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    La Dolce Vita

    3.6 (487 reviews)
    Open 3:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Services - La Dolce Vita

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    La Dolce Vita Photos

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    LA DOLCE VITA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - La Dolce Vita

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    Corner location across the street from Mia Bella
    Dante C.

    Take the Red Line to Little Italy and walk down the road for a few blocks, and you will find a neighborhood of shops and restaurants. La Dolce Vita took reservations on Father's Day. The place provides a very authentic Italian neighborhood experience, complete with Christian icons and images. The service was great. While we waited for food, a man with a bowl of bowtie pasta came by and scooped a pile on our plates. We ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana and Abruzze. My eggplant was a 7, while my friend's Abruzze was an 8.

    Scallop special
    Rachel N.

    Went on a Friday night and to our surprise there was not a wait. They do offer valet parking and there is street parking available but it can be difficult to find. We were seated quickly and our server came to introduce themselves to us and tell us the specials for the day. The lighting was dim but not too dark. It was busy but not too loud so we could hear each other talk which was nice. We had some cocktails from the menu that were good. They brought out some bread rolls and butter that were nice. Our food came out pretty quickly. The scallop special I got was so good! The scallops were a nice size and it came with 4-5 of them. My husband and cousin both got the chicken parm which was huge and reported very good as well. The owner at one point came around with a bowl of a pasta dish he whipped up and gave everyone a sample which was cool to see. We look forward to coming back!

    shrimp rigatoni
    Chaitra R.

    Amazing experience at La Dolce Vita! The inside is beautiful and cozy, with tons of greenery, funky decor, and live music that adds to the lively, buzzing atmosphere. It's definitely a popular spot - very crowded - but we managed to grab a last-minute reservation just before closing. The owner was incredibly warm and welcoming, walking around the restaurant and even bringing out extra food like little salads and pasta for free. You can really tell they put the customer first and want you to have a great time. The menu has so many great options. I asked for the ravioli but served with pesto, which was rich and perfectly cooked, while my boyfriend's shrimp scampi was a bit al dente for my taste but still good. We also got a complimentary dessert that was unexpected and delicious. If you're looking for a lively, cozy spot with fantastic food and an owner who genuinely cares, La Dolce Vita is definitely worth a visit!

    Fruit Dessert
    Jay S.

    Located in the Little Italy neighborhood in Cleveland, this establishment served pasta that offered great flavor and an abundant amount of meat. My partner and I were very satisfied with the food quality, and my rating of 4 would mostly be referring to a few other factors outside food quality, which by itself would be closer to 4.5 in my opinion. First, I have to say that the scallops were amazing, as they had flavorful crust on the outside and were very easy to cut to get to the soft texture on the inside, and still remained flavorful. It wouldn't be exaggeration for me to say that those scallops might have been some of the best I have ever had. Along with veggies and polenta, the entire special dish was a very good experience. Then the other special dish, lobster linguini, had a good amount of lobster, to the point that at certain times, it felt like the pasta wasn't the main star, which I was fine with. The sauce had a lot of flavor, but because it was a bit liquidy, it didn't really mesh with the pasta, and I think that was its only area of improvement. The cacio e pepe was different from what I have had before, as it used farfelle. For that dish, I wasn't sure if it had Parmigiano reggiano cheese, as I could only taste pecorino romano cheese, and it didn't contain a lot of liquid texture. The cheese was there, and they definitely didn't overcook the dish to the point of cheese becoming strings, but the texture still felt a bit like just pasta with cheese, rather than specifically cacio e pepe, if that makes sense. We ordered the spumoni bomba for dessert, which was a pretty classic Italian gelato dessert, and it tasted as good as we had expected. The amount of chocolate, and how it posed a textural juxtaposition with the gelato, made it a very pleasurable experience. My feedback about the special dishes is not about the food but about price transparency. When our server introduced the special dishes, we were not told about their prices, so knowing what the prices looked like on the regular menu, we assumed the special dishes would have similar price ranges, if not a bit more, but not to the point of costing $50 (scallops polenta) and $45 (lobster linguini), and as much as I knew that if we had asked, we would be given the price, I don't think I would be the only one relying on my assumption, and maybe letting other customers know about the prices, especially because of how drastically different they were from the dishes on the menu, would be nice. So overall, special dishes were fire, the cacio e pepe had some room of improvement, the spumoni bomba was fire, and I would definitely recommend people visiting this restaurant if they visit Cleveland, and specifically Little Italy. My partner and I also talked about coming back here in the future, and I look forward to trying more of their dishes by then.

    Eion P.

    Loved this place. Free fresh baked bread. Huge portions. The gnocchi was heavenly. The service felt like part of a big Italian family (one of the owners was even passing out free Cacio d Pepe!). Ambience was classy yet casual, a truly no frills Italian restaurant. 5/5, can't wait to come back

    Banana Dolce Vita
    Brooklyn L.

    Before arriving make sure you have a reservation!! Weekends are super busy even on Sunday nights. The restaurant itself is semi-dressy. The decor is cute and fitting. The food itself wasn't overwhelming amazing but it was good. The meatball appetizer was a 9/10. super delicious and moist. the gnocchi and pesto were ok 6/10. i was overwhelmed by the amount of sauce but the pesto itself was not overwhelming. the seafood pasta was also a 6/10. I was most looking forward to dessert. at $16 the banana dolce vita is a little expensive for no tableside flambé but it was ultimately delicious and not too sweet. the service was bare minimum and there were many times were we thirsty and needing things but our waitress was no where around.

    Wedding Soup
    Christina N.

    We visited Little Italy yesterday from Pittsburgh and decided to stop at La Dolce Vita for dinner before a concert at Severance Hall. Upon being seated we were immediately given water, and someone followed up right behind with fresh bread and butter. I ordered the Pesto Omar and my husband ordered the Abruzze. We both had a bowl of wedding soup. The wedding soup was warm, light and really well done. The egg was fluffy, I wish I saved my bread to dip some into the broth! Our entree arrived and the Pesto Omar was easily one of the best pesto cream sauces I have ever had! My husband enjoyed his dish as well. The atmosphere here feels very much like we are somewhere else beside Cleveland Ohio. My husband and I said we felt like we were at an Italian Nonna's house somewhere in south Florida! We saw the owner a few times buzzing around tending to tables which is always appreciated! We declined dessert because we were stopping at Presti's after dinner before our concert, but we were given a complimentary plate of fresh berries & mascarpone which was a perfect touch to end our meal! The only reason I gave 4/5 stars was after we had eaten we saw a waiter walking around offering freshly grated cheese, and that would have been such a nice compliment to both of our meals! We definitely know to wait for that until next time! We will absolutely plan to come back the next time we visit Cleveland!

    Sweet Life Trio
    Justin P.

    Overall Experience: 8.3/10 Another mainstay in Cleveland' little Italy, they are one of the most active and bustling restaurants in little Italy. A decorative interior that focuses in Italian history it feels like you are transported to a busy restaurant in Italy, or what I would think what Italy would be like from a person who has never been. Food: I had the sweet life trio and pesto omar. Although the photos are taken at different dates, they both serve a great representation of what to expect in portion sizes currently. The food tasted really good, in my opinion not game changing and life altering, but something that feels so much like home. The meatball is flavorful and juicy, the eggplant parm is still crispy and soaks up a perfect amount of fresh tomato sauce, and the Hungarian hot is a little spicy, but meaty and delicious. They give complementary bread and butter, and an amazing fruit dessert at the end included in the meal too. Marks: The pesto omar was a little low on flavor, it seems a little watered down. I really enjoyed the other pasta in the photo which my girlfriend ordered. In addition the service is a little understaffed, and it was more difficult to get the attention of the servers or workers. Although they were nice and accommodating, it took a large sum of time to get their attention and multiple inquiries to get what we needed. Overall: An amazing restaurant in Little Italy and still one of my favorites. Beautiful and delicious pastas and appetizers + amazing service for a fair price. I would come here if Im too tired to cook for myself and or taking someone/ group out.

    Fresh fruit with ricotta
    Juanamarie P.

    Last night we had ladies night out at La Dolce Vita. This was my first time visiting even though I live in the neighborhood. It was a busy Saturday night but you couldn't tell because everything ran so smoothly. I had the most pleasant experience! Our waiter, Oliver, was so knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly. The owner, Terry, came over to our table to greet us and bring us samples. We all agreed that the food was very tasty and flavorful and drinks were delicious. We tried the Polenta with roasted carrots and the Fresh fruit with ricotta. For the entree, I had the Cacio E Pepe with chicken and the Lemoncello Blue cocktail. The other two ladies had the Eggplant Parmesan. We'll definitely be going back soon. If you're visiting Little Italy, you must visit them! You'll be happy you did!

    Monday Opera Night

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    6 months ago

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    29 days ago

    The place needs an overhaul! Sonoran down inside. Food was average and small portions. Was not welcoming.

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - La Dolce Vita

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