Table of Contents A Lot Financial Highlights and Business Description Our Strategies and Values Operating Company Overview The Experience The Guest Make A Promise On The Front Line Trust Stay The Same Letter to Shareholders Corporate Responsibility Board of Directors Corporate Officers Financial Review 2005 Shareholder Information

Shareholder Information Company Address Darden Restaurants, Inc. 5900 Lake Ellenor Drive Orlando, FL 32809 Phone: (407) 245-4000 Mailing Address Darden Restaurants, Inc. P.O. Box 593330 Orlando, FL 32859-3330 Web Site Addresses www.darden.com www.redlobster.com www.olivegarden.com www.bahamabreeze.com www.smokeybones.com www.seasons52.com Transfer Agent, Registrar and Dividend Payments Wachovia Bank National Association 1525 West W.T. Harris Boulevard, 3C3 Charlotte, NC 28288-1153 Phone: (800) 829-8432 Address correspondence as appropriate to the attention of:    Address Changes    Stock Transfers    Shareholder Services Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm KPMG LLP 111 North Orange Avenue Suite 1600 Orlando, FL 32801 Phone: (407) 423-3426 Form 10-K Report Shareholders may request a free copy of our Form 10-K, including schedules but excluding exhibits, by writing to: Investor Relations, Darden Restaurants, Inc., P.O. Box 593330, Orlando, FL 32859-3330. Shareholder Reports/Investor Inquiries Shareholders seeking information about Darden Restaurants are invited to contact the Investor Relations Department at (800) 832-7336. Recorded summaries of quarterly earnings announcements and other news are available on the toll-free line. Shareholders may also request to receive, free of charge, copies of quarterly earnings releases.    Information may also be obtained by visiting our Web site at www.darden.com. Annual reports, SEC filings, press releases, and other Company news are readily available on the Web site.    Our Web site also includes corporate governance information, including our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and board committee charters, including the charters for our Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committees. We believe we are in compliance with the applicable corporate governance listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, as of the date of this report. Darden Restaurants Foundation Annual Report To receive a copy of the 2005 Darden Restaurants Foundation Annual Report, mail a request to the Foundation Administrator, Darden Restaurants, Inc., P.O. Box 593330, Orlando, FL 32859-3330, or visit our Web site at www.darden.com Notice of Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time, Wednesday, September 21, 2005, at Gaylord Palms Orlando Resort Hotel, 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746. As of the close of business on July 25, 2005, we had 40,602 shareholders of record. Markets New York Stock Exchange Stock Exchange Symbol: DRI Certifications We have filed as exhibits to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 29, 2005, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer certifications required by Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We have also submitted the required annual Chief Executive Officer certification to the New York Stock Exchange.