La Dolce Vita

I live in the neighborhood and walked by this place and had the most amazing lentil soup that really surprised me the most out of everything I ate. I cannot wait to order more dessert here when I comeback. Service was warm and welcoming. I love Oakland

Indulging in the culinary delights at La Dolce Vita was truly an experience steeped in tradition and authenticity. From the moment I walked in, I sensed the rich heritage woven into every aspect of the cafe, especially when Titi proudly shared that she represents three generations of bakers. Each bite was a testament to their commitment to quality and craftsmanship, evident in their house-made creations. The focaccia bread, delicately adorned with black seeds, offered a symphony of flavors that elevated the entire meal. It's remarkable how such subtle nuances can transform a dish. Freshness and healthfulness are the cornerstones of La Dolce Vita's menu, with ingredients that tantalize the taste buds while nourishing the body. The addition of basil to the sandwich not only infused it with vibrant flavor but also filled the air with its aromatic essence, enhancing the overall dining experience. Service was impeccable, with Titi's warm hospitality shining through as she graciously treated us to a complimentary serving of lentil soup, a delightful gesture that underscored their commitment to customer satisfaction. To top it off, our drinks were generously comped, further exemplifying their dedication to ensuring every guest leaves with a smile. Moreover, their inclusion of Halal options speaks volumes about their inclusivity and dedication to catering to diverse dietary preferences. And let's not forget their diverse coffee offerings, ensuring there's something to satisfy every palate. La Dolce Vita isn't just a cafe; it's a culinary journey that celebrates tradition, flavor, and community. Support this local gem and embark on your own sweet adventure today.

Y’all!!! This is hands down one of the best sandwich spots I’ve been to. Their portions are so generous and filling. The veggies and meat tasted so fresh. The service was phenomenal- genuinely sweet and welcoming people. Ended up staying there for 2-3 hours with some of my friends because the environment is just so nice. PLEASE, pay them a visit and support this beautiful business!

I searched for a place with croissants and this showed up. Decided to try it for lunch. It was so convenient to customize your sandwich order with the items you like. I’m a picky eater so I appreciated the order sheet to mark your ingredient choices. Sandwiches are big! I ate half and had the rest for dinner, it held up great. The homemade bread was not like any focaccia I’ve had before, it was super tasty. I went with my cousin, we honestly had the hardest time trying to decide on a selection for dessert. We shared a lemon cheesecake which was a lovely mixture of dense, rich, and bright. The lemon was perfect. We also got a box of some desserts to take home and try later. I think our favorite was their chocolate and white chocolate cake and the raspberry white chocolate eclair. They didn’t have all the desserts labeled but they were extremely friendly and answered any questions about flavors. Staff was wonderful. I would definitely go again and recommend to people.

A delightful little Black (Ethiopian) owned business. Their desserts were absolutely delicious and not too sweet. My friend and I had the strawberry shortcake and cream puff and the baker (owner) gave us a sample of her renowned carrot cake (also so delicious - very moist, perfectly sweet enough). Her son was helping out and he was such a gem of a human and had such joyful infectious friendly energy. HIGHLY recommend. Can't wait to try their sandwiches

Great sandwiches and great bakery! Try the lentil soup, it's warm, filling and a great accompaniment to the sandwiches. Edit: that sandwich is still good. Fresh veggies and bread and it's giant! Go get a sandwich from La Dolce Vita! It's worth it Also tried their vegan napoleon cake. Very good, couldn't even tell there wasn't any dairy in the pastry cream

Came in for a sandwich and it was delicious! It was huge and filling for $10. And their deserts!! I talked to the son who said his mom and another chef were up late baking them. They looked SO PRETTY! Will definitely be back just for the sweets sometime. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, the place is really clean and cute, and the family working there are all super friendly and welcoming. Happy to see their new presence and wishing them all well!

REALLY DELICIOUS and nostalgically good sandwiches! Especially perfect to take on a little day trip (wrapped to perfection)! I ordered the prosciutto sandwich on the menu which is in the picture. We also tasted the lentil soups and damn, such unexpected flavor from a small deli! Service was to the point and welcoming! mmmm and definitely grab a sweet! The crem brûlée is 🫶🏼

Wonderful neighbor place for coffee, pastries and sandwiches. Limited seating available both inside and outside.

I love this small cafe! The ambiance is so sweet, and I love the bright yellow and orange of the space. The owner is super sweet, and always gives a little of her lentil soup to try, which is delicious. I always choose to get a bowl to go after trying it. The fresh baked focaccia is delicious too, which all sandwiches come on. My friend got the veggie, and I got the veggie sandwich without cheese. It's really good, even without fake meats or anything extra. Sometimes she also has vegan desserts, though they go quickly - but all of the patisserie is beautiful and tasty. She also offered my friend her own chai mix, which is extra spiced and was just what she was looking for. So nice to have a small cafe like this a couple blocks from where I live!

Hello all, this is one of my favorite places in the Temescal neighborhood to get a sandwich and pastries. The pastries vary, there are different fruit and traditional flavors throughout the year. The sandwiches are big, flavorful and filling. You can order them as you like, there is a card to fill out at the counter with the ingredients you would like. Beyond the sandwich and baked goods, they offer smoothies, coffee, tea and cakes for special occasions. The owner is friendly and I love the vibe of a mom and pop shop. They have been in the neighborhood for some time, and are doing some remodeling, bringing some of the back of the house more visible. There is outdoor seating, perfect for a sunny day, but you can also enjoy the view by the window on a cool and windy day. Enjoy all, check out the tasty treats they have to offer

Came in for a pick up order for surprise baked goods. I received a cannoli and I'm not sure what the other dessert was. The cannoli was phenomenal. I'm not sure what the other dessert was. It wasn't bad but it's not for me. While inside of the store I also ordered the pesto pizza served on what I think is focaccia bread. Also delicious. Pesto, cheese and tomatoes mixing together is a flavor party. Service was fast. It was every when I went in but I can't remember if there are any seats inside. Either way, the high reviews on Yelp made me try it and I'm glad I did.

I love that these sandwiches feel made with TLC. I love how they pack the sandwiches and you can't beat fresh baked bread. I truly hope folks give this place a try!! It's a tasty sandwich!!!!

First, let me say that the owner of this small business is a true pleasure to be around and she is one of the shining gems of the Temescal district. Her store is immaculate and the treats looks enticing as soon as you enter. I've been here on two separate occasions and enjoyed the atmosphere inside both times. The first time I was here, I had crème brûlée which was in a heart-shaped container. It was pretty good and flavorful so no complaints there. The man working behind the counter flambéed the dessert right in front of us, which was a nice touch. My only issue here was with the cakes. While they appear appetizing and look delicious, they do not taste that good. I found mine to be dry (possibly from over mixing of the dough) and the filling was super juicy (but not in a good way). I'm not sure if this was just a one-off but it left a bad taste in my mouth. I will try something else there the next time I come in because there is so much to love about this place and I have a feeling other desserts will taste better than that cake did that day. I'll be sure to update my review after a few more visits here. If you're in the Temescal looking for a unique dessert place, stop here and try something! Plus it's always nice to support small locally-owned businesses!

Such a great local find in the heart of Temescal! I love visiting family owned bakeries and this felt like one. They have many dessert options - I ordered two and I loved that they were not too sweet, fluffy, and very soft! The green tea flavor was very light and it tasted just like sweet cake, but other than that everything else was such a sweet treat. i orderd the pastrami sandwhich ans it was surprisingly one of the best pastrami sandwhiches ive had. The meat isnt too salty. The bread and cheese was super soft and the sauce was really juicy. You wont be dissapointed with a quick lunch ans desser

Their sandwiches and pastries are on point! And the staff is super friendly. I just discovered them for the first time, and look forward to coming back again soon!

I have driven past La Dolce Vita so many times and wanted to stop in but didn't come across a convenient parking spot until today. Woohoo! Having just donated platelets, I needed to fuel up before visiting Mom at the hospital so I completed the sandwich order form for roast beef with lettuce, mayo, mustard, oil, vinegar, lettuce and pepperoncini. After ordering, I realized there wasn't a choice for the bread so I was excited to see what would come. While waiting, I spied the cases and what an assortment of goodies. Not only are there sweets, they also have big slices of pizza such as Hawaiian, artichoke and Margherita. Hubby loves a cannoli so we have one to try tonight. The sandwich is huge! It's heavy and fills the entire container. I love a juicy sandwich and this certainly is that! I think this is a focaccia bread based on other reviews. Very fresh and holds up well. The meat portion was just right and roast beef is something I never order but since I need to fuel up, it's fine. Will have turkey next time. On my way out, I dropped the cannoli and of course, it flew out. Five second rule so I picked it up. The owner was sitting at the window and said that they would give me a new one. How wonderful is that? Looking forward to stopping her again soon. Going to have to try some of the cheese cakes and eclairs and other items. Beautiful to the eyes. Update:. Cannoli was okay. The shell wasn't crunchy. Perhaps fill upon request? Support the local businesses!

The is a hidden gem. They have the best deli sandwich and cakes We tried the (Italian trio) Prosciutto Mortadella Salami Sandwich with provolone no pickles and it was so good! The tiramisu and chocolate cake is to die for. I love their iced chai latte with oat milk too. The place has great ambiance. The best part is their friendly staff and the owner Tegsti is so nice. I would recommend this place. I'll be buying cakes from this bakery from now on.

La Dolce Vita is such a cute mom & pop shop, right in the heart of Oakland's Temescal neighborhood. This shop sells made-to-order sandwiches and soups, as well as sweet treats. I came yesterday a little before closing and they still had some inventory of various things. I tried their famous Napoleon cake slices, which included thin, crispy flakes, in between the cream. The cream wasn't too sweet, but I definitely enjoyed the layered flakes more. The star of the show was the lentil soup. The delicious soup hit the spot during this cold winter night. What makes their lentil soup different than other places is that they seem to include more ginger or mix something within to give the soup a warming kick and aroma. The owner's son provided great service and shared a little history about their shop in regards to how long they've been open and what items are most popular. I'll have to try their sandwiches in the future. A fun fact is that many of their recipes are inspired by their home country of Eritrea (Northern Africa) and neighboring Ethiopia. #41/2022

From the outside this place doesn't look like much but they have good thick crust pizza and desserts that aren't too sweet. We came on Saturday late afternoon and got a slice of the artichoke pizza for $5.50. It was delicious and also garlicky. The crust was almost breadlike in the best way. I appreciate that they'll heat up slices and serve them on a real plate if you're staying. We also tried their tiramisu (they had samples on the counter) and an eclair. Both were good. The tiramisu had a nice light coffee flavor and was very creamy without being too sweet. The eclair had a light choux pastry, good vanilla cream filling and chocolate ganache. The woman behind the counter was very friendly. Bus your own tables, but with prices as they are, that's reasonable.

When I say this is one of the best little cafe's- I mean it! You get a hefty sized sandwich for a great price, which is pretty hard to come by nowadays. I got the mortadella provolone sandwich with fresh housemade rosemary focaccia, a small lentil soup & a coffee for $20.00 on DoorDash. The sandwich is super delicious with the perfect amount of everything and will easily suffice me for 2 meals. The owner of the shop was super sweet and threw in a crème brûlée for me as well! Definitely support this neighborhood gem.

I stumbled upon this place after a coffee shop nearby closed early, and I'm so glad I did! The owner here was incredibly kind. They don't have a drinks menu, but the owner said she could make me any kind of latte I wanted. (They have plenty of tea, syrup, and milk options.) After my latte, I decided to order two sandwiches to go. The customization options were great. You choose a meat and then your sauces, vegetables, and other toppings. The sandwiches were absolutely delicious, and I could tell the ingredients were fresh! Also, while I was waiting for my order, the owner let me sample some lentil soup (so sweet!).

We stopped by this neat-as-a-pin shop and walked out with an array of desserts that were all delicious. Parking can be a bit of a challenge but the shop itself is a ray of sunshine. We love that they're open on Sundays so we can grab some treats for a lazy Sunday Funday afternoon. Give this place a try. Family owned and you can feel the love.

Inyroduction: Just when I was about to give this bakery a two star rating due to being on hold on the phone for over 40 minutes and hearing all the back ground noise of conversation, I felt I was forgotten. The gentleman who put me on hold got back to me to answer my question re: the price of a 1/2 sheet of a tiramisu. He apologized for the delay. I told him it was a very close call for the bakery. I was almost finished with that brief review and the next thing was hit the button to post. I deleted it to write this one. Whew! Today (9/2/2022), I checked in at 4:50 PM to see what assortment of baked goods they were selling. My main interest was the tiramisu. Currently, I am looking for a cake for a reunion in November. Other dessert choices would be cookies and macarons. Specialties: tiramisu, small individual cheesecakes, animal shaped cookies, muffins, croissants, sandwiches, lentil soup and hot/cold beverages (coffee or tea). Eats: tiramisu, individual key lime and raspberry swirl cheesecakes. The tiramisu was absolutely delicious. I had a quarter of the two cheesecakes. Those were yummy, too. The owner was helpful and pleasant. The gentleman who assisted me on the phone had already left for the day. There will be another time to visit, and to order the lentil soup and a sandwich. Final words: It was almost a doom and gloom with the rating; however, the experience turned out a positive for this charming bakery/deli. Just that quick, an almost two star rating went to a five star rating. I am smiling from ear to ear.

Been coming here since they opened up and only had the desserts, finally decided to have a sandwich. Glad I did, what a great selection, and when they say it's enough for two meals, they are not kidding! The fresh homemade focaccia bread and imported meats made this sandwich one of the best I've ever had! Highly recommend! The service has always been top-notch, very friendly and attentive to your needs.

I have to see that the reviews can be quite deceiving ! I went there towards the end of a working day. I thought given the reviews that I won't find anything in . But the desert window was full. I picked the chocolate eclair and fruit tart -thinking no one can get those wrong-! Both were filled with chocolate cream ( tasted like whipped cream with added taste). As someone who bakes and knows what a European delight is, this was a big disappointment. I would have to say that it has been so rare to find authentic deserts in the Bay Area this far, but this one place is certainly overrated and its desert is so underwhelming. The lady was nice though and tried to run a conversation despite 40 minutes away from their closure time. I won't be coming back but I hope they step up to the star reviews .

Traveled from out of town and was craving something sweet this morning. Everything was delicious. I had a nice chat with the owner and she was happy to answer my questions. I got there right when they opened and the case was full of delicious goodies! Highly recommend this establishment for your next sweet treat.

Please note that review is for soup + experience! I have not yet tried more of the offerings here :) This review needs to capture the tone of the day: It's late December, it's raining SUPER hard, and (as always), I am stressed and hungry. I have plans but not for like an hour. Thankfully, I am very close to La Dolce Vita and I decide to stop in for a snack. Parking I am going to assume is hit or miss. Thankfully for me I got street parking right in front, so it's possible folks! I walk in to a warm and cozy store with beautiful treats on display, and it's about half an hour til they close. The person who is working is SOOOO NICE!!!!! They are extremely friendly, kind, and personable. I asked for a small lentil soup and was warned it's a little spicy and I agreed to continue, and they offered me a large soup at no added cost! SO KIND! i offered to pay for the full size since I adore lentils, but they wouldn't hear of it. It was a sweet act of community care on their part. AND of course, the soup was VERYYY GOOODD. It was warm, spicy but not too much, flavorful, and massively comforting. I wish I had it now. I will be back, and if I lived closer I would be a regular. I loved everything about the experience and want businesses like this to thrive.

I usually get my birthdays cake from Dianda's Italian Bakery. Now my go to place is La Dolce Vita. The owner is welcoming and go the extra miles to make her customers happy. I wanted an Italian rum cake small enough for two. She was willing to make just 6" cake . As you see below, it looked beautiful and tasted divine. It had perfect balance of appearance, texture, and flavour. It must have nothing but the best and freshest ingredients, meticulously mixed in the right proportions and baked to flawless perfection yum yum.....

I really like coming here!! I usually get a sammy and then a small lentil soup. Anything bigger than the small soup and it becomes too large to eat in one sitting... but the large lentil soup may be sufficient for more than one person, or for one person spreading out the soup over multiple meals. Regardless, however you pace it, the soup and the food is good and homey and the place has a nice feel. Service is great too!! Peace

Stumbled upon this little shop with a friend and it is really special! The cakes were some of the best I've had. The vegan chocolate was truly incredible (as was the strawberry). The cream puff was perfectly fluffy with a light whipped cream on top and a dense, creamy custard inside. I also had the lentil soup which was savory, just the right temperature and was layered with fresh flavor. Can't wait to come back here!

We drove by this weekend and saw an available parking spot so had to stop and try out this pastry shop on Telegraph Avenue, near MacArthur Bart. YUM! The mini lemon cheesecake was so creamy, light and delicious! The lemon flavor came through and had the right amount of sweetness and tartness. The owner was super friendly and helpful. There were so many different flavors. We also tried a piece of chocolate cake. It was not bad but nowhere the level of the cheesecake! Cheesecake 5/5 Chocolate cake 3/5 Service 5/5 Love it! At $6/cake, it as ver affordable! They have eating eating inside and a few seats outside. We took ours to go. I do want to come back and try the other cheesecake flavors.

I just left the store where I placed an order on Wednesday, August 9th, 2023 for a 10" carrot cake and paid in full hoping to pick it up today, Sunday at 11 AM and it's 11:45 AM my cake isn't ready and the owner doesn't expect me to raise my voice after she has wasted my time uber fare and of course ruined my cake plans. The owner claims I changed my order when I clearly paid for 10" and when she called yesterday to confirm the order I was waking up from sleep and mistakenly said 8" but called afterwards to confirm and sent a text as well. She never apologized or even had the decency to acknowledge her shortcomings but kept saying I was disrespectful cause she upset me. I do not recommend placing customized cake orders with them!

MIGHT just be my new favorite sammich spot. MIGHT just be my new favorite bakery. MIGHT just be my new favorite SPOT. Period. Mmkaaaay?!! Y'all.... these here sammiches are the shizz!!! HUGE, meaty, and fresher than a mug! AND with the homemade focaccia bread though?! Man, y'all are playin with me! Uuuhhhh, you so goooood! Sooo sooo good! Mmmm :). I've been meaning to come here ever since I saw pictures of their meaty sammies and delicious looking baked goods on Yelp. Finally got my chance about a month or so ago. Their shop is located on the corner of 40th and Telegraph not too far from MacArthur Bart. Parking is tough but if you can get here early, you shouldn't have too many issues with that. Their bright yellow signage is hard to miss. It was raining when I stopped by and nobody else was inside. I was greeted by a sweet African lady (I believe she is the owner). Told her it was my first time there and she let me sample their lentil soup. Talk about flavorful! The lentil soup was so incredibly fragrant. Just perfect for that rainy day! I had to order a cup of it. Also ended up ordering a Turkey sandwich and a French Napoleon as this is what they're known for. Decided to eat it there since I had some time to kill and since there was nobody else there. They make their focaccia bread fresh daily. I love focaccia but I don't usually order it on my sandwiches. But after having it here, I think I'm gonna have to change that. Let's just take a moment to bow our heads for this amazing friggin' sammich! I mean WOOOOWZA!!!! I think my eyes rolled to the back of my head a few times whilst I was consuming this. Had to look around to see if anyone had noticed. But at that point, I really didn't care because it was just that damn good. First of all, the amount of meat and veggies on this thang is ridiculous! They know how to pack a mutha flubbin' sammich here. Just sayin'. Secondly, that homemade focaccia is damn near life changing. Never would I have thought that this would be such a dangerously addictive sammy combo. Oh, but it is! Veggies were fresh AF. Couldn't even finish the whole thing. So, had the other half in the car on my way back home from work. Mmm mm, so good! The French Napoleon was good but not great. To be honest, I don't know why I got this over the other pastries that I normally get. The reviews were raving about it, so I think I picked it because it was a crowd fave. But you know what?! That's okay because I went BACK the next week and got myself a tiramisu. Now THAT sucka was scrumptious! Like, melt in ya mouth not in ya hand kinda good. That good good. Layers on point, taste on GAWD. Loved it to pieces. The next time around, I ordered their mortadella sammich. Also got turkey and salami sandwiches, a pistachio eclair, and a lemon cheesecake for the staff. Everyone loved their food and pastries! My only complaint is that the sandwiches were a little soggy the second time around. If you're taking sandwiches to go, I'd recommend asking for the wetter veggies (peppercinis, pickles, etc) on the side so that it doesn't get the bread soggy. Since focaccia is a softer bread, it can't hold as much liquid in the base like a sour dough or a Dutch crunch. But other than that, they were still amazingly delicious! Also, if you have a large order, try to call ahead of time as they may be preparing other orders and the bread for their sandwiches might not be ready yet. I'm already dreaming about their sammiches again. So excited to return for more.

This bakery is so cute! So much variety... they had eclairs, cheesecakes, fruit tarts, cookies, and more! The employee working was so nice ... he gave us great recommendations. All desserts were 10/10! Will be coming back again!

REALLY DELICIOUS and nostalgically good sandwiches! Especially perfect to take on a little day trip (wrapped to perfection)! I ordered the prosciutto sandwich on the menu which is in the picture. We also tasted the lentil soups and damn, such unexpected flavor from a small deli! Service was to the point and welcoming! mmmm and definitely grab a sweet! The crem brûlée is

Not only does this place have incredible baked goods from individual cheesecakes to strawberry shortcake to cute delicious cookies shaped like tigers- they also have AMAZING classic deli sandwiches on baked Focaccia bread. This is family owned and operated and they are so sweet and thoughtful and gracious! I love coming here and I suggest if you get tired of waiting in line at OKs Deli- walk across the street and check out this gem!

Amazinnngg crème brûlée. We got the prosciutto sandwich and it was delicious. The place is clean and very inviting. Employees were very friendly and the service was great! We found a new favorite spot (:

The kid at the counter was so sweet I'm so sorry to write this review since he gave great service and I'd been meaning to try this place for awhile. This place has a ton of different items that look so cute and well decorated but I was curious if it was all looks and it is. I really wanted to find another place where I can get a decent slice of red velvet and in the photos it looks very moist but once tasting it, realized it's more like they added simple syrup to give a darker color to it. I also tried their meringue and the guy behind the counter did tell me he thought it was a very sweet item and he wasn't kidding! This thing was like pure sugar thats dry when you bite into it and starts to dissolve in your mouth. I think if I liked it more I would've described it as melting in my mouth. But that is not the case so I'm sorry to say I will be looking to other businesses for my sweets.

The ultimate hidden gem of sandwiches in Oakland. They make their sandwiches with so much love and intention. This place ran by northern Africans are they are such wonderfully gracious and beautiful people. The sandwiches may be Italian but the Africans know how to truly fix a sandwich you capable of falling in love with. The desserts are wonderful as well. Been going for a while now.

Omg! It was one of those times where I took a bite for the 1st time of a Napoleon pastry from La Dolce Vita and was blown away by how good it was. Soft and crunchy and right amount of sweetness with each bite! Supposedly, La Dolce Vita is a national and well known Italian influenced bakery in Eritrea. Shaun, the employee and son of the owner, told me his family was originally from Eritrea and that his mom had worked in the food industry for many years before pursuing her passion of baking pastries and bringing a piece of Eritrea to Oakland. This bakery also had a really good sandwich that was made on fresh baked foccacia! Excellent warm and friendly service! I will be back for the "sweet life"!

Delicious sandwiches!! I especially love the prosciutto and mozzarella pan the delicious fresh focaccia!

Update: this is my favorite sandwich spot in the whole bay area. I always get the soup and sandwich with a little dessert. Everything is delicious and the people are always great.

They do not know how to make coffee. No legit cafe will left an espresso extract for 40s or more. Ice Americano is hence too warm to be served. Extremely unpleasant bitterness. I might just get an Starbucks.

The modern day definition of the phrase "la dolce vita" translates into a life of music, love, good food, and I guarantee you're going to accomplish the latter when ordering up the delicious pastries present in their cases at La Dolce Vita. Located on the bustling Telegraph Avenue near the MacArthur BART Station in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland, California. La Dolce Vita is a passion project realized by owner Tegsti Woldemichael, an Eritrean-born entrepreneur who made Oakland her home. After operating a variety of businesses over the years Woldemichael opened La Dolce Vita in May of 2021 right in the middle of the pandemic in a storefront that was previously a phone store. Although Woldemichael hails from Ethiopia, her homeland was colonized by the Italian government back in the 1800s, and they made sure to bring dishes like pasta and panettone to the area, where they were merged with East African ingredients and flavors. Of course they would bring desserts as well, so it made sense to call her new business La Dolce Vita, which remains a popular Italian movie and phrase. I had read about Woldemichael journey to business owner through local news articles when La Dolce Vita first opened and had read about how many of her customers were Ethiopians and Eritreans who live in Oakland and recall her style of pastries from their childhoods and thought what a brilliant concept and made sure to make a note to visit one day when I could. And that day turned out to be a recent Saturday afternoon when the sun was out, and I had a hankering for some sweet treats and just happened to be in the neighborhood. Getting to their location is super easy via the 580 freeway if you are driving east. Parking however can be a bit of a challenge as the remainder of the neighborhood is practically all residential, and this includes a huge multistory residential complex that now shrouds the home of La Dolce Vita right next door. I happened to get lucky and find parking on a nearby side street and made my walk down Telegraph Avenue and across the street. Upon entry everything is bright and clean and basically no nonsense as their bakery and kitchen are in back behind the wall with their glass cases filled with baked goods right in the center of the store. They had a lot of options on the day I made my appearance and with my sweet tooth leading the way I knew I had to order a slice of their Tiramisu which I consider the quintessential Italian dessert to try it for myself. Although they had a number of other intriguing options, including no fewer than five different flavors of their Eclairs, I opted to order their Crunchy Mocha Mousse and their Triple Chocolate Mousse because clearly I'm a fan of mousse and when they are nicely as they were presented at La Dolce Vita, how can one resist? My total bill before tip was a little under 18 dollars as each of their desserts that I ordered was $5.95 each, which is definitely the standard in today's business climate. Once I returned home, I decided to feast upon my tiramisu first and it was a lovely albeit run of the mill version of your tiramisu. But both of our mousses were the real stars as they were light, moist and full of flavor, and I would definitely purchase both of them all over again. They reminded me of the dessert café that had multiple locations throughout the region called Just Desserts and I consider that a great compliment to bring those memories back. Although I do admit, I didn't necessarily feel I tasted any East African ingredients in our desserts which was a bit of a bummer, but I did notice a lot of delectable looking cakes and cookies. What cannot be missed is their sandwiches, which are quickly becoming that of local lore as owner Woldemichael favorite nearby bakery, Genova Italian Delicatessen, closed over six years ago, as they have seven specialty sandwiches on their menu as well as options in which you can choose to build your own. At La Dolce Vita, they have something special going on with delightful pastries, hearty sandwiches and a good old cup of joe, and they reside in a neighborhood that can certainly use the business and support, so I suggest that if you are in the neighborhood one should head to La Dolce Vita and support your local baker because you never know you might experience "a life of good food" without ever having to head to Italy.

LA Dolce Vita is closed Tuesday. not open per Yelp's listing. The interior space is just a few tables. outside dining is a few tables. the deli section is nonexistent. sandwiches are listed on a wall menu. per Yelp's website, i had no idea what to expect. offerings: coffee, sliced cakes, macaroons, sandwiches. brew: french roast (?) unexpectedly comped. maybe due to mentioning Y. Nosh, S.F. eater as to where i heard of La Dolce Vita. -nice strong blend, had a slightly bitter finish. tiramisu sample-tasted like real McCoy, flakey, sweet, melted in mouth. rose macaroon (1.20): sweet, flaky texture, tasted the usual yumminess. belgian chocolate mousse (4.50) -nice melt in mouth texture, chocolate taste was dense.. -it wasn't a chocolate "mouse" as written on card. 4.5 stars fab value, slight imperfections. fab service...

Super kind people and super delicious food. I go for the sandwiches and soup. Sandwiches are incomparable, a true deli sandwich that is hard to find on the west coast. Go! Eat!

WOW! I don't know how I've never been to this bakery before. I originally thought this was a Mexican pastry spot but it's actually Italian style pastries. They also have deli sandwiches which are huge, affordable and made with freshly baked focaccia. The pastries are not overly sweet and obviously have quality ingredients. Warm and friendly customer service, the owner even gave me a sample of the lentil soup! This will definitely be one of my new spots.

I came to this sandwich spot with my fiancé and everything was so good! I highly recommend this spot. It's a true gem in Oakland.

I spotted this place after getting lunch across the street. It's a small neighborhood bakery with cute cookies and cake slices. Pretty disappointed with service however: - I asked what ingredients were in the cookies and they would not tell me. Businesses should have a general idea of what's in their products or have access to something or someone to find out about allergens. They just kept saying they are sugar cookies. I was trying to find out if there is animal fat or eggs or nuts but they would not clarify for whatever reason. My niece has allergies and we are vegetarian. Many shortbread cookies have almond flour and old timey bakeries sometimes use lard so I don't think my question was ridiculous. - I asked for 3 large polar bear decorated cookies in a small box. I am going to a holiday get together and don't want to carry cookies in a paper slip (like getting a cookie at a coffee shop) on this rainy day. The person at the counter scoffed - I guess she preferred I buy more cookies. It was a bit rude and it was a small box by the way, not like I was trying to take a big cake or pie box. Out of the kindness of my heart I said okay how about you put in a fourth cookie? And she said nothing and did add the fourth cookie and then charged me for 5 cookies and taped up the box. I tried to clarify there was only 4 and she insisted there were 5 cookies in the box and didn't want to open the box to verify. I opened up the box after paying and there were indeed only 4 cookies. At no point did she acknowledge there was a mixup or did she offer to make it better perhaps by throwing in a complimentary item. In the end she put the 5th cookie I paid for in the box after I asked her to. I think the cookies are cute and hope this was someone training or an out of ordinary occurrence.

The BEST blueberry scone in the world! The owner was incredibly gracious sharing with me that she used to make the scones at home for her children and when the baker opened and she decided to sell them, it quickly became the best-selling item and still is to this day!!! She told me that the next time I come by I must try the breakfast sandwich......next on my list. It's small businesses like this, that I treasure supporting. If you share that same belief, please visit and get the scone....you can thank me later :)!

The tiramisu, Napoleon cake and eclairs were all excellent. Neighborhood gem for sure.

I just so happened to be walking by this spot today and decided to drop in for the first time. Did. Not. Disappoint. I picked up a......sort of.....mini cornucopia pastry....filled with chocolate mousse. DELICIOUS. There were so many other pastries and desserts that I wanted try. The sweet Sista behind the counter named Titi, suggested I try their sandwiches. I got the pastrami sandwich. Did. Not. Disappoint. She even threw in a creme brûlée for free, to top it off. Did. Not. Disappoint. I can't WAIT to get back over there and bring my crew through!

Wonderful bakery with lots of cakes, baked goods like croissants, etc. I really loved the cake, was very moist!

The sandwiches are very tasty with an option to make it your own. The bead is freshly made in the mornings, lovely little place with good pastries as well. Definitely feels like a hidden gem in the bay

When I found out there there's going to be Sandwiches walking distance from me on fresh baked focaccia!!!! I was hella excited!! Not to mention fresh baked pastries and locally owned! So hyped. I finally got a chance to stop over today to take a look at what they're offering. Nice selection of cold and hot pastries, small cakes and a chose your own ad entire sandwich board. We ordered a Turkey sandwich with all the fixings. The sandwich itself was huge!! The bread was fresh (baked daily by 11:15am) very soft and pleasant. The owners are super nice and so are the people who work there. I believe it's a family tan spot for now. They're just getting their legs so come by and help them out by purchasing something sweet or something savory :) Always support local

Their eclaires are great, especially the pistachio one! Mini cheesecakes are also good, though a little too sweet for my taste. Young man who helped me check out was very kind. Cute, clean little shop!

So I was at Ok's across the street when I noticed this place. Shoot, a real Italian deli in Oakland, of course, I'm going to check it out. Cute little bakery and deli. It smelled like what I expect heaven to smell like. The first thing I noticed, they had Napoleon pastries!! I'm always on the lookout for Napolean's they're my favorite, and every time I find them somewhere, they suck! Not here, I got 2 of them. OMG, the bakers cream was perfect. The puff pastry was so crispy, buttery, and fresh. I also got an eclair and a green tea cheese cake that had a chocolate cookie crust, I'm not sure, but it was amazing with my tea in the morning. I'm definitely coming back, not just for the amazing pastries, but I really want to try their sandwiches.