La Maison Donatello

Twenty years ago, Donatello Ristorante was the first restaurant in Maynooth and for two decades it’s acted as a community hub for everyone in the town. Now the family run business are celebrating their launch 20th anniversary by re-launching their business under a new name La Maison Donatello .

With a refurbished interior and new modern French and Italian fusion menu, La Maison Donatello is already proving to be a restaurant worthy of a detour. Gone are the tables clothes and old menu, replaced by a much more modern and comfortable feel along with a regular changing menu and fantastic daily specials.

Head Chef Antonio Cascella is now merging French & Italian cuisine with innovative cooking techniques that are built firmly on the foundations of the classics. A new French chef, Magali Blosson has also brought her Michelin star experience to the kitchen where she will be working alongside Antonio.

The Cascella family come from a rich family history of restaurateurs. Antonio’s grandfather entered the business in the 1930 while relatives own restaurants in Miami , the Dominican Republic , New York & Sicily. Nowadays his three daughters are all working in his restaurants and have brought their own individual flair. Simply put, food is in the Cascella’s blood.

Antonio, along with his wife Valerie, showcase their passion for food and hospitality as soon as you come through the door. An open kitchen fills the dining room with mouth watering aromas while an elegant decor creates a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. A similar characteristic that is also on show at the Cascella’s other restaurant – Picaderos.

Their sister-restaurant which specialises in fusing Spanish and Latin has only been open for one year, but thanks to their impressive menu and authentic food, customers have been flocking there ever since. Seeing the success that Picaderos had as a fusion restaurant, Valerie and Antonio decided to call upon their own culinary expertise and introduce new offerings into La Maison Donatello. Magali brought some of her own skilful recipes, but other gems came from Cascella family recalling food experiences they had while eating abroad.

Valerie & Antonio, along with their three daughters love their food and enjoy eating in the world’s best restaurants. They have learnt a lot from these trips and are now bringing some of their best ideas back. However, not everything has changed in La Maison Donatello, they have stayed loyal to the way they source their food. Whether it’s from their own garden or neighbouring farmers, Valerie intends to continue to feed the community with local produce and support the Maynooth economy while she does it.

The Cascella’s have a little plot of land where they harvest seasonal ingredients for the restaurant such as wild rockets, garlic and a variety of berries. They also supply the restaurant with produce from local farmers in Kildare while their guineas fowl, rabbit, chicken and pheasant are all sourced locally too.

The community touch can also be seen with the paintings that adorn the newly furbished walls of La Maison Donatello. A variety of works by the late Vincent Doyle , a well known and local artist, really add a homely sense to the modern restaurant. Thanks to this welcoming atmosphere, locals have chosen the restaurant for a variety of events since the day it opened. So whether it is a christening, graduation or birthday, La Maison Donatello can cater for anyone.

Guest can now sample a new range of delicious dishes that take a modern approach to classical French and Italian cuisine. For example, they can pick from braised wild venison with pearl barley, celeriac and autumnal vegetable to Italian styled fresh sea bream with langoustine bisque, fennel puree and samphire sea asparague served with Clogherhead crab,

Once you sample the new menu and enjoy the comfortable surrounds that the Cascella family have to offer, you will soon find yourself amongst the many loyal regulars. So you best book a table soon because there is no better time to visit La Maison Donatello.