old-school review - donato & co.

it’s been an elmwood neighborhood standout since 2017, but for those who have yet to visit italian restaurant and bar donato & co. at 2635 ashby avenue in berkeley, there are a few things to know.

first, the handsome, roomy, rustic-modern dining room is comfortable, has great acoustics, and is good for: dates, friend groups, families, lunch, dinner, after-work and work dining, italophiles, fancy wine and drinks, bar dining, and all manner of casual, fun and special occasions.

second, though partner and friend chef donato scotti’s name is on the marquee, so to speak, the gentleman presiding over the restaurant is italian-born chef gianluca guglielmi.

guglielmi is from the north of italy (vicenza), from a family of chefs, and in 1998 he left a burgeoning career in his homeland to come to america to help helm a.g. ferrari foods. there’s plenty more to his story: he’s a master sommelier (don't skip the wine list here), cookbook author, experienced pastry chef, has cooked in several michelin-starred kitchens – the man is not one to sit idle. in 2010, he went back to italy for a few years to lead a fine-dining restaurant, before returning to make the east bay his home, and in 2017, he and scotti (donato enoteca (currently temp closed), cru wine bar) partnered up to open donato & co. in berkeley's former advocate space.

third, eight years and a pandemic in, it’s clear guglielmi feels a contented, almost familial connection with the elmwood restaurant. in short: his heart is still in it. tall, kind, sophisticated, dad-like, he gives off a quiet, warm pride and vibe as he visits with regulars, and diners can’t help but respond in kind. 

nearly every component of the food at donato & co., from the handmade pastas to the ricotta to the salumi to the baccala, is baked, cured, brined or otherwise prepared in house. the cuisine is not just fresh and seasonal, it is dynamic, down to the breads, desserts and craft cocktails.

the chef is also sharing his culture as he hosts – note the subtle italian pop music; italian wines, beer, mineral waters and natural sodas instead of coke; the glossy vespa stationed near the bar. it’s no surprise that on the night of our visit a group of italian friends filled one of the restaurant’s nearby booths, speaking the language and looking very much at home. 

lastly, and this is important, the servers here are good guides, ready to help navigate diners new to broader italian cuisine. they are also unafraid to recommend what’s really crushing it on that night’s menu specifically.

which brings us to a recent summer meal.

for dinner, we chose a mix of cured, fried and fresh appetizers to start, beginning with a rainbow of silken house-cured salumi – pancetta affumicata, winning bresaola, spicy coppa, porchetta and salame rustico – with housemade crackers, pickled vegetables, olives and mustard.

a plate of crunchy, crispy, melty suppli (deep-fried pods of risotto and molten cheese) were met with a celery salad that coaxed long ribbons of tender flavor from the simple vegetable.

we recommend any dish with the show-stealing housemade ricotta, so fresh and creamy, or preparations of traditional italian grains and starches – farro, polenta, semolina. the ricotta and farro salad showcased both, paired with herbs, chioggia beets, white nectarines, mint, fig reduction – early summer on a plate. 

a flavorful appetizer of venetian-style baccala came looking like modern art – bite-sized squares of polenta topped with dollops of the mousse-like, creamy salt cod, with polenta “chips” adding crispness and…fun architecture. as the dish was brought to our table, we heard neighboring diners pointing it out to their servers and asking for their own.

we haven’t yet mentioned the housemade pasta dishes. they’re expert, of course, and yes there’s cacio e pepe. (be sure to mention if you like your pasta cooked a bit softer than al dente.) but even our pasta-addicted selves realized they were not necessarily the best tack to take here. (though we might still be, we admit, interested in the special-order lasagne that feeds a whole table.)

basically: there’s a whole world of italian food beyond pasta and pizza, and with donato & co., berkeley is lucky enough to have a spot to explore it. with the secondi, or mains, as with the appetizers, guglielmi really gets to play.

on a sea-colored plate, a tender, pan-seared branzino fillet came draped over a buttery bed of gnocchi alla romana, served with summer squashes and a light, intense vegetable flan. skewers of boneless lamb arrosticini were served on a colorful pile of garlicky roasted sunchokes, tiny, baby castroville artichokes, fava beans and mint. (to be honest, we wanted a meatier portion of lamb here, but only to match the tangy heft of the early summer vegetables.)

flavors and flourishes here run the italian-inspired gamut from classic to creative, changing often. it feels like guglielmi is always learning, experimenting, revising, bettering (and if not, an italian chuckle and try again). this makes for repeat visits and a loyal following, including and maybe especially from neighborhood locals.

don’t skip dessert. really. at the very least get the housemade gelato. or whatever’s in season such as the ruby-red strawberries from swanton berry farm that guglielmi purees into a light, smooth coulis, topped with sorbet and touches of that fresh ricotta.

or...check out what the chef has chosen to layer up for the night’s parfait. (who doesn’t love a parfait?) our version stacked pound cake soaked in rum, cara cara orange, whipped cream infused with vanilla and orange blossom, and cocoa nibs in a glass jar, a spoonful through which was meant to mirror the flavors of an italian fiesta snack cake. (spoiler: it was successful.)

lastly, dining at donato can be somewhat of a treat, and it should be. (let's be honest, dining out anywhere is a treat right now.) but this remains at its heart a charming, approachable neighborhood restaurant. we noted a three-course, prix-fixe menu option that offers welcome affordability. and a nightly happy hour from 4pm-6pm features generous discounts on cocktails, italian house wines, small plates, and a cheerful “chef’s choice board” sampler for the table at a great price.

donato & co. is at 2635 ashby avenue in berkeley. the restaurant and bar is open for lunch and dinner every day except monday.

july 3, 2025