FORM 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Insignares Valerie L.
(Last) (First) (Middle)
1000 DARDEN CENTER DRIVE
(Street)
ORLANDO FL 32837
(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC [ DRI ] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
Director 10% Owner
X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below)
President, LongHorn Steakhouse
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
07/23/2014
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X Form filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock               48,749 D  
Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year) 7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (Right to Buy) $ 44.49 07/23/2014   A   48,516   07/23/2017 (1) 07/23/2024 Common Stock 48,516 $ 0 48,516 D  
Explanation of Responses:
1. This option vests in two equal annual installments beginning on the third anniversary of the grant.
Remarks:
insignarespoa.txt
Bruce A. Brown, Attorney-in-fact for INSIGNARES, VALERIE L. 07/24/2014
** Signature of Reporting Person Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints 
each of Teresa M. Sebastian, William R. White, III, David R. Lothrop, Anthony G.
  Morrow and Bruce A. Brown, signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful 
attorney-in-fact to: 

(1)        execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's 
capacity as a current or retired officer and/or director of Darden Restaurants, 
Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder ("Section 16"), and 
Form 144 pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended 
("Rule 144"); 

(2)        do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned 
which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4, 
or 5, or Form 144, complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and
  timely file such form with the United States Securities and Exchange 
Commission, the New York Stock Exchange and any other stock exchange or similar 
authority; and

(3)        take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the 
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, 
in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being 
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
  undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
  contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
  attorney-in-fact's discretion.
       
The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and 
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, 
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers 
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
  could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
  hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such 
attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be 
done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein 
granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in 
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming, 
nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
  with Section 16 and Rule 144.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the 
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 and Form 144 with 
respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued 
by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing 
delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.
       
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be 
executed as of the 18th day of June, 2014.

								/s/ Valerie L. Insignares		
							Signature 
							Print name: Valerie L. Insignares