Our waitress was a gem. She had a laid-back, low-key demeanor and was exactly the type of server we love -- friendly, attentive and can read the mood of the patron. She did just that. She knew it was our anniversary, so wanted us to have a wonderful evening and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. My husband and I spent a year living in Europe, so we were tickled when Daniela's brought us back to the wonderful, relaxing atmosphere we had experienced in so many countries in Europe. Europeans definitely know how to relax and enjoy their food. They know how to enjoy each minute of the dining experience. Typically, American restaurants tend to rush their patrons through dinner so they can be mechanically herded in and out in under an hour. Not the Europeans. European servers typically won't bring your check until it's requested in order for you to not feel rushed. They want you to enjoy your dining experience for as long as you'd like. We had such a wonderful experience at Daniela's that we stayed for over three hours. Not once did our waitress rush us or make us feel like it was time to move out so the next patron could be seated. Our waitress was so relaxed that after ordering our appetizer and wine, she collected our menus (before ordering our entrees) just so we could relax and enjoy ourselves. Perfect. Bravo.
Daniela's is a Northern Italian, Romanian and Hungarian restaurant. The restaurant was opened in 2009 by Romanian sisters Cori and Daniela. One sister lived in Hungary and the other in Italy before reuniting in Naples to pursue their dream of opening a restaurant. We wanted to sample food from each region so we ordered Chiftelutu (traditional Romanian meat balls) for our appetizer, Alla Salsicia Piselli (sausage and pea pasta) and Cotoletta Alla Milanese Di Maiala (pork loin) for our entrees and tiramisu for dessert. The food was very good, but the dessert was excellent. The tiramisu was served in a beautiful glass bowl and tasted like heaven.
A highlight of the evening was the incredibly talented violin music of Oleg Timuta. It would be worth going to Daniela's just to hear him play. He plays every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6:30 - 8:30pm (although he played much longer than that to our delight). The 16th was his birthday, so we were tickled to be a part of his birthday party as the staff and patrons sang him "Happy Birthday." He played several of my very favorite songs, including "Memory," which my husband requested for me. He didn't have the music with him, but played most of the song by ear which was quite impressive. Two Colombian woman at the bar were encouraged by staff to take a stab at playing the old piano in the restaurant, so they each played for a few minutes while Oleg accompanied them. That definitely made us smile.
The evening ended on such a high note when the owners came into the restaurant after being at the Naples Daily New's readers choice awards at the Phil. They won "Best International Restaurant," so as you can imagine, they were giddy beyond words! What an experience to be in the restaurant and experience them telling their staff about the award. One of the owners even came over to our table to wish us a "Happy Anniversary" - a very nice touch. We were pleased when we received our bill (after requesting it, of course), our dessert was on the house for our anniversary. A very thoughtful touch indeed.
Will we be coming back to Daniela's? You bet. Since moving to Naples in October, this was by far, our best, most enjoyable dining experience. Way to go Daniela's.
Our ratings (1 - 4, one being the worst, 4 being the best):
- Service: 3
- Food: 3
- Wine: 2
- Ambiance: 2
- Overall Experience: 4
- The $29.99 value: 2
The deal: : 2 Entrees + Bottle of Wine for $29.99
Have you been to Daniela's? What did you think?
What $29.99 off season specials do you recommend for "The Ashford"?
