Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar

We’ve been meaning to dine at Dolce for years and finally had the opportunity to do so recently. We wish we did it sooner. The interior atmosphere was authentic and personal. It wasn’t made and genuinely felt like an authentic Italian restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious as well. Their house salad was balsamic based and it was fresh and delightful. We also especially enjoyed the shrimp scampi. We look forward to visiting again and trying other dishes.

Decent Italian restaurant with decent prices. Inside is spacious and has 2 different sections. I tried their octopus appetizer which was good but a bit too salty. Their homemade fettuccini was ok but lacked the chewy bite. The fruit de mari had a good amount of seafood. The fig and pig pizza was ok but the prosciutto would have been better fresh and not cooked. The crust is more of a NY style pizza.

Went here for the first time for a bridal shower yesterday afternoon. The food was absolutely amazing! Extremely delicious! Appetizers, main course and desserts were the best I've had in a very long time. Restaurant was clean and welcoming. Clean bathrooms too! Staff was on it. From taking group pics of the bridal shower party to taking plates and refilling drinks promptly. I haven't had an amazing experience at a restaurant in a long time! It's good to know that I have a place to go to in the future that is 100% on top of their game!

My partner and I were looking for a nice restaurant to dine at and this was the perfect place! This is a fantastically family-owned authentic Italian restaurant with great options and service. Julia was the best server and even gave some much needed recommendations for us without us even asking. Owner, cooks, and waiting staff were all fantastic. A must visit for sure!!

I hosted my baby shower at Dolce Vita this past weekend and had truly the most amazing event! The entire experience of booking and organizing my event with Heather was seamless. She answered all of my questions quickly, made accommodations to make the event as perfect as possible for all, and made sure I was happy. Our event wouldn't have been as beautiful and perfect as it was without the help of Natalie. On the day of, she helped decorate, organize, and made everything run so smoothly! She was God-sent! The waiters and waitresses (whose names I forgot) were spectacular!! They were so wonderful to talk with and attentive to mine and the guests needs (refills before anyone would ask for one, packing up my food since I was so busy running around, and making sure I had dessert). The wine bar is already a beautiful place and the food was delicious, but the service really made it all come together perfectly. My family and friends were amazed at how helpful and wonderful everyone was. We are so grateful for Dolce Vita and their wonderful team. Can't wait to be back!

Wanted to do a girls trip and took a chance on this restaurant based on reviews because I was from out of town. They accommodated my party of 8 and the service from start to finish was impeccable. Our server Julia was beyond amazing! She handled us with such grace. Every dish was better than expected and 4 of us ended up ordering their Caesar salad to go because it was just that good! If you are looking for a good place in this area, especially if you’re from out of town like me, it is worth the price and your time! They have valet parking as well.

My husband and I just had lunch at this Fairfax City gem! Both of our pasta dishes were nicely savory and very well executed. The service was warm and friendly - Lily made some great suggestions and was the perfect level of attentive.

The lobster risotto? Chef’s kiss – it absolutely slaps! Service was solid too, no complaints there. Only downside was the table we sat at; it wasn’t leveled, which was a bit annoying. Other than that, great experience!

My family hosted a reception lunch here after my sister's wedding and it was nothing short of amazing!! The service was incredible -and I am SO sorry but I cannot remember our servers name but he said Bada-Bing! A lot :) -- and the food was soooo delicious. They have a lot of substitution options for those who are gluten free and could customize items; they also had extremely good cocktails. The Rosemary Old Fashioned was delicious. They also provided a champagne toast to the family as we celebrated! I 10/10 recommend for any special events!

Always a good time and never disappointed. The menu changes regularly it seems. Been going here since pre Covid and have noticed some changes but you have to roll with the times. This is where I take folks for good food and a good time. Not the fanciest restaurant but probably My favorite when hosting out of town folks. Clean, semi quiet, almost romantic. This is the place to go. Edit: I forgot to mention the food. This is grade A eats with food made with pride. I feel the staff cares about the food and it always tastes exquisite to me. This is my go to Italian restaurant.

We hosted a reception for my father-in-law's funeral, and the restaurant exceeded our expectations! Ambience in Wine Room was cozy with open8ng to lovely patio. Food was top notch and the service staff was extremely helpful and professional. The mini cannabis were a big hit. All the guests raved about the good and the venue. Highly recommend Dolce Vita!​

I love this cozy restaurant. My partner and I decided to have lunch here while we were out running errands. Although it was noon, it felt like dinner for us since we start our days early. We enjoyed some Italian red wines and ordered the Ricotta dip with grilled bread as a starter. I would add a small side of additional toppings for the Ricotta (honey, walnuts, salt/olive oils) as you eat down through the layers. It was delicious but the top layer was the best. We also ordered the grilled octopus appetizer with artichokes, veggies, and potatoes which was absolutely delicious! My partner tried the make your own pasta option, which he really enjoyed choosing noche with rosa sauce, chicken adding in veggies at $1 a piece upcharge. We ended our meal with a delightful crème Brulee for dessert. Our server was pleasant and attentive during our lunch stay. The atmosphere was romantic and quaint. We will definitely be back for more dates :)

We came here for lunch during the week. Parking spots are tight but we were able to find a spot quickly due to slow traffic. We ordered a fig and pig pizza, calamari and pesto chicken pasta. The food was delicious, service was great, the server was attentive and food was served efficiently. The interior of the restaurant looks nice, with renaissance paintings and European architectures on the wall. Will definitely recommend!

The food here was decent and the wine selection nice. However it did not blow us away. Some vegetables were overcooked, which is the real test for me. While we might have returned to try some the pasta, our experience was marred by what felt like being taken advantage of. When asked for an appetizer recommendation, we were really oversold on the lamb, which we felt was just okay. Maybe our expectations were too high. However since that appetizer was way more expensive than the others, my husband suggested that might be the reason our server recommended it. This was confirmed later when I ordered a glass of Sauvignon blanc. I expected it was understood that I wanted the $16 one off the menu I had had. When the bill came, our waitress had charged us for a $36 glass of wine. That's one way to up the bill, I guess but we didn't appreciate it. I will admit might have had our hopes too high and I should have been more clear about ordering from the menu. Lesson learned but we won't be returning here.

Terrific food and service just what the town say great service and delicious food. Ii believe if you are in town you should make a point to visit the restaurant. Manager was very nice and grateful for us making our place my homecoming. Thank you lisa kueper for turning us on this place

Had a limoncello martini and it was just what I had hoped for. It was sweet and refreshing and cool. It was appealing to look at too. The focaccia bread was good for dipping and the dipping oil was seasoned with spices and sun dried tomato bits. The wait staff and valet where all very attentive. I had the creamy pesto ravioli and highly recommend them. My wife had the wood fired ziti and it was good but the wood smoke flavor didn't penetrate as I had hoped for. It was also dried out a tiny bit, but over all still a solid choice. Can't go wrong with this restaurant in Fairfax.

My review is for my recent experience attending a baby's baptism celebration at The Cantina of this restaurant. First of all, the cantina is a cute event rental space for small gatherings. It's clean and nicely decorated inside with a bar and one restroom. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The menu had a great selection of pasta dishes for our group, and the pasta truly tasted authentic and homemade. The dishes had great flavor and were very filling as well! I would recommend this location for small group gatherings less than 30 people.

UPDATE: Returned to try the gnocchi romagna and LOVED IT. Pine nuts are a great touch gnocchi was cooked perfectly.

Terrific meal and wine! Don't miss "Wine down Wednesday", 1/2 off wine bottles under $100 - the Valpolicella Ripasso Classico was delicious, soft and smooth EZ to drink! Everything we ordered was delicious, from drink, apps to meals! Service was friendly, attentive and engaging to ensure our drinks and food were to our liking and enjoyed. Overall, 4.5 rated experience for me. We did not go hungry and Wednesday WINE special was great! Tonight we started with Calamari served with Marinara dip. Freshly prepared, 1 order was perfect to share! The Caesar salad was good, fresh and tasty. For dinners, the House-made Lasagna was excellent, Chicken Marsala wonderful, Lobster Fettuccini amazing (but would've ordered the Aurora sauce vs spicy Diavolo), and Baked Ziti plentiful! You won't go wrong with anything on the menu! Even their Brick oven Pizzas looked fantastic! This is definitely a restaurant to enjoy if you haven't been, plus they have a connected wine bar next door if you want a more upscale ambience ... but Dolce Vita was casual and perfect for us! Cheers, ENJOY!!!

Love this place, but how can you charge $27.49 for 3 twirls of pasta??? Really put the Scam in shrimp SCAMpi

Came for my son's 1st birthday. I think the overall 3.8 review is spot on. We would come back, 50% off wine on Wednesdays was a great deal and the ambiance in the bar room was good for date night. As someone who has eaten a lot of Italian food, it didn't completely blow me away. We shared the shrimp and bacon appetizer which was 3 shrimps and lobster sauce, wasn't what I was expecting. We also got the Tasha appetizer which was one of our favorites. For entrees we shared the pig & fig pizza which was full of flavor. Only critique is the dough felt a tad more chewy and thick than Neapolitan style. For pasta we got the baked ziti which needed some salt. Will go back as it right up the street and try something different.

I've been here twice, and I absolutely love this place - I always recommend this restaurant to my friends when they're looking for a nice place to have dinner. My very first time here was for Mother's Day, and I couldn't stop thinking about their lamb chops. The second time, I had a casual dinner with my friends, everything again, was just incredible. [[Food: 4.8 out of 5]] --Bruschetta: 4.5 of 5 - The tomatoes tasted a little too tangy for my personal liking, I scraped some tomatoes off my bite, and it tasted pretty good. Paired well with the bed of greens and the fresh mozzarella --Lamb Chops: 5 of 5 - served with mashed potatoes, not game-y and very tender --Brick Oven Pizza: 4 out of 5 - Only not a 5 of 5 because I personally do not like thin crust --Linguine Vongole: 3 of 5 - watery, needed more salt- pasta probably was not drained well, and retained a lot of the boiling water into the overall dish. --Roasted Bone Marrow: 4.8 of 5 - super fatty but tasted so well with the baked bread and paired well with the bed of greens. The pickled vegetables that came along with the dish were WAY too sour and pickled for my taste buds. --Fettucine Carbonara: 4.5 of 5 - My niece loved this dish but wished it was a bit more saucy. --Risotto Gamberi- 5 of 5 - I loved this dish so much - no complaints. Shrimp was tender, and bacon had a nice saltiness to pair with the risotto. [[Wine: 5 of 5]] I asked the server to recommend me a sweet white wine, the server recommended "Cascinetta Vietti Moscato D Asti Wine" - I fell in love with this wine during testing it, and ended up drinking 3 glasses before stopping myself. This wine has become my favorite of all time. [[Service: 5 out of 5]] Both times I went, I had exceptional service. The first time around, the server was knowledgeable in helping me choose a sweet white wine, the 2nd time, our server was newer and wasn't able to answer our questions on the spot, regarding the menu items; but she grabbed someone immediately to help us out. [[Ambiance: 5 of 5]] During Mother's Day, it was extremely busy - but we got seated on time, without delay and although there were many guests there, it was not too loud to where I couldn't hear my family's conversation. The 2nd dinner, we sat in a half circular moon-shaped booth near the end of the restaurant and it was super comfy and casual.

Amazing food, authentic, cooked CORRECTLY!! I highly recommend the place and if possible ask to be seated where Calvin can be your server. He's incredible. Knowledgeable, funny, and caring.

Was craving Italian cuisine, and Dolce Vita catered to that craving! To start we ordered the arancini appetizer; it was a fried rice ball filled with bolognese, peas and mozzarella cheese served with a tasty marinara sauce. The arancini were delicious! For my entree I decided to go with the Lasagna Bolognese, layers of pasta sheets with meat, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella covered in sauce, and baked to perfection. These two dishes were excellent! The service was excellent, friendly, knowledgeable of the entire menu, and made many recommendations. We will be returning regularly when we have our Italian food cravings. Dolce Vita is a must try for Italian food!!

Delicious food! Authentic Italian! Lovely service! Perfect ambiance! My first time here and will return again and again!

Came here with a girlfriend for happy hour and it was my first time coming and I'm glad I tried it. I won't lie, I think outside of happy hour it can definitely be on the higher end but for HH it was a great price. The bartender suggested a cocktail drink and it was so fruity and delicious ! We also ordered the clams, truffle fries, gnocchi, and artichoke hearts. The restaurant is divided into a sitting place and the wine room so we sat on the bar of the wine room but it's actually a very cute vibe. I would come back here for HH

This is a fairly small place that fills up on the weekends, so I recommend a reservation. The server was attentive. They don't have a kids menu, so we had to order an adult meal for the kids and split it. They offered up a side of pasta as an option, but we went with the Chicken Parmesan. The kids enjoyed that. The Caesar salad was really average. I had the fettuccine with vodka sauce. It was pretty good, but I have definitely had better. Others at our table seemed to enjoy their meals. Was the food well prepared, yes, but are there better Italian restaurants, yes. There were some awkward moments during our visit to the restaurant that left me feeling a little uncomfortable.

Romano the co-partner and José our server were both so marvelous. Romano debuted this lasagna recipe of his which was perhaps the best lasagna I've had in a decade. The wine was delicious (and half priced on Wednesdays). They treated us to a tiramisu for the birthday we were celebrating. This is a top notch under-the-radar Italian restaurant, for sure!

I'm so sorry, but this food is not it. Walking out of the place, you feel like it was a semi decent meal, just really bland. However, give it 24 hours and I was fighting for my life on the toilet. Literally had to leave work early that next day and I definitely blame the ziti here rip. The inside of the restaurant is actually really nice though, so don't judge it by the outside, which is slightly scary. Tbh, this place feels like it's detached from reality. Can't quite explain it.

A hidden gem, I must say. A solid mom-and-pop restaurant worth considering if you're in the area. I have been here many times and it has yet to disappoint. The service, venue, spectacular price and quality of their items easily make this place one of my favorite Italian restaurants. Hands down. To keep this review short and to the point, every item I've ordered thus far has well exceeded my expectations. Two things you must try are the mussels and seafood pasta!

This was the first time my girlfriend & I had been here. We were sitting at our table for 25 minutes and no one came up to serve us. No water or anything, we were ready to order but no one cared. The hostess was also insanely sassy when we walked in. Not sure what their problem was. I will not be coming back. The food didn't look great.

A hidden gem of Fairfax! It was an awesome date spot with great wine and food. The service was great--our waitress took care of us! And the Tiramisu was nice with plentiful coffee flavors. Definitely plan to go back.

Bravo!!!!! So good!!!! This is our local Italian restaurant and we tried it for the first time tonight. Parking lot is a smidge tight, but do not let that scare you away. Seated quickly and within moments we knew what we were ordering: Spaghetti w Pomodoro and meatballs - fabulous Vegetable risotto- great Garlic bread- we wouldn't order again (it was fine) Then... dessert- while we delighted in all 3 I would get the Berry Crisp as a family dessert next time and skip the other 2 Tiramisu Cannoli Warm berry crisp w icecream Super reasonably priced, nice little restaurant (and it has patio seating). I also noticed the wine list was extensive (will order a glass next time!!) We lucked out by having dinner here!

The heck is up with all these negative reviews? I thought I was hard to please... sheesh. At this price point, everything was stellar. Our family of 4 had lunch on a sunny Sunday outdoors with our doggo and was delighted by the prompt and courteous service. The food was par with other high end places except for maybe the linguine vongole - but that's only bc it's clams from a can. Otherwise, the seasoning, the quality, freshness, amount, ingredients, and presentation were very much more than fair for the $$$. It was a steal of a deal! They're also dog friendly and have ample outdoor seating. We didn't receive any less attention for being sat outside either which seems to be an issue with many other establishments. I'm coming back to try their signature pizza next!

The happy hour meatballs were very tasty. I also had tiramisu which was tasty but not a lot for the price. They also didn't have lids for the cups so I couldn't get my non alcoholic drink to go.

Ordered family portion of lasagna to go. It was mistakenly given to another customer who took it out to their car, opened it and brought it back in. My wife asked them to start our order over since someone had opened the sealed container. They took the original order in the back and apparently recooked it. Am I positive they used the same lasagna? The lasagna was burned so I think they recooked the original and just say they didn't, who gives someone burnt lasagna? I've had some good meals here but I'll never go back again.

This restaurant has the best customer service at such an inexpensive price point. This restaurant delivers amazing food, for a great price, with great service. The complimentary valet is such a great touch. Our waiter Said was so helpful. He gave us dinner recommendations, helped pick out a fantastic wine, and made us laugh over and over again. The manager even came by and was very funny and personable. We had the lasagna and the cheese ravioli with pesto. The lasagna was a lot of food and can even make for a good second meal. The cheese ravioli was amazing, the sun dried tomatoes were very sweet so even if you don't like tomatoes you may still like the dish. For appetizers, we got the bruschetta and the casaca. They were both great and I would recommend you try them.

I'm sad I came to this Italian place for Fairfax City Restaurant Week. It was not good. The only positive was the first red wine but it was such a small pour (3 oz). Maybe I ordered wrong thing idk but I'm just so disappointed. The artichoke appetizer was okay. The flavor was decent but overall it was too oily. Then runner brought my entree with a dirty spoon in it (the handle had dried sauce on it). I used to work in a restaurant and it was unacceptable to serve any dish with sauces out of place like that, on silverware or the plate itself. They also didn't take away my empty appetizer plate... when the runner came with my entree she kind of looked at me expecting me to clear my own table. I mean, what? So I moved the empty plate for her to plop down my entree with the dirty spoon, and my used appetizer fork fell off the table. No one picked it up. If they had just taken my appetizer plate (clearly finished), with the used fork, then it wouldn't have fallen off when I bussed my own table... I had to ask my waitress for a steak knife (or any actual serrated one) and she tried to give me the butter knife from another place setting at my table. She never actually brought me another knife. I also had to teaming her to bring my second wine pairing. I waited several minutes after the runner brought my entree to even get her attention. By then the food was getting cold. Also the restaurant was not even busy. I walked in at 5 pm and there was one other party seated. I only ate half of the dish and didn't even want to take home the leftovers because it was so bad (and I always take the leftovers). The lamb saltimbucca was described as sautéed with prosciutto and provolone. There was one half slice of prosciutto hiding under one of the thin slices of meat. The pasta was over cooked past al dente. The sauce boring and unremarkable. For $40 + wine pairing for $15 (3 different 3 oz pours) + 10% tax + tip, absolutely not worth it. I could have made a better dish at home. The whole point of Restaurant Week is to showcase your best, with the goal of recruiting new customers. This dining experience sorely missed the mark.

2.5 stars TL;DR: Excellent service, food was so so so disappointing Had a reservation with a group of friends, and were able to be seated in a big booth in the back. All the staff wears masks. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. He and the runners were clearing our tables when necessary and filling our drinks before they were depleted. Just great! Which makes the food even more disappointing. FOOD: ~ Complimentary bread (5/5): can't go wrong with a warm baguette with a seasoned oil ~ Calamari (3/5): typical calamari. Lightly battered and crisp, but the squid was a little chewy. Could have used an extra pinch of salt ~ Shrimp Scampi (2.5/5): Decent flavor, but the "sauce" was so watery. The noodles were slightly undercooked, and the shrimp was overcooked. ~ The Fig and Pig pizza (4/5): I liked this pizza! Sweetness from the figs, salty from the prosciutto. Wish it had a little more onions. ~ Pizza Bianca (2/5): A plain white pizza with tomatoes and garlic on top. Tasted okay, but not worth ordering, in my opinion. ~ Americana pizza (2/5): Basically a meat lovers. Lots of toppings, but it made the pizza so soggy that it was very difficult to eat. ~ Ossobuco (3/5): Tender veal shank, sauce was runny, and wish it had a little more depth of flavor. ~ Fettucine Ai Fruitti De Mare (1/5): Had such high expectations for this. It came with lots of seafood, but the pasta and sauce had NO flavor at all. Literally tasted like water. We added red pepper flakes and parmesan, and that couldn't even save it. My friends ordered the Cavatelli Sardi, Lasagna, Linguini Vongole, and none of them liked their dishes, whether it be the flavor, cook on the noodle, or how the protein was cooked. Even the cocktails we ordered were unsatisfying. I had high hopes for this place, but was unfortunately let down. Maybe it was just an off day, but at least the service was good.

Mom was my #VALENTINE and I decided to take her to lunch on Valentine's Day to Dolce Vita Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar! We had a truly fabulous meal, which included Zucchini Fritte (Fried Zucchini sticks) as an appetizer, Veal Saltimbocca with a side of Fettuccine Alfredo, Ravioli Al Forno, Cannoli, and a great bottle of Gavi di Gavi wine! It was my first time here, and I was amazed at all the authentic Italian items on the menu. The restaurant is also really charming... with fabulous murals of Rome and Tuscany in the main dining room. And upon entering, you're immediately greeted by a spectacular Pizza Oven, painted to look like the Bocca della Verita' (Mouth of Truth) ancient sculpture in Rome. All of the staff were warm and inviting, and we had a great waiter named Oscar. Veal Saltimbocca... SO YUMMY! For those of you who've never had it before, it's a veal cutlet wrapped in prosciutto and topped with crispy sage leaves and melted provolone in a white wine sauce! It's so good, it leaps into your mouth- literally the translation of its name!! A special highlight of the meal was having a fun conversation in Italian with Managing Partner Romano Rainoni. I think he was floored to have someone speak Italian to him in his wonderful little restaurant in the DC suburbs of Fairfax, VA. (Romano is a relatively new owner.. having joined sometime during the Pandemic. He's from Tarquinia, a beautiful beach town just outside of Roma.) You should know that I lived and worked in Italy for nearly 5 years, so am very familiar with great Italian food. I complimented Romano on the delicious meal, and told him that it was easily as good as many of the high-end Italian restaurants in downtown DC (and also at much more affordable price points)! Romano told me about all the special Wine Dinners and Events that they are doing at Dolce Vita. I can't wait to go back and check them out!!

Good Stuff...... Try Them when you can..... We've been here several times and will be back soon....

Such a hidden gem! Had a wonderful expereince. The food was EXCEPTIONAL! The staff were very polite and attentive. The restaurent gave out a low-key, cozy, and family vibe. Love it!

This unassuming place is a good place to bring a family with kids. They are rarely busy during the day, and the staff is very accommodating. The menu consists of Italian and Italian-American staples, which are tasty if not super original. They also appear to have a small separate event area that I assume you can book for parties, etc.

Adorable and lovely dining experience. Quietly classy, amazing food and delicious desserts.

Came here with a large party, everyone enjoyed their dishes, we received efficient and friendly service. We laughed in the middle of the restaurant with flowing bottles of wine, and good food. My friends have been coming here for years and highly recommend this place. I got a cannoli for dessert and it was just OK, but everything else deafly recommend this place for a Fairfax city group friendly and family friendly spot.

So this was a totally impromptu stop. I was in Virginia for an interview and I was hungry as it was a long day. I had been driving around trying to find a restaurant and usually I look to Yelp but this time I went in blind. I saw several cars pulling up to have their cars valeted so I decided why not? It didn't look too pricey so I figured I would try it out. It didn't look too crowded upon entering but then I turned the corner and the bar was there . It was pretty full so so I decided to eat outside which was pretty private and made for a nice, quiet dinner. I started off with a Caprese Salad. They used Heirloom Tomatoes which I'm not big on, but the mozzarella cheese wasn't too bad. I love Balsamic Glaze which adds an extra hint of sweetness with the reduction sauce but I have to say I have had better, but it was a nice way to start off the meal. The menu was pretty extensive so it took me quite awhile to get through it but I ended up going with having gnocchi in a cream anise sauce, onions, and pancetta which was delicious. It was jam packed with flavor and I don't usually order gnocchi but this was very worth the try. My server Kara was so patient and allowed me the time to browse the menu. I also settled on ordering a glass of wine which was a wine special for Nero D'Avola. It was a bit tannic as I love smoother more full bodied wines but it made for a nice change. They also did offer bread as well which I'm a bread fiend and end up filling up on that so much it prevents me from finishing my whole meal but I really did enjoy the gnocchi. I also ordered some truffle fries as I'm a sucker for anything with truffle oil:) Overall, I can't complain about my experience. Service was great. The food came in a timely manner and my belly and me left happy:) I'd probably return if I'm in the area.

Service at the bar was fantastic. Appetizer are great. Espresso Martinis was absolutely amazing!

I picked this spot to meet my first bumble bff, which is nerve racking to begin with, so you need to be secure in the meetup place. It worked out well! Especially with a happy hour until 6p -- $2 off all drinks & apps and on Wednesday it's half off all bottles. What a steal! They change out the specialty wine flight -- one week it was rosé all day, this week it was a taste of Uganda flight. We picked the warm asparagus salad & the artichoke hearts, both were so delicious I forgot to take a picture sorry Yelp fam. The service was fantastic, the appetizers delicious and the wine flowing. Would definitely take another bumble bff date there again.

We went here for a family celebration dinner. I usually like the food, but this time, the Shrimp Scampi was the WORST I have ever eaten. My daughter got the same dish and totally agreed with me. Yes, it is a scam (pi) !!! We got the angel hair pasta with it and there was NO hint even of garlic, lemon, white wine or butter in the sauce. No salt and no taste either!!! How ridiculous that they cannot even get such a simple dish made correctly. I make it so much better then this! Someone just threw a few cooked shrimp on top of the pasta, without bothering to even make a sauce. Terribly disappointing and I hope to never go there again!

Not sure what took us so long to try Dolce Vita but it was divine. We have been somewhat disappointed in Italian food in the area but it was very rich and tasty. Hubby loves fried calamari and thought it was great. I had the fettuccine carbonara - sooo good. Rich and creamy. My pic prepared me for mediocrity but it was anything but. I actually requested no mushrooms. I also loved that it was easy to order and customize my order (door dash). Hubby had linguine vongole (seafood) and loved it.

I so wanted to love this place Bc it was close to our house... but it only ranks mediocre on my book. We came on a weekday and there was no wait to get a table (granted we came a bit later than the dinner rush) we get seated and order. They brought out a basket of bread and olive oil; but it was fairly bland oil tasting and did not taste like fresh baked Italian bread (my comparison would be the Italian bread you get at a grocery store) and a bit of a let down. When the food came, the staff was nice enough to ask if we wanted extra cheese on top (which was powdered, not fresh grated). My bf got the vodka sauce, which I thought was rather good, and I got the linguine vongole, which the noodles were a bit more on the bland size. The clams were very generous, but I felt the pasta wasn't bland and they just poured the clam sauce on top of plain pasta. I would have loved if they cooked the noodles in the clam sauce longer. So if the place had good vodka sauce and mediocre clam linguine, why 3 stars and not 4? Well... my better half spent most of the rest of the night in the bathroom with what seemed like food poisoning.... While I thought the place was fairly good, it's more ordinary and comparable to a chain Italian place. We might come here again, but wouldn't go out of our way to come here.

Dolce vita is a classic Italian spot with some of the best pastas I've had. They've a good staff that cares about your expectations. I'd recommend sitting in their bar area for a great wine filled experience. Wednesdays are half price bottles all day! The arancini is fantastic as well as their pizzas. Make it a must try!

I've pass by this place for years and years and today was the day to finally stop and test their food and service. We were seated right away since the place wasn't busy for a late lunch and early dinner. We were given water and menu simultaneously. Server didn't come till we were about to walk out after 15mins of no contact. Stale bread was served w olive oil. Our orders came in less than 10 minutes. Service was off food was ho hum ok.

I've used this restaurant for dessert and pastries via delivery over the past year. Prices are high and portions are small for me that's kind of a turn off and that's why there's a four instead of a five in my rating.

Dolce Vita's staff did an amazing job assisting me with planning for a surprise birthday party for my wife with 35 guests. Heather helped me with the food and wine selection; Alex & Cindy provided exceptional service to our guests out on the patio; and Romano made sure everything was ready on time. If you need a venue that is reasonably priced with excellent customer service, try Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar.

Went for NYE 2023 and had a great experience! Have heard great things about this place, it is a staple in Fairfax. Food was yummy, vibe was great, our server George was very nice. Management was extremely accommodating as we didn't realize they had a prefixed menu for NYE. They went above and beyond to accommodate us, make us feel welcome, and make up for the confusion (we had checked the website beforehand and hadn't seen anything about a prefixed menu). Shoutout to the manager for checking on us multiple times and being so, so accommodating!

From the time we were greeted this place is bursting with kind and caring employees. We were so fortunate to be assisted by Lindsay who made our experience so incredibly special. She was so knowledgeable about the wine list and took care of every question and every need we had with care and excitement. The food that has truffle in it really has such a great flavor to it. All the flatbreads were delicious and flavorful. The inside is super cute and comfortable. Go for the half off wine Wednesday's. Cannot wait to go back!