined alone Sunday around 130pm, nothing at all special, wasn't even offered bread or anything. These places are truly a shame, I see why so many go under. Not even nice or anything, miserable looking staff! Will NEVER be back, not even for free! Cacio e pepe was gross, odd flavor a goopy mess and not even very warm, either people have no taste buds or just eat anything, I walked out. Straight RIDICULOUS. Go to gypsy's on Durant, better prices and food is more than lukewarm! read more

We went for the first time for the pre fixe Christmas Eve menu and it was amazing! The restaurant was so festive and decorated beautifully and the service was top notch. We felt welcomed and spirits were very high. Attentive staff. We did order one item off their regular menu which was the NY steak and my son loved it ! Wonderful seasoning and everything tasted great. We'll definitely be back again and will bring our whole family next time ! read more

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we had seen this place pop up on the top italian places on decorhint.com so since we are locals we thought we should check this out. We went there with our son, but after eating 3 entrees we were still hungry and on top of that each entree was over $20 but we needed to order another pasta just to be not hungry. this almost NEVER happens to us! On top that the food was ok but not at the prices they are charging. They need to either serve more or elevate what they are serving. read more

Excellent flavor in every dish. We had the charcuterie board, excellent. House bread, excellent, every cocktail, balanced and strong. Had the negroni myself. The spaghetti neri was executed perfectly, the bounty of the briny ocean waves shines through on a bed of squid ink spaghetti noodles. Seafood lovers will get exactly what they are after here. A friend got the massive and delicious looking pork chop. Our party rounded out the night with affogatos, the hazelnut gelato pairs well with the espresso. I would return. read more

Donato & Co - SPAGHETTI NERI - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

I walked in here after my Pilates class next door over, and had to kill time to pick up my husband. It's a decent place near UC Berkeley with great atmosphere for date nights or just solo at the bar or table. I was recommended a fettucini and overall, it was nice and unique but then again, I chewed on small crab shells each bite. If you're on a date and you need to look good, avoid eating the fettucini unless you want to spit out the small broken shells each bite lol The bread that came with the food was nice but I wish the sauce came on time. Portion is okay, but I would definitely order a salad or appetizer to fill up more. Service was friendly and chill all around from host to servers, but not too detail oriented. Might be back if I'm around the area when hungry. I also wouldn't say no if someone else makes a date to come here, but wouldn't travel just for this solo. read more

Great service -- came in with a group of 5 around 30 minutes before closing and the workers were super nice and attentive :) Got the lamb sirloin which was really delicious. A couple of my friends ordered the NY steak and they undercooked every single one, even after we asked them to cook them a bit more. Tried a couple of pasta dishes as well, and they weren't anything special. Overall, not a bad experience but didn't justify the price. read more

Donato & Co - lamb sirloin - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

My usual Italian spot, Belotti, doesn't open on Sundays, so my group opted to come to Donato & Co on a whim yesterday. And, I'm so glad we did! All of the dishes were incredibly delicious, and the service was impeccable. I recommend the tortelloni which is fall-inspired with its fried sage leaves adorning the top and the spiced squash interior filling the inside. Since this is more upscale than your typical fast-casual Italian restaurant, it is pricier, but you do get what you pay for. The quality is superb, and every dollar you shell out here is so worth it. Definitely will be back! read more

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WHEN: Sunday, 7/10/22 PARKING: free street parking in adjacent neighborhoods Haven't heard too much about donato & co and I don't have much to say about it. Service was great but the food is overpriced and the ingredients in my pasta weren't fresh. Make sure you ask for their free appetizer bread because the green sauce is really good. What I got: 1. Spaghetti Neri ($24) - pretty small portion with very small pieces of calamari. Pretty underwhelming I think the interior of this restaurant is nice and modern and great for a small group. It could be a romantic location at night because the vibe fits. But the pasta I got was nothing special and I expected more. read more

Donato & Co - Appetizer bread and green sauce - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Three middle aged folks walk into a restaurant and order the prefix menu and some cocktails. They lived happily ever after. Great fresh pasta and salad. The cocktails were delicious! I'd go just for the cocktails. read more

Donato & Co - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

The service was fine, though we we were told we couldn't taste wines that were offered by the glass. The real problem was the food, which was either (1) bland as in the case of our main entree or (2) portioned far too small as in the case of our pasta. The pizzelle was crisp at the edge but undercooked in the middle. Even the bread in the bread basket was stale. The best thing we ate were the potatoes and the olives which any short order cook could have made. One entree, one pasta, one appetizer, two sides and two glasses of wine = $196?? Won't be going back. read more

Clean modern venue, with solid Italian fare. I walked by this place so many times but finally gave it a try only just recently! The open kitchen is nice! I really appreciate that the ingredients all tasted so fresh! The burrata was on point. It was such a refreshing dish all around with tomatoes and cucumbers. The pasta noodles were fresh, and tasted delicious. Perfect balance of meat and pasta. The octopus was very nicely made and very tender. I thought I wouldn't get full but it actually was a nice portion. The sauce and accompaniments at the bottom went well with the octopus. The panna cotta dessert was also delicious & very smooth although a tad bit sweet. And thanks for the birthday dessert as well! Service was normal. We'll be back to try other dishes! read more

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Good selections of pasta in a nice atmosphere. Pastas all very al dente but wished portion sizes were larger. I would check out their specials, they have fabulous dishes you don't want to miss. We always order the pizzelle, it's a good appetizer but a little oily. read more

My husband and I had dinner last night at Donato's. The appetizer we ordered turned out to be just a bowl of tomato sauce...with 3 olives and a few capers and some bread....not really good. I ordered the ravioli and they were so under cooked that I could barely cut them and the filling and sauce were not tasty. My husband's pasta dish was very small and not great. And, at the end, it took a very long time to get someone's attention to pay for dinner and then have someone come to get the credit card. Sorry but this was a very disappointing dinner. read more

Too many choices. No way to know what to eat. Server's tried to help, but I was lost in the menu.

Jill is an amazing server - engaging, fun. And knowledgeable. We felt special. She is multi-lingual and molto talento!

So glad we tried Donato's and will definitely be back. Great comfy neighborhood place to have a good leisurely meal with friends. Pasta was perfectly done. read more

Management and service was so unresponsive and curt. Will not be going back anytime soon.

Our waitress Natala was wonderful, attentive but not a helicopter mom. She understood what we were looking for; helped us navigate the large menu and was cheerful in the bargain! The food was spectacular, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely... in no small way due to Natala. read more

We had a terrific dinner and service. Prosciutto and melon, shrimp salad and lamb skewers were excellent. If you love chocolate, the chocolate desert is a must. read more

This was the weirdest restaurant experience I've had in a while. We booked outdoors for a friend's birthday. She mentioned while making the reservation that she prefers outdoors because she will be bringing her dog. When she and her husband got there, the hostess yelled at them (yes YELLED!) saying it's gonna be soooooo much work to set up the tables outside. (UM THERE IS A PANDEMIC GOING ON?? Shouldn't you have outdoor seating anyways????) When I got there, I didn't know about this yet so I asked if they can keep our cake in their fridge while we dine. The hostess rolled her eyes at me, and took the cake without answering. We are literally there giving them sale because it's my friend's birthday. Why is the hostess so mad at us?? We also told them in advance that we want to dine outdoors??? It was really difficult for us to understand her attitude. We didn't want to ruin my friend's birthday so we ordered a bunch of appetizers, bottle of wine, main dishes, desserts, coffee, etc. and tried to have fun. After dining, we asked if they can bring out the cake and they took 30 minutes. We had to ask more than five times.... How does it take 30 minutes to take a cake out the fridge?? The sun had set by then and we were freezing. We just wanted to celebrate and leave. Sadly, the food was not that great either. Arincini (rissoto balls) was like $20 for three small balls. Overpriced. Cheese plate was pretty small too but I really liked their combinations. Pastas were 'OK'. Not the best I have had. Honestly, I would give a 1-star but their servers were super sweet so I am giving a 2-star. Seriously, don't give your customers attitude if you want customers to dine happily. We went in such a good mood with presents and cake and came out very disappointed. You guys literally ruined my friend's birthday. I would love to hear what we did so wrong to your hostess for her to yell at my friend and roll her eyes at me. read more

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I've driven by this place so many times and finally on Father's Day we decided to venture in. Dishes were amazing and quite tasty. Execution was on point. The small touches like bone removal from the Branzino was well received. My lamb was tender, flavorful and served on a bed of mashed potatoes. Life partner has the grilled calimari which was cooked perfectly but she was not a fan of the eggplant and bell pepper succotash. The wait staff was super friendly and attentive. I'm definitely coming back read more

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Came here on a Saturday afternoon. Wonderful meal and great service. Creative cocktails and Exquisite Italian dishes with attention to detail. Can't wait to return. read more

Donato & Co - Fettuccini with duck ragu. - Italian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We had two drinks and two appetizers at the bar. The bill was $141 (all in). The drinks were good, the appetizers were ok, nothing special. I could have had dinner elsewhere for that price. I wouldn't go there again. read more

Really wanted to like this place after walking by many times and waiting for the right moment but very disappointing. Ordered the Linguini with clams. Really bland dish, so few tiny, tiny clams. And interesting choice not to serve bread at an Italian restaurant and more odd with a dish that really calls for it. Glass of wine and dish for $40+ that should have been so much better. read more

The restaurant itself looks great and we were expecting a nice meal with great food. Unfortunately after the good look of the place things went downhill. Our waiter was pretentious and dismissive - very much a downer. I had the Sogliola, petrale sole - it was dry and not treated the way a delicate fish should be, lots of elements on the plate which kept the dish somewhat interesting but a $40 entree? The actual fish was overcooked and a dry. I tried some other bites of what others had and nothing was a standout. I didn't think it was particularly good and not rushing back. On the plus side was the place was rather empty so we could hear our dining companions. read more

Great first time enjoying a delicious dinner on a warm day! I think the pictures speak for itself, but the host was very approachable and welcoming! Our waiter was super chill. Glad to know he is a local "baydestrian." I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to enjoy quality Italian home made pasta. I look forward to coming back with my family soon! Thank you to the owner and chef(s) for being particular on how food is made and served! It says a lot about your standards and I respect that so much! read more

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I went twice to this place. Pros: very nice ambiance, great food presentation. Great location. Cons: the food, in spite of the presentation, is bland, sometimes just greasy and has no flavor. For example, the risotto is like a rice pudding without sugar. It doesn't seem to have any cheese or flavor, for that matter. Quite expensive. They take a credit card for your reservation and charge $30 per person if you cancel the same day. They only hold the reservation for ten minutes and, if the place is busy, you only have 45 minutes to finish your meal. Very rushed for an expensive restaurant. Yesterday the manager 'joked' with us about staying too long, even though half the tables were empty. Pretty rude guy. read more

The host and our waiter, Tyler (who's always there on Tuesdays), were the most pleasant and welcoming of people. The cocktails were the best, especially the Sidecar and top shelf Manhattan. The food was excellent. Homemade egg noodles for pappardelle. The saffron infused fried ancini balls. Absolutely loved the mushrooms in the pappardelle and the pork chop dish. Also had the Pollo dish which was on fire. The green fried rice garnish over the polenta was an unexpected hit! That polenta, and the polenta that came with the pork chop, were both excellent. I can't wait to go back! read more

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We had a really lovely dinner as a group of 6 here and we did not have a reservation and they were able to accommodate us which was great! The food was extremely fresh and tasty. Some were very unique and it felt very authentic Italian cuisine. Our waiter was wonderful and very attentive. The cocktails were good and we tried a few. They also have a full bar, wine and beer menu. There were many options to choose from. We each got a different dish and they were good portions and very nice. I personally had the walnut pasta "cappelletti" which I read on yelp had great reviews and was unique. Yelp didn't lead me astray, it was very good and definitely a unique flavor between the tangy cheese and the sweet walnut. It was interesting and I'd recommend it as well, and I'm not the most adventurous eater on the planet to boot. We also had super cool desserts and dessert cocktails. They offered an Italian liquor with biscotti (the name is escaping me right now). That was very strong but fun to try. I got the espresso with absinthe and that was a great combination and shareable if you take sips. My dad ordered one of their classic desserts and it was very good. They even made a unique mocktail for my sister's friend based on a flavor profile which was super sweet of them. Overall a lovely dinner, average pricing for the area, able to accommodate larger groups, good service and delicious food and drinks. I would recommend giving them a try. Location is great, right near everything in Elmwood. Parking is street parking or the small lot down the street. I personally gave them: 5/5 food 5/5 cocktails 5/5 service Some in my group said more of a 4/5 experience but I kept it 5/5 since I personally like to be generous with my ratings. Note: Our service was impeccable and there was an auto gratuity for 6+ people which is normal in restaurants. read more

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Omygoodness! Full stop. Donato & Co is, bar none, one of the best Northern Italian restaurants in the North Bay. The food is divine, the atmosphere relaxed, as if you are at a friend's, indeed Chef Gianluca and his partner Donato, of the Donato & Co., and the service correct. We started with Salumi, their homemade board of charcuterie, then the Venetian style Baccala, smooth as silk salted cod mousse flying above a grilled polenta cake. Then the pastas appeared: the hand made asparagus tortelloni, with asparagus puree, with asparagus spears! and mezze maniche to satify my husband and daughter's love for traditional Bolognese pasta. For the secondi, we had perfectly grilled branzino with broccoli, with savory sfmato and black rice. Everything was so creative, beautifully presented, and delicious! My husband was remarking the some of the best Italian restaurants do not have much of a dessert menu, but the piece de resistance was the prodigious list of excellent desserts. We finished the meal with excellent CIOCCOLATO E CIOCCOLATO (and you can't get more chocolate then this), with zuppa di fragola to mark the season, and my TORTINO DI NOCCIOLA PIEMONTE, the best traditional Piemontese "Tonda Gentile" hazelnut soft cake, bittersweet chocolate sauce, finished with hazelnut gelato, toasted hazelnuts. What a memorable birthday meal! We will soon return. read more

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I belong to a small Cal-based Alumni Forum group that has meet for years, but the last 2 being mostly virtual. We got together last Friday at a member's home, followed by a group dinner at Donato & Company. This restaurant is located near the corner of Ashby and College, and across the street from a now closed coffee shop that I'd spent a lot of time in over the years. My sometimes fuzzy memory also recalls that the Donato space was once an auto repair shop, which might explain the large and high-ceiling interior of this nice appointed restaurant and specialty food shop. We were a party of 7, of which we were seated in a comfortable 6-person booth, plus a chair at the end. From there, we spent a little over an hour and a half chatting away and comparing notes from our very different lives that we knew well from our relatively long time together. We all ordered different things, with Rigatoni and the side salad being popular choices. I opted for the Sapaghetti Neri (squid ink, Monterey Bay calamari, garlic, Calabria spicy peppers, fresh tomato & bottarga) and a nice glass of red wine. Everyone enjoyed their meals and we all agreed that a great time was had by all. Service dipped a little between the drink requests and taking our food orders, but before and after things moved efficiently. Our server was friend, professional, and had a good knowledge of the ins and outs of the menu. The dining room itself was very attractive and with acoustics that allowed good conversation. The overall bill was reasonable, including the tip and living wage considerations. read more

NO! Terrible service. Cold food. Where did the good chef go? Never going back. Where is friendly service? Where is service, period! Flagging down waitresses keeps you busy here, good exercise maybe. But to pay this kind of money to eat at this failing restaurant is a big mistake. read more

I had a very unsettling experience at Donato & Co. We signed the $300 bill and tipped on top of their living wage. Ten minutes after we left I received a call from the restaurant stating that I signed the wrong copy of the receipt. Instead of following the tip that I did leave they specifically asked what tip amount I wanted to leave. I left my usual 18% and ended the call. About three minutes after that the manager called asking why I didn't leave a higher tip, which was very unprofessional. This establishment has a living wage calculated into the bill and they hounded me by calling me twice regarding a tip. This was extremely unprofessional and disrespectful. They attempted to explain their calculations and policies very rudely. Apparently the living wage is only for the kitchen staff and the establishment does not pay the servers enough to live off of according to the manager. Instead of paying staff an appropriate amount the managers require patrons to support their employees through tips. If the patrons do not tip enough they will get called and berated by managers. We did make a reservation but still waited nearly 30 minutes for our stable. The food was very good. Nothing stood out as exceptional but all the food has a on unique flavor profile. My friend got the squid ink pasta and did say that it was delicious. I got the the Bolognese pasta which was perfectly adequate. It was a nice helping with what tasted like unsalted pork. The sauce had a great consistency and the wine was bubbly and refreshing. The table did get a variety of appetizers to share all of which where good. The bruschetta came with three pieces of bread which was disappointing. The plating and presentation was very well done. We also got a round of desert with the winner being the chocolate au chocolate. The entire evening with ruined by the harassing calls demanding a higher tip even though we did tip the standard 18%. To have a manager call a second time was entirely uncalled for and frankly extremely rude. I would not recommend this restaurant not matter how decadent their salads are or how scrumptious their desserts look. read more

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Four of us had lunch recently at Donato & Co. We were greeted and seated immediately and the waitstaff introduced us to the menu and the specials. Drinks and appetizer (brushetta) were served quickly. The restaurant is clean, comfortable and not as noisy as most popular lunch spots. I had the spaghettoni with spicy pork. There was a lot of heat in this dish, so that all you could taste is the pepper. The pasta was thick and a bit too al dente for my tastes. The dish had no visible pork and was a basic tomato basil sauce. Overall, I was disappointed in this dish, and to steal a line from Woody Allen: "The food was terrible! And the portions were so small!" By way of saying that if you enjoy that level of spice and al dente pasta, the portion was surprisingly small. Two of our party got the Lunch Pollo salad. They reported that the chicken was very thin and leathery; difficult to cut with a knife. The dressing was mostly oil. Our fourth person ordered the Calamari special but was informed that the calamari dish was exclusively octopus, since they had run out of squid. He ordered it in spite of that and reported that the octopus was delicious. He reported the presence of olive pit (or octopus beak?) fragment that he had bitten to the waitstaff. Lastly, the four of us escaped with a tab of $175, with no alcohol, 2 beverages, brushetta appetizer and 4 entrees. $18 for 3 pieces of bruschetta?! The lunch was not a great value for the money. read more

The service was good. Appetizers were delicious. Chicken liver was the star. Unfortunately, the meal went downhill from there. We went for a nice dinner with the family, everybody's pasta dish was mediocre to almost inedible. The food was overpriced. The flavor profile was off. The only thing that was worth the value was the kids pasta which was $8. read more

My wife and I were looking for a restaurant in Berkeley to enjoy before taking in a show at the Berkeley Rep. I really enjoyed the Branzino, a pan seared sea bass served with this unique black rice. My wife tried the Spaghettoni. It was a bit too al dente for her. She did enjoy the Pinot Nero wine. The servers were very friendly and helpful. Looking forward to experiencing more restaurants in Berkeley:) read more

Dined party of 2 for lunch and had the place mostly to ourselves. This is hands down the most authentic Italian cuisine I've ever had, like literally I expected Joe Bastianich to come strolling out of the kitchen. Beautiful decor with lots of natural light. Interesting cork panel worth a photo. If you love Italian, this is the place! Definitely recommend the Baccala! It's a lovely lite bite wonderful as a prelude to your meal. read more

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The radicchio salad was overdressed and very anchovy forward without a sharp enough cheese to balance it out. The sous vide chicken with mashed potatoes and brussels was bland and needed acid. We asked for any kind of sauce to give it some oomph and the server brought a lemon vinaigrette, which helped. For this food at this price point I would go with two stars, but my cocktail was good, the service was pretty good, and the atmosphere and lighting were cozy. read more