Restaurant donatellos Reviews

Great family running a great family restaurant. Food is wonderful.

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.

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!

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?

Delicious food and incredible service. The staff were so friendly and accommodating even while dealing with all the COVID-19 restrictions. Their smiles were evident even behind their masks.
We definitely would like to return the next time we are in the area. A wonderful experience, especially after a long day on the road. Thank you!

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

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

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

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

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!

We don t make the drive to Carmel for dinner too often, but I was tempted by the family size shrimp garlic cream pasta. It came with salad, garlic bread, and fried ravioli. We were hooked from the first taste of salad dressing (it came with ranch and a vinaigrette, both were a awesome). The shrimp were large, fresh, and perfectly cooked. We will be watching Facebook for future family deals while we quarantine, and we ll look forward to visiting in person someday too. If the food was amazing after the 25 minute drive home, I know we re going to love it in person!!!

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! :)

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

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.

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.

Amazing food, great service, and nice dining environment

We had a reservation on Valentine's Day and, unfortunately, had a long wait despite having a reservation. It seemed that they were way overbooked because there were multiple couples waiting for the same time slot. The woman who was seating couples was apologetic for the wait, but she was very intense rather than being calm and kind. Our server was great overall, but we were disappointed that he didn't offer for one of us to try our wine (as is normal at restaurants like this) before committing to the bottle. Another disappointment came when my meal arrived. The server claimed that they were out of the meat sauce as he brought out the spaghetti with marinara and set it in front of me. Then another server ran up behind him and said they did have meat sauce. The problem was that they just added the meat sauce on top of the spaghetti that already had sauce, rather than replacing it, so it ended up being drowned in way too much sauce. We might give this place another try on a less busy evening, but for the price and wait, there was much left to be desired.

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!

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

I really enjoyed the food! A great meal and totally would recommend, my only problem is that our waitress was extremely rude but the other waiters seemed very kind and well experienced. Overall, an okay experience and amazing food.

Very disappointed. $40 meal. Vegetables were mush, chicken was rubbery and bland, and pasta was obviously not homemade.. Boxed pasta from an "Italian" restaurant charging that kind of money? Don't get me started on the calamari steak strips, whatever that means. Disgusting. After I took these photos I took everything and through it away.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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!

Extremely disappointing! Our waitress made us feel like we were a burden. While people coming in after us were served their drinks and bread quickly, we had to ask for our bread 3(!) times. Cesar salad was ok. Bruschetta not: bread was bland and the tomatoes out of a can and cold. Tortellini Michelangelo (out of a box) was drenched in salty sauce and not al dente. Veal Saltimbocca tasteless and bad quality meat. We did not finish our meals and definitely politely declined the box offer. Considering this was our first dinner out during the pandemic we were more than disappointed

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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!

In a very strange time to eat out, they brought comfort and attentiveness to an extremely pleasant level, food was great and no issue with my special order. Fantastic job!

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

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.

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.

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.

Lemon gelota tasted a bit chalky otherwise, excellent.

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

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!

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

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.

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!

Best meat lover's pizza I think I've ever had. Am proud to support you and the Carmel Symphony Orchestra!

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.

Setting was fantastic. Staff was amazing. Attentive, polite, definitely a serving mindset. Couldn't ask for more.

The food could have been better. It looked great. Played very well. But the sauce seemed bland (I added salt. could have used garlic). Chicken was a bit dry. Tiramisu was not good. One side had way too strong of a liquor flavor (literally made me shudder), other side was bland.

I will go back. I'd want a different dish, though. Maybe a red sauce instead of the Alfredo.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cute little place with nice atmosphere and good Italian food

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Food was only passable. Super bland, obviously not homemade as touted and SUPER over priced for the quality. Really disappointed.