Donatello Italian Restaurant is an upscale, old-school Italian fine-dining destination at 232 N Dale Mabry Hwy in Tampa's Westshore district. The dining room features stucco arches, white tablecloths, and tuxedo-clad waiters who carve, debone, and flambé tableside. Live piano music plays nightly and the restaurant has been family-operated in Tampa since 1984. The menu spans classic Northern Italian pastas, veal, fresh seafood, and a deep Italian wine list. Donatello accepts reservations, offers valet parking, and enforces a business-casual dress code. The restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday. It holds a 4.5-star Google rating across more than 1,760 reviews.
Donatello has anchored Tampa's Westshore dining scene since 1984, serving classic Northern Italian cuisine inside an arched, candlelit dining room that feels transported from Rome. Tuxedo-clad waiters glide between tables performing tableside service — carving veal, deboning Dover sole, and flambéing desserts the old-fashioned way — while a pianist plays nightly. It is one of the few remaining old-guard Italian rooms in Florida and a long-standing special-occasion stalwart for Tampa locals.
Order the Veal Donatello, the homemade lobster ravioli, or the Dover sole filleted tableside. The osso buco and rack of lamb are house signatures, and the Caesar salad is also prepared and tossed at your table. Pasta is made in-house daily, and the wine list leans heavily Italian with strong Tuscan and Piedmontese representation. Save room for the bananas Foster or tiramisu finished tableside.
Diners after a more casual, family-style take on Italian-American classics will find Maggiano's Little Italy a few minutes away inside Westshore Plaza, where dishes like Mom's Lasagna and Chicken Parmesan are served in shareable portions.
Another long-running Northern Italian holdout in the area is La Terrazza Restaurant, a family-owned Ybor City spot known for handmade pastas, veal, and from-scratch sauces in an intimate 7th Avenue storefront.
Ybor City's Casa Santo Stefano offers a Sicilian counterpoint in the same vein, pairing traditional plates with a deep wine list inside an airy room with a terrace.
For a more casual Cuban counterpart across town, West Tampa Sandwich Shop turns out Cuban plates and specialty sandwiches — including one finished with honey — from its namesake neighborhood.
Before or after dinner, a stroll through Ybor City pairs naturally with a stop at La Segunda Bakery and Cafe, the 1915-vintage Cuban bread institution still turning out loaves, pastries, and sandwiches from its 15th Street ovens.
For another long-running Tampa Italian institution with a similar old-school pedigree, Bella's Italian Cafe has been serving rustic dishes like chicken parmigiana and lasagna con pollo on South Howard Avenue since 1986.
Reservations are strongly recommended, especially Friday and Saturday nights. Complimentary valet parking is available at the front entrance. The dress code is business casual — no shorts, athletic wear, or flip-flops — and jackets are common but not required. Donatello is open for dinner Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday. The dining room is indoor only; there is no patio and pets are not permitted.
Expect classic white-tablecloth Italian fine dining: tuxedoed waiters, tableside carving and flambé service, live piano, and a hushed candlelit room. Plan for a 90-minute to two-hour dinner, dress business casual, and book a reservation in advance. Entrées run $30–$60 and tableside preparations carry a small premium.
Stepping into Donatello feels like stepping into 1985 Rome — in the best possible way. The Veal Donatello was perfect and the tableside Caesar is a show in itself. The pianist made the evening feel like a movie.
We celebrated our anniversary here and the service was unmatched. Tuxedoed waiters, bananas Foster flambéed at the table, and the lobster ravioli was incredible. Worth every penny.
Tampa's last great old-school Italian. The Dover sole filleted tableside was flawless and the wine list is deep. Reservation is a must on weekends — the place was packed.
Other places to fold into the same trip — measured straight-line from Donatello Italian Restaurant.
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