An unexpected pleasure and definitely a must for anyone visiting Baltimore. No matter what I say will not be enough to give this place the justice it deserves. It is family-run Sardinian restaurant where every dish is made to order and the food is absolutely delicious. The fresh fettuccine was thin and delicious, seafood tasted like it was taken out of the sea minutes before it was placed on our table. Stefano, our waiter, was extremely friendly and made us feel absolutely welcomed without being pushy. All in all a perfect dining experience. read more

What a pleasure to stumble on Daniela. Named afer its Sardinian owner, Daniela delivers a delectable deluge of delicious delicacies (the alliteration was too good to pass up)! The pasta and ravioli is all handmade and you can actually see the imprints from Daniela's fingers. Her two sons work at the restaurant as well and are very friendly and welcoming. It's also one of the few places on the Avenue that you can sit outside. Really nice on a warm evening. read more

Excellent choice - love the food, tremendous service, and reasonably priced - fantastic outdoor seating!

This was my first time eating at Daniela's and the meal was absolutely fantastic. Both my girlfriend and I eat gluten free and we were able to call ahead of time and select pasta dishes off the menu and have them specially made gluten free for us. For anyone who eats gluten free you can know how difficult it is to find accommodating Italian restaurants. Daniela's went above and beyond making fresh gluten free pasta for us the day we were dining there. The meal we got was fantastic. For appetizers we had the mussels and the crab soup. The mussels were large, perfectly cooked and came with a delicious sauce that we scraped every last drop of off the plate. The crab soup was one of the best I have had and came with a ton of fresh crab meat. For entree we had Fettuccine allo zafferano in salsa di zucchine e gamberetti and Saccottini di Granchio. You could not tell that either were made gluten free. The pasta was fresh and perfectly cooked. The portions were large and the sauce was AMAZING. I highly recommend Daniela's. As someone who grew up in an Italian family and is very critical of Italian cooking outside of my own mother's recipe I can attest that Daniela's is some of the best cooking I have had. read more

Went there for Fathers' Day and had a very memorable experience. I had never had Sardinian food and I cannot wait to go back. The flavors were unique and different from the other Italian restaurants in the DC metro area. The service was incredibly friendly and we felt at home. I ordered a lasagna verde with prosciutto, others had the crab soup, culurgiones, fregula con cocciulas, and the scialatielli al fruti di mare + plus 3 different desserts. Totally worth a visit + read more

Dear Daniela Pasta & Pastries, Consider this a love letter to you all. My fiancée and I have lived in the neighborhood for 5+ years and you are hands-down our favorite spot to walk to for dinner (and during the peak of Covid, order take-out orders from). A few years ago my fiancée held a birthday dinner for me and we dined "family style" with some of our closest friends in your back room. The food and ambience were perfect, but what struck a chord was when the matriarch/chef came to say hello, explain her choices for our dishes, and wish me a Happy Birthday amidst a busy night. It felt like a family member was joining us! The staff (typically the young gentleman who I believe is family) always provides great recommendations and makes us feel as though we are dining with a friend. We have brought my mother and nana on multiple occasions and they consistently rave about the experience. We walked up this evening for a take-out order and were thrilled to see your outdoor tables filled with people who get to enjoy all you have to offer. Your family and establishment are so very special... and we're lucky to have you in Hampden! read more

Super cheap! authentic homemade taste, friendly, delicious. take home and heat up or they will heat it up. only two tables. Its all about the taste and its freaking awesome. Its also very quick already packaged run in run out. Some of these Italian items you will only find here. The anchovy pastry thing was the best thing i have put in my mouth in 6 months. 4 people with two items each and an extra anchovy pastry thing was only $40 read more

Really great food. Prices very appropriate. Cozy. Love going here. I've tried lunch a couple times, but I'm in a hurry and it's just not a great fit. Better for a sit down, laid back dinner (esp. outside) The pastries are amazing. Makes me homesick for my Italian nana's special holiday cooking. Great addition to the neighborhood! read more

I had been looking forward to dinner at Daniela since I moved to the area in the Spring. Finally, on an evening stroll, the twinkling white lights and cozy porch drew me in. But I was entirely disappointed with the dining experience last night. The food was barely edible, and the service lacked the essentials: long waits, lousy timing, the basics. Wouldn't it make sense to bring the butter with bread? Or even olive oil? And I certainly wouldn't mind a cocktail before ordering dinner. The crab/shrimp ravioli (Saccottini di Granchio) was horrible. I'll spare you the details. My date's Scialatielli ai Frutti di mare from Amalfi had been overcooked for hours; the rubber shrimp required a steak knife. Any restaurant can have a bad night, but I can't imagine any chef tasting that crab filling for the ravioli and proceeding any further. Awful. read more

Undoubtedly the absolute best, most amazing tiramisu cappuccino I've ever experienced. Daniela's son whose name escapes me, wears many hats at the restaurant but always has a smile and a great memory! He has remembered my husband and I since our very first visit. Always engages us in conversation and is very much a genuine young man. They have recently moved to a larger place which is a bonus because I'm claustrophobic and could never eat in the restaurant at the previous location. Daniela also offers cooking classes which I found super fun, informative and down right delicious! read more

Finally tried this little spot on the ave with dishes made fresh daily. There are three tiny tables inside and a few outside though it was so hot that day that we sat inside and enjoyed the portable ac unit cooling us off. Two other chatty patrons suggested a few things including the spinach ricotta ravioli which was delicious! I got the lasagna bolognese which was sauced and seasoned just so and of course satisfied my undying love for quality Italian cheese and carbs. We got a meatball and tiramisu to go. It's definitely a family business and you can taste the passion and genuine love for food with all the items on their menu. Carry out is also available. Will be back. read more

I came here for dinner with a few friends, the experience was so and so.. We waited a while (45mins or so?) for the server to set up a table when there was so much outdoor seating. They also ran out of water but they gave us acqua panna instead? Food was served quick atleast.. I got the aranichi and cannoli as well as the saccotoni. The aranichi was an interesting dish.. it was a large rice ball covered with sauces. There was some cheese melted into it as well. The cannoli was pretty good, but I've had better. The cream didn't have enough flavor. The saccotoni was pretty good but it lacked the banana flavor? It was mostly nutella, still good though. It was more of a flaky croissant filled with nutella. I had some of my friend's dishes which was lasagna and fettucine. Their dishes came out to be better than mine, I may come back to try their pasta dishes. Overall the atmosphere is nice, even though the service isn't great but the servers try their best to keep up. It was just one guy working that night I went.. great place for a friend gathering or a date. Especially nice when you're sitting outside for a dinner date. read more

Daniela's puts out some solid Italian home cooking that makes your insides feel warm and comfy. Very low prices, cozy interior, and endless amounts of carbs just make for a great meal. There are a couple dishes that are smaller than you would expect, but only because it's a normal-sized portion and not a chain restaurant-sized portion. Either way, I would suggest maybe getting two dishes, just in case. Or grab a meat arancini! They're fried balls filled with rice, sauce, and veggies. For dessert, I've grabbed the tiramisu and new strawberry cream cake-like dessert. Both are a bit too sweet for my taste, but you can tell they're popular by how small their supplies are by the end of the day. Service is usually good and the employees have always been friendly. I've gotten take-out here, too, and it's always nice to just stop and chat with whoever's working while they get the food ready. read more

Yeah, I came back. I've been back a lot of times actually. Everything in the case is good. The pizza breads and foccacias and arrancinis and sausages and meatballs. Mm mm good. But really, the pastas. I have officially tried pretty much everything on their pasta menu, and I will tell you right now, it is pretty impossible to go wrong. Go to Daniela!!! In a small group. With an appetite for good italian. read more

We found Daniela's during a random visit to Hampden ! When we arrived we were a bit skeptical because it's a house, but the moment you walk in you feel like you're at your family's home ! We were greeted by Stephano (oh God please let me not have butchered it too much ! It's been 2 weeks ) He's Daniela's son ! He gave my wife and I a full break down of the menu and I just ordered his favorite, The Zuccini Alfredo ! When I say the food was so fresh, the noodles couldn't have been made longer than a few hours prior, the shrimp succulent and the sauce slowly cooked ! It was fantastic ! I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone, especially someone who loves Italian food ! read more

Cute ambience and OK food but bad service, especially if you eat outside. We had to wait about 20 minutes for our food, even though there were only 2 other tables all sitting outside. They cook everything in the house next door, and we could see them transporting all the food to the cafe to heat and serve. We got their Arancini to start, it looked so appetizing, huge fried balls of rice and sauce. It was really good. For entrees, we got their Raviolio di Carne and their Lasagne Vegetali, both were pretty small portions, and I thought the Ravioli would be more stuffed. I think I ordered wrong and next time will try the Saccottini di Polpa di Granchio. We tried some of their baked goods which were really good. Their Sfogliatelle (thin pastry layers filled with ricotta cream) was delicious, crispy and flaky. The owner is really nice and gave us a free samples to try which led us to buying several pastries! read more

I freely admit that I'm a snob about Italian restaurants, primarily because I see no reason to pay ridiculous sums of money for food that I could prepare better myself using my great-grandmother's recipes. Daniela, however, is on a different level. Tucked away in this cozy space in Hampden is some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten at a restaurant, and certainly in Baltimore (take that, Little Italy!). Sorry, grandma, I think Daniela might have you beat. When my fiancee and I stopped in for lunch recently, I opted for the Lasagne Verdi with prosciutto and she went with the Saccotini di Polpa. I cannot adequately describe how delicious both were. There's an art to cooking a lasagne so perfectly that every bite is coated in molten béchamel and Parmagiano but the other flavors still shine through, and in that regard Daniela is a culinary Michelangelo. The saccotini, filled to bursting with crab, shrimp, and tomato and sitting in a deceptively light cream sauce, were just as good. My only regret is that we were too full to try any of the Italian desserts, but there's always next time. Also, did I mention that essentially the entire menu is under $10? If that doesn't convince you sufficiently, I'm not sure there's much more I can do. Go! Now! read more

May be because they it was late Sunday night... Seafood did not taste fresh and you could tell the frying oil was overused Service was slow but staff were very polite However, I would go there again to give it a second chance read more

Best In Baltimore. Handmade pasta to order. Phenomenal Deserts. Worth the drive from DC.

Nice little cozy place. I had caprese salad and it was very good. My dinner partner had the Cesare salad and thought it was nice. He loved the crab soup and found it very different then the usual which included rice. I had the ravioli with ricotta and spinach. It was light and flavorful. My hubs pasta dish with the shrimp was delightful. We had a wonderful evening. read more

Visited on 10/20/18. This was our first time to Daniela's, but it definitely won't be the last. The setting is 2 converted row homes in Hampden, and it is decorated very nicely. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, without being intrusive. I ordered the crab soup to share with my husband, and although it had a tomato base, it wasn't a creamy or thick tomato base like Maryland crab soup, but much thinner than that. It has only crab and shrimp in it, no vegetables, and was very flavorful and delicious. I also ordered the side Caesar salad -- and it was very good! The shaved Parmesan cheese was plentiful and really added to the flavor of the salad. Nice creamy dressing on the salad. For my main entree, I had the Malloreddus - and oh my heavens, was it ever good! The sausage was so tender and the pasta and red sauce was great. I saved 1/2 and my husband had it for lunch the next day. He loved it as well. My husband ordered the mushroom lasagna, and he said it was good, but he liked the Malloreddus better. Our friends ordered the branzino and also the veal scallopine, and both were delighted with their choice. The bread / butter is good, too, but they only bring 1 slice per person, you can order more for a price. We chose to eat dessert at the Charmery, so we passed up on the desserts at Daniela's, but they looked fabulous! The only thing that was odd was that we ordered the Cabernet Sauvignon from the wine list, and while we got a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, it was not the one listed on the wine list. We learned about Daniela's because they participate in the Taste of Blakefield, and we enjoyed their food samples there, and thought we would patronize their business. So glad that we did! read more

So ridiculously delicious!!! I've never had Italian food this fresh and authentic tasting. The space is tiny, only 4 small tables inside and about 4 small tables outside. We went a little earlier than dinner time so we were seated right away. I took off a star for the slooooow service. It took them over 30 minutes to give me my appetizer and then another 30+ minutes for the entree and 20+ minutes to get the check after we asked for it. But the servers were very friendly and we weren't in a rush so it wasn't much of a problem. The food was absolutely phenomenal. I expected smaller portions from the price but I left with enough leftovers for another a meal easily. The tomato basil soup was so creamy and rich, not overly sweet or tart. I can confidently say it was the best tomato soup I have EVER had! The "small" portion was plenty large. The vegetable lasagna was fabulous as well. Nice crisp veggies (nothing grosser than mushy veggies!), plenty of cheese, right amount of sauce and perfectly cooked pasta. My fiance had the crab ravioli and could not stop raving about it. I wish I had saved more room for dessert, the Tiramisu was calling out to me. But I settled on the pastry with ricotta and orange zest cream. It was light and flaky with just the right hint of orange. 2 apps, 2 entrees, 2 drinks, 1 dessert = $40. Not bad AT ALL. Too many Italian places in the city are unnecessarily overpriced with mediocre food. Run to Daniela next time you're a craving Italian food. read more

Daniela surprised us; we expected standard U.S. Italian. In fact, Daniela delivers straightforward delicious fresh pasta dishes that will take you to Italy. Daniela is from Sardinia, an island off the coast, and she delivers what the server said was family recipes handed down. The dishes were excellent, and the homemade tomato sauce was light and complemented the dish I had. The wine selection includes Sardinian wine, drinkable and perfect with the food. The service was attentive, but not overbearing, with a real desire that we enjoy our time. It is cosy, not too many tables, and broken into small rooms. It certainly is place that we would return to - and will the next time we are in Baltimore. read more

Delicious homemade pastas. The gnocchi was pillowy and incredible. The sausage ragu pasta was excellent. Sausage was soft and tasty. Ambiance is so romantic with the outdoor lights. read more

Feels like home!! Such a great find. Between our strong Italian heritage and growing up in the North East (NJ and NY), I have not been able to find good Italian food since moving to the area read more

Two came here for dinner last night. We had chianti, gnocchi, and ravioli. This place is small but filled with intimate nooks and crannies. The food was amazing and the service was very good. Our total bill was around $50, very reasonable for a fantastic meal. Very authentic Sardinian cuisine run in a quaint mom and pop shop. Thanks Daniela, we'll be back to Hampden. read more

This could be the best in Baltimore area for Italian food with out paying the high prices in little Italy or elsewhere. I tried the rice ball chicken soup and pizza. All were excellent. Next time ill try the pasta entrees. Very friendly staff!! read more

Some might call this a quaint Place to eat, but it is just small. I will say it is an authentic Italian restaurant from the food to the wait staff. The pasta is homemade and fresh. So are the desserts. I just wasn't that thrilled with the meal overall. I felt the pasta sauce was average. We had two of the same dishes, the veal limone. The veal was pounded so thin it was like the thickness of chip steak. Also one dish was seasoned with much to salt. I was excited to see sfogliatelle on the menu. One of my favorites growing up, but it was the smallest I have ever seen. Serves wine and a few beers, but no mixed drinks. read more

Don't be intimidated! We stopped in after taking the kids to see the Christmas lights on a Sunday evening. It looks like a very classic nice Italian restaurant, and we were worried we shouldn't have our young kids there. Fortunately our waiter was very friendly and immediately offered us some bowls of pasta with red sauce. It's not on the menu, but it was fresh and delicious and reasonably priced. I had the crabmeat soup which was very tasty and just a little spicy. My husband and I decided we would love to come back sometime without the kids as it seems like a very authentic, family-run and friendly local business. read more

This place is truly amazing. Homemade pasta!?! Need I say more?? I got the spinach ravioli. So good. My girl got the sausage and pasta dish. Even better. If you are ever in Hampden, GO HERE! This will definitely become one of our go to spots. read more

I don't understand why this place is so highly reviewed. It's a small dive looking place with 3 or 4 small tables. He ordered spinach cheese ravioli and I ordered their regular lasagna - they have many lasagna options. We ordered a coke n water which were given to us in the bottle / can. She asked if we wanted glasses. Then gave us glasses without ice. Had to request ice. I got up to look at desserts and saw the server plating the already cook ravioli only a few moments after we ordered. His ravioli was nothing interesting and i was quite disappointed w my lasagna. It was edible. We figured that if the desserts were anything like the meal, we'd just skip. It was cheap enough, certainly not expensive, but we weren't even full. Stopped for pizza after. Bathroom was dirty, complete out of paper towels and toilet paper needed replacing. Server was in the bathroom just before me and I couldn't help but wonder if he didn't notice the paper towels because maybe he didn't wash his hands...? We won't return. read more

Daniela's was an all around winner. Food was delicious. Amazing fresh pasta and unbelievable filet of branzino. Located in a great neighborhood, the restaurant is family owned and operated, decorated with Daniela's family photos and recipes. read more

It was probably the worst idea ever to come here because now I don't know if I'll ever be able to stop eating this pasta. There is really no comparison to how good Daniela's is to any other pasta I've had from other "authentic" Italian restaurants. We checked out the menu before heading up to the Ave, my roommates have been here a few times, but this was my first! Since I couldn't pronounce anything on the menu my boyfriend took over to order the Lasagne with Proscuitto and Ravioli Carne. The guy working (Stefano? One of Daniela's sons) was really nice and packaged everything up quickly, gave us directions on how to heat everything up (350 in the oven for 8-10 mins, or in the microwave for 3-4 mins) and extra sauce to pour over the lasagne if we wanted to (definitely optional in my opinion) he also gave us a free pastry (not sure what it was called, but it was stuffed with ricotta and orange zest, and topped with powdered sugar) We swung by Wine Source and picked up a bottle of Sauvignon and after everything was warmed up, we proceeded to finish every single bite of both dishes. I don't even think we stopped to take a breath or a sip of wine because it was that good. Lasagne was prepared with fresh spinach pasta, thick slices of proscuitto, a cream sauce, and cheese. We split the 5 large ravioli and immediately began eating the pastry. I had maybe two bites and my boyfriend inhaled the rest, but if I wasn't so full from the meal I would've fought him over it. Delicious and authentic, it really doesn't get any better than this. Yes the space is small, but they definitely make it work! There are two tables inside and two (maybe three?) tables for outdoor seating, but everything comes packaged for take-out, so I think that for how good the food is, and how well it heats up at home, I have no complaints. Definitely want to come back for more pastries! We grabbed food around 6pm, and the dessert cabinet was almost empty, so make note to get there earlier for sweet treats. read more

Amazing value, I got the bolognese lasagna. Be sure to save room for a cannoli. I had a meatball as an app, and next time I'd probably skip, though it was delicious; the meatball plus the meat sauce on the lasagna was just kind of redundant. read more

I have extremely mixed feelings about this place. The homemade pasta is delicious. Enjoyed the tiramisu. And I love supporting small establishments like this. I do not like that the food is microwaved. My lasagna had to be taken back because the center was cold and returned scalding hot. The soup was crazy salty on both occasions I tried it. But the worst: the server had her hands full and needed to walk outside so she used her FOOT to turn the door handle. The one we all must put our hands on, including her before serving our food. If these sorts of things happen in plain sight of guests, I worry about what else is going on. And the defensive responses by the staff to reviews is enough to make me never go back. read more

The absolute best place for italian food in baltimore. It is a small wonderful little place that is honestly the most amazing italian food I've ever had. Daniela will do custom things if you call ahead - I have a friend that's super vegan, and she would make eggless meals for him. Anyways - can't say enough - I've never had a bad meal here, in fact every meal is met with a smile, wonderful service and authentic food, cooked fresh every day. read more

This new offering in Hampden on the Avenue is a wonderful find. Daniela's pasta is cloud like, meat or veggie. Her sweets are sweet. All very affordable for a take home dinner, the service is great. I do not agree with the head specs, kids are fine here and would be treated well as long as they are well behaved but that is anywhere, yes? read more

A gem of a place! Tastes like homemade because it is homemade. The caprese salad was not drizzled with balsamic so we could really taste the fruity olive oil, fresh tomatoes and creamy mozzarella. The pasta di mare's tomato sauce seemed to be infused with seafood and the lasagne was the best I have eaten in over a decade. read more

I read reviews and ended up going to the "new" location. Experience was somewhat negative. Inside of the restaurant it was musty so we decided to sit outside. Once we ordered our food, we waited about 25 minutes. When the food arrived it felt like it was reheated because it was cold from the middle. Portions were TINY, with chicken parmesan came with a small salad and nothing else. Salad had tons of corn on it, which is not authentic Italian. Very sub average meal that was about 18 Dollars per person (very expensive for what you are getting.) I am thinking that excellent reviews were from the older location when the food was better. I probably will not be going there again. read more

One of the worst and smallest restaurants. All the things they served, except for fettuccini , tasted like a microwave dish picked up at the local Hampden market down the road. The desert was premade and in a box I went based on the reviews here but I guess the quality has significantly declined... If you're hungry, get the fettuccini and run out! read more