POWER OF ATTORNEY
          Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints each
of Paula J. Shives, William R. White, III, C. Bradford Richmond, Valerie K. Collins and
Douglas E. Wentz, 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 this 1st day of October, 2007.

							/s/ Eugene I. Lee, Jr.
							Signature

							 Eugene I. Lee, Jr.
							Print name