Absolutely wonderful experience in this cozy spot! I'm glad we made reservations well ahead of our visit. Bruschetta and tomato soup to start, with a strawberry ginger mocktail. Mains were the cannelloni and frute di mare. Creme brule for dessert with coffee, of course. The table next to us were celebrating a birthday. The chef came to their table to sing happy birthday, in a way that was purely Italian. It made our evening that much more memorable! read more

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As always, our dinner was delicious. Being Celiac, I usually have to first figure out what items on the menu I CAN eat, then decide which of those I want. Having the opportunity to order ANYTHING on the menu, knowing that their dedicated gluten-free kitchen is available, is priceless. Definitely one of my favourite places in Ottawa! The service is always excellent. All the tables are always filled, and yet it doesn't seem too crowded once you're seated. read more

Amazing food, especially the gluten free options. Love that it's so safe for celiac customers (black plates mean gluten free). Service was extremely slow but they were pretty busy, we weren't checked on after receiving food, and we had to find our waiter to help if we needed anything (bill, boxes, drink - during dinner). The bartender was so sweet to give a touch of cranberry juice with water for our daughter without them making a fuss or charging for it. We will definitely be back. The food was great and I would definitely get the pasta again. The gluten free pasta has a delicious sauce as well. read more

La Dolce Vita - Gluten free bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Deeply disappointed in our experience tonight. I was there for my friend's birthday (my friend whose meal the kitchen forgot to make). Broadly the food quality was poor and fairly bland, and the cocktails were weak and not tasty. I can forgive disappointing food. That alone I wouldn't bother to review. Tonight, however, I had the dubious pleasure of meeting the hostess, Onika (I believe that's how it's spelled). She must only have this job because she's related to management somehow, because there's no way her lack of professionalism and unpleasant demeanor would be tolerated otherwise. I say this as a former server myself. In brief, I attended the dinner with my baby (9 months old) in tow. We had reserved more seats than we ended up needing, and as I had a car seat and a bag of baby supplies with me; I used two of them to safely position my child out of the way. Well, midway into the dinner the house decided to reclaim the table for other guests--which I understand in principle of course; it's lost revenue otherwise. Little miss Onika caught a terrible attitude with us, looking at me with a nasty expectant expression as I scrambled to gather my child and my things, wedged into a corner, and fairly ripped the chairs away. My best friend was understandably disgusted at the way my son and I were being pushed around and spoke up about it, stating that those tables had been ours as well. This miserable creature of a hostess rounded on her next, arrogant and defensive in equal measure, pointing out unnecessarily that they had already turned away hopeful patrons (not our problem) and would NOT be doing it again (the emphasis was hers, not ours). The chef came out and made soft excuses for her asinine behaviour, rather than settling the issue. And all this for underseasoned, pedestrian food. Save your time and palate the abuse of this place. Our server did the best she could, but between the forgetful kitchen, novice bartender, and that miserable hostess, it was a lost cause. read more

Another amazing meal and experience at La Dolce Vita. The dining room is quaint with a visit from the chef to ensure that everything meets your expectations. The best part is that the gluten free menu is nearly identical with the traditional menu and you can dine knowing that everyone working there understands how to prepare and serve gluten free with most meals costing the same as the normal meals! read more

La Dolce Vita - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Went with my girlfriend for supper here last September, absolutely incredible! Atmosphere was very intimate, friendly accommodating staff and the food was absolutely delicious! Lots of gluten free options if you have this allergy, the owner (or chef) spoke with us personally and even acknowledged us when we "checked in" on Facebook. High recommend and worth every penny, you won't be disappointed! * Hint, hint guys... read more

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I went to La Dolce Vita because it came highly recommended for gluten free options. As soon as we walked in we were asked if we needed gluten free menus. And when I explained I also needed shellfish free, they were more than accommodating. I felt very safe eating there with all my allergies and the taste of the food was delicious. It's a little noisy when busy but overall a great experience for me. If you're gluten free I'd recommend them, they take it very seriously. Forgot to take a picture of the food but will update when I go back, and I will go back read more

The bruschetta and pasta dishes are super delicious! I had the al funghi and would have it again. The place is really cute and intimate. The waiters and host are super friendly. read more

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I came here with my family to have a nice sit down dinner. The food was spectacular. I ordered a chicken parmesan with Alfredo and beyond delicious. The bruschetta was incredible as well. The tomato melts in your mouth with a hint of salt and pepper and pesto. We also ordered a large pizza the new york and pepperoni. Super good and very flavorful as well. Our server was very friendly and welcoming. On point with everything we would ask for. The service at this restaurant is amazing. Only good things to say about this restaurant. Also have gluten free options. read more

La Dolce Vita - new york, pepperoni - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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This place is absolutely wonderful. It's so hard these days to find somewhere that's celiac safe, but I trust this lovely restaurant as they are so careful and have dedicated gf menu. All my food tasted delicious, even the non gluten free people enjoyed their meals. Will definitely be coming back here soon, this has got to be one of my favourite, if not, favourite restaurants! read more

La Dolce Vita - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I was pumped about this celiac catering Italian restaurant but was disappointed with the extremely slow and forgetful food and service. The food was decent but not amazing. We ordered 2 appetizers: the deep-fried calamari and the polenta bites. The calamari was unevenly sliced so the too small pieces were overdone and chewy. The ones that were cooked nicely had a crispy and tasty batter. The polenta bites were forgotten during the first order so they came out much later and we didn't finish them as we were getting full and were expecting our meals. We waited two hours for our main course. I ordered the gluten free chicken parmigiana. The chicken was over cooked so its texture was a bit leathery. The tomato sauce was good but a bit sweet. No amazing flavours to speak of. My hubs ordered the regular seafood cannelloni, which was a good portion size; it was creamy and cheesy bit the pasta was a little thicker than he liked. His garlic toast was boring but the gluten free version was yummy even though I ate it as leftovers the next day. We'd describe this restaurant as Canadian Italian and not authentic Italian. So if you're a pizza delight lover you'll be in for a treat. If you would prefer more authentic Italian, I'd say keep looking. As for the server, she was friendly and we would have appreciated her managing our expectations regarding time. We had ordered one drink each and asked for the drink menu multiple times but she never came back. At one point I refilled our water glasses myself. read more

Amazing food, super nice staff. Family restaurant! Would go back for sure. Would really like to try the gnocchi. The stuffed mushrooms were amazing. read more

I hate to give a less than glowing review for any business struggling through COVID times, but the pizza we got today was less than meh. We chose this place specifically because we wanted gluten-free crust but the crust was actually horrible. I've had really excellent gluten-free pizza in the past, so they can't impress me on the fact alone that they offer it. The toppings were also sadly lacking (we got the chicken and goat cheese - the chicken was not fresh but tasted like leftovers thrown on after a few days). I really hope they survive the crisis but I also hope they improve, otherwise they might not! I can't say I'd ever be tempted to go back. read more

So my ball and chain kept talking about some awesome Italian place in Little Italy, downstairs from something or other, but couldn't remember the name.. no clue what he was talking about whatsoever. We decided to go for a walk down Preston, and realized that this place was it! There are stairs that lead to a sort of lower level where La Dolce Vita is located. Once you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about. When we saw all of the ingredients packed into the calzones, we knew for sure that we were each going to order one. We were absolutely starving, so we decided rather quickly. I got the Fruitti Di Mare (Seafoood) calzone, with baby shrimp, scallops, lobster, and smoked salmon. He got the Salsiccia Italiana (Italian Sausage) calzone, with mushrooms and hot peppers. All calzones come with garden salads. The calzones were huge. I ate half, and had to take the other half home. Just the right amount of crispness on the outside, and soft and gooey on the inside. It was almost sourdoughish if flavor, which I really enjoyed, and it was filled with all of the ingredients we ordered, including a generous amount of cheese. Super tasty, especially with a bit of the herbed olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes, and parmesan cheese they have at the table. The side salads were actually larger than I expected, with a lemony olive oil and vinegar dressing. Couldn't resist the gelato for dessert, so I got pistachio (my favorite!). Pistachio flavored, with pistachios in it - YUM! And it came with three scoops?! Wow, was I spoiled. Service was great, and the prices seemed a bit high at first, but when you see the amount of food, it's totally worth it. Intimate setting, so it was a nice dinner date for us, but I think there's a small room in the corner for larger groups. We will definitely return! Oh, and they're also on just-eat.ca to order online for delivery ;) 2/30 #30DaysOfYelp read more

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Tasty food, friendly service, reasonable prices. Lots of gluten free options! I had gf lasagne, caesar salad and garlic bread. My husband had a (regular not gf) calzone. We will definitely be back! read more

Dinner out with the girls is what brought us to this tasty place. It is in the basement of a building but don't let that dissuade you from visiting. The food was terrific-and tasted homemade, the portions generous as well, and cheesecake to die for. I give three stars for 1-service was just ok-waited forever to order wine of which there are not too many to choose from and 2-presentation was odd-buns for garlic bread, chili pepper oil and bread plates on the table but no bread? No offer for more drinks after one glass-just a few oddities that can't get me to give 4 stars. I will go back for sure, but maybe for takeout. read more

La Dolce Vita - Very cute - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This restaurant is nestled into this ugly little building on Preston, and the décor leaves nothing to be desired, but the food is beyond incredible. I had the chef's fettuccine; fettuccine noodles, sun dried tomatoes, zucchini, and feta cheese. The portion size was perfect, I ate it all not too much like most other places, then I feel like I've wasted money. We were lucky to snag a table (since its Ottawa race weekend) so maybe call to reserve in the future? Also there was no mention of Cash or Credit ONLY (which are mentioned in the tips here, but I didn't get to in time) ... I find that a bit strange for a restaurant of this calibre? Overall would definitely...just with more cash on hand! read more

La Dolce Vita - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Service was slow and in the hour it took to get us our food the chef had to come out and apologize to two separate tables for errors. My calzone arrived cold I brought this to the attention to the wait staff and received a poor apology. Spouse thought her chicken, mushroom and spinach pasta dish was bland. I took my dish home to reheat and when I did, it was bland as well. I was able to see into the kitchen and it appeared dingy and not well maintained (I was able to see a nice layer of dust sitting on top of their microwave! Yum yum!). I spent 80 bucks for bland food I could have cooked at home for a fraction of the price. Thanks for wasting my time and money La Dolce Vita. I'll be sharing my experience with others and you won't be seeing another dime from me. The garlic bread was good though. read more

Its nice to go into a restaurant and be offered a gluten free menu right away instead of having to ask. On our multiple visits the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about their dishes, the way it should be. On top of that even with a fully filled restaurant service didn't seem to suffer, even with our party of 6 and other equivalent size parties dinning at the same time. Their gluten free options are amazing and the pasta dishes I've tried so far were very delicious and prepared perfectly. The pizza I tried was very good and easily my second favorite GF pizza in the city (it was my first until I found another :) ). Their stuffed mushrooms are so yummy that I'm always tempted to order multiple and make it my meal, and a must have to finish of any meal here is their GF tiramisu. I always want more than one, but with all the other delicious food their is barely enough room for the one. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

This restaurant had good food! However it is not a traditional italian fare. Let me be concise though the sauce is not a traditional made sauce. This for us is the difference only. The sauce does not have that acid base to it that gives that has the taste of a slow cook all day pot. The cream based sauces are tremendous. What we would like to see is proportions meet prices. Service a little too pressure - a laid back attitude to allow customers to feel at home would be nice. The price of meal should allow the time of experience. read more

This isn't a good place. Food was microwaved, salad was wilted and clearly hadn't been cleaned.

We had a great evening, the food was really good and the service was perfect! The pizza and the pasta were delicious! read more

Love the new owners. Amazing service. Attentive yet not overbearing. Delicious garlic bread. Bread baked fresh daily. My party of 4 shared the fried smelts, burchetta and stuffed mushrooms. All very good. For my main I got the rigatoni with chicken sun dried tomato in a creamy white whine sauce. Delicious. The rest of my table also got pastas for their mains including spaghetti and meatballs, chefs penne and seafood in a olive oil and garlic sauce all very good. I drank the house red and a millionaires coffee which were both great. Chocolate cheesecake for dessert was also very good. The ambience is warm and cozy. Highly recommend. read more

It's hard to give this place an honest review. We went there for a Friday business lunch because one of our group is gluten intolerant and they promised gluten-free pizza and pasta. When we arrived at 12:30 and there were about 3 tables full. The woman said, "I don't have a server today. If you want to come in, I'll do what I can to get you lunch but it won't be quick." So, forewarned, we could have left and found something else but we chose to stay. More than irksome, this potential delay was a reminder of the very narrow margins of success or failure that most restaurants face. So, we waited about 10 minutes to place our orders, but this was no problem because mostly we were talking biz. We kept our orders simple: 4 pizzas, no side goop, tap water, and a carafe of wine to split among 4. As promised, the food did take a while, but the owner (?), chef (?) managed to get the 12 or so customers fed and dispatched. I had a chicken pizza with cashews. It was pretty good, except that the whole cashews kept launching from my pizza onto my companions' plates to hilarious effect. My gluten-sensitive friend said her pizza crust was pretty good and she was impressed that the chef was able to give her a detailed history on the origins of the flour (corn flour from a mill in Perth, I think.) After she cleared our plates, the chef said good bye and asked if we minded seeing ourselves out when we were done because she had to go back and wash the dishes. The glamourous life of a small business restaurant owner. read more

for all you celiac people out there that have issues with even cross contamination this is the best place to eat. They cool separately, they fry separately, and they package separately. The pastas are amazing. The lasagna that is gluten free is beyond credible that its even gluten free. My boyfriend can't tell the difference from his noodles and mine and I have never once gotten sick. It's delicious! Go eat there!!! Now!!! Order the penne with the chicken and mushroom. Nom. And the minestrone soup is amazing. Kudo La dolce vita. We order food from ya once every couple of weeks because its so good. :) read more

La Dolce Vita is a pretty restaurant in Little Italy. It's rustic looking, and the paintings on the wall are a nice touch. I had the penne with chicken and mushrooms in a sundried tomato sauce. The entree was delicious and the portion was big. Everyone seemed satisfied with their meals, especially the Calzones and the Baked Linguine. The garlic bread wasn't that impressive though - go for another appetizer instead. Service was also great. The pricing is unecessary for lunch- $15 for a pasta dish! Their pizzas and Calzones are also in the $14 - 18 range. They would do better to have lunch specials/portions. If you're going to go, might as well go for a date or a nice dinner. read more

Been here a couple times. Great food, good prices. Very accommodating to food allergies. A little bit squishy in terms of space. Great service. I'd go back again! read more

So this was okay. It wasn't as good as I was expecting, but it was pretty decent. I got the spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread with cheese. The garlic bread was weird. I was expecting like a slice of some kind of loaf with garlic butter and cheese broiled on it. All crunchy and stuff. Instead, it was two halves of a wide, flat bun covered in cheese. There wasn't much garlic flavour, no crunch, and the bread itself was very sweet. I really like garlic bread so this was a let down. The spaghetti itself was very good! The noodles were robust and cooked well. The sauce was great, well balanced, and really looked homemade. The meatballs weren't great. I like my spaghetti meatballs to be the soft kind that you can break apart with a fork, not the springy kind that you have to saw through with a knife. They tasted fine. The overall portion was great - four large meatballs, and easily enough spaghetti that I have leftovers for lunch. The service was friendly. Overall, a solid three stars, but I probably wouldn't go back just because of the weird garlic bread. Or I'd get one of those half-baked garlic loaves from the grocery store and just order the pasta. read more

Really cozy restaurant with a great menu and service. Great pizza and calzones, and they have a ton of pasta options as well. Prices are on par with the rest of Preston, but the portion sizes are much better here, calzone was enormous and filled with meat and cheese. Pizza was more of a Greek style (I wouldn't say it was a Greek pizza, but thicker crust) and was well cooked. Would definitely recommend if you are in the area and are craving some Italian food. read more

The food here was wonderful! Had garlic cheese mushrooms and steak pizza, and it was the best meal everyone had in a long time! The steak on the pizza melts in your mouth! The coffee was also extremely exceptional! Service was also spectacular! I can't wait to come back here again! Holly our server was really sweet, and did a fantastic job! read more

La Dolce Vita - Absolutely fantastic garlic mushrooms!! - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Need gluten free? Really want Italian? You have found your place! A wide selection of delicious food! Felt confident in eating gluten free here. They were knowledgeable and offered excellent friendly service in a family oriented atmosphere! The gluten free manicotti is delicious! read more

We had a wonderful dinner here. Tanya was fantastic and really made the dinner enjoyable. They have a really good gluten free menu, and the pasta dishes & lasagnas we ordered were excellent. My only complaint was on the mista salad. No where in the description did it list lettuce, yet the salad was 90% lettuce with only a few tomatoes & cucumbers scattered in. I don't mind the lettuce, but at least keep the description accurate and list it! I would have ordered something else if I had known. Anyway, great place for a relaxed, yet classy Italian vibe. Would definitely return. read more

I made a visit to la Dolce Vita over the labour day weekend to try their gluten free menu. I had the gluten free chicken Parmesan with gluten free pasta. The meal was delicious. Gluten free pasta sometimes has a tendency to be over cooked but the pasta was perfect. Overall it tastes very fresh and home made. For most of my visit there was only one server and I have to say that he was literally running around to make sure the customers were satisfied. The service he provided was excellent. I will definitely return during my next trip to Ottawa. read more

This is my favourite Italian restaurant in ottawa. The service is fast and the food is outstanding. I come here for the Penne in a roasted sundried tomato cream sauce, and highly recommend it. read more

My favourite Italian place in Ottawa. Cozy, friendly, and delicious.

This is a great little Italian restaurant for an intimate data (i.e. Valentine's Day, anniversary). The home made pasta and pizza dishes are of an extremely high quality. The wait staff are excellent and make it seem like you are the only table they're serving. The price is a bit high but as to be expected for a upscale dining experience such as this. read more

Absolutely delicious. Great selection of gluten free options... I loved that I was offered a gluten free menu right away. Our server Pascal was very well educated about celiacs. My husband and I both ordered gluten free so we tried the manicotti and La Dolce Vita pizza (both were amazing). We also tried the tiramisu (fantastic!!!) and the chef came to check how our meal was. Can't wait to go back. read more

I am usually reluctant to try new places, having been called a picky eater (though I prefer simple) but we were looking for a nice Italian restaurant and decided to give this place a try. I wasn't sure what to expect showing up on a Saturday night without a reservation; I was especially thinking that being in Little Italy it would be full of regulars and we might either have a long wait or be rushed through our meal. Luckily though a table was available and we settled in for a very leisurely stay! The food was delicious; high quality ingredients and very generous portions. I had the lasagna with caesar salad and garlic bread and my partner had the meat lovers (carne) calzone with garden salad. And then came dessert! He tried the homemade espresso flavoured crème brûlée, and it was so good that we ordered the other flavour (chocolate) to share. I found the atmosphere cozy and relaxed, and the service excellent. Our server and the owner really made us feel at home, despite it only being our first time there. I also thought that all of the staff seemed happy and attentive to the customers- a refreshing change compared to some places I've been. It was like they appreciated that people were there for a night out and wanted to help them enjoy it and make it more special. It might not sound like much, but to me it goes a long way. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our first experience and can't wait to go back! read more

This is a family favourite that never disappoints. Our group of 6, 3 of which were Gluten Free were promptly serviced by friendly staff,thank you Madeleine, with sumptuous starters and meals. New expanded Gluten Free Menu was nice to see. The Stuffed Mushrooms and Chicken Parmigiana were fantastic. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

The service and atmosphere boost La Dolce Vita up one star, but, overall I've had better. I headed over to La Dolce Vida b/c of their extensive gluten free menu, but was disappointed by the pizza. The lunch prices are very reasonable so I'd be willing to give it another shot. read more