La Dolce Vita - Cleveland

Name: La Dolce Vita - Cleveland
Address: 12112 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland, OH, United States, 44106
Telephone: (216) 721-8155
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.7

4.7

1130 Reviews

$30 and under

Italian

Top Tags:

Welcome to La Dolce Vita Bistro - “The Sweet Life,” a restaurant and bistro created to recapture the bell-époque charm of “The Italian Drug,” opened here by Dr. Anthony Caruso in 1914. In the tradition of the great European bistros, La Dolce Vita is devoted to providing a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for everything from eight course dinners to coffee and Calvino. We strive to prepare the perfect meal, or the perfect cappuccino, and let you enjoy it at your leisure. Our pasta is cooked fresh to order, our sauces and dressing are painstakingly prepared using only the finest ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, the freshest vegetables, imported whole tomatoes, fresh basil and Italian parsley... and your table is reserved for the evening.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Jul 7, 2022

7:00 PM

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Italian, Mediterranean
Hours of operation
Lunch Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–8:00 pm
Phone number
(216) 721-8155
Website
http://www.ladolcevitacle.com/
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Terry Tarantino
Private party facilities
Family parties have with up to 100 people capacity offering Chef's Sampler at $36/person or Chef's Feast at $50/person dining.
Private party contact
Jamaa Ajabli: (216) 721-8155

Location
12112 Mayfield Rd Cleveland, OH 44106
Neighborhood
Little Italy
Parking details
Valet parking available on Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Street Parking also available.
Public transit
RTA bus stop in front of restaurant.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Popular dishes

Molto Meatballs$14.00
Veal blended with angus beef, pecorino and eggs, topped with fresh ricotta
Hungarian Hots$14.00
Banana peppers stuffed with Italian pork sausage, risotto and pecorino
The Eggplant Parm$12.00
An original family recipe, topped with ricotta
Unfried Calamari$15.00
Wild caught, sautéed with zucchini in a tomato white wine broth and served with toasted pita
Sweet Life Trio$18.00
Sample our house favorites: one meatball, one Hungarian hot and eggplant parm

Salads

Leafy Greens$8.00
Mixed greens, shaved carrots & sheep's milk feta
Vine Ripe Caprese$12.00
Local tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, kalamata olives & basil oil
Terry T's Tomato Salad$14.00
House favorite with local tomatoes, shaved carrots, sliced red onion and sheep's feta in basil oil
The Roman Chariot$14.00
Imported italian artichoke, arugula, olives and seasonal cheese

Soups

Wedding Soup di Avellino$6.00
chicken broth, meatballs, escarole and egg drop
Tuscan Lentil Soup$6.00
Carrots, seasonal vegetables and brown lentils

Flatbreads

Greco$9.00
Fresh spinach, artichokes, sheeps milk feta and mozzarella
Venizia$10.00
Fresh spinach, chicken sausage, roasted red peppers and fontina
Quatro Formaggi$10.00
Spinach or tomato (choose one) tomato sauce, sheeps milk feta, fontinella, parmesan and mozzarella
Americana$10.00
Tomato sauce, pepperoni, mushroom and mozzarella
Mediterraneo$11.00
Tomato sauce, eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers and mozzarella

Pasta

Sauces: House marinara, pesto, abruzze, fellini (gorgonzola cream). Add Ons: Gluten free pasta $2, chicken $8, shrimp $12

Marinara$15.00
Premium, hand-crusted plum tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil
Abruzze$18.00
Grounded veal blended with angus beef in a Southern Italian soffritto with hand-crusted plum tomatoes
Pesto Omar$17.00
Basil, parmesan, garlic and cream...an errorless dish
Fettuccine Fellini$17.00
Gorgonzola & tomato cream sauce, director's cut fresh pasta
Cacio e Pepe$16.00
Bowtie pasta tossed with pecorino romano cheese and fresh-cracked black pepper
Rasta Pasta$16.00
Pasta with a medley of fresh, seasonal vegetables. Yes, all vegan!
Seafood di Mare$30.00
Calamari, shrimp and mussels (when available) sautéed in a fresh basil and garlic tomato sauce served over fresh linguini
Gnocci Dolce Vita$18.00
Potato gnocci, choice of sauce
Ravioli di Summer$18.00
Four-cheese filling, choice of sauce

Entrees

Chicken Parmesan$22.00
Lightly breaded and oven-baked, topped with fresh mozzarella and served with marinara pasta
Chicken Marsala$23.00
Chicken breast, portabella mushrooms sautéed in marsala wine, served over risotto
Butternut Squash Risotto
Roasted butternut squash and zucchini
- Mushroom$28.00
- Chicken$28.00
- Shrimp$30.00
Fish of the Day
Served with risotto
- MP

What 1,130 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.4Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Cleveland
Italian

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Filters

DC
DavidC
Louisville
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing little place with just the right amount of activity to make you feel alive. Wonderful staff. Delicious food. Timing of food was incredible allowing for enjoying each course and conversation without dragging to make you wonder what's going on. Absolutely would eat here again!
FD
FrankD
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall4food4service4ambience4
WE WERE SEAT QUICKLY, BUT NO ONE WAS ASSIGNED OUR TABLE SO MORE THAN 20 MINUTES PASSED BEFORE MY DAUGHTER ASKED? WE HAD BEEN GIVEN BREAD AND ICE WATER. A OLDER MAN ALSO STOPPED BY TABLE AND GAVE US A SAMPLING OF A BOWTIE PASTA WITH A SPICY CREAM SAUCE (VERY GOOD). ONCE MISTAKE WAS REALIZED WE WERE QUICKLY WAITED ON AND RECEIVED OUR FOOD PROMPLY. FOOD WAS GOOD WE ALSO RECEIVED A SMALL PLATE OF FRUIT TO SHARE (ONE THE HOUSE) .
KW
KWMS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service4ambience5
Sat at a beautiful table by the street. Food was EXCELLENT. Service and friendliness was incredible. Will be back!
K
Kjtoo
Cleveland
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 25, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience3
The staff worked really hard to service everyone at a busy time. The NOISE level is terrible. We were six in a booth and could not hear each other across the table. They need some sound deadening accoustical fixes. I will not go there again with multiple people. Our conversations were lost.
C
Cherub
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 25, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience4
We celebrated my husband’s 50th. Matt our server was great. The hostesses were so kind and welcoming. We will definitely come back again.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Fort Lauderdale
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 25, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience2
Very good and fresh ingredients in their food. Look for the specials of the day.
SN
SusanN
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on June 24, 2022
overall3food4service2ambience2
The food was outstanding. The server was very busy , hard to get him to stay long enough to get our requests in. Seemed to ignore my husband. The place was very load hard to hear each other.
S
Suparna
Cleveland
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Authentic, amazing, and made us feel very welcome!
NP
NancyP
Cleveland
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on June 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Such a fabulous upbeat restaurant! The food and service are outstanding. Always a great experience. The owner comes around dishing out samples of salad or pasta and makes you feel special. We love this restaurant
OT
OpenTable Diner
Cleveland
8 reviews
4.0
8 reviews
Dined on June 18, 2022
overall4food4service4ambience3
First time. Reservations for 10 went well but noise at a large square table made it impossible to chat with anyone more than a foot away. Otherwise service was good and food for most was good. Scallops were way over cooked for one. Nice fun area. Glad we went.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on June 18, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
we loved it!
J
Jenn
Cleveland
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 12, 2022
overall4food5service5ambience4
We sat outside and the weather was perfect. The owner treated us to some pasta to taste. The server was attentive and the food was delicious. We were served fresh cream and fresh fruit slices for dessert. The music somewhat conflicted with the music played across the street. It would be great if they could coordinate.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Cleveland
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 11, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
As always, La Dolce Vita is an amazing experience. The staff is so so friendly and the owner, Terry, makes the experience feel like you’re eating at home. I love coming here and take all friends to dinner here when visiting little Italy.
J
John
Dallas
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Terry and the team are exceptionally wonderful humans. Everyone should experience La Dolce Vita every couple of months!
KE
KaraE
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 5, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of our new favorite places to eat in Little Italy! Amazing staff and awesome food.
OG
OhioGirl
Cleveland
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on June 5, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Terry Tarantino and his staff continue to deliver incredible homemade Italian food, and a community like no other in Little Italy. We love coming here - it is consistent, fun, and delicious. Highly recommend dining inside or out!
j
jnbarx
Cleveland
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on June 4, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
This is a MUST spot to eat when in Little Italy. Everything about La Dolce Vita creates the dinner you're looking for!
TN
ToniN
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on June 4, 2022
overall4food5service4ambience3
Food is delicious! We always eat at La Dolce Vita when in Little Italy. Prefer the main dining room or outside. Side room definitely needs an uplift, fresh paint & ceiling repair.
KG
KathyG
Cleveland
23 reviews
vip
5.0
23 reviews
Dined on June 3, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious food on a busy Friday night. Staff friendly and very hard working. Atmosphere fun and energetic. Owner stopped by table with a little “ sample!”
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 28, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a terrific time and meal and can’t wait to go back. The restaurant was average busy on a Saturday night, but the staff was very accommodating and made us feel like the only people in the place. Service was phenomenal, food was out of this world, and the atmosphere just capped off a perfect night. We got a complimentary side of pasta between courses and complimentary dessert too. Drinks were made to perfection. Everything was just top notch and can’t recommend it enough.
D
Donxxxxxcccccccccccccccc
Cleveland
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 28, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very good good and very good service. It was a tad noisy but not awful. I would go back again. Hope the opera comes back.
p
peters
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great neighborhood place with good, reasonably priced food. Wonderful sautéed calamari appetizer and chicken Marsala main. Service was even better than food, not an easy task! Attentive friendly and knowledgeable and understood exactly how to time the arrival of courses. Recommend this place for a great Cleveland experience.
b
backwardnomad
Cleveland
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We decided to go to a highly-recommended Italian restaurant in Cleveland’s Little Italy before going to an Italian opera (Verdi’s “Otello”) performed by the Cleveland Orchestra, to celebrate our 55th weekend anniversary. La Dolce Vita did not disappoint! It’s quirky decor (we sat under a large painting of the crucifixion of St. Peter!), delicious food, and relaxed friendly service provided a perfect prelude to our night at the opera.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Cleveland
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on May 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, great service. Love how they give you little extras like a taste of a particular pasta while you wait, and then bring some fruit with a sweet ricotta after dinner. They make you feel welcome. Buonissimo!
PB
PBaust
Pittsburgh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
I have come here a few times now and came again for my college graduation dinner. As always the staff is so kind and welcoming and you cannot beat the family like atmosphere in this restaurant. The food is phenomenal and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu but I would recommend the cacio e pepe or abruzze. Thank you to the staff for another wonderful experience!
RC
RonC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food and service both very good. Great atmosphere.
JM
JeniferM
Philadelphia
18 reviews
vip
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on May 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful evening ! Fabulous Food and such a fun , lively place!!!! We will for sure be back :)
OT
OpenTable Diner
Cleveland
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food and amazing people! Our first visit and won’t be our last. We loved the authenticity of the people and the food. Not pretentious, just a fun energized atmosphere.
M
Mitchel
Charleston
9 reviews
vip
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
What a fun little spot. Love that the owner comes around with samples and the fruit at the end was a great little surprise. Can't wait to come back!
F
Foodie
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service3ambience5
Delicious food, amazing staff, and relatively affordable prices! Will definitely be back.
BC
BetzC
Chicago
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Graduation from college dinner with roommates families! Best server. Owner was incredible. Loved our square table. Night was perfect
GO
GORDONC
Seattle
99 reviews
vip
5.0
99 reviews
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
The flatbreads and chicken marsala were perfect. Service was great. Good wine and beer selection
H
Hooman
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 20, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The best Italian food in Cleveland Also The staff is very friendly and responsive and the owner treats you as a family member (true Italian style hospitality)
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
11 reviews
4.0
11 reviews
Dined on May 15, 2022
overall4food5service4ambience4
Food was excellent for all 4 meals we ordered. Unfortunately they were short staffed and we waited 1 hour to eat. I don’t think this is the norm and I would go back for their very delicious food. Our waiter and the manager were gracious and apologetic.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 15, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious food! Our server Sammy was excellent. Highly recommended!
CL
CLEDiner
Cleveland
97 reviews
vip
5.0
97 reviews
Dined on May 14, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great dining experience outside on patio with friends. The service was attentive and friendly. The food choices of our group were all met with positive comments. We had a very relaxing and enjoyable time the entire evening.
A
Alyss
Cleveland
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 14, 2022
overall3food3service3ambience4
It was a busy night due to local graduations. The service was okay. The food was mediocre. I thought my cacio e pepe was going to be more creamy, but the sauce was soupy and average. It was nice that they gave us a complimentary fruit dessert .
PB
PeterB
Detroit
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 14, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always great never the food and service are always so friendly. Never disappoints.
NS
NanSeas
Cleveland
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 13, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was excellent prices were very reasonable. Highly recommend
TC
TonyC
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, great service. Visiting from NY, would go back again

FAQs

La Dolce Vita - Cleveland is rated 4.7 stars by 1130 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Jul 7, 2022

7:00 PM

Google Map for La Dolce Vita - Cleveland

12112 Mayfield Rd Cleveland, OH 44106

Additional information

Neighborhood
Little Italy
Hours of operation
Lunch Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–8:00 pm
Cuisines
Italian, Mediterranean
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Valet parking available on Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Street Parking also available.
Public transit
RTA bus stop in front of restaurant.
Executive chef
Terry Tarantino
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.ladolcevitacle.com/
Phone number
(216) 721-8155
Private party facilities
Family parties have with up to 100 people capacity offering Chef's Sampler at $36/person or Chef's Feast at $50/person dining.
Private party contact
Jamaa Ajabli: (216) 721-8155

La Dolce Vita - Cleveland

Make a reservation

Additional information

91 Cleveland / Akron / Canton Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

The Best Pizza in Cleveland

Rasta Pasta

Chicken Marsala

The Eggplant Parm

Starters

Molto Meatballs$14.00

Hungarian Hots$14.00

The Eggplant Parm$12.00

Unfried Calamari$15.00

Sweet Life Trio$18.00

Salads

Leafy Greens$8.00

Vine Ripe Caprese$12.00

Terry T's Tomato Salad$14.00

The Roman Chariot$14.00

Soups

Wedding Soup di Avellino$6.00

Tuscan Lentil Soup$6.00

Flatbreads

Greco$9.00

Venizia$10.00

Quatro Formaggi$10.00

Americana$10.00

Mediterraneo$11.00

Pasta

Marinara$15.00

Abruzze$18.00

Pesto Omar$17.00

Fettuccine Fellini$17.00

Cacio e Pepe$16.00

Rasta Pasta$16.00

Seafood di Mare$30.00

Gnocci Dolce Vita$18.00

Ravioli di Summer$18.00

Entrees

Chicken Parmesan$22.00

Chicken Marsala$23.00

Butternut Squash Risotto

Fish of the Day

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

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How is La Dolce Vita - Cleveland restaurant rated?

Is La Dolce Vita - Cleveland currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information

Featured in

91 Cleveland / Akron / Canton Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

The Best Pizza in Cleveland