Daniela is one of the best Italian restaurants in town...and certainly the best for gluten intolerant, because Daniela will serve delicious gluten free pasta meals on request. A warm familial atmosphere adds to the comfort and relief of any event. Ignore any old hole in the wall reviews, because Daniela has moved to a larger space. Definitely worth repeated visits. read more

I can only give it 4 stars because of the crab ravioli - although beautiful in presentation, it is not a standout. Claw meat as filling was not appetizing and had possibly come from the freezer. The crushed tomato sauce certainly came from fresh tomatoes, but the typical unripe ones restaurants always seem to serve. I'm guessing once MD tomatoes are in season, it will be much better. However, it is absolutely a taste of the old country as I ate my husband's Lasagna Bolognese (the portion was generous). As an Italian, I drag him to Italian restaurants in every major city we visit and we both agreed Daniela's is among the best food we've had. We look forward to trying her other dishes soon. read more

Run , do not walk, to this wonderful treasure! True Italian cuisine, friendly staff and of course, Daniela! She puts care into every dish she creates ~ really, eating here is a joy. My favorite pasta is the Saccottini Polpa di Granchio. Very flavorful, tender pasta dish. In this age of fast food and chain restaurants, you will really appreciate a restaurant that actually wants you to taste the ingredients and enjoy eating it. Also, try the Sfogliatelle (so good when you get them fresh from the oven)! You can also take all this to go but I love eating there and seeing everyone else who enjoys it too! read more

This is a must! The lasagna is to die for. We had the Caprese Salad, the lasagna bolognese and the mushroom lasagna. All fresh and delicious. We ended this great meal with the Sfogliatelle and we will definitely be back for it & to try other food on this menu. Go.To.Daniela. read more

Unbelievable lasagna!! My favorite is the mushroom. Also her homemade meatballs are absolutely the best I have ever eaten. If you have not had the cappucino tiramisu at Daniela's, you most likely are missing the best in the world!! Daniela's is catering an event for me in a couple of weeks, and what I have tasted there is so wonderful that I can say without hesitation that the food will be a wow!!! The atmosphere of Daniela's is like an authentic Sardinian small restaurant, very casual, but don't let that fool you because this is 'THE PLACE" in Baltimore for the most delicious Italian food we have tasted!! read more

Wow. I had the spinach prosciutto lasagna, my husband had the lasagna bolgnese and my daughter had the seafood ravioli. We started with an order of sausage and arancini di riso. Everything was fantastic. The spinach and prosciutto lasagna - 2 things, the spinach is actually part of the noodle (yum) and there is no sauce. This was new to me and it made for a rich dish but it was still very good. My husbands lasagna was more of a classic dish and tasted like someone's Italian grandmother made it. The seafood ravioli was huge and did not skimp on the seafood. The flavor was great. The service was sweet, attentive and just overall lovely. The space is very small and super casual. Prices are great - I know the desserts are pricey but they're big enough to share. Make a reservation if you're really set on eating in. Forget little Italy, when I'm craving Italian I'm heading to Daniela's! read more

The food here is great. The restaurant is a hole in the wall, but that's its charm. The service is great--friendly but not intrusive--and they don't rush you off. I've never had a bad experience here. read more

This place is so easy to overlook because it is soooo tiny. But if you get a seat at one of their 3 or 4 tables, you'll have one of the best and most affordable plates of fresh pasta you've ever had (or you can order to go, if you want). It is definitely not "typical" Italian food, the flavors are unique and delicious. And their desserts are all just ridiculously good. read more

FYI - Daniela's has recently moved to a larger location and is no longer BYOB. They have a great wine selection and considering what you can pay for wine at other establishments, the pricing is not bad. I ate there last night for the first time with a group of friends (a total of 8 of us). We ordered the antipasti (delicious meat, olives, cheese), the fried seafood appetizer (shrimp, little fish and calamari) and mussels as our starters. We then all shared the spinach ravioli, a dish where the pasta was like large cous cous in a green sauce with clams and a version of gnocci with tomato sauce and sausage. Everything was absolutely amazing! The servers were attentive and knowledgeable. I highly recommend eating at Daniela's! read more

This was one of those meals when I wish I could pay what I think it's worth, or I wish I could go back in time and eat somewhere else. The waitress was nice, and I had a great table on the porch. But everything took forever. I should've complained but wasn't in the mood. Bread never came, even after I asked for it a couple times. The waitress had too many tables- that's management's problem. The caesar salad was just iceberg lettuce with croutons out of a box and squirts of dressing from a squeeze bottle- I'd hoped for a real caesar salad from a place that isn't cheap, and tries to do an authentic mediterranean feel. The pasta was inconsistent, some had a nice al dente homemade taste, and some was overcooked. Sauces were too salty and I'll be damned if there was any saffron in it. And the shrimp were gross and mealy, definitely frozen and overcooked, so I just left them. But paid for an expensive meal and tipped the overworked waitress. Lots of people will be attracted to eat here because of the location and 'look' of it. Hopefully the food gets better. read more

Very slowwww service. Been here for an hour and fifteen minutes and still waiting for entrees. No attention from server.

One of the top Italian food restaurants in Baltimore hands down. I can't say enough about this place, not expensive and SO DAMN GOOD. If you're looking for authentic Italian or just a good meal, skip the little Italy BS and come here. Handmade pasta EVERYDAY. Even the heavier dishes, which I usually veer away from, turned out to be my favorites mostly because the pasta is so light and soft. It's truly something special to eat the fruit of the labor of love that goes into the food here. More homemade than a lot of places in Italy and those Sardinian specialties....can't believe you can get them here in Baltimore of all places and not half as good even in some Sardinian kitchens. Worth it. Support this place! read more

This is an amazing find! I am part of a huge Italian family, and we take our food very seriously. We stopped in just to get cannoli's, and the wonderful owner offered us a sample of these pillowy, delicious crab ravioli. After my fiance and I devoured the raviolis, the owner asked if we wanted to try anything else. The service was amazing... and we knew immediately that we wanted to bring home some delicious food for later. We ordered the lasagna bolognese and the crab ravioli. The lasagna is seriously the best lasagna I've ever had. The cannoli's were comparable to our favorite Italian bakery in NYC... amazing! We asked for a catering quote -- we are quite serious about our intention to have Daniela cook for our elopement celebration picnic. I cannot say enough great things about this place! Word to the wise -- there are only two small tables, so I would count on taking this food to go. read more

We found this spot on a whim and it turned out to be absolutely amazing. Literally the best lasagne I have ever had. I've tried the vegetable and the asparagus and both were delicious. The marinara sauce is a little on the salty side but still great. The meat and potato ravioli are both really good too. And the tiramisu was a little expensive compared to how cheap everything else is on the menu but its a huge portion and it was great! read more

If you actually want quality Italian food, skip little Italy and stop by Daniela. Family from Sardinia runs the restaurant and do a fantastic job of creating an authentic experience down to Italian wines that you won't see elsewhere. Favorite restaurant in Hampden! read more

Wonderful family restaurant with welcoming atmosphere. The handmade pasta is delicious. As someone who feels so-so about seafood Daniela's definitely exceeded my standards. The food is well worth the price. read more

Lasagna was the best I've ever had. Crab soup was super legit too! Wish we had something like this in Memphis.

Awesome, homemade italian food. Their mushroom lasagna is one of the best I've had, but be prepared it's super rich.

This is the second time I've eaten here and I enjoyed it as much as the first. In fact, they have moved to a much bigger place! We knew it was the right place as soon as we saw that big oversized chef statue out front! The food is great. Presentation is great and everything tastes fresh. No complaints there. It's BYOB, and if I'm correct, there was no fee for that. Don't quote me on that though. We had the same waiter as the first time we came here and I can't say enough good things about the service we received. Very kind and attentive. We dined outside on the patio but the inside was super cute! This is a great family owned restaurant that I highly recommend if you are in Hamden, hon! read more

Service is A+. The ravioli was as good as everyone says. It's NOT you standard kind of impersonal dining experience. There's no menu for you to peruse in secret, no privacy at the "tables". Be prepared for a friendly and lively conversation about your meal--and about other stuff too. When I first walked in, I thought there was no way this place was more than coffee and pastries. If I hadn't read reviews on yelp I might have passed it by. I'm glad I stayed. The food is great, and the guy working there was more than happy to explain everything. There is a LOT of very good food coming out of a very small space. read more

What a great ambiance and service and the food is delicious! They have the best gnocchi I've ever had as they are so fluffy! Highly recommend! read more

Fantastic food. Home made, and fresh. The lasagna was remarkable, made with béchamel sauce instead of ricotta. Daniela makes the best meat ball I ever ate - by far. The store is quaint and has plenty of character, but not a lot of seating (two tables inside). So consider to go, especially for groups larger than four. The staff was helpful and made us feel right to home. A hidden treasure on the avenue. Oh... And leave room for desert... well worth it. read more

One of the sweet little spots in Hampden. The food is hand made, awesome and really really close to the real thing and the price is very affordable. If you want home made pasta, this is the place to go. The addition to tables outside makes it a nice spot for a cheap lunch or dinner. read more

I had the pleasure of having lunch at Daniela's last week. Actually pleasure is not a strong enough description ...as the food was heavenly!! The green lasagna with wild mushrooms was absolutely delicious as was the tiramisu which was the best I have ever eaten. Having lived in Italy before, I can say that this is truly authentic Italian cuisine, but not the usual Northern Italian fare, but unique to Sardinia where different spices are added to the sauces. read more

Great food, amazing tiramisu, other desserts were equally great. Staff was friendly, service was good, it's like eating in the kitchen of an Italian family! read more

This place's rustic and simple ambiance was a cute break from the everyday swank newer restaurants have. However, we ate dinner way before closing time and our lasagne vegetali and spinach ravioli was literally taken out of a freezer and heated in a microwave in front of us. Unfortunately, it tasted like that too. I was excited to try this based on reviews but won't be going back. read more

Amazing. My Sister took me to Daniela's for dinner the other night. What a gem!! Best Lasagne I've ever had. Brought home a half pan ready to cook to eat some and freeze the rest. I'm not sure any of it will get to the freezer (and it's just my wife and I). The Tiramisu is some of the best ever also. Daniela and her son Steffano were gracious hosts and very accommodating. Bring your own bottle of wine (no corkage fee). The pastry case and pasta case have wonderful treats, all homemade. read more

The food at Daniela's was amazing! The gnocchi were without a doubt the best I've ever had - perfectly cooked and with delicious homemade sauce. Make sure to try the crab soup - it's filled with crab and shrimp, tender and flavorful! I'll definitely be back. read more

Loved, loved, loved the food. The pasta just melts in your mouth. Daniela cooks authentic Italian cuisine using family recipes and even imports quality ingredients from Italy. It does not get better than this. You get a first class meal for a reasonable price. read more

Daniela's is located on the main drag in Hampden. I must have walked by this tiny hole in the wall a hundred times before, but it is easy to spot with a statue of a large Italian chef out front standing guard. I believe most of their orders are takeout, as they have a tiny seating area that was crowded with eight people when we walked there from a nearby bar that did not serve food. No liquor license, so BYOB. There is a glass case that takes up most of the room containing single portions of most of their available items: lasagna, etc. There is another case that showcases their desserts. I ordered a Ravioli con Carne, pleased to see that this was not one of those places that only offered ravioli stuffed with cheese. The ravioli were wide, taking up most of the plate, and covered with a bright red marinara sauce. I was disconcerted at how watery the sauce looked, but I cleaned my plate and there was not much sauce left. The ravioli were good, not amazing. My wife enjoyed her rice ball (arioli?) which was stuffed with vegetables and covered in sauce. She had recently had a lackluster version of the same dish at another Italian restaurant recently, so could not say enough about it, but I again found it okay. It did not occur to me that with all entrees premade and refrigerated coupled with how small the place is that of course everything must be microwaved, but I did not notice any heating issues with our food. This is a fine place to go if you're in Hampden, but I would not go to Hampden just for this place. read more

We have come many times for special occasions to do the family style meal. Every time is something different, unique and amazing. All the ingredients are fresh and the dishes are delicious. The staff cannot do enough. It felt like a meal in Italy where the food kept coming. read more

We stopped here while visiting Hampden about two summers ago. I instantly fell in love with everything about it. When they moved locations (just right down the street) I couldn't wait to visit again. I won't come to Hampden without eating here. The service is great, and the food is even better! Perfect dinner for when you're visiting the christmas lights too! read more

If you call ahead Daniela can make gluten free options from scratch and they are amazing! I have been here twice, each time for one of her "special dinners" and each time they were made gluten free. I was diagnosed with celiac after I visited Italy, and let me say her homemade gluten free pasta tastes as good as the normal homemade pasta I had while over their. The service is awesome too, it's a family owned business and they're all very caring and friendly; we sat there for hours after our meal to finish digesting and to talk to them. Also, this location is BYOB just like the old location, although they do have a liquor license now as well. The special dinners are a little pricey but it's totally worth it, and you will have more food than you can ever imagine being able to eat! I can't wait to go back, one of my favorite restaurants; satisfying both my Italian heritage and my food intolerance in one! read more