Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Cleveland / Akron / Canton
  4. Cleveland
  5. Little Italy
La Dolce Vita - Cleveland, Cleveland, OH

La Dolce Vita - Cleveland

4.6
4.6
1496 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

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 31 times today

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Mediterranean
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–10:00 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 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

What 1,496 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

1,496 Reviews

  1. JohnD

    Cleveland

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Hands down the best italian food in NE Ohio. Would recommend the trio and the carprese salad as apps. As an entre, literally anything on the menu. 15/10

    Is this helpful?

  2. JamesK

    Cleveland

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a solid meal. Appetizers including Hungarian hot and meatball were terrific. And the service was great. The restaurant is always bustling.

    Is this helpful?

  3. JohnK

    Cleveland

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Truly enjoy the food and the atmosphere. People are always welcoming.

    Is this helpful?

  4. CynthiaR

    Cleveland

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Charming atmosphere and delightful service - our meals were delicious

    Is this helpful?

  5. OpenTable Diner

    Cleveland

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 30, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From start to finish our experience was fantastic. Service, Food, Atmosphere…Phenomenal!

    Is this helpful?

  6. AlexisD

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 27, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a gem! Fantastic food and ambience and the owner Terry is a real charmer. We loved our dinner here! Highly recommend.

    Is this helpful?

  7. OpenTable Diner

    Cleveland

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 27, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    By far one of my favorite restaurants. The salad is so good and so fresh. Every time we go here The owner or manager I’m guessing brings over little plate of pasta for everyone to try. He makes sure to ask how the food is and talks for a bit. Very nice!! It is very good food. Worth the drive!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Babs

    Grand Rapids

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 26, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Would return again. Lovely lentil soup, scallops were huge and risotto was perfect.

    Is this helpful?

  9. MegO

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 26, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food is amazing, staff is amazing, price is amazing. Owner will walk around asking if you want to try new items. Definitely one of my favorite spots in Little Italy.

    Is this helpful?

  10. PaulP

    Cleveland

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 26, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    First visit to La Dolce Vita, scouting for a future dinner near Severance Hall. It’s a classic in Little Italy. Lots of people and the tables were a little small, but the food turned out great. We had reservations and got seated okay. Looked like they were well staffed. Our server was good and we were in no hurry. Got wine and a negroni to start. The owner came around and offered a sample of their Terry T’s Tomato Salad and it was very good. We ordered their Caprese salad as an appetizer. Great. Bread was so hot out of the oven you could not even pick it up at first. Tasted great. We ordered Chicken Parmesan and the nightly special,Linguini with Clams in a garlic butter sauce. Both were fabulous. We also ordered Cacio E Pepe because we have never had it, and why not? It’s a simple classic Italian dish and it was very good to try. We packaged up the leftover chicken and Cacio dishes and my wife wanted an Espresso Martini. That’s the only spot they missed. Tasted good but not great. As a finale, our server brought fresh fruit and cream with our check and it was a great ending. Would definitely recommend it and would go back.

    Is this helpful?

  11. LizPS

    Columbus

    39 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    39 reviews

    Dined on November 25, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    It's not the only favorite we have in Little Italy but it's our oldest and never disappoints! Service is great, food is wonderful and there's always a little extra.

    Is this helpful?

  12. Brisr

    New York Area

    48 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    48 reviews

    Dined on November 22, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved this restaurant! Great food and service. Friendly and welcoming. Loved the ambience! Will be back for sure!

    Is this helpful?

  13. JackB

    Cleveland

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 21, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Owner is a great person who always walks around with new recipes for people to try out.

    Is this helpful?

  14. RoseS

    Cleveland

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 19, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The staff is very pleasant, courteous and accomodating. The food is to die for! What else is there to say!

    Is this helpful?

  15. CLOP

    Cleveland

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 19, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great ambience and excellent food! Friendly staff. Love love loved it all. Food: pastas, tomato salad, mussels, chicken parm, short ribs- all perfecto. Can accommodate standard, vegan and gluten free diets! Complementary fruit dessert- delicisioso. Besides parking…. Can’t wait to come back!

    Is this helpful?

  16. OpenTable Diner

    Cleveland

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 18, 2023

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food and service staff was great. Very noisy inside, but much made it hard to have good dinner conversation.

    Is this helpful?

  17. DonnaG

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 12, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    Pretty loud but owner was a great guy!!! Loved tasting extra samples along the way

    Is this helpful?

  18. PeterA

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 12, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is just wonderful and the service is great, they went out of their way to accommodate us and I really appreciated it.

    Is this helpful?

  19. Katekat

    Denver

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and service were amazing. Tommy T’s tomato salad was my favorite dish and my daughter loved the gnocchi with abruzze. It was a little cramped at the table and it was loud at times (we had several large parties around us), but overall the experience was enjoyable and I would not hesitate to go back.

    Is this helpful?

  20. CJMalone

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 11, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It's a cozy, friendly spot with great food and a classy but comfortable vibe. It's always fun. The food is special. Nothing here is pretentious.

    Is this helpful?

  21. StephenieP

    Phoenix

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The line of determined diners dangling out of the door should be the first indication that this is a special dining experience. Once inside, you are transformed back to what feels like a traditional Italian residence, filled with boisterous voices, tantalizing scents, joyful faces, intimate seating and nostalgic melodies played throughout. Once seated, you are greeted by handsome waiters that promptly quench your thirst and fill your water glasses; then by beautiful waitresses offering up additional beverage opportunities and proposals for your first course. Chloe has an exceptional memory. She was kind, knowledgeable and eager to take our orders. She was attentive to our needs throughout the meal but also provided us just the right amount of time to enjoy our cuisine and one another's company. The food. The food was traditional, made-from-scratch & love and came prepared to our liking. Hot when it should be; cool when needed too. Plentiful. Beautifully crafted upon the plates. So many flavors married together creating the ultimate gastronomical experience. So much charm adorns the walls. So much life and sense of family and familiarity between the staff and the customers. The separation is non-existent as even the chef and owner brings fresh-made tastes to every table. Terry offers up jokes, discussions on religion, life, whatever he feels like, and his face reads of appreciation for the connection he has with his diners. Mr. Tarantino knows not a stranger. We celebrated our dad's 77 years young here. A collection of memories of a life well spent and well dined. We didn't choose wrong. Thank you for an exceptional experience.

    Is this helpful?

  22. AnnaB

    Cleveland

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This restaurant is one of our favorites in the area. The owner is always around and serving samples of pasta to the patrons. It’s a fun and inclusive atmosphere. Cannot recommend la dolce vida enough!

    Is this helpful?

  23. DonnaW

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 10, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    La Dolce Vita suffers only from one thing: available parking. Valet service is offered but just adds to the price of your night out. This is an issue with all of the Little Italy restaurants. Valets park the cars on the side streets which must annoy the residents. I parked behind the Holy Rosary church and was greeted by a scammer who was charging $10 a car. She and her partner are NOT affiliated with the church. The service at La Dolce Vita was excellent! Our waiter, Michael, was attentive and checked on us frequently. The restaurant was getting busy even at a 5:00 seating. My friend had the haddock special and loved it. I had the chicken Parmesan over Bowtie pasta with extra sauce. The portion was so large that I brought home 2/3 of it. The owner visited our table and sent over two small plates of pasta with Alfredo sauce to sample. Michael also brought us a complimentary dish of fresh strawberries with caramel apple slices and cannoli filling. OMG! I would have ordered cannolis to bring home but resisted the temptation. With excellent wine, food, and service the meal ran $115 for two plus tip. I would definitely go again.

    Is this helpful?

  24. PaulaWodzisz

    Cleveland

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    By far...the best Italian food I have had in a very long time. From the time we walked in to the time we left, we were treated very well. Everyone was attentive...from the hostess, waitress, and the owner. This will be the only place we go when we are in Little Italy. We have tried many of the restaurants down there, but our first time here will not be the last.

    Is this helpful?

  25. MommyFoodie

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 5, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This restaurant is everything that we love about Little Italy…..amazing food, great service, and a great atmosphere.

    Is this helpful?

  26. Daggxtsi

    Cleveland

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding, authentic service. Flavorful and hearty meals. Exceptional Dessert. It's loud, so, expect it. It should be!

    Is this helpful?

  27. FoodieG

    Milwaukee

    15 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2023

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food isn’t the best on the street but the bread is amazing. Fun vibes.

    Is this helpful?

  28. CharC

    Cleveland

    55 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    55 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    In my opinion, this is the best restaurant in Little Italy. The quality of food is excellent, the portions are sizable, everything is fresh, and the atmosphere transports you to a dining establishment in Italy. The eggplant parmesan is some of the best ever, and I had the clams in the shell atop linguini and that was as good as I had in Sorrento. Bravo to Terry and his staff! Keep up the great work. We will be back!!!

    Is this helpful?

  29. ChrysC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 29, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    friendly and attentive staff, excellent food, thank you

    Is this helpful?

  30. OpenTable Diner

    Cleveland

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 28, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Pan-seared scallops and butternut squash risotto were amazing! Server was attentive and food was delivered quickly! Highly recommended!

    Is this helpful?

  31. EileenC

    Cleveland

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on October 27, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a beautiful night so we sat outside on their patio. The owner or manager came around with pasta to taste it was wonderful. The food was excellent the wine was great. I would highly recommend it !

    Is this helpful?

  32. PennyE

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 25, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Was sooo lovely. Owner came around with sample dish to try. Service was wonderful and food supreme. We really enjoyed ourselves

    Is this helpful?

  33. ExperiencedEater

    Greater Boston

    20 reviews

    4.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on October 25, 2023

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Excellent food,. bit menu is a bit limited. Bar menu is good. Service was a bit slow, but fine if you're in the mood for talking a lot. Noise level was quite high due to one extremely noisy group and low reflective ceiling; probably not as loud most of the time. A very cute restaurant in the middle of Little Italy.

    Is this helpful?

  34. Skeeter

    Cleveland

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 24, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and service was good. Very nice atmosphere for dinner that reminded us of old memories. Great place for a group that wants to talk during dinner. Very quiet.

    Is this helpful?

  35. Allyn

    Western NC

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 23, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This is our second visit with. Authentic food, good portions, great service. Enjoyable

    Is this helpful?

  36. KimG

    Washington DC

    17 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on October 15, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    If we lived in Cleveland, this would be our new favorite ‘go to’ place. We had a delicious dinner, and the service could not have been better. We were treated like old friends as soon as we walked through the door, even though it was out first time there!!

    Is this helpful?

  37. RizzyLizzy

    Las Vegas

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 15, 2023

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was delicious and atmosphere was buzzing, all of the excitement of Little Italy on a late Sunday afternoon. Fabulous spot to sit and watch the world go by!

    Is this helpful?

  38. OpenTable Diner

    Cleveland

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 15, 2023

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was good restaurant was a little crowded and added chicken was expensive.

    Is this helpful?

  39. Goodfood

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 14, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Visiting from Chicago to see our daughter at Case Western. Pasta is her favorite. Servers and staff were fantastic, atmosphere was wonderful and food and drinks were delicious! Awesome and definitely will be back!

    Is this helpful?

  40. Jessica

    Cleveland

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 14, 2023

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We had guests visiting from out of town and decided to take them here. We had a reservation and arrived a few minutes early, but they were ready for us. While service was a little slow, we didn’t mind at all, as we felt no need to rush through our meal. The place was packed and energetic, and we really fell into that energy. We all loved our appetizers and entrees, and had an absolutely wonderful experience.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

La Dolce Vita - Cleveland is rated 4.6 stars by 1496 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 31 times today
Google Map for La Dolce Vita - Cleveland

12112 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • 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

Featured in

Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Restaurant reservation software
  • Industry insights
  • Hospitality resources
  • Marketing resources
  • Operation resources
  • How to open a restaurant
  • For restaurants
  • For restaurant groups
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2023 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
Rentalcars Logo
OpenTable Logo