Donnini’s
Description
Family owned and operated DONNINI’S relaxed atmosphere and sincere approach to traditional cooking provides the perfect environment for family get-togethers, intimate dinners and business lunches alike.
Contact Information
Address
5 Star Google Reviews
Friendly staff and prompt service. The pasta is exceptional. The menu changes along with the season which is great to see. It is one, if not the only, restaurants on Lygon that does this. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients with each bite. we have never been disappointed with our meal selections.It is pricey but worth it if you want someGreat pasta along lygon Street!
Celia C
07:33 11 Nov 18
Warm staff, fresh, delicious menu and cozy atmosphere. Stopped in for a quick dinner after work. Homemade pasta was delightful and prompt service was much appreciated.
Cheryl Palange
08:11 26 Sep 18
Great fresh pasta. Friendly and attentive wait staff. A nice warm atmosphere. Will definitely return.
monstaman101
11:25 28 Sep 18
Superb service. Food price is slightly higher than average but completely worth it. Handmade pasta is thick, could tell its difference with instant pasta.Portion isn't huge but sufficient.Must try the tagliatelle.
Anastasia Anisa
09:42 30 Jul 18
The most amazing restaurant experience. The food was to die for, the staff were welcoming, friendly and incredibly inviting. We just loved every minute of our time there. We ate there twice because we loved the food and staff so much. Thank you everyone.
Eileen Breaden
10:35 15 Jul 18
Beautiful food. Donnini's is well spaced out so you get a bit of privacy from other tables. The waiting staff are very friendly and knowledgeable for dishes suitable to dietary needs. The pasta is home made and top notch. If you aren't what to get they have a plate where you can select three pastas! Our group enjoyed all our dishes.
Chip Ip
09:33 23 Jan 19
Parking:Can get a bit challenging as it is located on a busy street with a lot of eateries.Food:Authentic Italian fare that also includes pizza. Food the food to be absolutely outstanding. We were a group of 5 and each one of us enjoyed our dinner thoroughly. Service:The service was extremely warm and efficient. The wait staff were also particularly accommodating and served us with a smile. The owner himself came up to our table several times to ensure that we were comfortable and well looked after. He took the time to make a personal connect with a friend's child in a buddy restaurant. This speaks a lot about their attitude towards the customers.
Anthony Huang
20:24 09 Jan 19
Friendly service but not vegetarian friendly. The only two vegetarian options were a tortellini and a gnocchi, unfortunately I don't like both of them. They offered to make the prawn pasta without prawns, but why would I pay $30 for a garlic & chill pasta...
dontguess noname
08:00 14 Jan 19
Pasta was amazing, portion was generous. We visited for a late lunch, alfresco dining area was still quite busy with customers. The service here was really great too. A little surprised that they didn’t serve us any bread before our meal but we still enjoyed our lunch at Donnini’s!
Karyn Ong
18:05 03 Dec 18
The wait staff were lovely but they got my order completely wrong. Gave me the wrong menu to order from then gave me the right menu with nothing other than seafood and one vegetarian pasta dish. Slow service, kids screaming. Offered to comp some off our order... took $8 of $110 bill.. that didn’t even cover the bottle of sparkling water we ordered. The food that did come out was mushy and over cooked. So disappointed for my birthday dinner. Oh well... just won’t go back.
megan873
09:49 19 Jan 19
Good Lord😍😍 these meals were absolutely to die for. Authentic, full of flavour and the waiters seriously need to be congratulated on their brilliant customer service. It was an all-around perfect experience that I will be telling others about.
Jazmin Bree
03:32 20 Mar 19
Was recommended by a friend so had high expectations. The food was good but not mind blowing - I feel DOC espresso nearby wins out but not by much. The waiter seemed to want us out of the place not long after we were done eating which was a bit weird since the restaurant was half empty.
Pasan K
10:28 10 Mar 19
One of my favourite places on Lygon St, we've been back many times over the years. The lasagne is to die for, great selection of wines, atmosphere is laid back sophistication. I cannot recommend this gem enough!
Jessica Saville
09:40 16 Apr 19
Went there for lunch. Wanted to have pizzas as the website showed pictures of pizza. But they don't serve pizzas... apparently the website is not updated. Staff were mostly helpful and the food (pasta, bruschetta etc) was good. The white chocolate dessert was however a let down. Its not a value for the money being charged. There are several better Italian restaurants on Lygon street.
prasanth govindapuram
08:32 02 Aug 19
My fiance and I had dinner here on a Saturday night where we enjoyed a linguini pasta meal and a trio of their famous home-made pastas. To say that these pastas were phenomenal is an understatement. I have never tried such good quality, fresh pasta in my life and this blew me away. The service was also great, and the timing of the meals were surprisingly quick given how busy the restaurant was. The waiters were very friendly and made us feel like we were in our own home. Thank you.
Isaac Herrera
03:07 02 Jun 19
Donnini's is a very friendly welcoming restaurant. Makes you feel like family upon entry. Staff are amazing, food is fantastic too. Highly recommend.
Colette
11:06 18 Jun 19
Beautifully prepared and cooked Italian fare. Excellent service and hospitality. Can't wait to return.
Philip Wishart
05:36 02 Jul 19
Amazing pasta in generous helpings. We turned up on a busy Saturday night and the waiter tried very hard to make sure we still squeezed into a table.
Ryan Ayton
03:03 19 Aug 19
Went here with my family for my husband's birthday. The food was beautiful - very simple and authentic. Just how Italian food is supposed to be. Service was fantastic. Staff were warm and efficient. Will definitely be recommending to family and friends.
Dana Collins
11:38 22 Sep 19
All five of us enjoyed the meals. Absolutely no hesitation in recommending. I dont generally like gnocchi, but theirs was delicious. Its only a four star rating here because i am not a huge Italian food fan, so have to save my fives for a different style!
Ross Anderson
11:22 19 Sep 19
Italian food that is a cut above the competition. Warm, classy, atmosphere with very friendly, professional and attentive staff. Portion size was more than expected. The freshly made pasta makes a surprising difference to the experience. If you want a quality Italian meal, Donninis would have to be a first choice that won't disappoint.
Joe Austin-Crowe
11:32 24 Sep 19
Pasta was delicious. Very attentive staff! Never had an empty glass. Only downside is that it is a bit pricey but worth it!
Nix Lapham
08:36 01 Sep 19
Fantastic authentic Italian food, handmade pasta and the Donnini's wine has to be tried. Service is fantastic and friendly too and the generous servings were spot on. This would be a great place for a romantic dinner or a family get together
Grant Newdick
06:48 22 Sep 19
An iconic Carlton family restaurant. Food like Nonna cooks. No place has come close to their 'Foccacia' simply mouth watering 🏆
Chandrika de Silva
07:52 13 Nov 19
I had the trio of pasta and it was some of the best pasta I've eaten in a long time. The wine list was a but limited, but gee... the pasta was sensational. Highly recommended.
Gav Flower
20:50 21 Jan 20
Very disappointing experience. Pasta was really below average. Food Portions were tiny. Food was overpriced. Had better pasta at Noturno Across the road for half the price. So bad value. Never again..
Van Nguyen
13:06 28 Jan 20
Excellent experience. And this was on a long weekend, usually meaning at least some of the best staff are on holidays, right? Very seldom something isn’t an issue - for me at least, anyway - and this was one of those rare, great meals, where nothing detracted from the experience. Food ingredients were beautifully fresh and great flavours. Service was impeccable. Not just professional and timely, but all staff were genuinely keen to ensure we had a great meal. Bruschetta to start with Prosecco. Mains of artichoke ravioli and prawn linguine. Thank you for a great lunch!
Tim Sharp
07:52 29 Jan 20
Delicious authentic Italian, great service from the staff here too. Amazing bruschetta and the trio of pasta is a must! ♡ Highly recommend if you are after some really good Italian food on Lygon!
Victoria Williamson
02:39 20 Feb 20
As we approached our final day in the magnificent country of Australia our family sought out Italian fare. Much to our surprise this was the BEST EVER service, authentic food, wine and ambiance. One of the best meals out our party of 6 has ever had! This is a seven of five stars for sure!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kathleen Fuller
11:11 24 Feb 20
Changing rating from 5, to 3 as I've been here on various occasions. Love the pastas/bespoke wine list and for that reason alone will go back. However, my fairly recent experience had a misunderstanding with staff about quantity of food orders which were met with a bit of hostility, defense and accusatory reactions rather than hospitality. I've worked in food service myself so understand how it goes. After this the rest of the dining experience was a bit tense and couldn't leave fast enough. Still left a tip.
Erica Campbell
11:17 21 Feb 20
Beautiful food. Donnini's is well spaced out so you get a bit of privacy from other tables. The waiting staff are very friendly and knowledgeable for dishes suitable to dietary needs. The pasta is home made and top notch. If you aren't what to get they have a plate where you can select three pastas! Our group enjoyed all our dishes.
Chip Ip
09:33 23 Jan 19
