WOW! IL DOLCE Restaurant completely exceeded my expectations! Every single dish was bursting with authentic Italian flavor, and as someone who eats gluten-free, I was blown away by the incredible variety of gluten-free options. The Gluten-Free Pizza Salsiccia e Friarielli was simply phenomenal. The crust was perfectly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy inside, and so delicious that I honestly forgot I was eating gluten-free! We also enjoyed the Carciofi alla Romana, which was tender and packed with flavor, and the Insalata Luisa, topped with one of the freshest, most delicious dressings I've ever tasted. The Lasagna al Forno was pure comfort food--rich, cheesy, perfectly layered, and without a doubt one of the best lasagnas I've had anywhere. The gluten-free Pasta Pescatore with creamy clam sauce was another standout. Every bite was loaded with fresh seafood and coated in a rich, velvety sauce that was absolutely irresistible. And don't even get me started on the truffle fries! Crispy, perfectly seasoned, and paired with their homemade cheese sauce...it was pure heaven. We couldn't stop eating them! From the incredible food to the outstanding gluten-free selections, IL DOLCE delivers an unforgettable dining experience. If you love authentic Italian cuisine, this place deserves to be at the top of your list. We can't wait to come back and try even more from the menu! Andrew helped us for our orders, he explained in details how each dish is made,his knowledge of the menu was excellent. read more

Great service and really liked the decor. Small and cozy Most of the food was good. Wish the meatballs were a bit tastier read more

5/5 Pizza + Owner was so awesome. I walked in last minute, casual outfit, and they served me at the bar right away. The glass of red was perfectly chilled and hit the spot, I ordered the short rib ravioli which was delicious and the owner highly recommended the pizza so the owner gave me a pizza on the house.. so nice, good conversation, great service. read more

Il Dolce Pizzeria & Restaurant - Margarita Pizza - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

WOW! IL DOLCE Restaurant completely exceeded my expectations! Every single dish was bursting with authentic Italian flavor, and as someone who eats gluten-free, I was blown away by the incredible variety of gluten-free options. The Gluten-Free Pizza Salsiccia e Friarielli was simply phenomenal. The crust was perfectly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy inside, and so delicious that I honestly forgot I was eating gluten-free! We also enjoyed the Carciofi alla Romana, which was tender and packed with flavor, and the Insalata Luisa, topped with one of the freshest, most delicious dressings I've ever tasted. The Lasagna al Forno was pure comfort food--rich, cheesy, perfectly layered, and without a doubt one of the best lasagnas I've had anywhere. The gluten-free Pasta Pescatore with creamy clam sauce was another standout. Every bite was loaded with fresh seafood and coated in a rich, velvety sauce that was absolutely irresistible. And don't even get me started on the truffle fries! Crispy, perfectly seasoned, and paired with their homemade cheese sauce...it was pure heaven. We couldn't stop eating them! From the incredible food to the outstanding gluten-free selections, IL DOLCE delivers an unforgettable dining experience. If you love authentic Italian cuisine, this place deserves to be at the top of your list. We can't wait to come back and try even more from the menu! Andrew was helping us for the orders, he explained to us in detail each dish how it was made and well knowledgeable of the menu. read more

I drive past this restaurant every single day so my boyfriend and I had to stop and try it out. I am giving this a 3 star because it wasn't anything special but it was not bad. I feel like it was overpriced for what we got. The servers were very good and helped us chose what wine and dishes to order which was very helpful. The food was pretty average for the price that it was. I got the special which was some sort of pasta, it was good but veryyyy rich I could only eat half. My boyfriend got the pasta Pescatore and that was good. read more

Il Dolce Pizzeria & Restaurant - Weekly special - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Cute, inconspicuous little corner restaurant, when you enter it has clean aesthetic vibes. The restaurant is nice and super friendly greetings. Overall, the service, ambiance and food were great! We ate the bolognese, lasagna and Margherita pizza! Everything tasted great, not too salty, great texture and plating was clean and well put together. Definitely would love to try again! read more

Il Dolce Pizzeria & Restaurant - Margherita - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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The food here was amazing--definitely the highlight of the experience. Unfortunately, the service didn't match the quality of the meal. The owner initially helped us when we arrived, but then seemed to disappear and spent most of the time chatting at the bar, leaving us feeling overlooked. Our order was taken late, and we were never offered another round of drinks. At one point, I even had to get up and ask for pepper myself. There was one server who really stood out--he seemed to be carrying most of the workload (I believe he mentioned he does opera as well), and I truly appreciated his effort and attentiveness. While it was a bit busy at the beginning, things had slowed down significantly by the end of our visit, so it was disappointing that the service never improved. We waited a long time just to receive our check and even longer to get our card back. As great as the food was, the overall experience left a lot to be desired, and unfortunately, I don't think I'll be returning. read more

Il Dolce Pizzeria & Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My wife and I celebrated Valentines Day at Il Dolce for our first time. Andre and Miguel made our evening special with great service and equally great food. My wife had Chicken Piccata and I had the Penne Arrabbiata, both were excellent. We shared the the Caesar Salad, one of the best we've ever had. For desert we split the Tiramisu, very creamy & good. We are returning this Sunday for our son's birthday. Yes, we liked it a lot. read more

The most delicious gluten free pizza I've ever had! Tastes just like the real thing but better. Service was amazing and you can taste that the food is made with love! Will definitely be back soon. read more

Outstanding experience at Il Dolce! The service was incredibly friendly and attentive from start to finish. You can really tell the food is made to order and completely fresh. Highly recommend if you're looking for a great meal in Costa Mesa! Support your local Business read more

We ordered 2 pizzas, the house salad and the calamari fritti. The food was excellent, l felt it was overpriced and the service was lagging as it seemed to me that the waiter was more concerned about being chummy with what seemed to be "regular" customers tables. read more

Il Dolce Pizzeria & Restaurant - Salccicia e Friarielli - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Smallish nice little ristorante. Suggested calamari-"lightly breaded". Exactly as described BUT failed to mention they had some of the best marinara ever. The waiter did say the diavola pizza was one of his favorites. Later when telling how much we enjoyed he said. "Humbly we have won the best pizza in Orange for three years". Seriously good pizza. Crust was thin and had burnt areas--just blame perfect. Served with pride, Great ingredient and construction. They broke in to my top 10. Haven't had a new addition in 10+ years read more

This is my favorite restaurant in the whole world hands down. Do yourself a favor and eat here. They have gluten free options that no gluten eating person can even tell a difference. This is mamas food if mama were the best chef in the world. Love this place and the people who run it. Amazing. read more

The service and the food were EXCEPTIONAL! Had the salmon cooked in baking paper with veggies. The pizza was delicious. Everything was amazing read more

Been coming here for years and I have to say they just get better and better. You come in and feel welcomed like family. We ordered Ceasar salad which was deliciously dressed, the Bolognese with parpadelle noodles and their pizza. You can't go wrong with their pizza as the dough is just yummy, we have ordered one with butter garlic sauce and it was delicious. For dessert it was the canolli and a cappuccino. I sat next to a cute family with the most behaved baby, Luna, they're so adorable. Family owned who takes care of us like family. read more

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Small italian restaurant serving excellent wood-fired pizza. It was pretty pricey (~$120 for 2 people) but the quality of ingredients were really there so it's worth it in my opinion. For appetizer, we got their Polpette Al Forno which was their meatballs with marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, and basil. The meatball was juicy and by tasting their marinara sauce alone I knew the following entrees would be good. We got the Funghi pizza with flavors of pesto, truffle, caramelized onions and mushroom, as well as Diavola (my favorite out of everything we ordered) which was a spicy pizza with salame, mozzarella and pepperoncino. Their pizzas were the stars of the show. Loved eating the burnt bits and the dough was soft and had a well-balanced chew (neither too thick nor too thin). Would come back just to try the other interesting flavors. We also ordered spaghetti carbonara which was a bit of a let down. The pasta wasn't as al dente as I'd preferred. The panchetta seemed burnt and the cheese was a bit sour for our liking, which was not the flavor profile we expected of a carbonara. For dessert we got the tiramisu which was quite good! It was heavily coated with the cream but it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. Overall, food was great!! Docking off a star for service - they were all friendly but there were long moments of waiting as they seemed understaffed. They didn't have a reception area so people entering would just be standing by the door waiting for someone to help them. Also note that the space is very small - they had only one table that could accommodate 10 people, so I would not choose this place for large gathering. There are enough private parking there and adjoining plaza. read more

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Great from enter to exit From the moment we entered the door, we were immediately greeted with smiles and just an overall a very home felt welcome. We took at seat at the booth and was greeted by our amazing server Miguel. My wife ordered a glass of wine and I a smoked old fashioned. The smoked old fashioned was perfect, an my wife loved her wine (as always)! Miguel was very knowledgeable and super personable. He made our late Valentine's Day that much better. My wife had the braised short rib linguini and I had the veal piccata. Both were amazing! We followed up with crème brûlée and some chit chatting with Miguel before going home. From start to finish we felt super welcomed into this family owned restaurant. I encourage people to come to Il Dolce! You won't be disappointed! Thanks again! read more

An unforgettable restaurant. We had such a great experience the first night that we went back again the next night. Both the food and the service were truly exceptional. The first night we had chicken piccata and chicken cacciatore (which is very hard to find these days). Having just returned from Rome and Umbria in central Italy, we were very impressed by the quality of the food, which was as good as the great food we were eating in Italy. The next night we ate eggplant parmesan and a potato pizza, which was absolutely delicious. For dessert we had a fabulous apple tart and a chocolate cake with gelato. The service was truly outstanding. The waiters were attentive, friendly and fun. They took their time explaining the menu to help us make the best choices. It was as if we were part of the family, not just anonymous customers. When we returned the second night we were as happy to see them as they were to see us. The ambiance is intimate and very comfortable. We live an hour away, but are determined to return and bring our friends! read more

Amazing! definitely will come back. Great service great food great drinks. Friendly staff and save room for the apple tart

My partner and I were over at Cross Roads exchanging clothes when we both decided we really want pizza for dinner. We jumped on Yelp and noticed that Dolce Pizzeria was right across the street, so we decided to give it a shot. This restaurant is absolutely phenomenal. The staff is attentive, personable and lovely to talk with. The food is fantastic! We just returned from an Italy trip and the flavors and presentation are identical. Top notch! The Mozzarella is imported from Italy as well. I highly recommend Costa Mesa and Orange County locals stop into Dolce and enjoy what they have to offer - amazing food, service and ambience. read more

Il Dolce.. even just thinking about the name, let alone speaking it, my salivating glands are over producing what heavenly-goodness awaits. Came back a couple times after the first mouthgasmic meal-- never ever disappointed with any of the orders, service or prices. The staff here are freaking fantastic in what they recommend and what they bring to the table. I'm not going to lie, I can't eat here every week, let alone every night.. still have to maintain somewhat of a lady physique but god damn.. those creamy truffle sauces. Their pizzas. Just the perfect personal size pizza with fresh ingredients. Simple in the most complicated ways. I was told the truffle shavings lack in volume but I couldn't care less. Sometimes scarcity creates flavor when balanced right. However I do wish there was a couple more basil leaves on the margarita pizza. And get to know the staff and family, you'll feel like they are your relatives. Not to mention the muscly dish-bringers and none of the fist-bumping bros. read more

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One of the most delicious and authentic Italian pizzas. I had the patata pizza! Completed my dinner with an affogato. Food and service was exceptional! read more

Writing this review after INHALING my gluten free margherita pizza from Il Dolce. I've ordered this five times now and every time I'm sad when I finish it because it's just too good. It doesn't taste gluten free. AT ALL. As in, people who don't normally eat gluten free will still love and enjoy this pizza. The dough is light and fluffy, and is complimented so nicely by homemade sauce and decadent cheese. I've discovered that you can add arugula as well and it's the perfect topper to this already perfect pizza. The pizza is six slices, so it can be shared if you have other dishes that you've ordered, or can be made into a hearty meal for one (no judgment here!). I haven't tried any of the other pizzas, but all of them can be made gluten free. Il Dolce is on the pricier side (we've ordered a pizza, pasta, salad and appetizer that came out to $90) but it's understandable given that it's a small business that leverages high quality ingredients. While I've always ordered ahead and taken my food to go, Il Dolce has an intimate dining room with a romantic vibe. Located on the corner of 19th and Harbor in a small strip mall next to the Empanada Maker. And sorry I don't have a picture of the pizza for reference...I ate it too fast! ;) read more

I absolutely loved this place! They make you feel like you are at home. I called to see if I needed a reservation, the lady who answered was super sweet, she said to come in, no problem (it was about 90 min before closing on a Friday night, I didn't want to be one of "those people") I am just so in love with this place, everyone was so friendly and helpful. Our server (super kind and good vibes- cannot remember his name but he was so nice) recommended my dinner and threw in my kiddos food as soon as he knew what he wanted because he was antsy BUT I didn't even ask, it's like he knew - and how nice is that? As a parent, to have your kid cared for, without even asking for special things? That kind of stuff means a lot to me. And omg the FOOD WAS AMAZING! I cannot even tell you my favorite but I can tell you I only have partial pictures because I HAD to eat it as it came My son ate all the meatballs (I managed a bite or 2 while I was cutting them, wow, soooo good) and he ate almost an entire pizza- that thing was just so good, I will probably never order anywhere else for pizza again. I found a new second home, this place will be a regular place of mine from now on, what a happy find! read more

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Their food is incredibly fresh and authentic. Their pizza crust is light and delicate and they serve it with minimal toppings so it's not overpowered. All of their sauces are beautiful, subtle and flavorful. The service is excellent! read more

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amazing food, honestly best dinner I have had in a very long time. Every dish was amazing. Andre really showed his passion while serving us and was a real pleasure. 5 stars, I will definitely be coming back. read more

Gluten free pizza was so good! I definitely recommend them and will be ordering again

We happened to drive by this restaurant last week and upon seeing they have an overall rating of 4 stars on Yelp with over 500 reviews, we figured it's worth giving a shot. Food was very good. For pasta, we ordered the spaghetti carbonara. This dish was wonderful and very tasty. If you love guanciale as much as we do, then this dish is for you. It had a generous amount of guanciale, pancetta and parmigiano. For pizza, we tried something we've never had before. the Pistachios with butter garlic blend, gruyere, mozzarella, red o, and pistachios. While our server was friendly, he didn't check back to ask if I needed water. They were not that busy so am not sure if he is new and still in training? Towards the end, he asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu to which we said yes . BUT he never came back to give us a menu. Then after several minutes, he checked in on us again if we wanted dessert, at that point we said no just the check. My rating is 3 b/c the food is decent but the service needs improvement. read more

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Order was wrong and waiter disagreed, okay but then we asked have order split a the did not bring extra plate. Okay minor mistake, so we used butter plate to eat off of. We're not offered cheese on meals, which for an Italian restaurant is not acceptable. Then they never came back to check on our service. For a high cost meal I would expect some service and a little respect. Might just son having a bad night? Would not go back. read more

This delightful local restaurant serves some of the best Italian cuisine in the Beach area. I go back and forth between main menu and specials and am never disappointed. The sauces are authentic and beautifully prepared to bring out the tasty qualities whether it's chicken, fish or beef. Of course the pasta and pizza are excellent but go for the entrees or the specials. Service is also authentically Italian! Mangia! read more

This is an excellent, family run, everything made on site restaurant! The service was great, the food was fresh and the taste was exceptional. Their pizza dough is amazing and the taste is off the charts. Their empanadas are tasty and authentic Argentinian. If you want a great Italian meal at a nicely run family restaurant that makes its food fresh daily, then you have to come try! read more

Amazing food and service! The best empanadas I have ever had and the pizza was cooked to perfection!

Very good food and service. They genuinely care about what they're doing here and it shows in the food and service. Out first time was made special by their interest in showing us how talented they are! We will be back. read more

The food and service was amazing. We came right before close and they still sat us and insisted we stayed. Super happy we did because the pizza was amazing and the special saffron pasta was mind blowing. Definitely work a look for a date night, highly recommend read more

Il Dolce Pizzeria & Restaurant - Penne alla monzese - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Best cheese pizza ever and they gave me ice cream for free and it's super fancy maybe the best restaurant ever :) read more

Il Dolce Pizzeria & Restaurant - Cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Still the best Italian food in Orange County. Not to mention the friendliness of the staff. Give it a try, you won't be sorry

Everything start to finish was impeccable!!! Meatballs - outrageous Blue cheese salad will be the best salad you've ever had in your life! Lemon mushroom rigatoni is perfection! Lasagna will also be the best you've ever had! Tiramisu is so creamy you want to take a bath in it! Fresh, delicious Italian food done perfectly! A+ read more

Last time we went here, I had the eggplant parmigiana and it was one of the best I ever had. This time it was less than average. I was very disappointed. I think consistency means a lot. The pizza was good, but sadly the service wasn't very good. Not sure if we'll go back anytime soon. read more

The food is fabulous and the service is great. Family owned and always there making sure everyone is having a great experience.

Excellent food and service every time. One of my favorite places. Very nice place classic but casual. read more

Il Dolce Pizzeria & Restaurant - Pasta Pescatore con pink sauce - Italian Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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