Restaurant: Donatello
Cuisine: Italian
Location: Downtown
Address: 37 Elm St
Price Range: $20-30
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 4
Extra information:
*Authentic Italian cuisine
*2 floors
*Full course avail
*Patio on 2nd floor
Donatello is one of few restaurants located at Elm street and Yonge. I first found out about this place because my friend recommended it to me when we were trying to decide where to go for dinner. I've been to couple pasta places in downtown Toronto already such as Mercatto and Terroni but I am always up for some delicious pasta so I said yes.
We arrived around 7'ish and they asked us if we had reservation. We didn't and the only seats avail were outside on the patio of 2nd floor so we just decided to sit there. The balcony is small but really beautiful with all the rocks and greens creating this cave feel. However, note that there is no heater so it will get chilly.
Ordered: GRILLED CALAMARI 3/5
*2 medium sized calamari on greens for $
*Fresh grilled calamari on top of carrot pieces and salad
*It was a little burnt but there was that very distinct 'grilled' taste
*Sprinkled lemon and pepper on top for flavor
*It didn't come with any sauce nor were there any on the salad
*It was good on it's own but it felt kind of bland
Ordered: LINGUINI VONGOLE 4/5
*Pasta with Vongole(clams) is my favorite type of pasta, hands down
*I was super excited to find this choice here because I didn't see it at Mercatto or Terroni
*They offer fresh pepper and cheese on top
*The bowl doesn't look that big, but it's very deep
*Came with lots of small sized clams (around 15 or more)
*I chose the white wine sauce
*All the soup/white wine sauce sits on the bottom so make sure to mix it well
*I couldn't even finish this pasta so I had to take the leftover home(YAY for leftover pasta)
*This pasta was so good and so far my favorite in Toronto
Ordered: CRAB AND GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI 4/5
*Off of Special menu of the day for $
*My friend ordered this so I just tried a bite of it
*It comes with 5-6 big ravioli pieces topped with creamy tomato sauce
*Inside is filled with crab pieces and goat cheese
*crab and goat cheese goes very well together, creating a creamy velvety filling perfect for the thin ravioli
*Creamy tomato sauce was bursting with flavor and it went really well with the pasta
Ordered: SHRIMPS ALLA DIAVOLA 3/5
*Shrimps in spicy garlic oil from Lunch Appetizer menu for $12.95
*Around 10 medium sized shrimp dunked in garlic butter sauce
*Sauce is perfect for dipping bread
*This appetizer tastes really good with the complimentary bread
*Shrimp could be a little bigger
*Kind of on the pricey side
Summary: Service was excellent both times I went. Everyone working there starting from host to busser is super friendly and genuine. I love the laid back italian home atmosphere and feel like I can enjoy my meal there without any pressure and enjoy my time there. Next time I go back, I would like to have the full course Italian meal with dessert and wine :)