This restaurant has been open for many years, I believe. We are so sorry it took us this long to patronize it! (In our defense, we have a beach house where we go out more often than when in West Chester) We were a party of three tonight. We ordered the whipped ricotta bruschetta and Caesar salad for starters. Both delicious! For entrees we had the eggplant Parmesan with gnocchi, the saffron risotto, and the lobster ravioli. (Sorry, no photos!) The portions were generous. Each dish was delicious! We took a good bottle of red and also had some house wine/cocktails. The corking fee was reasonable! Everything was totally reasonably priced, and "worth it"! We will be back!! Thank you! read more

I really enjoy the food here! It always tastes fresh and it's very flavorful! The space is really cute and intimate, it's a great spot for a date night! I don't mind this but I know since it is not super common in the US and especially this area so I know people complain - when I've eaten here it is typically a longer slower dinner, they staff isn't rushing you, they take their time, give you time to eat and talk. This is one of the reasons I really enjoy it. It feels super European and you don't feel rushed. The staff is really kind and I've always had great meals here! It's a gem of a restaurant! read more

Definitely some of the best pasta in West Chester for sure. I came here for a date night with my partner during restaurant week for their 3 course dinner. She had the tortellini soup and I had the Grandmas meatballs. The soup was underwhelming but the tortellini was fresh but were lacking in comparison to the meatballs which were rich and paired with a delicious red sauce. We both had their chicken parm with blush sauce and it was the best part of the night. The chicken was tasty but the pasta in blush sauce was amazing. The pasta was perfectly al dente and held on to the sauce perfectly. The desert was nothing special. But I would certainly come back for their pasta and nothing but their pasta. read more

dolce Zola - Chicken Parm - Italian Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

It was pretty busy when we came, so service was a bit slow but it was understandable! The food was absolutely amazing. read more

dolce Zola - Shrimp aurora - Italian Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

We went to Dolce Zola expecting a great meal. Unfortunately our server, Ryan, seemed determined to deny us one. He was so odd and so rude that all four of us left before ordering. Since it was my 77th birthday dinner we walked a few steps down the street to Bar Avalon and had a wonderful meal. Ryan, if you read this, find a different line of work. One that doesn't require you to interact with people. read more

From scratch Italian food. Great food, cool atmosphere. We were seated in the basement /wine cellar on a busy Saturday. Service was a bit slow- our server was great but she had tables all over- main floor, outside and downstairs. They should be more strategic with seating their servers. read more

Very good pasta and great service. I'd recommend if you're in the mood for just pasta, as they didn't have a lot of non-pasta options. But freshly made pasta and fast, which was all very delicious! read more

Food was very good, albeit a bit salty. All four of us had pasta dishes (pistachio pesto, lobster ravioli, walnut pesto, lasagne). All agreed a bit too salty, but still tasty. Noise level is LOUD. No sound soaking tiles or anything to help soften noise. Hard to hear conversation within our group. read more

We've been to West Chester many times but have never been to dolce Zola. While doing a Yelp search, it came up as a BYOB, but upon further inspection, I noticed cocktails and wine on their menu. When I called to inquire, I was told that you can bring wine and beer and that there is a $6.50 corkage fee for wine. All was well when we arrived and were promptly seated (we had reservations). However, what I didn't like was being seated in the basement next to what appeared to be a dirty air vent. The ambiance downstairs was lacking and didn't seem to have vibrant energy that was present upstairs. The upstairs seemed newer and more modern too. It also took some time for a server to approach us and explain the menu (QR code). While I didn't mind that during the pandemic, it seems unnecessary now and appeared identical to their online menu. After finally ordering, our appetizers did take some time to appear. However, the meatballs and beet/goat salad were quite good. Unfortunately, the meatballs may have been sitting there for some time waiting to be picked up as they were barely warm. I loved the spiral pasta (trottole) in my pescatore and was happy the chef didn't shy away from using garlic. My husband liked his chicken piccata too but didn't rave about it. Overall, good food but found the atmosphere lacking in the basement. read more

dolce Zola - Meatball appetizer and beet and goat cheese salad. Both good although the meatballs were not hot. - Italian Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

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I was on a date with my partner and this place was delicious. The caprese salad was super hearty and the pasta is homemade and was super fresh. We were seated on these very tall chairs right near the entrance to the kitchen so there was a lot of traffic where we were sitting, but that was okay since the food and service was overall great read more

dolce Zola - Mushroom Ravioli - Italian Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

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The server and the ambiance were good. The high top seats were uncomfortable. I ordered the Fruita De Mare. It had 3 small shrimp, it had 3 scallops that were cut in half. No crab meat and no Mussells!A lot of Pasta that wasn't cooked properly. 36$. I thought it was a rip off! read more

Fantastic. Truly in-house, scratch pasta. Great Italian food should be simple - at dolce Zola, every dish is beautifully crafted without being too "upidty". The chicken meatballs were so incredibly moist while being light and fluffy (not labeled on the menu, the three smaller meatballs are each topped with a generous dollop of ricotta). For entrees, the Carbonara was so saucy and rich (in a non-overbearing kind of way), the pasta perfectly al dente, and the dish *chefs kiss*. The salmone affumicato was flavorful with so many layers to the dish as well. We always love coming here because we know the quality is top notch. Can't wait to come back soon! read more

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What an Amazing dinner here?? Highly recommend the potato croquettes, bert salad, walnut pesto pasta and mushroom ravioli. Can't wait to be back There was live music as well which made the visit even more memorable!! Great service, and ambience as well. read more

Food is on point but there are some minor issues that keep it from being five stars. The pasta is fantastic with generous portions. The menu is diverse and creative, mostly northern Italian fare. Prices were quite reasonable for the inflation era. The appetizers were also excellent but we felt the portions were a bit too small to effectively share them around the table. Wine list was sparse but we found some interesting bottles at a fair price. The minor issues: 1. QR code menu simply doesn't belong in a nice restaurant. Took my parents who are in their 70's and spent the first twenty minutes of our night trying to teach them how to use their smart phones. Everyone kept going back to phones with each course. I thought it ruined the flow of the conversation. 2. Front door slams loudly every time a member of the waitstaff passes thru it, which is every thirty seconds when the street is open for dining. Another conversation killer when you sitting next to the door. 3. The place needs a bit more attention on maintenance and cleaning. My chair was broken and dangerous. Bathroom was a little sketchy. I hope they never seat anyone in that musty basement space! read more

Service was terrible. Ok, they didn't have clean wine glasses, no big deal. They brought them over one by one - we finally went up to the bar to get one more glass for the table and the waitress came by basically slammed it on the table. Food was mediocre. Pasta was nicely al dente but sauce not overly flavorful read more

The Food is amazing. Large portions. Highly recommend the cacio e Pepe and pescatore.

Went to dolce on a Wednesday. Service was okay. Had it been a Friday night we might have been forgotten. Seemed like relatively new staff so give them the benefit of the doubt. Food was incredible. Many places advertise that their pasta is made "in house" or daily. This is true here. Not one bad thing to say about the food. Only critique, drop the QR code menus. This is not a Buffalo Wild Wings. $25 plates and I'm thumbing through my phone like a board 15 year old at his grandparents. Your menu sets the tone. Food 5 stars Service 3.5 Menu killed it. 3 stars. read more

Very nice restaurant. Almost a 5-Star. Let me explain.... Food was very good. Authentic Italian fare. Service was excellent. Ambience was nice. Appetizers a bit overpriced for what you get. Although they were very tasty, quantity was lacking. We ordered both meatball appetizers, 1 chicken and 1 beef. Three very small meatballs. Either add a fourth meatball to each order or make them larger. Eggplant appetizer was very very good but again, not enough for the group to all try. The dinner entrées were very good. My family and I all agreed that they were generously portioned. We spent $40 on appetizers and $80 on entrees....we felt that it would've been better just to order an extra entrée for everyone to split as an app. We may do this in the future That being said, we will be back for sure. One of the best Pomodoro/marinara sauces around! Thank you very much read more

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Terrible experience, sat at a table in gravel in the back, no food after 90 minutes, terrible service. Something was obviously going wrong in the kitchen, the young waiter was not well trained or attentive to us during such a long wait. Unfortunately this was our Mother's Day dinner after traveling across state from Pittsburgh. Definitely will never return here. read more

Severely underrated. Best Italian in WC, been here multiple times. Ambiance is classy and perfect for special occasions, and outside seating is private. read more

I love this place! Been going since i was a kid and it is delicious, owners are so nice, and the basement is so cute and party friendly.

Nice Italian restaurant with reasonably priced items. Good food, good ambiance and friendly service. Definitely has a friendly neighborhood vibe so it's a great spot to go with family and/or friends to eat. read more

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dolce ZERO! Stay with me on this ... waited 15 minutes to be seated for reservation (with a walk in being seated before us). Once seated, waited an additional 25 minutes for someone to take our drink orders. Check came. Gave credit card. 10 minutes later waiter informs me he has LOST my credit card. After a little unnecessary back and forth with the owner, she comped the meal. I cancelled credit card and went through the associated hassles. Got a call a week later letting me know they found my card. My son stopped by to pick it up for me and the owner made him pay for the comped meal before she would give him my card (a little shocked she gave the card to someone other than me, but that's another story) - her staff was embarassed and apologized to my son and his girlfriend. Second horrific experience with her (yes, I gave her a second chance) - never again. Looking for good Italian? May I suggest Limoncello, Mercato, Sovana Bistro, Portabello's, La Verona, or Trattoria La Tavola. read more

Consistently great! Handmade pasta and sauce combos always on point. Service folks are always pleasant and knowledgeable. The backyard garden is quiet and private. Cocktails and wine list work well. One of West Chester's BEST. read more

The pasta is absolutely they best we've ever had, plus such an adorable location! We had the pistachio pesto with shrimp. Very good portions too! The ambiance was classy. A unique northern Italian restaurant that delivers both quality of food and experience. They had the high-top chairs, tables by the window and tables further back for a more quiet experience so many options with was nice depending on the experience you want to have. We chose to sit by the window and it was perfect! Love that it is BYOB! $7 to uncork. If you don't like using the QR code for the menu, they have paper menus, you just have to ask. Our waiter named Blaze did a great job. Also, the co-owner Antonella personally visited our table to make sure everything was fine. That was so nice and welcoming, Gracia Antonella! We will be coming back again soon! read more

The food is always amazing and the staff cannot be any nicer. I love going into Dolce Zola and being greeted with a smile. Antonella Gamba runs the show beautifully. I am never disappointed and always feel like family. read more

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Our food came out very slow. I ordered the smoked salmon ravioli. The filling was too strong on ricotta, which dominated the flavor and made the dish too earthy. The pasta dough was good. Chewy and fully cooked. The portion was fairly meager for the price point. read more

Great food and service! Would definitely get the egg plant parm again, it was out favorite part. Nice intimate setting - would say to dress on the nicer side. read more

Nothing special. I had heard good things and had been encouraged to try. Everything was...ok. This is the type of restaurant I want to like and support. Locally owned, pasta made fresh daily, chef owners. And I did like it, just not as much I expected. I will try it again. read more

My wife and I had the Speck and Peas, and the Pistachio Pesto - loved both dishes. Seasoning was superb - and not too much salt. Pasta was well cooked and not overdone. Caesar salad was excellent - they divided it into two portions as we shared. We were seated at the booth almost immediately (had made reservations but was a busy night and was concerned about wait). Nice surroundings and not noisy despite a full house. The owner attended to us - she made a big impression with friendliness and knowledge of the offerings. We talked about our recent visit to Italy - will follow her recommendations next time we come to Zola - especially the Eggplant Parmesan. We will go back soon. read more

Amazing food and service-we tried a variety of entrees at our table and all great! Wait staff was excellent and hostess was very welcoming. read more

We went there for the first time on Sunday- the interior is really nice- the service was ok- server was friendly but we were there early and it was almost empty and still had to keep asking for water- two servers would pass our table, look at the table, and keep going, never asking if we needed anything or wanted another drink- we had the meatballs and tortellini appetizers- you got 3 tortellini total- they were ok- I ordered the chicken and rice soup and they brought the tortellini soup- the waiter was nice and apologized and offered to bring the chicken and rice but I was hungry and said no- soup ok- we ordered the pasta dishes and there were all very good- good sized portions we kept having to ask for bread- the first time we got bread and pasta sauce and the sauce is delicious- we asked for more bread- he brings 3 slices- no sauce - after that he never asked if we wanted more- we are bread people- pasta is really al dente - drinks were good but served in the smallest wine glass possible - not worth the price- you can go down the street to Limencello and get a huge cocktail for the same price. Dessert was ok - the prices are reasonable and within other restaurants in the area- we won't go back- we tried it- Do not have people pull up their menu on their phones! That was COVID and I don't want to go back there-- it was annoying and felt like the place was cheap, plus your wi fi was locked - give free wi fi if you are going to do that. read more

The quaint quite restaurant tucked in the corner of Gay Street has been overcome by the "lets add tables outside on the closed street fad". Now we have visited before and had good experiences and (maybe this was a one night staffing issue) however the experience was not what it used to be. The staff was stretched to the limit, and boy were they trying, but they just could not keep up. I applaud the staff members for trying their best, but this is definitely a management issue. I recommend that if you do not have enough staff to provide good service to your customers, do not add extra tables in the street just because you can. In the end, the additional income from the extra tables is most assuredly offset by the income you lose from poor service. Our party spent way less money then we would have if our wine was filled when we needed it, if the bar was functioning, and the fancy drinks some of party wanted were not available, and if we thought it would be worth ordering dessert because of the experience. The evening began with our server advising when we tried to order drinks that they did not have a bartender for the evening and while some of the other servers knew how to make drinks, she could only pour us beer and wine. Not a deal breaker, but also not a great way to start the evening for a birthday celebration when some of our party had been to Dolce before and enjoyed the drink menu. Later in the evening when one of group asked for more wine, after one glass, the server reported they had no more. Remember the days when they were BYOB? They might consider going back to that as the issues we had would not have occurred. The food which is really the most important, was still very good, and I or any in my party had no complaints on the quality. It just took to long to get there, the pace of the evening was disjointed. (a server tried to clear our table of appetizer plates before the appetizers even arrived.) The air conditioning in the facility was not keeping up with the hot weather making the dining room uncomfortable for all. Too many issues to type. I will give Dolce another chance. Probably in the winter when they are not trying to extend their staff onto Gay Street beyond their capacity. I applaud the staffs effort but senior management needs to support their efforts. read more

I came to this Italian gem in West Chester on the first night of in-person dining in the post-COVID-19 era, and I enjoyed it for the most part. Stationed in the backyard of the restaurant, the outdoor dining set-up was very relaxing and perfect for social distancing. The food was pretty tasty (either that or I've been stuck with home cooking for far too long), and the service was superb for the most part as well. The experience was more less the same as pre-COVID dining, but there were a few notable differences. For starters, there was no physical menu--we were directed to the restaurant's contactless menu online. The wait staff was very meticulous about sanitation, putting on plastic gloves every time they brought a dish out. Most interestingly for me, though, was the little disposable containers for the parmesan, allowing us to add that to our dishes with little to no contact with other diners or the waitresses. However, I did miss the pepper in my pasta, but that seems to be the new reality of (outdoor) dining. In celebration of the first steps to reopening, we ordered a ton of food. Needless to say, it was all pretty great. I really enjoyed the uva (grape) salad, and the bresaola and rucola salad wasn't bad either. The uva salad had the perfect ratio of dressing to greens, giving it a subtle sweetness that complemented the arugula perfectly. The fried calamari and meatballs were as expected, can't really go wrong with this at any self-respecting Italian joint. Since dolce Zola prides itself on making all of its pasta in-house and fresh each day, we knew we had to go with all pasta dishes for our entrées. The spaghetti carbonara (a personal favorite) was alright. They included a decent-sized portion, but I found the sauce to be just a little too runny for my taste, diluting the egg flavor characteristic of carbonara. The lobster ravioli and shrimp aurora pasta were okay as well, but nothing spectacular in my opinion. The pasta in the carbonara and shrimp aurora seemed to be cooked a little too al dente, almost to the point of being crunchy, so we were a bit disappointed with the restaurant's signature dishes. As for the location and service, the backyard is a little difficult to find (the waitress led us through the windy path back there), but it is a very nice area. I personally preferred the secluded backyard from the streetside dining offered at other nearby restaurants, at least for health reasons, and didn't mind sitting outside on the beautiful evening that I went. The two waitresses were mostly prompt, forgetting only a few things, though I'm sure that they had a lot more on their minds than speed of service. Overall, I enjoyed dolce Zola and would definitely recommend during this yellow phase of Pennsylvania's reopening. Perhaps, when other restaurants that are exclusively indoor reopen, my outlook might shift, but I think that their outdoor dining, coupled with the decent food, makes this a great place to dine during COVID. read more

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Dolce Zola never disappoints. Food and service are top notch. Pasta and sauces are made fresh in house. The owners are so warm and welcoming...truly a familial atmosphere. read more

I was excited to eat here for the first time - I made my reservation about a week or so in advance for 3, on a Saturday night at 7pm. We got in, and got seated right away, however - we were immediately sent to the high top right by the front door where 20 degree wind was frequently blowing in. I was so surprised by the appearance of the rest of the restaurant when I got up to use the bathroom. It was about 15 degrees warmer, and it was a totally different atmosphere. The service was nothing to write home about - we were seated with no menus (and not told about the digital menu), the server took 15 minutes to just greet us and get our drink, we weren't checked in on often. It felt very disorganized. We (and the couple beside us, who were also freezing and there for the first time w reservations made way in advance) felt very isolated and forgotten about. The food was... ehh. It arrived sort of cold. I am not a chef and I have made better carbonara than what I had. read more

My favorite Italian restaurant of all time! The pasta is so fresh and the service is great!

We came for dinner on a Thursday night and it wasn't busy. So this is the tale of two restaurants; the front and the back of dolce Zola. They sat us in the lower level which is a basement of an old charming building in the Borough. Waiter announces welcome to our dungeon hands us menus and disappears for twenty minutes. Water and bread came after ten minutes. Bread came with an amazing tomato sauce for dipping which was an encouraging sign. Service was mediocre to bad for the night. But the food was excellent. We had two appetizers which were well presented and great flavors for the table. The back of the restaurant makes amazing fresh pasta and delicious sauces that we all devoured. The table next to us in the dungeon had a service issue too and got free desserts as a peace offering. Great potential for this place maybe they need time to train the staff. read more

Came here on a date night a little while back and had an amazing time. The pasta was home made and delicious. Everything tasted great. I was happy to not be packed in the restaurant like sardines at other restaurants. BYOB! But they make a mean cocktail! We can't wait to come back and end the date with the expresso martinis read more

dolce Zola - Cocktails, I forget (Negroni?) and expresso martini - Italian Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

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For the food I would give a 4 but for the customer service, I would give a 1 - so I've settled for a 3. I went on a Wednesday evening during the COVID season and our group was asked to wait outside for 15 minutes while they prepared an outdoor table for us. 30 minutes later, no one had come out and we wondered if they forgot about us. So when we inquired with the host she said that they were no longer able to prepare a table outside, but would have to move us inside if we still wanted to eat there. We were so hungry at that point that we agreed, even though we would have loved to sit outside on Gay Street. When we were brought to our table, our host/waitress immediately left and didn't return for another 15 minutes. Thankfully someone in my group mentioned the online menu (since physical menus are now a thing of the past) so we had our orders prepared when our host came. When she did come 15 minutes after seating us, and we asked if we could order, she looked completely shocked and then asked us to wait longer while she grabbed a pen to take our order. After a few more minutes, a different waitress came to took our order and we never saw that other woman again. I ordered the shrimp aurora with blush sauce and dragontail pasta which was delicious, and a beer. The pasta did seem a bit too al dente - I would have liked it to be cooked for another minute to soften it more. When our waitress brought out my beer she asked if I wanted a glass for it. I said yes. An hour later and after reminding her two more times, I did get a glass but I had just about finished my drink when it came. My friend who ordered the sangria never got it at all. The waitress did apologize when she was handing out the check and realized she was about to be charged for a sangria she never received. I'm guessing the poor service is because they were understaffed due to COVID so I hope this isn't typical (and doesn't seem like it based on other reviews). Regardless, I can't recommend this place given my experience. read more

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