<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000940944-01-000011
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20010228
<FILING-DATE>20010307
<SUBJECT-COMPANY>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC
<CIK>0000940944
<ASSIGNED-SIC>5812
<IRS-NUMBER>593305930
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>FL
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>0526
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-13666
<FILM-NUMBER>1562701
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>5900 LAKE ELLENOR DR
<CITY>ORLANDO
<STATE>FL
<ZIP>32809
<PHONE>4072454000
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
<CITY>ORLANDO
<STATE>FL
<ZIP>32809
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>GENERAL MILLS RESTAURANTS INC
<DATE-CHANGED>19950313
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</SUBJECT-COMPANY>
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>RUIZ HECTOR
<CIK>0001090007
<ASSIGNED-SIC>
<RELATIONSHIP>DIRECTOR
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>8218 CHALK KNOLL DR
<CITY>AUSTIN
<STATE>TX
<ZIP>78735
<PHONE>5123289911
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>8218 CHALK KNOLL DR
<CITY>AUSTIN
<STATE>TX
<ZIP>78735
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>0001.txt
<TEXT>

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   RUIZ, HECTOR
   5900 LAKE ELLENOR DRIVE
   P. O. BOX 593330
   ORLANDO, FL 32859-3330
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC. (DRI)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
   2/2001
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   (X) Director                   ( ) 10% Owner
   ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
TABLE I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
<CAPTION>
+---------------------------------+----------+-------------+-----------------------------+----------------+-----------+------------+
|1. Title of Security             |2. Trans- |3. Trans-    |4. Securities Acquired (A)   |5. Amount of    |6. Owner-  |7. Nature   |
|                                 |   action |   action    |   or Disposed of (D)        |   Securities   |   ship    |   of In-   |
|                                 |   Date   |   Code      |                             |   Beneficially |   Form:   |   direct   |
|                                 |          |             |                             |   Owned at     |   Direct  |   Bene-    |
|                                 |  (Month/ |             |                             |   End of       |   (D) or  |   ficial   |
|                                 |   Day/   +-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+   Month        |   Indirect|   Owner-   |
|                                 |   Year)  |Code   |V    |Amount     |A/D   |Price     |                |   (I)     |   ship     |
+---------------------------------+----------+-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+----------------+-----------+------------+
<S>                                <C>        <C>     <C>   <C>         <C>    <C>        <C>              <C>         <C>
Common Stock                       02/21/2001 J (1)   V     254         A      $21.420000 10903            D
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
TABLE II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
<CAPTION>
+-------------+--------+----------+---------+-----------+---------------------+----------------+----------+--------+-------+-------+
|1.           |2.      |3.        |4.       |5.         |6.                   |7.              |8.        |9.      |10.    |11.    |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |                |          |Number  |Owner- |       |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |                |          |of      |ship   |       |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |                |          |Deriv-  |Form of|       |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |Title and Amount|          |ative   |Deriv- |       |
|             |        |          |         |           |                     |of Underlying   |          |Secur-  |ative  |Nature |
|             |Conver- |          |         |Number of  |                     |Securities      |          |ities   |Secur- |of     |
|             |sion or |          |         |Derivative |Date Exercisable     +-------+--------+          |Benefi- |ity:   |In-    |
|             |Exercise|          |         |Securities |and Expiration Date  |       |Amount  |          |cially  |Direct |direct |
|             |Price of|Transac-  |Transac- |Acquired(A)|(Month/Day/Year)     |       |or      |          |Owned   |(D) or |Bene-  |
|Title of     |Deriv-  |tion Date |tion Code|Disposed(D)+----------+----------+       |Number  |Price of  |at End  |In-    |ficial |
|Derivative   |ative   |(Month/   +------+--+-----+-----+Date Exer-|Expira-   |       |of      |Derivative|of      |direct |Owner- |
|Security     |Security|Day/Year) |Code  |V |(A)  |(D)  |cisable   |tion Date |Title  |Shares  |Security  |Month   |(I)    |ship   |
+-------------+--------+----------+------+--+-----+-----+----------+----------+-------+--------+----------+--------+-------+-------+
<S>            <C>      <C>        <C>    <C><C>   <C>   <C>        <C>        <C>     <C>      <C>        <C>      <C>     <C>
</TABLE>

Explanation of Responses:
(1) The Reporting Person elected to receive a portion of the quarterly
Director's compensation in stock issuable under the Darden Restaurants, Inc.
Compensation    Plan for Non-Employee Directors.  Shares are valued and issued
at the end of each quarter.

SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ HECTOR RUIZ

DATE
03/07/2001
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
