Donnini's Ciao Italia Review

Fine dining at the mall

Your reviewer has long believed that restaurants located in shopping centres and at places of accommodation are questionable - the chance of the food being really great is less assured than at an independent restaurant. But my arrogant view has been given a rigorous shake recently. The more restaurants I try, the more I realize that some of the best are hidden in the most unlikely locations. Like the upper corner of a touristy shopping mall.

Donnini's, located upstairs at the Pier Marketplace, is one of the restaurants I never gave much thought to. But it has been around for years now and is always packed with smiling patrons tucking into their meals. Its central location in Cairns makes it a great place to ramp-up for a big night out - see a concert, hit up a nightclub, or stroll the esplanade. But its unremarkable position in the Pier is a drawback. The beaming noises from people on the ground floor of the Pier make Donnini's one of the loudest restaurants I have been to. And unfortunately most of the noise is not of it's own making. But maybe that is a Mediterranean characteristic that Donnini's has cunningly captured.

The licensed restaurant serves traditional Italian dishes that are cooked in an open kitchen so you can see everything that's going on. This is always a good indicator that the hygiene in the kitchen is of high standards. The food here is of the highest qualities, and is reflected in the prices. A main meal will set you back around $20-$25, but the meals are worthy of their price tag.

Donnini's has terrific breads. The focaccia is dusted with salt, garlic and rosemary, and makes a great starter. This is cooked in their pizza oven - about as traditional as you can get. As a main I had the roasted loin of veal with mushrooms and sage. The veal was delicate, coated with lovely gravy that enhanced the mushrooms. Accompanied with a glass of the house red wine, and I had a meal I couldn't pull myself away from. Even the giant fish hanging from the ceiling of the Pier Marketplace was eyeing off my meal with a longing look on his face.

Pizzas at Donnini's have thin crispy bases and an extensive range of toppings. I didn't have a pizza so I can't reliably confirm their deliciousness, but they looked fantastic and the face of the patrons consuming the round delicacies indicated the pizzas were very good. The next time I visit Donnini's I will definitely get myself a pizza.

Inside the restaurant, the owners have tried to give it as much Italian flavour as possible. The walls are painted with Italian motifs and the terracotta colours give it a warm feeling. But a glance over the fence barricading the Pier Marketplace from the restaurant reveals the giant hanging fish, the elevator, and all the other tourist paraphernalia. Ignore this, however, and you have a great restaurant where you can chat and laugh to your hearts content.

The night I was at Donnini's the restaurant was full, and the few waitresses worked very quickly ensuring that everyone was looked after. The service was quick, friendly and helpful, rounding off the entire experience and ensuring my return visit.

Donnini's has proven that restaurants in shopping malls can rank among the finest. Don't be a stickler like me and avoid it for that reason; you're missing out on a gem.

- Diner Diller

Donnini's Ciao Italia	Cairns Esplanade
An authentic Italian restaurant & cafe inside The Pier Marketplace. Donnini's Ciao Italia features an open kitchen, highly attentive staff, and some of the best Italian food available in Cairns.
cuisines: Italian features: A la carte, EFTPOS, Licensed, Visa avg. main: $20 review: Fine dining at the mall (21/3/2003) contact: (07) 40511133 | The Pier Marketplace
Mini Reviews
Deirdre	16th Jan 2007
The service was fantastic and the food to die for. The crab and calamari ravioli was unbelievable...melt in you mouth stuff. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.
Sonya	14th Jan 2007
We ate at several restaurants while in Cairns and Donnini's was by far the best. Best for service, beautiful food, easy to find, but hard to get a table as their so popular. Nice relaxed atmosphere. They'll be part of our next Nth Qld holiday plans for sure.
Megan Murdoch	17th Feb 2006
Ciao Italia is a must visit for anyone who loves Italian food. We love it so much that we travelled from Sydney to Cairns just to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday!!! The bruschetta is to die for!
Claudine Grantham	14th Feb 2006
An absolute must when visiting Cairns, Donnini's Ciao italia is institutionalised as Cairns' finest, and most authentic Italian restaurant and pizzeria. Love the new location on the ground floor with indoor / ourtdoor dining and views of the marina offering great service and specials. The variety of home made paste is to die for - not to be missed Claudine Grantham
Allan & Yvonne Hopper	3rd Oct 2004
Finally found authentic Italian food! Unfortunately we live too far away to visit often - hard to get a taxi from Perth! Thanks for a wonderful dining experience during our holiday in Cairns. Allan & Yvonne
Marcia Breen	24th May 2004
If you crave great cuisine and excellent service then you can depend on Doninni's to deliver. They've never let us down and we've been going there for years. Bravo guys!
Madeleine Clifford	18th May 2004
My favourite Italian restaurant in Australia, and I grew up in Melbourne! We often went to their other restaurant down south, so are regulars in Cairns. Best spaghetti bolognaise around, and the Tiramisu is heavenly. Service is excellent, quick and attentive without being intrusive. Whenever I want to go out for dinner and not be disappointed, I go to Donnini's.
freddy	15th Feb 2004
caro gianni ti ho trovato anche qui un saluto dal freddy saluta greg
Felicity Vonhoff	9th Oct 2003
Donninis Ciao Italia, what a pleasure it always was to dine there. My family where regular customers for the six months that we spent in Cairns and it will always be our favourite restaurant. Wonderful food, great service and a pleasant relaxed atmosphere.
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