Donato Enoteca — Restaurant in Redwood City

This place has gone downhill since I visited 7 months ago. I gave it five star last time, now it's barely one-star. Aside from the seating and atmosphere being still nice, everything else was a flop. The service was terrible to start with. Our server displayed no enthusiasm at all of us being there. When I asked what recommendations she has and which pasta does not have cheese, she just told me to order the oxtail one without further explanation. And then she gave me a look like it's just pasta how hard can it be for you to make a choice?

After finally figuring out that most of the pasta has cheese on top rather than cheese inside, we ordered one of our past favorite which is squid ink pasta. We ordered the brussel sprouts which was good last time, and tried the sage butter squash tortellini. Like I said, it was a massive disappointment and everything was a flop. The pasta had no flavor whatsoever, even after adding salt, pepper and Italian chili flakes, it was just barely edible. When we asked for extra bread and dip, the bread came with no dip, and then I had to walk myself to the bar to ask the bar man to give me dip because the server was nowhere to be found. I had trouble getting the check as well, because again, we were entirely ignored by our server. I had to flag down a busboy to ask him to bring us the check. This was a far cry from our last experience, and I'm never coming back again. We were debating Spaghetti Factory down the street versus this restaurant for lunch today, and I regret coming to this one.

For reference, below is my review from 7 months ago, it seems like the restaurant completely changed staff because it's a completely different restaurant now. Recommend that you avoid.

Awesome homemade pastas and excellent service. Indoor and outdoor seating are very comfortable here.

Awesome and would get again: Squid ink pasta Mushroom pasta Broccoli side

Good but will skip next time: Pork ribs...

My wife and I went to Donato last evening to celebrate my birthday. She informed the restaurant of this when she made the reservation. The hostess greeted us and mentioned that it was my birthday, She showed us to a table in the back room that was next to a wall and somewhat cramped. I asked her if we could move to a larger table and she said that she would check her reservations and get back to us. We never saw her again. Common courtesy would be to get back to us and let us know even if the result was negative.

The appetizers came quickly and were just ok. I ordered the calamari and unfortunately the bed of fennel overpowered the taste of the calamari.

My wife ordered one of the ravioli dishes for her entree and it was good according to her. I ordered the monkfish "osobuco" and was sorely disappointed. The flavors were all right but the size of the fish portion was unacceptable. It was only about a couple of ounces and most of that was bone. Also it was overcooked and tough.

For desert we ordered the chocolate cake and ice cream and it was very good. Unfortunately no mention was made of the fact that we were celebrating my birthday. Not even a small candle was in the cake.

This is an expensive restaurant which, in itself, does not bother me, However, when I get a main dish like the one I was served, I feel greatly ripped-off. Add to this the fact that no one came to our table at any time throughout the meal to inquire how our food was. This should be a basic consideration of a restaurant trying to impart the feeling of "fine dining".

I hope they read this review and respond to these comments. If they do not, I would not feel comfortable recommending this...

This establishment is an authentic Italian restaurant situated in downtown Redwood City, offering abundant seating both indoors and outdoors. The menu features a splendid selection of genuine Italian cuisine, along with an impressive array of wines and cocktails. Our office group chose to dine here.

We commenced our culinary journey with Moscow Mule, which proved to be just right. Now, onto the dishes:

Contorni - Cavolfiore Romanesco: Regrettably, this dish resembled a regular cauliflower, lacking proper roasting. The arrabbiata sauce failed to impress, leaving me at a loss for words. I strongly discourage ordering this.

Antipasti:

Insalata Radici Noci E Caprino: The crispy caprino cheese stole the show, but it was a single piece within the vegetable salad. Insalata Pollo: The grilled chicken breast was satisfactory. Calamari E Fagioli: The calamari and beans were commendable, but it was not what I had ordered (Tonarelli Al Nero Di Seppia). Insalata Gamberi: Prawns outshone the grilled chicken, grilled to perfection with a usual salad.

Pasta Fatta:

Spaghetti Carbonara: A cheesy delight, exceptionally creamy. A must-try for cheese and cream enthusiasts.

La Carne e Pesce:

Branzino E Porri: Grilled Sea Bass Fillet was impeccably prepared. The sauce and braised sweet leeks were delightful. However, no extras like salad were included.

Panini:

Piadina Di Verdure: Unfortunately, a disappointing dish. It featured a bland medley of roasted veggies in a panini. Best avoided.

Finished off with Tiramisu which was just okay.

While the experience was quite expensive, it is only truly enjoyable when the right items are selected...