Cafe Dolce Sicilia

Their limoncello is a wonderful delight. It’s perfectly sweet with a hint of lemon on mascarpone frosting. Definitely the best piece of cake I’ve ever had

Super thankful for having this little authentic Sicilian spot to help with our Sicily withdrawal!! Cannoli, pastries and sweets are all chefs kiss. Enjoy them with a cappuccino on the outdoor patio for pure vibes.

Tried out their dessert selections - was very impressed by the quality and taste . Their tiramisu is really spot on ! Not very sweet , perfectly layered and gives the kick . Highly recommend it For the kids , I chose a berry cake , again not very sweet and tasted great The Nutella and pistachio desserts are seasonal .

As a born and raised Italian I absolutely adore this place! Cordial service, fresh and home made pasta, panini and cookies! Gelato is my daughter’s favorite along with those Nutella biscotti! Do yourself a favor and stop by for a coffee or a quick lunch! 6/5 stars for sure! 😘

Food and coffee is nice and fresh. Place is clean. But omg does it take forever to receive your food! It took more than half an hour to get a simple croissant. At least 10 minutes went by when no one else was waiting. Won't be back.

Really authentic . Loved the coffee, gnocchi and croissant. The cheesecakes were good too. Good portions on the pasta and quick service, croissants baked fresh after ordering. Good quality and worth the money!

This was my second visit to the cafe. I loved the panino and tried one with mozzarella. Pasta was really good as well. Coffee varies. A week ago, the cappuccino was amazing. Today, it was watery. Overall, a very cute Italian spot, check it out. I am yet to try their Gelato...looking forward to it

Wow - this is place is amazing! Probably one of the better Italian places we have ate at. Albeit a bit hidden off the street and did not have full inventory of what was listed but well worth the visit. Came on a Saturday afternoon for a quick meal and desert. Was not busy at all and staff was readily available to serve. The gnocchi with pesto sauce was absolutely delicious and paired well with the 2015 Monte Antico. Ordered a couple different deserts which were also phenomenal - nutella cheese cake and the sweet but fantastically warm dark chocolate crossiant. Amid Covid, they have the outdoor seating in front of the plaza to sit and relax while eating but we took it to go. Food presentation was great and would definitely go back again.

Yet, another long overdue review. Chanced upon this hidden gem of a cafe while walking through Willow Glen's tree-lined Lincoln Avenue. Since this was technically our second breakfast for the day (like hobbits), we did a quick dine-in with two coffees and a pistachio croissant. Fueled and ready to continue the rest of our Saturday errands. Glad to say we weren't disappointed at all. Service was great and I even got to chat with the cashier. This charming Sicilian themed coffeeshop is located inside the converted Garden Theater of San Jose. Tables are few (I counted three out by the public walkway). We'd be swinging by again for the other items on the menu.

Well done tiny little Cafe Dolce Sicilia. There's no dine-in chairs & tables inside the place, but they do have a few chairs & tables outside from it. Not much, but quite simple. Everything looks and tastes great here. Order & pay inside. Grab a buzzer/ringer to your table while you wait. There's really not much service other than ordering over the counter and carrying your own stuff to your table, but I still tipped them as normal. Small businesses with great foods and beverages deserve tipping. Note: Do not toss away your receipt. It includes the guest Wifi code for connectivity and also restroom code numbers in case you need to use the public restrooms inside this plaza. Lots of customers bring dogs here. It's a known spot to locals. Plenty of free public parking in back lot. You can see boutique stores and nail/barber salon shops nearby. Customers look comfortable & happy. I had a very delicious good size chickpea organic soup $12.25. Croissant was one of the freshest I've had in a very long time. Very soft/warm/fluffy/moist. Tasted like pistachio cream filling inside the $5.95 croissant. Pistachio can be sprinkled on top of it if you like. Large pistachio cannola $5.00. It was generous in size and tasted great. Good first impression. There's plenty of sweets and goodies to choose from, plus everyone loves gelato ice cream here. Hot cup latte was $5.00. Very light taste and good. Staffs were friendly and welcoming. This is an authentic little Italian cafe spot. Quiet most of the time when dogs aren't hanging around inside and outside. Pretty mellow atmosphere. Enjoyable spot. I would consider coming back to try other snacks or lunches in future. Pleasant day and positive feelings walking around safe Willow Glen neighborhood today.

This is the only place I know of that serves sfogliatelle! It's a 15 min wait since I guess they have to bake it? I ordered 2 of whatever looked good plus the cannolo. The cannolo was crispy and the filling was so smooth and even better with the crushed pistachio added (25¢ extra). Sfogliatelle was also amazing plus still stayed crispy 24 hours after. There are other items for purchase like pasta imported from Italy, croissants, sandwiches, pasta, gelato, and coffee. 16 pieces of biscotti + 2 pastries totaled around $40 and definitely worth it. This cafe is tiny, but a legit Italian cafe and the super kind lady who helped me out even wanted to greet my dog. I have to come back next time to try other items.

Take the gun, leave the cannoli. As a Sicilian I can tell you this is the best place for a cannoli in the Bay Area! They also have really good paninis, gelato, coffee and other Sicilian food/dessert items. It's a hidden gem inside a closed walkway downtown willow glen. You can see from my photos how tasty the food is that it will make you feel like you are in Italy. Ciao!

Delicious sandwiches, pastries, and coffee. Service is incredible. Pastries are baked to order and Cafe Dolce Sicilia has the best sfogliatelle I've ever had. The cafe is located in the Garden Theatre Plaza, a beautiful place both outside and in, to enjoy scrumptious, authentic Italian food. Highly recommend.

Cute cafe in willow glen. Fresh pastries, great coffee, they have fresh pasta and homemade sauce. Friendly and helpful staff.

Relaxed cafe, bakery,and gelato with Italian attitude. Fresh baked croissants that are delightful with crispy crust and eggy dough (more eggy than French croissants). Latte is good, but could be hotter. Definitely going to go back. Looks like they also sell fresh made pasta. Looking forward to trying it.

Very rude customer service and refused to let my toddler use the restroom. We bought gelato and she didn't let me take my son. It's a public restroom. We just needed a code.

So delicious, go try it here. Want to come back and try other things. Nice people and cute little shop. I want to try all the different dishes they offer.

Y'all know the struggle for being lactose intolerant and loving Italian food! So when a friend told me this places makes a handmade meat ravioli without dairy, you know I had to try it! The raviolis were soft, delicate, and pillowy with a delicious spinach and meat filling. The tomato basil sauce wasn't too acidic nor did it take away from the ravioli. I splurged and had their NON DAIRY dark chocolate and strawberry gelato on my way out. The flavors were amazing but the gelato definitely didn't have the gelato texture. It seemed over-churned. I also ordered their heart shape cookies with various fillings for a friend but was able to taste them. Delicious! They have a a few products from Italy that I purchased as hostess gifts for friends (Prosecco and jam). I would definitely return!

Ordered tiramisu cake for to-go as a birthday cake. Dominico was most helpful and his deep Italian accent was delightful. Everyone who tasted it was in agreement that it was high quality and delicious. Only one minor suggestion: dust more cocoa powder on top. Thank you for keeping the recipes authentic, it is very much appreciated.

A cute little piece of Italy in San Jose -- not the overpriced oiled up corporate stuff at Eataly! Family owned, with smiling faces and excellent food.

Nice little cafe. Good pasta and Cornetto. Pistachio cake was tasty without being overly sweet. Sandwich was good but we will probably try more pasta next time. Sitting can be a bit challenge if you go during rush hours. Portions were good for us but if you are big eater, you may need to order two dishes.

Stumbled upon this cute little Italian cafe while walking down Willow Glen. They offer a variety of different items, including espresso drinks, gelato, hot pastas, and little cookies. If I hadn't just ordered a coffee down the street, I would've got something here. Instead, I opted for a few of their strawberry filled and Nutella cookies to pair with my drink and try out the quality. 4 cookies totaled to $7, which was such a steal. They were nice and fresh, plus they looked so cute in little heart shapes. They paired perfectly with my coffee and I couldn't be happier. Service was great too and super pleasant to talk to. I will definitely be back again soon to try out more items.

Sorprendente !!! Amazing What a great way to spend the afternoon. All natural gelato.

Great people and atmospheric. Food tastes homemade. Sicilian Pistachio gelato and a very creamy, rich latte

Amazing coffee, pastries, and good food in this tiny store that you may miss if you're walking around Willow Glen in San Jose. Authentic Italian food and coffee, amazing espresso and very good prices considering the crazy that the Bay Area is these days. Do not miss it, we come here several times a month and it never disappoints. You should try all their cookies, I'm from Spain and they remind me of home.

This place is a hidden gem inside the garden theatre. So many great things. I have tried their cannoli, sfogetella, and their croissants. Everything was fresh and sever warmed up unless you ask him to not bake them ahead. Their cookies are not sweet which I prefer. Their chickpea soup is delicious for a quick lunch. You definitely need to stop by and check out their many items. My next try is there gelato.

Proprio come il suo slogan: Siete nel luogo in cui la vostra giornata inizia bene e finisce meglio. We ordered meat tortellini with Bolognese sauce and gorgozola tagliatelle, fresh pasta and adequate portion. We also ordered two espresso pair with limoncello mascarpone and cannollo siciliano, truly delicious.

The pistachio cannolo (pl. cannoli) here is actually made right (yeah I'm gatekeeping; shame on those who put an ungodly amount of sugar in cannoli filling!) and the cookies that I tried (tea biscotti, paste di mandorla, apricot occhi di bue, and cigni biscotti) are scrumptiously crispy and not overly sweet at all. Why the 3 stars then? Service. The man at the cashier who seemed bothered from when I arrived at the shop had a thick Italian accent and spoke really fast. I asked him to repeat something he said since I couldn't understand him and he standoffishly just repeated the same thing at the same speed. I felt like to him I was an ungrateful "tourist"......and I'm not even in Italy! Haha. The lady who came out of the kitchen to hand me the cannolo that I ordered was very polite though (I think she's one of the bakers if not the main baker here). Eh, I was going to say that the cookies would make a fantastic gift (while the cannolo would be a nice treat for yourself!), but I don't know.....obtaining those items would require setting foot here and I'm not really eager to visit this place again myself.

Cannoli - amazing! Authentic, fresh.. delightful... I happens on this and saw the sigh outside the theatre .. so glad I ventured in.. everything looks delicious and as if you were really in Sicily! Grazie Mille!

Cute little mom and pop type place, offering a wide variety of items: espresso, pastries, sandwiches, pasta, etc. It's a small store in a larger building with a few tables outside in the common hallway. The 9-4 hours are a little frustrating because they open a little late and close a little early, but I wasted some time after school dropoff and came at opening. The good: the cannolo was amazing, and I enjoyed the espresso macchiato. (I noticed almost everyone here ordered some kind of coffee.) The ok: The almond crossaint was amazingly soft and flaky but barely had any filling. We split one and my half didn't even seem to have any filling at all. The sfogliatella seemed good but we just didn't care for it personally (first time having one). The bad: The panini filling had great flavor but the ciabatta bread was just way too hard for me. Seriously, my jaw was sore by the time I was finished! Also I got promised 5-10 minutes when I ordered, but it took 20. Thankfully I wasn't in a rush, but I would've left and came back...

Authentic! We had breakfast at Mix Huevos, go there it's delicious and portions are big. After, we had a sweet tooth and I remembered Dolce was on my list of foodie places to go to. Did not disappoint. Wish I would have taken pictures but here's what I ordered. Nutella Latte Vegan Farro Blackberry Croissant Vegan Treccia Chocolate and Oat That latte gave me the energy I needed and the combination of the blackberry and chocolate was so good! I warmed up the Treccia the next day and it was still soft and delicious. There was a 10 minute wait while my croissant and Treccia were made and it was well worth the wait. There is nothing like delicious warm bread!

They always have friendly service and tasty pastries and cookies. Such a treat to come here.

Always see this place when we're in downtown. Finally had a chance to try them. I have not been to Italy but the feeling you get here feels authentic and the food is delish! The pasta tastes fresh and the sauce pairs perfectly with them also. I've never had such amazing tasting meat ravioli! will definitely be back and being the kiddos bc they would love the pasta here! Next time we'll have to try the gelato and sweets too!

Excellent pastries especially when baked fresh! Espresso is average, my Americano had no crema or body. But the pastries are worth the visit! The sfogliatelle is super heavy flaky and the filling has incredible orange peel flavor! Service is friendly and helpful. No dedicated seating area, mom + pop independent feeling. Will revisit!

Family owned and they are truly some of the sweetest people in Willow glen! The food here is incredible, they have everything from coffee, to pastries, pasta, gelato and more!!! Truly such an authentic delicious treat!!

The gelato here is delicious, not overly sweet, nor does it taste artificial. Plus they completely fill and over fill the cup.

I loved my cheese ravioli!! My husband had their orange gelato, Caprese Panino, orange gelato and an Americano...everything was excellent! A hidden gem! Will come back again for sure!

My friend who loves cannoli said this place was awesome because they do not pre-fill theirs which make them authentic. I like ambiance which is why we stopped in. It's a great place for an afternoon snack.

Delivery order - on time! Tagliatelle - selected with Vodka Creme sauce The sauce doesn't seem to get out of 2nd gear here - either it's too dry or not creamy enough. On the sour side, too. Cheese Ravioli - selected Pesto sauce Pairs well with the nutty Pesto, crumbly soft cheese and also contrasts well with... Meat Ravioli - selected Bolognese Realized that I put meat sauce on meat ravioli, but the more the better! This would be your heavy big red wine entree here, but it's not overwhelming either. Mushroom Truffle Salame Panino (this is a sandwich) Definite in-your-face truffle, which balances well with the salame, but leaves room for only a hint of mushroom. A fantastic combination though, that you could eat any time of day. Rustic bread caved in a bit due to the overdone truffle oil. Chickpea Soup - Tomato broth and garbanzo beans. Seems like an easy DIY dish. Skip. Lentil Soup - Same thing - light, oversimplified and overpriced. There's no harmony between broth and solids. Hard pass here - it's definitely an amateur attempt. Wild Strawberry Pie - Blueberry-sized strawberries with very subtle flavors that fall short of the punch you need to satisfy a sweet tooth. Portions are small, but adequate due to the overall richness. The food is, at times, better than 3 stars, but the value and lack of consistency keeps it in an average range.

I got everything delivered so keep that in mind their biscuits are fine...they're beautiful but not as delicious as i needed them to be the lasagna was also fine it doesn't have much cheese but tastes homemade the tiramisu is literally the best thing i've ever eaten. anytime i want dessert it will be that. my birthday cake: that, my sad day pick up; that damn tiramisu!!! can't speak on ambiance or service tho

I am so happy I discovered this place. It is definitely a hidden gem, and super underrated. With how delicious these pastries work, I would imagine that they would be packed or sold out all the time. The pastries are made fresh, as you order them. So the pastries are not sitting out premade, like you usually see at a bakery. These are made to order. The service was quick, and I felt like I was back in Italy. The café is very cute and quaint, and definitely gives me Italian vibes. I didn't ask further, but it seems like it's a family run business, so always a great idea to support. This should definitely be on a must try list for best Italian pastries in the Bay Area

Absolutely delicious and authentic! We had cappuccino and cannoli with pistachio. It was so good.

Made a big mistake coming here to try it. The lady who came out to take our order was rude as well as what I believe to be the owner (tall Italian guy). They were extremely passive aggressive and would switch from English to Italian to gossip about us (I understood). I am glad I ended up not getting anything from them. I was super uncomfortable by the way I was being spoken to and left immediately. I will not be returning and do NOT come here. (I should've known based on how they respond to their clients reviews on reviews here)

Amazing sfogliatelle, decent espresso coffee, good portion of tortellini, although sauce was definitely underwhelming in flavor (definitely not fresh tomatoes). I would go back for the sfogliatelle any day and every day, freshly baked, super delicious!

My husband picked up a couple caprese sandwiches and a cannolo since I had a craving for sandwiches. The caprese sandwiches are okay and remind me of the quality of Draeger's. A bit disappointing since they don't use fresh basil in their caprese sandwiches, but maybe it's because it's not basil season? Instead, they do pesto which works alright, but not the same. The cannolo was fantastic though! I would've back for their pastries for sure but would skip the savory items.

Something I love soooo much is sfogliatella and it is so hard to find a bakery that makes them. I watched how cake boss makes them... huge pain in the butt to make. Anyways So we came to check it out. One customer was telling the owner that their Italian hot chocolate was way better than she had in Italy. They had a bunch of different hot drinks, cookies, pastas, desserts etc. You want fresh croissants, look no further. They bake them fresh to order so its nice and flakey; not sitting in a case getting stale all day. I ordered an Italian hot chocolate, 2 sfogliatella, Nutella croissant, plain croissant, monterosa cheesecake, lasagna and my dad ordered minestrone. The lasagna was so good, just needed some fresh parm, but didn't see any anywhere. The croissants were perfectly flakey and tasty. I had one sfogliatella there while warm and took other one home for later. I really didn't care for the filling though. It had candied orange pieces and tasted like anise. So when I got home I just ate the outside of the sfogliatella. I would see if I can get it minus filling next-time. Cake boss does a custard filling. Carmel bakery does a pastry cream. the cheesecake wasn't that great, was frozen and didn't have much flavor. My dad didn't care for the soup he said it was blah. The Italian hot chocolate is super thick similar to pudding, dark chocolate. I added a few packs of sugar, took home and mixed milk in it, yum. I will definateley come back and try cookies (which I was distracted and forgot to buy some). Also will try some other pastas. FYI: parking is very slim in this area

Questo posto è vero italiano! Gli impiegati anche sono italiani. Ero molto felice che ho trovato questa pasticceria!

It's hard to beat hot-out-of-the-oven croissants!! They are not sitting out--just order and you'll have to wait 10-15 minutes, but you won't be disappointed!! And they have sfogliatella! Eataly is close by, but isn't it better to support a smaller, local family-run business?! I'm coming back for their gelato.

Warning: this is purely a review of their coffee. In saying that, terrible espresso for what appears to be an authentic Sicilian cafe. Barista poured airy, dry milk into what tasted like a light roast blend. They did have a decent selection of packaged goods. Like, panettone and spreads, also gelato. If I go back, it'll be for their products and not for the coffee.

Outside of this Cafe there are tables, as I was sitting at the table eating one of the workers said " can you move these tables are for them" as Caucasian people walked in the door. I believe this was caused because I am a women of color and the worker was being racist.

Realy good caprese sandwich and croissant. It lacks a jolly patron and I am sure this cafe would have great traffic. Gelato is good too. We will be back.

Willow glen has a little Sicily right in lincoln ave. They have the best biscotti and espresso. You only find this place in Sicily. Beeing that im full blooded sicllian I approve this place. Lol . Yes I speak fluent sicllian (the older diolet) I haven't tried their jellato but I will soon Try this place out You won regret it

I got the apricot cookie, lemoncello cake and pistachio cake. The cookie was buttery and sweet. The cakes were not overly sweet and soft. I wish they were bigger since I finished it in a few bites. Everything was delicious. I can't wait to go back to try their pasta. Both the son/mother were friendly and helpful.

I needed a pick-me-up. Coffee sounded good and all, but I had caffe affogato on my mind. That never really happens by the way, but it may have been the best idea I had all day especially on this hot afternoon. I guess I wanted the best of both worlds (sugar rush + caffeine), and it does not get any better than that. Although it has been a year or so since I've stopped by Dolce Sicilia, I can always count on it being consistently amazing in every way. Customer service is great, and the food and coffee are delicious. I ordered a caffe affogato with fior di latte gelato. In case you are unfamiliar with fior di latte, it's mozzarella made from cow's milk. I know it may seem unusual having cheese for gelato, but don't knock it 'til you try it! The flavor is very much like a sweet cream, and the texture is really silky. It's the only gelato from Dolce Sicilia that you want to drown with your espresso. Speaking of espresso, the coffee is excellent. Bold and flavorful. In addition to the caffe affogato, I picked up a couple of cakes to satisfy my sweet tooth for later. The cakes, cookies and other desserts at Dolce Sicilia are worthwhile. My boyfriend's mom is Calabrian and makes amazing cannoli and Italian cookies. I find that Dolce Sicilia's are comparable to hers, so they're the real deal!

Tried a few things based on reviews. The sfogliatlle was worth the twenty minute wait and it was so good! Never ate this before trying it here and it is certainly worth a return visit. Next time I will order it with coffee. Loved the orange filling! The croissant was delicious the next day! A bit less robust than others but perfectly flaked. The meat ravioli with pesto was good but the cheese with vodka sauce was kinda gluey and the sauce flavor wasn't to my liking. I think I'll try the bolognese next time. They offer coffees, gelato, cookies, pastries, pasta and desserts. I didn't realize it was located inside so it took a couple minutes to find. Parking behind was busy but there were openings. I ordered before noon and there was no line. It's very tiny inside and staff wear masks. If I had mine with me I would have worn it too even just as a courtesy. They are creating delicious food in a very small setup. I look forward to returning next time I'm in the neighborhood.

I have walked by this cafe many times but it was always after hours. This is a morning/daytime spot. There are lots of options for croissants but lots of other treats too. We got an almond croissant and a pistachio croissant. Both were delicious. They had nuts on top but also flavored filling. They took about 10 min to be ready. So I'm not sure how they are heated or made but I appreciated that they did some part of the process as ordered instead of just having the baked goods sitting around. We got coffee from down the street but next time I'll try one of theirs.

My friend introduced me to Dolce Sicilia Cafe while I in town. This is her and her families favorite little Italian cafe in the area. She introduced me to the owner, who was extremely kind! I asked her what she would recommend and she said everything they serve is great so I chose the Nutella cookie and got a latte. What I liked about this place is that their desert and coffee is not extremely sweet (I don't even think the coffee had sugar in it!) The Nutella coffee was like a shortbread cookie with Nutella on it. If you need a place that serves desserts but doesn't have gallons of sugar in their food, come check out this cafe! What I noticed is that they have a lot recurring customers. You can sense a family environment. I would recommend to anyone in the San Jose area.