» Cheers
Here’s to twenty years of Donatello, Brighton’s favourite Italian family restaurant
Brighton has seen some quite significant changes over the last 20 years – the loss of the West Pier, the marriage of Brighton with Hove as a city and 12 different managers of the Albion, but the city has seen one constant – family-run restaurant Donatello. Situated in the heart of the Lanes, Donatello has been serving tasty, authentic Italian fare at reasonable prices to locals and tourists alike since first opening its doors in 1989.
Owned and managed by the Addis family, Donatello initially took half the site that it currently occupies with the other half being taken by part of the now closed Hanningtons Department store. Over the years, the restaurant has expanded to fill the Hanningtons’ site as well and now sees over 1000 people through its doors on a typical Saturday.
The menu 20 years ago featured classic Italian dishes, including a range of delicious pizzas and pastas as well as yummy Italian ice creams and desserts. Many of these dishes are still firm favourites at the restaurant including the ever popular Pizza Margherita and house special Spaghetti Donatello. And brilliantly the menu doesn’t cost a great deal more than 20 years ago, with Pizza Margherita still only costing £4.95 (it was £3.55 in 1989) and Spaghetti Donatello, still a very reasonable £5.95.
We caught up with Sue Addis, owner of Donatello, to talk about the last 20 years as a restaurateur in Brighton.
What is your best memory from the restaurant?
When the serving Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife and family came in for a meal.
I think whatever your politics, having a Prime Minister and his family eat in your restaurant is quite special. Cherie and the children have been in subsequently too – they even celebrated one of the children’s 18th birthday in the restaurant.
Have you had any funny incidents?
I could write a book about them, but the funniest thing that has happened was someone shouting about how outrageous it was that the toilets had been taken away to create more seating upstairs, leaving no facilities. I had to calm her down and explain that we had moved them downstairs!
How has Brighton changed in the years since you’ve been open?
The biggest change is that Brighton feels like it has come much closer to London now with the motorways and the fast trains so there are a lot more weekend visitors from the capital.
How has the restaurant changed?
When we opened our doors originally, we had around 90 seats. Since we’ve expanded into our neighbouring properties, the restaurant now seats over 300.
Who has been your favourite diner?
What makes us particularly happy is that having been here for 20 years we are now serving the children of the children in the families who initially ate here.
What has been your most unusual request for food?
The time an elderly lady came into the restaurant, ordered her starter, then bent down and pulled out of her bag a whole fish, still flapping, and asked us to cook it for her main course! Unfortunately, we had to decline, but she still became a regular customer.
What will Donatello look like in 20 years?
A lot of our staff have been with us since we opened, have married each other and gone on to have families. I hope in 20 years some of them and their children are still with us.
What next for D Productions?
My sons Leonardo, Stefano and Mikele are all involved in running Donatello and the other restaurants in the D Production group (Pinocchio, FATleo and Fratelli) and they have exciting plans for the future! Watch this space…
Donatello, 1-3 Brighton Place, Brighton, BN1 1HJ.
Call 01273 775477 www.donatello.co.uk
Open seven days a week 11.30am – 11.30pm
20 years ago this week, Jason Donovan was at number 1 in the singles charts with Too Many Broken Hearts
In the 1988 – 1989 football season, Brighton and Hove Albion came 19th in Division Two (the equivalent of today’s Championship.) Chelsea came top!
Norman Cook feat. MC Wildski reached number 29 in the singles charts with Blame it on the Bassline, his first solo hit after leaving The Housemartins
George H. W. Bush succeeded Ronald Reagan as US President
Ra Ra skirts were in fashion
When Harry met Sally was a box office hit, including one of the most famous restaurant scenes of all time!
