Had a great night out with magnificent food - 3 on our table ordered the prawns with linguine. The prawns were so numerous that I was offered a handful - must have been 15-20 a serve. Table service was excellent and we felt very comfortable and attended to. Would come back for any further special occasions.
‘Luscious Lygon’
Mouthwatering food that was so good that I have to rate it as the best I I’ve had since I can remember.
I had their Bruschetta to start which was very fresh, the right amount of tomatoes drizzled with some fine quality oil but the actual bread was perfectly cooked also.
Then I tried their Tagliatelle Al Ragu which was superb as their pasta is hand but it was the right amount of sauce, the consistency of the dish was amazing.
Now the next dish was their Bolognese LASAGNA with béchamel, parmigiano reggiano. This dish would have to be up there in quality taste for me and when I was given a spoon I wasn’t sure why but then realised that i was able to glide the spoon through the lasagne like it was soft fluffy cream. This was so tasty and satisfying that that I ate the whole dish and I reckon I could of polished the remainder sauce on the plate if I had a piece of bread left.
A definite return for lunch and dinner is on my 4-sure list to do.
Came to Donnini’s for Sunday lunch after reading promising reviews online. It definitely did not disappoint. I could not fault our meals or service. Absolutely delicious! I had the linguine prawns and my partner had the veal tagliatelle. Simple menu, good wine list and friendly service. Will definitely be coming back.
Great home made pasta with ohh so fresh ingredients. This has been my pasta house for almost 20 years now.
Great wine list on offer to match up with your pasta
We visited Donnini’s last night. We ordered 2 entree size Pasta’s (Tris Pasta & Linguine w Prawns), one bruschetta, one garlic/cheese focaccia, a glass of wine and two beers totalling $120.00. Both pasta dishes were full of flavour, the hand made pasta was lite and velvety deliciousness and the produce was so fresh and was of such good quality. A bit on the pricey side but worth it for the quality of the food. The stand out for me was the good quality olive oil and the prawns were exceptional. The only criticism I have is that the menu is small, I really felt like carbonara but it was not on the menu.
I also must add that the service was exceptional. We had a lovely young man serve us and he was very helpful and polite.
I've been here twice and both times had some of the best pasta I've ever had!
Really lovely Italian on Lygon, a nice change from the cheaper nasty stuff around!
I have been here a number of times and every time is a good experience. The customer service is always excellent, they are obviously very passionate about their estaurant. Trio of pasta is fantastic!
Had a wonderful meal at Donnini’s. The pasta was perfect and the bruschetta was delicious. The service was excellent. Will definitely be back again.
Visiting from Perth and came on recommendations from friends. My partner and I shared - focaccia bread, lasagna and the tortellini mascarpone. Everything was amazing! The lasagna is was the best I’ve had in a long time and the pasta was like soft pillows of heaven. Yum!
We come here often - the food and service are consistently of a higher standard. Yet to be disappointed. The 3 pastas - tris di pasta donnini - must be their signature dish: perfect pastas.
Loved everything about this place, is well known and have heard all good things. The stand out was the trio pasta which gave so much variety and different texture to the dish.
I don’t often give 5* but this place deserves it. Good honest clean fresh Italian food. Great service and at a wonderful price. We are planning to go back many times to eat the entire menu!
PASTA TRIS that is all you need to know!!!
PASTA TRIS PASTA TRIS PASTA TRIS PASTA TRIS PASTA TRIS
This is the best dish on Lygon Street hands down.
Donnini’s at Carlton. I like the spaghetti with fresh prawn mussels calamari. Great Italian restaurant with good ambience. Fine dining restaurant with good service. It is highly recommended.
Such a nice little pasta place on Lygon Street!
You'd be silly not to order the trio di pasta donnini 🍝 and get a taste of three different pasta! It was delicious and the staff were friendly and attentive!
THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD IN THE WOOOOOOORLDDDDD!! Best place everrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’nnnnnnnnmm!!!!!’nnnn!!!!!
My friend Duyen told me about this place a while ago, she said the pasta was amazing, and i finally got the opportunity to go today! And we ordered this trio of pastas so we got to try three different ones! Omg the gnocchi was delicious!!! And i loved those green pasta parcel thingys!! Yes the food here is delicious. The staff were so friendly and awesome! I love this place :) highly recommended 😋
I kept it simple tonight and had a glass of Sangiovese along with the home made gnocchi. The Sangiovese was great but they always are. The star of the meal was hands down the gnocchi. It came recommended by the lovely waitress, and to quote her "It is the best on the street!". Hard words to live up too but hot dam did they pull it off. My meal consisted of a simple tomato and basil sauce accompanied by little pillows of clouds. They just simply fell apart in your mouth. In my opinion they well and truely lived up to their claim!
You could easily just order from their great wine list and enjoy yourself but you would be missing out. Really missing out on some great food.
Great pasta, similar to what you might actually find in Italy. Recommend the tortelli. Very attentive service, being given a table right away and with the waiters always filling up your glasses of water immediately. 1 star less as the main prices for the pastas could be listed on the menu and everything (2 x appetisers, 3x main pastas) for a group of 3 worked out to be around 125.00 which was pretty expensive.
The best Italian restaurant in Melbourne! 25 years I have been coming here and the food and family are as magical as have always been . Mi amore!
Huge fan. Pasta is excellent quality. Service friendly. Food comes quite quickly. They could easily accommodate my pram and baby slept while I enjoyed my delicious trio of pasta.
Review from February 2017
The Donnini family's been serving Melbourne Italian food since 1952. At Donnini's on Lygon St, the handmade tortellini is the specialty. Apparently this spinach and ricotta tortellini with cream of mascarpone has been on the menu for over 30 years (you can even find the recipe online!). It comes with the "tris di pasta Donnini", and it's the clear highlight of the three. Rich, creamy and utterly delicious. 😋
Pictured: gnocchi al pomodoro, tortellini di ricotta, tagliatelle al ragu nostro
Wow our lunch was fantastic. The service, the food and the atmosphere.
The home made pasta and tiramisu was to die for.... its a must have.
Marco the owner is lovely and on the floor to make sure everyone is being looked after.
This is the way Lygon Street should be simple and amazing. Thanks everyone!!!
Nice italian food with a good wine list. Staff are always friendly and enjoying a meal al fresco on lygon street makes for a very pleasant lunch or dinner.
Love this place and have been going for years. They serve good food but for me it is an order of Focaccia and a Veal Piadina on arrival before a main of the Lingine Con Gamberi, (no it's not house made but I love the combination). The Tris Di Pasta Donnini is also a great mix and nice to share. And then you can order a Panacotta, perfect every time. We have always found the staff to be polite and do a great job. The restaurant it's self is spacious and clean. Nothing to complain about here and will be continuing to return into the future.
Don't forget to click "FOLLOW" if you like my honest and how I saw it review.
My all time favourite pasta treat
I come here when I feel like spoiling myself with rich, quality, hand made pasta!
Their pasta tasting plate is always a winner
The handmade pasta and gnocchi were absolutely delicious....probably the best I've had in a while. The snapper was cooked to perfection - crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Service was also excellent! This is just the place to go when you're craving for great Italian food that's made with love.
Great food and excellent service. Went for dinner and each person has a different meal - we also ordered sides. None of the meals could be faulted. Staff were very attentive and was overall a great experience. Only rated 4.5 out of 5 because the meals could have been slightly bigger for my taste.
Been here a few times now and really like it. Menu is limited though all the food I've has been spot on. Only issue I've had is the sauce for the tortellini dish was a bit sweet and heavy so couldn't finish it. Otherwise all fantastic.
Food is so good of course, but that's not I want to say , the manager had given us a surprise because during the dinner we had a chat and he knew tonight is my wife's birthday! Then when I wanted to pay he asked me to stay coz he had already prepared a dessert for us! How sweet he is! And the team had provided awesome service and made us feel warm here :) Thank you!
One of the established Italian restaurants in Lygon Street, Carlton. With fewer Italian eating choices now in this once heart of Italian dining in Melbourne, which is now filled with kebabaries, uni student drinking pits and cookie cutter gentrified cafes and take aways, Donnini's still serves well priced Italian dishes in a lovely restaurant space.
The foccacia bread is worth waiting for, baked fresh, nice salty crust with olive oil. Tip, order the bread when being seated so chef can get it in the oven!
Main course-Tortelli DI Ricotta, best bowl of pasta I've eaten for a very very long time!
Al dente pasta plump full of lovely fresh ricotta cheese in a mascapone cream. Generous serving.
Good but small wine list by the glass, a decent Montepuliciano for $12 per glass, Menabrea beer $9 each.
Lastly the Tiramisu, served in a nice sized stemless glass, beautiful, not too rich and a nice dusting of good Italian cocoa on top.
Short Macchiato served perfectly, to finish.
Will be returning.
Excellent pasta on Lygon St. Had the tris di pasta, and my favorite was the tortellini among the three selections. The filling of mascarpone was really standout!
Best pasta in Lygon St. Started off with a delicious, tasty bruschetta - the tomatoes must be organic to taste this good.
Ordered the main serve of Tortelli Di Ricotta with cream of mascarpone. The pasta is soft, hot, with a beautiful spinach and ricotta filling. The mascarpone compliments the pasta well. Opted for parmesan on top when asked but you can go either way.
Wine list is excellent. Donnini's is my pasta destination!
Service as always is friendly.
What a delight it was to stumble upon this magnificent restaurant! Not only was the food delectable and the 'real and authentic Italian deal', the staff were attentive, friendly engaging and fun. This is now my go to restaurant in Carlton. Yum!
This is the second time my partner and I have eaten here when in Melbourne. Food is really good and the atmosphere is nice. The service is amazing as well. Totally recommend.
We have been here many times over the years and still keep coming back for that tris di pasta dish! The service is always impeccable, the waiters and waitresses are lovely and always recommend great wines. The atmosphere is relaxed but sophisticated and we just love it every single time and are yet to have a negative experience. All the food on the menu is made with pride and care and we can see how passionate the staff are about their cuisine. Excellent restaurant and I definitely recommend it.
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I hadn't been back to Donnini's in more than 5 years but I always remember their pasta fondly ... Especially the pasta trio which I used to always order here. My favourite was the spinach and ricotta one.
This time around, the pasta was not as good as I remembered. Perhaps my tastebuds have matured and I have tried a lot more pastas since then. My favourite was still the spinach and ricotta pasta but being so creamy, I could only handle about 2-3 bundles of it before feeling too full. The other pastas were OK, but not amazing.
My husband had one of their pizzas (forgot which one) which he said was OK but not out of the ordinary. He preferred my pastas over the pizza. Service was quick and courteous.
So overall, I think the pastas are still nice but I no longer hold Donnini's in such a high regard anymore. There is so much competition these days and their menu isn't broad enough to be as enticing anymore. Also we couldn't help but notice how so very busy the nearby DOC espresso is in comparison to Donnini's. Perhaps a sign of how times have changed ... We used to have to wait for a seat at Donnini's, not anymore.
The trio of pasta is what I came here for and it was delicious... Tortellini with a ricotta sauce then a gnocchi pomodoro and a fettuccine bolognese all very good and an entree size is probably big enough. Other people on the table ordered veal and the fish which was very ordinary but that was just poor ordering from them... You go to Donninis for pasta
Love their lasagne. The best I have ever had. Come back for it for several times.
Still the best!
The price is a bit higher than average lasagne but definitely worth it.
We've been here twice now - loved it both times. Pizza and pasta to share between us. Satisfying in all aspects. Very friendly staff and atmosphere.
Nice ambience, attentive and friendly waiters/waitresses, and above al, great food.
Visited this restaurant the other day with a friend from the States and we both loved everything about the restaurant. Looking at the people in the restaurant, you are also filled with a sense of euphoria not just because of the food and the company you have, but also the other customers and the restaurant people all fondly interacting with each other and apparently having a great time.
Great appetizer, tasty soup, and nice pasta! Will go back there again with my family next time.
Best pasta on lygon street, big call but it's true ! You can rely on the sauce being perfect & the pasta fresh every time. Try the trio of pastas - the large to share, along with salads makes a perfect meal !
Even though we had to wait for a while, the taste was great! Especially the bruschetta, it was fresh from the oven and it had a very soft texture to it
Great Italian food here! Totally worth the trek in the Rain. Nice ambience and great food, pricing is reasonable. Definitely would come back again.
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---October 2018----
Back again for a quick dinner on a Saturday night, luck was on our side as they were full and a table for two outside was just leaving as we arrived. The table service was great and attentive and we were looked after really well although they seemed to be under staffed as the waiters ran from table to table as if they were in a race. The food here had always been great, not large in quantity but packed with quality and attention to detail. The menu is not large but the is something for everyone. Our fish of the day was perfect as was the seafood linguine. It's a really nice place to celebrate an occasion with a quality meal in a lovely surrounding. Try it.
-----October, 2015 -----
Popped in for a quick meal on a warm Sunday evening. The restaurant still looks modern, clean with a slightly formal touch. Seating is comfortable and amble and with acceptable spacing between tables where you can have a conversation without having to yell to be heard. The staff are very friendly and accommodating without being obtrusive. We shared some pizza’s between the four of us and they were great, thin crust, good size and not overflowing with ingredients. It’s all about quality not the quantity. We finished off with some beautiful cannoli with a light and flaky pastry. Prices a reasonable 18-25 dollars for a pizza and a lovely fennel salad for 15 dollars. Definitely worth a return visit and really worth a visit if you don’t mind spending a few extra dollars extra to enjoy quality food in a quality setting.
When I'm in Lygon I come here for my favorite Italian. I usually order the pasta but the pizzas look also very good. Decent price, not cheap but not on the high end either.
Matt Without The Cravat
+5
It was absolutely amazing! I had the three pastas, all were amazing but the tortellini stole the show. Absolutely amazing, great service and amazing food that tantalises the taste buds!
Quick service, good home made gnocchi, I had the calamari but wish I'd had pasta as it looked really good. Filling mains so couldn't manage dessert.
Lovely starter of crispy cracker-like bread with fior di latte and San Daniele prosciutto. Entree of tortellini in sage butter was a revelation.
Sadly, our main of the tri pastas, that so many rave about was a disaster... Flavourless
Gnocchi in pomodoro, floury spinach and ricotta ravioli in cream and mushy over cooked tagliatelle in a tomato ragu. I really appreciate house made pasta. It was such a shame as the Panna cotta dessert was perfectly balanced and delightful.
I would love to return again and try some different dishes. Neither of us had anything to drink. We just shared one starter, entree, main and dessert. Our bill came to $95...
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We have been dining at Donnini's for a couple of years now and always look forward to the whole experience. The food is authentic, fresh and appetizing! We can never go past the calamari and the gnocchi and the pizzas for starters ! We have been joined by many different guests, throughout our visits, all of whom highly rate the quality cuisine and attentive, professional (yet personable and warm) service. Tonight we celebrated my son's 20th birthday with family and friends and I specifically chose Donnini's because I could feel confident that the food would be great (irrespective of what one would choose from the suitably diverse menu) and moreso that the service would be first class! Chelsea and Gareth, in particular, are standout hosts that work to exceed expectations and ensure you have an enjoyable experience. Consistently attentive and friendly! Thank you Chelsea for your impeccable service tonight and for contributing to making our celebration such a positive and fabulous one! Your guidance with the menu, delivery of meals and sense of fun is greatly appreciated!
Quick and attentive customer service.
Fresh and tasty pasta. Totally loved it. Would go back for more. Ordered the Tri-pasta plate.
The Bruschetta was interesting as it wasn't your regular bruschetta that one would get in restaurants. This was one was coarsely constructed but yet had all the flavors. Really liked it.
Perhaps the only let down was the average Pizza. Twas surprisingly a tad bit cold and lacked any excitement. It was a rather boring Pizza one which you wouldn't want to go back for second serves. Overall an very good experience I must say. I don't let one dish ruin everything so I rate it a 4/5.
I love this place and used to come here pretty often a few years back. The pasta is really superb, and the service was very warm and personal. Other than the occassional "off" day when they have a busy service, my experiences here have been very positive. Somehow I prefer the cream-based pastas here than the tomato-based or aglio olio, but hey one man's....
Donnini's is my favourite place to eat. The quality of food and its preparation are without parallel. Carlton is full of Crapitalian along with their street spruikers. Don't confuse Donnini's with that mob of cowboys who are as authentic as a spaghetti western. Keep doing the real thing Donnini's.
Had the trio of pasta, came out reasonably quick. The ricotta tortellini (middle) is absolutely amazing, so I'm hoping next time that is on the menu as an alone dish. Super fresh pasta & ingredient's! Soo yum.
Staff were very relaxed & friendly. Everything about this place is just a really good vibe!
The spinach and ricotta tortellini is to die for. Pizzas are pretty good too. Very attractive waitstaff ;) great dining
Loved the food. Loved the Prawn pasta and bruschetta. Their focaccia is divine.
Great Afternoon of superb Pasta and company.. I can't reccomend Donninis enough, the food was awesome and the service spearheaded by Chelsea was some of the best I've experienced. We had a table of 6 with minimal notice and were looked after superbly. Chelsea made us feel like old friends and made great recommendations for the meal and accompanying wines. We will be back next time we're in Melbourne.
Best Pasta EVER. Cannot fault anything at all with Donnini's, Firstly the service was amazing!!!! I had the tortellini and Have to honestly say it was the best pasta I have ever eaten, my husband had the gnocchi which were like soft pillows of goodness...Everyone at our table enjoyed everything!!! To die for!!!! yum yum yum.....Cannot wait to dine in and indulge again x
Jackie
The best Italian food on Lygon!. My boyfriend and I have been to Donnini's on several occasions and it has not once disappointed us. The food is authentic Italian rather than a lot of the rubbish you will find on Lygon. The staff are so lovely and express a genuine desire to have you enjoy your meal.
The food absolutely flawless, so if you're looking for true Italian quality, then don't go past Donnini's!
Highly recommend the spinach and ricotta tortelli in a light creamy sauce, & their fluffy gnocchi! :)
A great restaurant is only as good as it's good...right, half right ...ok be it 3/4's then but "consistency is king" and by that, I am never let down by any of the amazing italian cultured dishes that they constantly conjure up, yes, this sounds like a well to do italian food critic writing but no, I just love italian food and Donninis never lets me down and when you taste their home made cannoli and wash it down with a perfect espresso...you will understand ...thanks for an amazing dinner, :)
Outstanding!. What a great example of first rate Italian food. This family owned and operated business never disappoints. From the helpful staff who provided us with a full explanation of the menu to the high standard of food quality. Tonight I had the pleasure of ordering the hand made ravioli. The ravioli literally melted in my mouth, amazing!
After my entree, I had ordered the Kingfish (this was recommended by the lovely waitress with the great smile). The "crudo" style kingfish was further enhanced with radish and lime. It doesn't get any better visiting a restaurant with great atmosphere, amazing food and wonderful service. Will be back again.
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Traditional Italian with a dash of Artisan thrown in, you will love Donnini’s. Went out to dinner on another gorgeous Melbourne evening, meeting up with friends at Donnini’s. The food is always consistent and inventive without being overly complicated, fresh produce. Staff very helpful and respectful, management always on hand for recommendations, which are never disappointing and the wine list perfectly compliments the menu.
Donnini’s Specials are always inviting and makes it difficult to choose something to eat from the menu or the specials, its hard to resist not wanting to try everything on the one night.
Are you still hesitating to try Donnini’s how about just going and trying my tried and tested favourites (I sound like a commercial)
Start with Prosecco then Piadina Vitello Tonnato, followed by Tris Di Pasta Donnini (selection of pasta) w an Italian white wine. Focaccia bread a must as well as the Insalata Facile a perfect way to end a perfect dish and if you have a sweet tooth craving, without being overindulgent, try the Baked Coffee-Carmel & Ricotta Cannoli followed by an espresso.....Buon Appetito!
My favourite Lygon street restaurant. Went to Donnini's last night with ten friends. Food delicious, service impeccable. Six out of the ten had not been before and we're extremely impressed with the place with special thanks and praise going to our wonderful host Marco. Wake up to your self Age Good Food guide and list this place in your next edition.
Awesome. Food was amazing. Service was excellent. A great night out. Will be back. We highly recommend the potato and speck pizza, pasta trio and the panna cotta. Best ever!
A good place for a business/work lunch, though if there are large groups around it can be a bit loud. Particularly enjoyed the antipasto and share plates for appetisers, and the mains were all somewhere between very nice to delicious. Service was quick and attentive.
Amazing food and noticeably excellent service even though the reataurant was fully booked. The food all came out at a reasonable time & it really was lovely. I highly recommend the bruschetta followed by the trio of pasta. Will go back to and again great service guys!
Food was fantastic. Service was great and staff were friendly... Very worthwhile lunch visit. :-)
Lovely fresh pasta and flavours. Very friendly waitress. Kids LOVED it which is always a plus, both kids scored 10/10!
This restaurant is amazing!!
It's a little bit fancy pancy, but the food was so fresh & delicious and the staff were all really friendly. Ordered the trio pasta & calamari. Would go every week!
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Food, service ( lovely waitress) can't recomend this place enough.
Thankyou for a lovely Sunday lunch.
I will be back next time we are in melbs.
Bris chef Lou x
Lygon street places are often ordinary. Donninis is no such thing. Lovely food, great service and good prices. Had the calamari here tonight as a main. It was excellent. Accompanied by two glasses of Plantagenet riesling, again at a good price, it was near excellent. A bouquet to the waitress from Leeds. What a lovely young woman.
Beautiful food and wonderful service! We ordered the rib-eye for entrée and it was cooked perfectly.
For main, we got the trio of pastas because we couldn’t decide. I’m so glad we got the trio because all 3 were absolutely delicious!
Solid Italian restaurant. I had the daily special - gnocchi with clams - which was tasty, but could have used a bit more seasoning. Good espresso. Fast and friendly staff.
What to eat when in Lygon st? Italian of course!
Booked in Donnini’s to have a taste of their pasta!
Family friendly, welcoming hosts!
We ordered Covaccino (flatbread with prosciutto - a tad salty for us), grilled local calamari on rocket (👍🏻👍🏻 yum!) and handmade linguini with prawns (👍🏻👍🏻 so good!)
Our table was waiting on arrival. We were seated at front window, lovely view of Lygon St.
Friendly and attentive service team, served sparkling water and took food and beverage order, made positive comments on our choices.
Our drinks and Focaccia bread were served quickly, the bread was warm and crispy and so tasty, drinks spot on!
Main meals served, waiter ground Parmesan cheese to our satisfaction, the dishes were peasing to the eys, generous portion sizes and absolutely delicious.
Finished with coffee, excellent barista skills!
Had an amazing time here.
Well done to the whole team.
We always go to Donnini’s for great pasta. Their Focaccia is great with extra virgin oil and sea salt. I love their linguine with southern Queensland prawns, it’s appetising with a touch of chilli spiciness. The creamy tagliatelle is amazing with mushroom carbonara.
I recommend the bottle wine rather than by glass as you get better selections - eg the Hickinbotham Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with the pasta.
It’s also great to sit outside in the evening.
Thanks for the friendly service, love to be back for the other main dishes.
Always amazing food and service. Consistently delicious 😋 for decades. Every time we travel to Melbourne this is a must do.
Exceptional service, delicious food and amazing serving sizes! Will definitely be back.
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