Donatello's in Central Bedfordshire

Always good food and friendly staff. Vaalue for money.

We have lived locally for a few years but always default to Fratelli (a few doors down) when we want an Italian, which never disappoints. We were staying in a hotel in Ampthill so we decided to finally give Donatello’s a go for a takeaway. We are so disappointed and have been left wishing we’d just stuck with Fratelli. The pizzas were notably small (despite paying for the larger size) and in terms of quality nothing to write home about - no better than an oven pizza from the supermarket. My partner’s pizza had 4 pieces of olive on and could barely detect the anchovy. This place may believe they are traditional but I really feel they’re resting on their laurels, I don’t understand what all the good reviews are about based on our experience this evening. It cost me £37.40 for two relatively small pizzas (10”) and a garlic and mozzarella pizza bread. I’m kinda baffled.

Lovely family run atmospheric restaurant. Authentic delicious food and excellent service from Eden . A lovely first visit after moving to the area , we will return

Visited on a Saturday night. Lovely atmosphere. The staff were attentive and very helpful in answering any questions that we had. The food was well presented, and my pizza cooked as requested. An enjoyable evening at a very reasonable price. Thank you to Michael and his staff.

First time visiting here, we had high expectations and unfortunately we were very disappointed. Garlic bread was like cheese on toast, not sure what happened to the garlic. Pizzas are definitely not large, the chicken was like rubber and the base tasted off and undercooked. The pasta had no flavour and the flavour it did have left an awful taste in my mouth. Won’t be visiting again, very disappointed.

Amazing restaurant, great food, fab staff for whom nothing is too much trouble

First time at Donatellos. And was not disappointed. Traditional authentic Italian restaurant and it feels like you are in a restaurant in Italy (great music ). Food was absolutely amazing, good size portions and lunch specials very good value. Service was excellent. Yes, we will definitely be returning. Shame it’s not open on Saturday lunchtimes.

Great night and lovely atmosphere

A great little place to eat out anytime. Award winning chef, lovely food, freshly cooked and great friendly staff. The restaurant is full of character and there’s a welcoming atmosphere. We are regular visitors because it’s the best Italian eatery anywhere around.

Nice atmosphere and great food. Still my favourite local restaurant.

Lovely little restaurant with a great selection of food. Lunch was the perfect side and great value for money. Desserts were gorgeous especially the homemade tiramisu.

Service and staff are a little “lacking”. Food is okay, but sadly inattentive staff lets it down. Tables feel ‘sticky’ and toilets are unpleasant. The whole place could do with updating.

Lovely little Italian with friendly staff and very good pizzas 🥰 desserts are a bit of an afterthought on the menu, but still tasty!

Great food in a cosy atmosphere. The menu has some unique and innovative items on it

Fantastic 70th birthday celebration with friends. The food was freshly cooked and absolutely delicious. Our server was brilliant....efficient, friendly and put up with us 'oldies'. Would highly recommend.

First time here tonight & I would avoid. Should’ve thought better after seeing only 1 family in here at dinertime on a Saturday evening! The inside and decor are nothing to write home about and are very outdated. Not very appealing from the outside to look at either. The restaurant also advertises as having a car park however you can barely call it that - literally room for maybe 3 cars, I also had to park at an angle due to the what looked like broken down trailer and sheds. The staff were rude and inattentive throughout and I would say definitely do not enjoy their jobs which is a shame as you know; it is a restaurant and advertised as a family restaurant. The food itself was unaspiring or appealing to look at and was served Luke warm. Right next door is a chip shop which smelt and looked much more appealing - wished I had gone there instead and the size of the queue of the people waiting for their food should have been a good indicator. I would highly suggest avoiding.

I arranged with the restaurant for a team Christmas Dinner celebration for 23 people. They were so helpful and accommodating prior to the night and really looked after us well on the day. The food was pre-ordered from their very reasonably priced Christmas menu, but freshly prepared on the night and absolutely delicious. Super service from super staff throughout. I would love to return.

Fantastic pizza in a calm but pleasant restaurant. Never been before, but a great find and we will go back. They have a great menu and have been in business for many years. The member of staff was lovely.

We live local, come here regular and always really enjoy it. The service is good with very friendly staff, Rio the owner’s son is very helpful and always makes us feel welcome and there is a great selection of traditional Italian dishes. Last night we both had the bruschetta starters, then FARFALLE AL SALMONE and TONNO AL FORNO and we would both recommend these dishes. We had a carafe of their selected Italian red table wine that went perfectly with the meal. Looking forward to coming back again soon.

We live local, come here regular and always really enjoy it. The service is good with very friendly staff, Rio the owner’s son is very helpful and always makes us feel welcome and there is a great selection of traditional Italian dishes. Last night we both had the bruschetta starters, then FARFALLE AL SALMONE and TONNO AL FORNO and we would both recommend these dishes. We had a carafe of their selected Italian red table wine that went perfectly with the meal. Looking forward to coming back again soon.

Had a great meal here on Saturday 28th October. The food was delicious and I’m a fussy eater so well done. Super friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Thank you

Inauthentic restaurant, not in any way Italian- there's no pride in the produce or service. Chewy rubbery pizza, awful salad- randomly chopped iceberg lettuce with unfresh tomatoes. Run down premises, old uncomfortable furniture and faulty toilets. It's hard to understand other higher ratings, it's just not realistic. Family run but boy are they defensive, becoming offensive, if you raise any issue. Stay away!

Terrible Experience! From uncomfortable chairs and cramped tables, faulty toilet (no proper hand washing in gents- tap taped up in plastic bag) to really poor food- tough chewy pizza and chopped iceberg lettuce with unfresh tomato (described as fresh tomato/cucumber etc on a bed of lettuce) we thought it couldn't get worse. Apparently because we raised the food issues with his son (who was immediately defensive and irritatingly condescending) the owner ran after us outside and shouted at me across my wife in a face to face angry confrontation. Quite unbelievable behaviour from a family run restaurant who clearly have no customer focus and cannot handle any reasonable feedback or questioning of their produce. Avoid!!!

Found Donatellos after we came to Ampthill looking for somewhere to eat. Honestly the best pizza either of us has ever had. The staff were also really lovely. Definitely going to return

Great little Italian restaurant. I've been here many times before and always enjoyed it. When I bring friends to Ampthill, we almost always end up here. They have a couple of vegan options that are labeled on the menu, if you would like vegan cheese or gluten free, you'll need to call ahead, but they are very accommodating.

Had a meal out with friends, the atmosphere and service was great. The food was delicious, I had the jekyll and Hyde spaghetti bolognese and Margareta pizza, it was soooo good! The prices are reasonable and there's enough choice without being overwhelming. We were told the kitchen was experiencing a shortage of staff that night, but you wouldn't have known, the restaurant was packed and everyone seemed happy. If you want a relaxed night out, with amazing food, come here.

The food was excellent, the restaurant has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The staff were really helpful and very professional. We had a really wonderful time, with wonderful food.

Really, really enjoyed a night out with 3 friends for an overdue catch-up. Pizza was delicious, tiramisu was fabulous and all homemade.. There's no frills but it's still great. Waiter was attentive and hilarious. Reasonably priced too. We had the best evening and will be back soon. A gold ⭐ from us!

One of our favourite eating places - nothing fancy, just great pasta and pizzas and lovely friendly staff. Well worth a visit

Haven’t been here for quite a while and was very impressed with the food. My pizza was the best I’ve had in a long time, really tasty. Great friendly service and reasonable prices.

Had my birthday At Donatello's on Saturday night. There were nine of us including four children aged 10 to 12. This is how a proper Italian family restaurant should be. The food was as good as ever, the staff couldn't help us enough, the price was reasonable and drinks spot on. Don't expect modern décor or LED lights with granite and steel! This is more like a taverna in a mountain side Italian village. Tasty and wholesome authentic dishes made to family recipes by a chef that cares. The food is award winning and delicious. If you want plastic heated from frozen then go to Dominos or Bella Italia! Donatello's is were real food is at. They do take outs too and that was busy whilst we ate :-)

Lovely dinner great atmosphere nothing too much trouble very friendly and efficient staff. Hghly recommend. Definitely coming again

Absolutely wonderful service and the food was fantastic. My dopey husband helped himself to my chilli cheese chips but couldn't handle the heat and the waitress ran and got him some milk! I'd have let him suffer personally but it was a lovely gesture. Maybe he'll keep his mitts off my food in future 🤣 Loved that it was family owned and run too, just a lovely little restaurant with proper authentic Italian grub. Would highly recommend 👍🏼

Lovely atmosphere, and great food.

Took a friend for a visit as its our favourite place to eat. Gorgeous food freshly made and just lovely. We have a great visit every time we go.. its very homely and yes could do either some RLC but it doesn't change the fact the food and staff are lovely truly family run. We have had takeaways throughout lock down and have been equally impressed

Amazing food, great atmosphere, attentive and friendly staff, a great night out

Excellent food and lovely, friendly service. May not be the most modern of premises but well worth a visit

1st time at this Restraunt, Great Pizza, will definitely go back.

Fantastic staff who managed a group of 19 without any hassle. The food (lovely pizza and pasta) arrived on time, there was no wait for drinks and all in all we had a great night out.

Food, service and atmosphere great

A lovely, friendly family restaurant with super tasty food. Baked Red pepper and mushroom starters with possibly the best tomato sauce that we have ever had. Followed by delicious seafood pasta and numero uno pizza with olives and anchovy, slightly odd base but again great flavours. A more intimate experience compared to more conventional Italian neighbours, the food is outstanding. You may even get to see the owner and his daughter enjoying some well earned, food at the end of the evening as part of the experience, (candles are not just for romance ...you know what we meant, thank you for a great evening).

Authentic, rustic Italian bistro, serving a great range of pizza and pasta dishes. Friendly, efficient service and delicious food. Coffee was excellent too! Will definitely be back - recommended.

The food here is delicious and proper authentic Italian fare! Tasty, filling and always welcoming friendly staff. Been eating in Dons for twenty years and its still one of my most favourite local restaurants! Never fails to deliver. Would eat here every night f I could afford it!

Great to be back ,first visit since start of lockdown .Excellent food as always and very friendly helpful staff .

The service is excellent and the staff looked after us really well. The pasta and the tiramisu is well worth the trip to Amphtill and would order both again!!!

Had a lovely meal with family. The Pizza was delicious, fresh and made to order. Will definitely be returning soon. Totally recommend!

great food nice people bit small inside but would be good for romantic meal mind your head if going upstairs not sure if they cater for disabled people as think all wc were upstairs

Visiited at short notice on Saturday 7th August 21. Made very welcome by all staff who are always very helpful in this family run restaurant. The food is always freshly cooked to order and very good value. Well worth visiting.

Went with my wife for dinner as it's one of the local places we hadn't tried yet. The food was great and the staff were amazing. I absolutely love pizza and was very impressed with the pizza here. We had a good chat with the...

Why didn't we visit sooner! The picture added shows the food was delicious, couldn't wait to try it! The owner Michael was friendly and always ready to assist - the menu even mentions GF (add to notes when booking).

Finally we tried this resturant and now wondering why we didn't try it sooner! The food was fantastic! The service was great! The hospitality was great! The picture added- shows we couldn't wait to try to food! The food was amazing! The pizza was fantastic!...

Excellent service, excellent food, been many time and will continue to return. 👌

Lovely dining experience. We sat outside in the garden. The food was up to a very high standard. I had the Trinity Risotto with the tuna and prawns, which was lovely. The prawns were huge!

We decided to give this restaurant a second chance as were were a bit disappointed previously. Unfortunately nothing has changed, the waitress was clueless about the menu and was completely uninterested. It’s a nice building but this was ruined by lots of random items left...

Have used Donatellos for years now. It’s homely, welcoming and on top of that the food is amazing. I’d recommend ordering a main off the specials menu, every time I try one I have a new favourite. If you’re worried about covid, it’s all very...

Pizza was very plain, service was slow

After a previously average experience my friends and I decided to give Donatello’s another chance. Unfortunately it was the same, if not worse than last time. I’d like to disclose that we did not feel comfortable informing the staff that we were unhappy with our meals at the time due to several reasons. The whitebait starter didn’t have any sauce and sat on a small portion of plain cucumber and tomato salad, I also found a hair in mine. My partner and Is mains were alright, somewhat tasty, but nothing beyond home cooking standard. We also noticed that our main portions were small compared to dishes in other restaurants. Our friends dishes unfortunately appeared to look like microwave meals, or as though not much effort had gone into them, lacking authenticity and freshness. All in all it didn’t feel as though our food was properly Italian. We waited more than 20 minutes for our bill before my partner had to go up to the screen by the till to ask for it, as it was past 10pm at this point. The lady staff member replied that she was just bringing it over in a cold manner. The other waitress was friendly. The restaurant had no background music and was an uncomfortable and tense environment. Unfortunately the lovely building and decor does not match up to the overall service and quality of food, so we will not be returning.

Great pizzas, great service, very helpful staff - all round positive experience!

Good food at a reasonable price

Booked a table for me and my sister after a busy day shopping in Milton Keynes. The restaurant is very casual and homey so didn’t feel like we had to get too dressed up. Staff were very friendly and service was quick. We went for...

First meal out in over a year due to lockdown and we wanted to support local. Food was tasty and portion sizes were good. Would certainly return.

K if you're really hungry, but way pricey for such a mediocre pizza... Definitely not an Italian taste!

Had our second delivery on Saturday evening, delivered by a very polite a courteous gentleman, and with in five minutes of our chosen time. Plus the food was as good as the service, I’m already thinking what can I have next time.

Food is always banging !! Good portions and good quality ingredients - best Italian food around So many unique dishes on the menu too!

Visited with my family and wanted to say what a lovely time we had. Food was superb as usual and nothing was too much trouble. Would totally recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting an authentic Italian meal. Will definitely be getting a takeaway from there...

Good pizza, supper friendly stuff. Thanks.

Absolutely Disgusting !!!!! 2 pizzas no bigger than a tea plate, and 2 cartons of dry, hard chips, with about 10 chips in each carton. £30 !!!! This was a takeaway NEVER AGAIN. Certainly not value for money. VILE 🤮

The worst...restaurant was soleless and food was microwave standard at best. Save your ££’s and go to Dominos! Tasteless carbonara and undercooked pizza...

Went to ampthill Donatello with my partner son And his girlfriend. Food was fresh hot and tasty not rushed either. Lovely evening would definitely go again.

Lovely food, really friendly staff and an Italian feeling restaurant. One of our regulars

I went here for my 25th birthday and it was just not what I was expecting at all. - We were the only group booked in, the decor looks worn and we all felt uncomfortable as no one came over to greet us when we...

Ate here a couple of weekends back Good calamari My calzone was minuscule (based upon previous ones I’ve eaten elsewhere) but tasty Friendly staff

Excellent food, great hospitality!

Incredible food! You can't find a better Italian! Natural surroundings and service - no frills but feels so homely - service by people who genuinely care

I have been to Donatello’s a few times and have never been disappointed. The food this evening was delicious, highly recommended. 👍🏻

I had the most fantastic Lasagne here tonight. It was out of this world! The staff are very friendly, especially Eden and Orla.

Just great service, and food . Made a slight error with our second order, however their recovery was beyond expectations. Well done

The original, best and first Pizzeria in Dunstable. Why go anywhere else!?!

We normally eat in but during this difficult time we decided to try the takeaway service. It looks as though they are doing the full menu so I had the Antipasto Di Donatello’s and glad I did. Give it a try, you will not be...

(Traducido por Google) El pequeño gran italiano en el personal de Ampthill es fabuloso (Original) Great little Italian in Ampthill staff are fab

(Traducido por Google) Excelente (Original) Excellent

(Traducido por Google) Fantástica comida recién preparada. Estacionamiento en la parte de atrás. Bien vale la pena una visita. Excelente pasta sin gluten. (Original) Fantastic food all freshly prepared. Parking at back. Well worth a visit. Excellent gluten free pasta.

Always happy with the service we receive at Donatellos. We go back time after time again – somehow the atmosphere gets better. attentive service, cosy atmosphere and authentic food. Seriously- if you’re looking for a family meal or a cosy meal for two in mid-beds,...

Recent visit with friends and as usual the food was lovely, but unfortunately the overall experience was just let down by the poor service / lack of attentiveness. Our waitress had clearly had a bad day which resulted in food being thrown at us, plates not being cleared and no one bothering to check if our food was ok. Such a shame as this is a cosy little restaurant with good food. The other staff member was polite and friendly.

Had a meal at Donatello’s last night. Absolutely brilliant. I really can’t fault the food or service you get in there. Thanks for a delicious meal. I WILL be back & soon.

We have always enjoyed Donatellos and have visited many times over the years but this visit on a Saturday night was quite awful. We'd booked a table of 4 weeks ago. The table we were sat at was far too cramped and right next to a couple although the rest of the room was empty so we moved ourselves! The food IS delicious but we were never offered pepper or parmesan. The service was so slow that we gave up on dessert. The toilets were disgusting and whatever you do don't look at the hand rail on the staircase! It was such a shame as I'm not sure we'll be back. If some money was invested into doing it up a bit, even to raise the standard of cleanliness, it would be a huge improvement. The food is over priced for the service thats received.

Out with friends for a Friday meal on the spur of the moment....managing to book just 24 hours in advance. Upon arrival, we were one of the 1st tables to seated so hoped for decent / fast service.Drinks ordered - and order taken.Then bearing in mind we were early in on a Friday and some of the 1st customers we were told there was no lasagne in an Italian restaurant...."go figure"!!!!Starters arrived - I had bruschetta, which totally underwhelmed me..but everyone else seemed to enjoyed theirs.When the mains arrived - we ate them without much of an issue but it's just the all things like (lack of )service and attentiveness....but then that's just me.Overall, none of us are overly impressed but at least we didn't have to wash up...

Always welcoming and delicious 😋

Only had a takeaway pizza on way back to hotel this evening, but had a beer while waiting. Even at 10pm when most people had already been and gone, this feels like a great restaurant that people should give a try. Yes it's small, but that's a plus in my opinion. The pizza I had was fantastic as well so give it a try.

Friendly atmosphere and excellent food

Food is delicious... Service is slow.

Warm and friendly atmosphere, best pizza in Ampthill

We attended here as a lat minute Book Club outs due to the summer hols and needing some "mummy" time.We weren't disappointed. The restaurant was busy at 7.30pm with people having to be sat upstairs.The waiter was clearly rushed of his feet but none the less, polite cheery and attentive.Food was super, really lovely flavour even when the chilli was asked to be held back on slightly. Just perfect for me ! All 4 of us had a great meal and the whole chilled homely atmosphere just set the night.We will def be back and thank you !!

Donatello’s is a lovely place to go for a great meal in a friendly atmosphere. Reasonably priced, highly recommend.

Great homely italian restaurant great food! Love eating here!

First visit to this little authentic Italian restaurant after spotting this a week ago. The restaurant was quiet when we arrived at about 7pm but got busier as the evening went on. We were served promptly and staters were lovely. We shared Italian hot bread with chilli fries. My husband ordered Calzone and I had a pizza which were both delicious.The only thing that let us down were drinks refills. My husband had to go to the bar for the first refill and again for the second. Would definitely go back to this place for the food.

Great food/atmosphere, and very clean plates...

Lovely food, especially the lasagne!

We came here after it being a regular haunt of ours a few years or so ago, but due to life getting in the way, we haven't been back.So we took the opportunity to return for an anniversary treat.Its still the same inside, very homely and authentic.We had the Antipasti starter which was as great as it used to be.Mains were delicious, even when I had to send my main back due to chilli ( alot of chilli) being added that wasnt states on the menu. I can take a hit of heat but even the hubby said it was warm and for him to say that, it must have been !! An alternative was sent and it was delicious, King Prawns with so much flavour.Service was a little slow, I know a bigger table near us had some issues.But nevertheless, food was just as good as it always has been and we will be back again next opportunity we get.Thanks

I love Italian food and it's a cosy place.