Dolce Osteria

Italian restaurant · Dilworth

Dolce Osteria

Italian restaurant · Dilworth

1

1710 Kenilworth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203

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Highlights

Authentic regional Italian dishes, housemade pastas, gelato  

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1710 Kenilworth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203 Get directions

dolce-osteria.com
@dolce_osteria

$30–50 · Menu

Reserve

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1710 Kenilworth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203 Get directions

+1 704 332 7525
dolce-osteria.com
@dolce_osteria

$30–50 · Menu

Reserve

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Last updated

Aug 27, 2025

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A Dilworth trattoria with handmade pastas, classic sauces, and a tidy all-Italian wine list. Recognized by Charlotte Magazine and loved by locals for gracious service and consistent cooking.

https://www.charlottemagazine.com/listings/charlotte-restaurants/dolce-ristorante/
Italian Restaurants in Charlotte (2025)
View Postcard for Dolce Osteria

Darehn Ehrhardt

Google
Very cute Italian restaurant with tons of charm, classic Italian music playing and the food! Hands down the best lasagna we've ever devoured. The calamari was sauted and not breaded, which was very light and refreshing. It's a must visit for anyone looking for a rewarding culinary experience.

Tony Topoleski

Google
There are many Italian Restaurants in Charlotte, but Dolce Osteria has to be one of the best for authentic Italian cuisine. It is small with plenty of ambiance and a great menu for lunch and dinner. A perfect place place for that special meal event. You will not be disappointed!

Lauren

Google
Went here for restaurant week and the food and wine was delicious! They only had the queens feast menu (limited) but the options were excellent. The tricolor salad had a delicious lemon vinaigrette, and the lobster bisque went well with the bread. I would definitely recommend the trout entree! It’s a generous portion and very flavorful. Both the lemon cake and tiramisu were sweet and tasty

Erica

Google
The best Italian food in Charlotte. Legitimately. It always irritates me when I see lists of the best Italian restaurants in the area and this restaurant is left off and super mediocre restaurants make the list. In part, I think this is a hidden gem and the masses don't know about it---which to be honest, I don't hate. There is another part of me that wants everyone to experience how great this place is. I have been coming for years, and am never disappointed. I sincerely think this is in the same vein of restaurants I would go to when I lived in Italy. AUTHENTIC. This restaurants just feels good to the soul.

Hellen

Google
Welcoming restaurant! The interior was cozy and felt like home. We enjoyed our meals. We had the white clam pasta, red sauce ham pasta, and the veal dish. I don't remember the exact names but everything we had was delicious! We opted for the homemade pasta and it was worth it. I am still dreaming about the white clam pasta. Dessert was amazing too. We had the lemon cake and pistachio cheesecake, which I believe was limited time. Service was friendly and swift, until the restaurant was packed and service was a little slower. But who can blame them! The food was amazing. We walked, so I can't say much for the parking. Overall, we would definitely stop by again for pasta if we are ever back in Charlotte!

HJC

Google
Had a great experience at Dolce Osteria in Charlotte, North Carolina. I never heard of the restaurant before until my friend recommended it. It was a very convenient location with tons of parking. The space was super cute. Very cozy and inviting. Would be great for a first date for sure. The food was fantastic. I moved from New York City a few years ago and I rarely go out for Italian because I’m always disappointed, but our meal was spectacular. The Caesar salad was crisp, fresh and delicious. It wasn’t bogged down with a ton of dressing. We also ordered the antipasto plate for two. All different types of cheeses and meats- very authentic. We also had the meatballs which were delicious. Very well seasoned and the sauce was flavorful. They weren’t soggy and weren’t crispy either. All of us ordered different pastas. I ordered the BOSCAIOLA- Rigatoni/parmesan cream sauce/Italian sausage/broccoli/mushrooms/peas. I absolutely loved my dish. Had so many complex flavors and the pasta was al dente. It had peas and mushrooms and neitherwe’re soggy. My other friends had the pasta with clams and meat sauce. They loved theirs also. We weren’t going to have dessert but our amazing server Fernando talked us into it. He was incredible. Very knowledgeable of the menu and attentive. He gave us great suggestions. We had the limoncello cake and the Italian cheesecake, both were delicious. I love Italian cheesecake. You can’t find it here a lot. The busser was amazing as well. Our waters were always filled. They had a pretty good wine list as well. A lot of different things from Italy. Will definitely go back and try other things!

Lalitha Mehta

Google
We have been to this restaurant time and again and have never been disappointed. We were there as a group of 8. We had timely service. We had David waiting on us. He did a great job describing the specials, suggesting the wines, and attending to our every request. Our stuffed mushroom appetizer was good. The freshly made in house pasta took each dish to a new level of excellence. I had the special of the day: fresh pasta with shrimp, crab and lobster in a creamy sauce with sun dried tomatoes and spinach. It was perfection. I’ve never had a better pasta dish. Compliments to the chef. My husband ordered the chicken Parmesan which he loved, though it could have used a little more sauce. Everyone in our group was very happy with their choices. Dolce Osteria will continue to be our favorite Italian restaurant in the Dilworth area.

Chino

Google
Wife and I are starting to try more Italian restaurants and legit pizza spots in Charlotte, and Dolce was recommended as a legit authentic spot. Small, cozy restaurant with a pretty good size patio. Hostess was very friendly and JC was a great server. Loved the food. We had the carpaccio and burrata app - both fantastic. Our favorite carpaccio ever was at Carpe Diem and we’ve never found one remotely close to theirs. Dolce was almost identical and was so good. 10/10 on the carpaccio and burrata We split the bolognese with the fresh pasta add-on. Amazing flavor and the pasta was worth the small upcharge. Nice wine menu and great dirty martini We will definitely be back - so many items on the menu we want to try.
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Shannon E.

Yelp
Very, very friendly folks here. Got to rate some of the dishes separately as they were varied Stuffed mushroom app. 5 out 5 Caesar 3. I will skip next time Martini. 5 of 5 well done Buttera. Go fresh pasta. So good. 5 Shrimp with pesto. 4.5 Lemoncello cake. 3.5. Ok. Definitely will be on the rotation moving forward
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H S.

Yelp
Met a friend here for lunch. The restaurant was empty except us. There was one other person out on the patio. I ordered the Pollo salad. I was very tiny, contained quite a bit of rotten lettuce, had some breaded chicken on top that was unimpressive. I didn't even finish half of it and the waiter didn't ask us how our food was even once. Not even when he carried off my tiny, barely eaten salad. I arrived home an hour later with some uncomfortable gurgling in the belly. Sadly, this was the first and will be the last time I visit Dolce Osteria. There are too many other amazing restaurants in Charlotte.
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Amanda C.

Yelp
Went last night for restaurant week and I'm already excited to plan another date night there! Prosciutto & Burrata - creamy mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, baby arugula with balsamic dressing and homemade apricot jam - the jam was so good I could eat it by itself but everything together was perfection Trout topped with crab - this isn't on any menu but it was absolutely delicious! The fish with the cream sauce and without the cream sauce was so flavorful and fresh! I was stuffed but just kept eating It came with sautéed veggies and risotto both of which were perfectly cooked as well. I cleaned my plate! Limoncello Cake - lemon cake with limoncello liqueur, topped with sweet limoncello glaze - soft and most with a hint of lemon so good Everything was done right! Absolutely yummy!
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Karen C.

Yelp
Outstanding food and service. We had the spaghetti with meatballs, chicken parm and bruschetta. We ate on the patio with our pup and were very comfortable. Staff was very friendly and kind to her which we appreciated. We will be back!
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kim p.

Yelp
We're here visiting from California and wanted to try an Italian restaurant and found this on yelp so we decided to give it a try based on what we saw on the menu. The carpaccio could've used more flavor. The mussels in white wine and garlic sauce was my favorite! So flavorful and delicious. The pastas were okay. My husband got the Sorrento and it wasn't bad it lacked a little flavor but my seafood pasta was a little too salty but the extra $4 for the fresh pasta was good. The bottle of moscato we got was really good and my affogato was good as well
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Ian N.

Yelp
Penne Alla Vodka (5/5): Very rich and creamy. The pasta was cooked very well, and I really enjoyed this dish.  Scogliera (4/5): The sauce was good, but I wasn't a huge fan of the actual pasta (the texture was a little off). Plenty of mussels, calamari, and clams in the dish which was nice. Bread (4/5): The bread was pretty standard (although a bit too crunchy for me), but what really stood out were the beans that came with it. This was my first time having cold beans with bread, but I liked how refreshing it was (and it had a nice hint of spiciness too). Torta Di Cioccolato (4/5): Pretty much what you'd expect from a chocolate mousse tart.  Polpettine (3/5): Nothing special about these meatballs.  RATING SYSTEM 5 - Great (Need to get this again) 4 - Good (Would get this again) 3 - Ok (Might give this another shot) 2 - Not Good (Won't get this again) 1 - Bad (Telling people to avoid this)

Dean V.

Yelp
Food, service and atmosphere were great! One of the best Italian places in Charlotte
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Lindsay B.

Yelp
We decided to dine at Dolce Osteria during Queen's Feast restaurant week and had a great time! We started with stuffed mushrooms, and prosciutto and burrata. Burrata cheese in America is just so underwhelming. Meats and cheeses over here lack the flavor and intensity we fell in love with in Italy. We moved on to the main course and ordered the lobster gnocchi and pappardelle with wild boar ragu. Both were delicious. The lobster gnocchi was very rich and buttery. My favorite part of the whole meal was dessert! That mascarpone cheesecake was heavenly and don't even get me started on the homemade tiramisu! There were 2 mix ups to mention. They delivered two pappardelle dishes to our table instead of the lobster gnocchi. So my food sat in front of me while we waited for them to go get the lobster gnocchi that my husband ordered. Another thing - Two $50 Queen's Feast meals with a $40 bottle of wine adds up and when we checked our bill, the grand total was only $43. We brought it to our waiter's attention and he adjusted it to the full amount. Not a huge deal, but it would have been nice to be comped for the two inconveniences. The interior is super cute and reminded me so much of a family restaurant in Italy. The tables are very close together so you can definitely hear conversations going on around you. They were super busy and the wait staff was running back and forth constantly. If you're looking for an intimate date night, maybe choose something with less hustle bustle. I highly recommend reservations. There are not many tables, and people were waiting in a long line out front on a Saturday night.
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Mimila S.

Yelp
Headed into Dolce Osteria today because I was in the mood for some authentic Italian fare while in town. My husband and I believe it was a perfect choice. It wasn't too busy when we arrived around 5:30 p.m. We were seated immediately, and the table was nice and clean with cloth napkins and a cloth tablecloth. We were given bread with a little salad made with cannellini beans . I forgot the name of it, but it was darn delicious. Our server was Fernando, and goodness, he was so informative and polite. I enjoyed that he answered every question I had. We ordered our drinks and then waited to order once the drinks arrived. We ordered the Carpaccio as our starter. Once it came out, it was really good, and the freshness of the arugula was great. I enjoyed the steak that was paired nicely with the bread served. They take a little bit of time to make the food here because it is fresh and so worth it. It also gave us some needed alone time. Fun fact: the pasta noodles are made fresh here. My husband ordered a Caesar salad with chicken. He enjoyed it very much and finished it. I ordered the pasta special of the day. It was a pasta with calamari and shrimp , baby spinach, and a white wine sauce. It was tremendously delicious . It wasn't overly salty, and goodness, the taste of the sauce--mmm. We ordered dessert... I had a cappuccino accompanied by a tiramisu made in-house. Both paired deliciously. My husband had some vanilla gelato and enjoyed it very much. I will add that I truly enjoyed this little restaurant, and the pasta, GOODNESS, was so good, lol. Also, seeing how the employees worked seamlessly together was superb.

Thomas G.

Yelp
Never experienced service like this. Waiter neglected to clear the original wine glasses from the seating. My wife and I each had two glasses of wine and this was our table at the end of the night. F- service wouldn't begin to describe this. Also $4 for homemade pasta with the chicken Parmesan for a minimal serving was comical.
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Katie B.

Yelp
Made a reservation that morning and then had someone fall ill (fever, vomiting, all bad for the food service industry) and quickly realized we needed to cancel. Tried calling throughout the day, but one answered the phone until 4pm, about an hour before they opened. The young woman who did answer finally was extremely rude when I tried to explain that we needed to cancel due to illness, and stated the card on file would be charged for a missed reservation. I tried explaining that not dining when ill protects both the employees and other patrons and is the ethical thing to do. After some back and forth, I asked to please speak with a manager, she said "we aren't open there isn't one here!" and hung up. I tried calling back, she answered, said nothing, and hung up again. As a restaurant manager myself I was hoping to speak to someone professionally, hoping they would understand that we are trying not to put others at risk, but I'm left quite shocked by the behavior of this employee. I guess now all I can do is hope they will do the right thing when it comes to the cancellation fee, but at the very least I hope this review will be a training opportunity for management and staff. Very disappointing.

Cathy M.

Yelp
Enjoyed an amazing dinner at Dolce. First visit and will definitely be back. The scampi was outstanding. Great ambience and service. Fernando our waiter was delightful!
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George F.

Yelp
Delicious authentic Italian cuisine! I highly recommend. Homemade pastas are a must! Very creative menu and excellent Italian wine selection
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Sara C.

Yelp
I fly to Charlotte once a month for work and treat my team to dinner. Luckily they picked Dolce Osteria. The homemade pasta is delicious, we all were stuffed but couldn't quit eating it. The service was friendly and fantastic as well. It's a warm, cozy environment and i highly recommend folks to try it! I also will go on to say that when I couldn't find a copy of my receipt I needed for my expense report they quickly found it and emailed it to me. Definitely will visit again in the future!
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Tanisha A.

Yelp
A cute little restaurant tucked away in the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte, I was able to walk in this quant restaurant on Valentine's Day without a reservation and the staff was so kind and attentive! My only complaint is the waiter forget to tell me the special it wasn't until after I had my food that I overheard him sharing with another party... my food was amazing the pasta was perfect the sauce was amazing and even the topping that comes with the bread was delightful!!! Portions were great too you will not leave hungry! Cannot wait to go back and try some more of their authentic Italian dishes!
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Jeff R.

Yelp
Traditional Italian family restaurant with a great menu, excellent preparation, great Italian wine list, and friendly service.
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Tina T.

Yelp
I'd never eaten at Dolce before. They used to be just Dolce and have since added "Osteria"...not sure why. I placed a pick up order through the restaurant tonight (Mon, 5/13) for the chicken cutlet dinner. You can see from the photo I posted what it looked like when I got it. NOTHING like the picture on the website. Just a slab of dry chicken cutlet, no garnish, butter sauce on the side - which I'm not sure why it was packaged this way because I did not ask for anything "on the side". And the chicken was so tough I was unable to eat it. I drove 7 miles/20 minutes through heavy Charlotte rush hour traffic - I was so disappointed to find that once I got the meal home, I found the chicken too tough to eat. I even tried different sections of the chicken cutlet, thinking maybe I'd just gotten a particularly tough section. None of it was edible. I called the restaurant and asked to speak with a manager. The woman who answered the phone, I believe her name was Marguerite...? Not sure - I know she had a spanish accent and I believe that was the name. She said she wasn't the manager but she was "the one in charge". She also proceeded to tell me that I would need to bring the meal back TONIGHT in order to get a refund. Here are some other things that she said during my call: "We can't refund a meal unless it's brought back", "We can only refund your money if you bring it back tonight", "You won't be able to speak to the owner/manager because she is Italian and does not speak English" (I'm sorry but this place has been around for 8+ years...I'm not sure I believe the owner doesn't speak enough English to at least chat with me), "We have never gotten any complaints about our food before", and when I challenged her on this she edited her comment to "We have never gotten complaints about this dish". Everything she said to me sounded like a lie. In complete disbelief that this woman was refusing to refund my money based on what I was describing to her, I asked again, politely, if she would just refund the $28 - especially since it was going to be impossible for me to get back in the car and get back there this evening - and she refused - again, insisting that I would need to drive the 20 minutes back to the restaurant tonight in order for her to "decide" whether or not she would refund my meal. I asked if I could come back tomorrow - and she said no, because they were closed on Tuesday - and she said by Wednesday would be too late to get a refund. It was bring the meal back tonight, or nothing. What a scam. I feel utterly shocked and ripped off. In all my years of dining out and getting take out, I can honestly say I have NEVER received this kind of horrific treatment. The fact that this place is still operating with "management" and food like this is beyond belief. I fully expect to hear that this place is closed within the next 6 months. I genuinely hope that the owner does the right thing and reaches out to me - and I hope that the woman that I spoke to on the phone is held accountable. Most restaurants train their personnel on how to handle complaints - and I will say that most places do it very, very well. It would NEVER suit a restaurant to treat a customer in this way - because especially in this climate of super inflated prices - people expect to at least get good food and great service for the high prices they're paying. AND dissatisfied customers can just do what I'm doing now - go online and leave a very bad review. What restaurant would ever want to risk that for $28?
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Chuck W.

Yelp
Amazing food and service. We will definitely come back. I ordered blind and was amazed at the offering. Nice job!

YourAverage E.

Yelp
Incredibly attentive and kind service! We were seated very quickly. The restaurant itself is surprisingly small, but very cozy! The boar ragu was wonderfully creamy and the desserts were just as charming.

Dan L.

Yelp
Nice little place for casual dining. Great service and excellent food. I had the Chicken Marsala and it was outstanding!!! That's my favorite Italian dish and I've had it at many different places. This was probably the best I've ever had. Enough said!
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Barbara B.

Yelp
Exceptional service and fun waiters and waitresses- they did a great job taking care of a party of 13. The homemade noodles and sauce was amazing.

John B.

Yelp
Moved to Charlotte area from NYC, and have been on a quest for really good authentic Italian food, this place has it. As servers passed my table with dishes of food I wanted to order every one of them. We ended up having thee best meatballs (almost as good as mine), shrimp fra diavlo appetizer. I had a Veal saltimboca that was as close to perfection as humanly possible, my wife had some HOMEMADE pasta that melted in her mouth. Fantastic, friendly service, low key relaxed dining room. Perfect for a date night. Oh and Ole Blue Eyes was playing in the background.
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Pam L.

Yelp
Birthday celebration perfection! Loved the Italian authenticity and service. The food was delicious and service was great. 10/10!
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Daniel S.

Yelp
Delicious Italian food tucked away in CLT. Cozy ambiance with a local hot spot type feel! Found close to a year ago and it's one of my regular go to's.

L P.

Yelp
Loved this place! The atmosphere, the service, the friendly waiter's made the night even more amazing.

Lexi T.

Yelp
Favorite Italian in CLT area. Authentic Italian food and awesome service. Great vibes with a lively atmosphere. Originally from Long Island, NY with an Italian background and this restaurant has continuously impressed me. Will absolutely keep going back!