Exhibit

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statement on Form S-8 of Darden Restaurants, Inc. of our report dated July 24, 2015, with respect to the consolidated balance sheets of Darden Restaurants, Inc. and subsidiaries as of May 31, 2015 and May 25, 2014, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended May 31, 2015, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of May 31, 2015, which reports are included in the 2015 Annual Report to Shareholders included as an exhibit to the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2015.