Fair Value Measurements - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
May 31, 2020 USD ($) restaurant	May 26, 2019 USD ($) restaurant
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying value of long-term debt	$ 928.8	$ 927.7
Long-lived assets	2,756.9	2,552.6
Goodwill	1,037.4	1,183.7
Trademarks	805.9	950.8
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Goodwill	165.1	311.4
Trademarks	230.1	375.0
Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Carrying value of long-term debt	928.8	927.7
Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of long-term debt	1,200.0	955.7
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Asset impairment	6.6
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) \| Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$ 24.2
Number of underperforming restaurants \| restaurant	7
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) \| Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Assets held-for-sale, long-lived, fair value disclosure	$ 17.6
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Asset impairment	34.9
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) \| Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Asset impairment	314.2
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) \| Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$ 35.1	$ 21.7
Number of underperforming restaurants \| restaurant	13	7
Asset impairment		$ 19.2
Number of restaurants damaged by natural disasters \| restaurant	2
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) \| Carrying Value \| Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 334.3
Trademarks	375.1
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) \| Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Assets held-for-sale, long-lived, fair value disclosure	0.2	$ 2.5
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) \| Fair Value \| Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Goodwill, fair value	165.1
Trademarks, fair value	$ 230.1

Indefinite-Lived Trademarks, Fair Value Disclosure

No definition available.

Name:	dri_IndefiniteLivedTrademarksFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	dri_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Restaurants Damaged by Natural Disasters

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Number of Underperforming Restaurants

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Fair value portion of assets classified as held for sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsHeldForSaleLongLivedFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of debt instrument payable, including, but not limited to, notes payable and loans payable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118260190&loc=d3e13433-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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

- Definition

Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77989000&loc=SL49117168-202975

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99380562&loc=d3e13770-109266

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Goodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total loss recognized during the period from the impairment of goodwill plus the loss recognized in the period resulting from the impairment of the carrying amount of intangible assets, other than goodwill.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillAndIntangibleAssetImpairment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying amount (original costs adjusted for previously recognized amortization and impairment) as of the balance sheet date for the rights acquired through registration of a trademark to gain or protect exclusive use of a business name, symbol or other device or style for a projected indefinite period of benefit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16323-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedTrademarks
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109500613&loc=SL6031897-161870

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119400593&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount after accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(14))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(8))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119400593&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(13))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	dri_GoodwillAndOtherIntangiblesAxis=dri_CheddarsScratchKitchenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: