Stock-Based Compensation (Narrative) (Details) - May. 31, 2015	Stock_Option_Plan shares
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of active stock option and stock grant plans (plans) \| Stock_Option_Plan	2
Number of stock plans that no longer issue shares (plans) \| Stock_Option_Plan	4
Maximum terms of awards (years)	10 years
Vesting period (years)	4 years
2002 Plan
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for issuance (shares)	25,100,000.0
RARE Plan
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for issuance (shares)	3,900,000.0
Director Stock Plan
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for issuance (shares)	375,000.000
Director Compensation Program
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for issuance (shares)	100,000.0
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, portion paid in RSUs (percent)	75.00%
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, portion paid in common stock (percent)	25.00%
1995 Plan
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for issuance (shares)	33,300,000.0
2000 Plan
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for issuance (shares)	5,400,000.0
Minimum
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period (years)	1 year
Minimum \| 2002 Plan
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period (years)	3 years
Vesting percentage (percentage)	0.00%
Minimum \| Restricted stock/restricted stock units
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period (years)	3 years
Maximum
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period (years)	4 years
Maximum \| 2002 Plan
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period (years)	5 years
Vesting percentage (percentage)	150.00%
Maximum \| Restricted stock/restricted stock units
Schedule of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period (years)	5 years

Number Of Active Stock Option And Stock Grant Plans

No definition available.

Name:	dri_NumberOfActiveStockOptionAndStockGrantPlans
Namespace Prefix:	dri_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of stock plans that no longer issue shares

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dri_NumberOfStockPlansThatNoLongerIssueShares
Namespace Prefix:	dri_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Maximum Terms

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dri_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMaximumTerms
Namespace Prefix:	dri_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Vesting Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dri_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardVestingPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	dri_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Portion Paid In Common Stock, Percent

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dri_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardPortionPaidInCommonStockPercent
Namespace Prefix:	dri_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Portion Paid In Restricted Stock Units

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dri_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardPortionPaidInRestrictedStockUnitsPercent
Namespace Prefix:	dri_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) originally approved (usually by shareholders and board of directors), net of any subsequent amendments and adjustments, for awards under the equity-based compensation plan. As stock or unit options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares or units remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=dri_A2002PlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=dri_RarePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=dri_DirectorStockPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=dri_DirectorCompensationProgramMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=dri_A1995PlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=dri_A2000PlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: