Food review of Donatello Italian restaurant on Orford Lane

Donatello on Orford Lane is a favourite among pizza and pasta lovers in the town, with customers frequently returning, knowing they will get a good feed.

We visited recently for a midweek meal and some drinks – and we sure were not disappointed.

The drinks menu boasts a good selection of wines and beers, with a selection of gins also available if that is your tipple of choice.

Some of the group went for a carafe of the house white wine and others went for a bottle of Peroni – when in Rome, as they say.

Donatello Italian restaurant on Orford Lane

For starters, we decided upon a garlic bread pizza to share. Always a winner that rarely leaves you disappointed.

The great thing about Donatello is that they allow for a half-and-half option for those with differing tastes, or those like us who were that spoilt for choice they wanted both.

Now we are big on our Italian cuisine, but the garlic bread starter we chose – half cheese and half picante (tomato, chilli, and onion) – really hit the ball out of the park.

The bread base was springy and tasty, while the mozzarella was stretchy and delicious, complimented well by a slice of the picante, which offered not too much of a kick, but enough to leave you satisfied and smiling.

half cheese and half picante garlic bread pizza

Service was quick and staff were very friendly and chatty, but not overenthusiastic, giving you the chance to fully enjoy your food and soak up the ambiance.

It has been a good few years since our last visit, with the restaurant having undergone a well-designed renovation during that time.

While not the same as al fresco dining sat in a Florentine piazza on a warm Tuscan evening, the interior does make you feel you are Italy itself and not in Orford – as charmful as that can be.

For the main course, as a group of pasta lovers, we opted for three different pasta dishes.

Penne all’ amatriciana

My choice was penne all’ amatriciana, described on the menu as penne pasta in a tomato sauce with bacon, onions, garlic, chillies and fresh basil.

Again, the course was faultless. The pasta was neither too hard nor soggy, soaking up well the tomato based sauce which contained enough of a spice kick without blowing your head off.

A nice touch was the cooked cherry tomatoes within the dish, which was overall very enjoyable.

One of my fellow diners opted for penne della casa – penne pasta in a creamy white sauce with chicken, asparagus, parmesan cheese, mushrooms and a hint of chilli.

Penne della casa

They too were happy with their choice, with the asparagus offering a different but welcome change from typical pasta dishes.

The third of us enjoyed penne arrabiata – but not as you may normally know it.

It was served as chicken and mushrooms baked in a hot spicy tomato sauce with parmesan cheese, topped with mozzarella and rather uniquely a fresh egg, with penne pasta added.

The egg on top was an unusual but delicious surprise, with yolk oozing out after being broken, assisting the tasty sauce in making the dish very satisfying.

Penne arrabiata

Although the menu offered a good selection of desserts, the three of us were too full to try any.

However, we did see staff bringing some out to an eagerly waiting neighbouring table, and the dishes looked both appealing and well proportioned.

Comparing it to other Italian restaurants we have tried recently, Donatello was certainly one of if not the best, and the price was reasonable alongside its fellow continental eateries.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely be returning in the future.