First Look: Donatelllo’s in Brunswick Keeps It Simple With a Five-Item Soup and Sandwich Menu

Donatelllo’s (with three L’s) is all about keeping things simple and doing them right. “We’re a very simple, very small, humble shop. But everything is [carefully done] to a ‘T’,” owner Zeky Yousuf tells Broadsheet.

The venue, named after one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, has a five-item menu, with one changing soup and four sandwiches – pastrami, smoked turkey, a three-cheese toastie and a roasted capsicum and eggplant sanga – each made using traditional sourdough from Publique.

Both the pastrami and the smoked turkey are decked with slices of provolone, tomato, cucumber, a slather of house-made pesto and a thin coat of pomegranate molasses. The three-cheese toastie uses a combination of gouda, provolone and tasty cheese that makes for an impressive cheese pull.

Ninja Turtles fans may be surprised there’s no pizza on the menu, but the soup of the week makes a perfect winter warmer instead. Past bowls have included lentil, chicken and veg, and the timeless minestrone.

A former carpenter, Yousuf did the interior woodwork himself, drawing on his Ethiopian background to design a warm space. Beguiling terracotta red, refined timber, and amber lighting are used to create what Yousuf describes as “North African beachy coastal vibes”.

Donatelllo’s is extremely cosy and inviting for a predominantly takeaway place. Though you might want to stay, you’ll have to be quick to grab a window-facing bar stool or a seat at one of the two small patio tables out front.

Coffee is brewed using Code Black beans and there’s a pastry selection that often includes Publique’s doughnuts, fruit danishes and croissants.

If you’re lucky enough, you might be treated to a little something with your drink. “My mum and auntie can’t help themselves, so they usually just make biscuits and cookies and give them out for free with coffees.”

Donatelllo’s
2 Mitchell Street, Brunswick
No phone

Hours:
Tues to Thur 7am–2pm
Fri 7am–1pm
Sat & Sun 8am–2pm

www.donatelllos.com