The food here is OK, except when it's not... The crab / shrimp Ravioli tasted like mystery ... something, and it was old, like it had been under a heat lamp for a while. When I complained about it to the waitress she was dismissive, didn't seem concerned at all -- she said " No one has ever complained about that ravioli before." They didn't offer me a credit or a replacement dish, so I paid and of course am not planning on returning. I have to say that this is the worst service I've gotten in Australia and I've spent months here.They must get a lot of Tourist foot traffic at La Dolce Vita , as their food is below average and they don't seem too interested in making their diners happy. read more

Rude staff/owner. I ordered the surf & turf special - which happened to have the exact same as the surf and turf on the original menu - and the owner tried to charge me the original price instead of the special. When I told him, he said his waitress made a mistake and charged me the special price. Then when my friend went in to pay, she overheard him yelling at the waitress and complaining about ME! Went back a second time for lunch, on the benefit of the doubt that perhaps it was just a once off. Owner did not crack a smile the whole time I was there, didn't ask me how I was and when I asked him how he was he ignored me and just stared waiting for me to tell him what I want. Avoid, avoid, avoid. read more

Some people may say that this place is a little bit expensive, I say nay. Well, with mains around mid $20 to $30 range for pastas (it is Italian so try the pasta) I would say, yeah actually that is a bit exxy for a pasta that isn't the size of my body. The thing is, the thing that everyone has got to take into consideration here, is the location. Park Road, where the late night Italian cuisine reigns supreme (go Iron chef) it is one of the places on the strip that has 1 - been there the longest, 2 - actually have Italian waiters (sometimes if you're lucky), and 3 - is under that Eiffel Tower up top. They sell yummy Gelato and have a menu that has pretty yummy food on it, try the Capricciosa or Salmone Pizza's - mmm mmm mmm. My friends and I have been coming here since our university days and this is a landmark of Brisbane, truly... the atmosphere at night is something you need to be a part of, festive, lively and very loud at times. Come by if not for the food, to admire the cars that will undoubtably park right in front of this restaurant... we're not talking toyota camry (like mine, don't listen lil sportivo!) we are talking the broom broom cars, like the porsche, lamboughini and ferrari. read more

La Dolce Vita - Italian Near Me - Milton, QLD

La Dolce Vita has always been a place my family goes to when we've had special family dinners. Like a true Italian restaurant, it has a great range of pizzas and pasta (the tortellini has never disappointed me) and to my father's joy (no judgement) colourful cocktails that they whip up upon request. I prefer the coffee myself but, I'm not one to judge. Mains can get a little high-priced the further you go down the menu but it's Park Road right? Why else would you go here except to impress someone or spend a little bit of money? A previous boyfriend of mine took me here in an attempt to assuage my grumpy demeanour towards him and suffice to say, it worked. You can't be mad at someone when they take you to La Dolce. Guys, take note. Whenever I've gone here, someone in my dinner party has always asked about the Eiffel Tower that sits on the restaurant's top because it's pretty hard to miss. We've asked countless times but never gotten a straight answer. Maybe because they think it adds to the restaurant's mysterious charm. But, has anyone told them that the Eiffel Tower is French, not Italian? Cynicism aside, this restaurant is a treat for the palate and a wonderful choice for Italian fine dining. read more

La Dolce Vita - Italian Near Me - Milton, QLD

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It seems that previous reviewers mainly have nice things to say about this place but to be honest, I do not get the hype. Maybe it is because the place is situated in such a renown location, maybe it is the "Eiffel tower" they have parked at front. I don't know, I just think I have had better pasta, coffee and gelato from other places. I have eaten here maybe once or twice, and come here for coffee a few times too. What I can say about the food is that it was not memorable, I don't remember it being awful, just not mind-blowingly good that I felt I had to share my experience with someone. As for the coffee, I blatantly do not like it. I found it very very bitter. Maybe it is the Italian way of making coffee that I just do not like. This is not a bad place, if you want to eat in a pretty looking restaurant on Park Road, Milton than 'La Dolce Vita' is the place for you. If it is just coffee and dessert you are looking for, may I suggest looking elsewhere? read more

La Dolce Vita - Italian Near Me - Milton, QLD

Nostalgia drew me back to this sidewalk café located on Park Road - or what I like to call the Mayfair of Monopoly. Back in my university days, I was in love with its European style, the mini Eiffel tower which lit up at night, the well dressed, midnight inhabitants sipping cocktails and saying mysterious and wonderful things. These days I find the Eiffel tower on an Italian restaurant both incongruous and gimmicky. On my last visit, I ordered the creamy chicken fettucine with sundried tomatoes, cheesecake of the day (Rum and raisin) and a side of fries with aioli and ketchup. The fettuccine was pretty tasty though a bit heavy on the cream. The cheesecake was fine but I was annoyed because I wanted to order gelato. However, I was told by the waitress that I couldn't order gelato as I was seated in the wrong area. Huh? La Dolce Vita is split into two seating areas but it didn't make sense that I had to be in the main café to order gelato. After all, didn't my main and chips transverse the dining areas without consequences? It wasn't the waitress's fault of course, and on the whole the staff were very friendly. It's probably just as well I now live on the other side of town - in a suburb I like to think of as the Pall Mall of Monopoly. La Dolce Vita, otherwise known as 'The Sweet Life' should only be enjoyed once in a while. read more

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La Dolce Vita looks fantastic at night so one simply can not drive past & NOT want to dine there. We sat outside and were greeted by a friendly Italian waiter & we also had the big screen TV out in the dining area as the European Cup Soccer was on at the time of our visit. The wine list wasn't very comprehensive, I had a lovely Shiraz whilst my children eyes popped out at their Italian Hot Chocolate's! In my opinion - it looked & tasted more like a 'custard'. I have to say Brunetti's in Melbourne does the best Italian Hot Chocolate. Our meals were standard Italian fare, I had a nice spinach & ricotta ravioli, my son loved his lasagna & my daughter chose from the kids menu - she had the chicken strips with chips. All in all we had a lovely time at La Dolce Vita, it wasn't too expensive & the outside dining with all the lights around us was a treat, read more

This is a very nice little Italian restaurant on the very popular Park Rd in Milton. It has a good menu with gluten-free option for pasta and a good wine & drinks list too. read more

Been coming here for some 7 years now, food is always of good quality, as well as the service. Tonight I had the Spaghetti Marinara, it was very hot with plenty of seafood through out . Washed down with a very cold " Stella " would highly recommend for a first date . read more

La Dolce Vita - Italian Near Me - Milton, QLD

Winter in Brisbane is not complete for me without at least one night of gathering at La Dolce Vita for an Italian hot chocolate, so thick you need to "drink" it with the aid of a spoon. Wearing scarves, jackets and beanies, we try to look more European chic than homeless as we gather around tables and try to pretend that we're not actually sweating, thanks to Brisbane's poor attempt at winter. The other treat at La Dolce Vita is catching a glimpse of the older gentleman who hangs around (is he LDV's patriarch?) and smiles at everyone as he shuffles to and fro, occasionally doing his bit by slowly clearing a table. I hear he can be a bit of a creep but he's only ever been charming to me. I can't say I've ever had an actual meal here. Don't concern yourself with that, there are other places where that can be had. Right here, we're all about the Italian hot chocolate. NB: if you're not a sports fan, don't get caught out going to La Dolce Vita on the night of a soccer match. read more

I'm astounded that no one has mentioned the killer hot chocolate they serve here. Yes, the menu is nice, the food is nicer, the cocktails will surely get you pissed, but you cannot, CANNOT go past the hot chocolate. They approach their hot chocolate in the traditional Italian manner, which means that it's basically luxuriously thick hot chocolate custard that comes to you in a cup with a spoon. You can turn the cup upside down and nothing is going to move. On top of this, you can choose to have chilli added to your cup of cocoa. It doesn't get better than this. Because La Dolce Vita is open until seemingly all hours, you can indulge yourself at midnight with some cocoa powerful enough to keep you up until dawn. Oh, and the eiffel tower out front, that's also on the 'tacky tourist landmarks' list. Actually, this whole place is balls OTT, what with the line of statues welcoming you through the door, and the black and white Alice in Wonderland-esque floor plan. The chocolate and the decor are perhaps reason enough for you to visit this place. read more

One of the longest running, same owner Italian restaurants in Brisbane La Dolce Vita is known by all Brisbanites as an old favorite for weekend breakfasts, catching up for coffee for friends, watching a soccer game, cycling meets/finishing point, or of course decent and consistent Italian food! My family and family friends have often chosen this as a catch up place because its easy, good value and pretty central. I remember when I was younger and one of my family members worked in the vicinity I would run down from their office in Savoir Faire and sip the amazing hot chocolate until I felt like I was going to blow up and bust. Its mostly alfresco and their are several TV's in the area if you need to watch a game (football primarily). It seems as if this place doesn't really have set opening or closing times because every time I have been here early or late the kitchen has been open - which has saved me from starvation on a number of occasions. It might not be the best Italian food in Brisbane but it definitely has earned its place on this bustling strip of cafes and shopping boutiques. read more

The suitably named La Dolce Vita (lit. 'The Sweet Life') is where the well-heeled Brisbanites go to park their Ferrari or Porsche and sip an espresso as they watch the world go by. Hey, nice work if you can get it! For me it's a place to attempt to park my Daihatsu (usually I end up parking around the corner and taking the 'Foot Falcon' the rest of the way) and enjoy a late dinner when many of the other Paddington and Rosalie kitchens are closed. The locale has a sense of the iconic about it, unofficially known as Brisbane's 'Little Italy' and home to the scaled-down replica Eiffel Tower (hey, isn't that French?). The food is quite good and I've sampled quite a few of their tasty, if slightly overpriced pastas. The verdict: *Fettucine with traditional Italian meatballs - delicious *Agnolotti with cream sauce - yum *Veal tortellini - a little disappointing. The filling is a tad dry and tasteless. read more

I arrived to La Dolce Vita to have dinner with friends but was early, so I decided to grab a drink while I waited. I explained this to a waiter who suggested I go to the cafe next door. I didn't understand why I couldn't just get a drink at the bar inside the restaurant. Anyway, I headed over to the cafe and explained that I just wanted a drink. I was seated with a menu. I was really confused as to why there was a cafe and a restaurant that both served food and drinks. I could also see another bar but there was no one there. Bizarre. Anyway, my friends arrived. We compared the menus of the restaurant and cafe, which both had a selection of pizza and pasta. We decided to have dinner at the restaurant because everything on the menu had fancy Italian names and we were feeling extravagant. Our waitresses were friendly and provided good service. The food was awesome, some of the best Italian I've had. We had tasty garlic bread for a starter and ate pasta for mains. I ordered the somethingorother funghi, which was ravioli filled with cheese and mushrooms with creamy sauce. It was delicious, but I couldn't help noticing that I had much less pasta than my friends. Maybe they figured all that cheese and cream would fill me up. After the pasta we headed over to the cafe for desert - where I found out there was counter service, so I could've just gone there in the first place to get a drink. Aaaaaaargh oh well. The hazelnut gelati (gelato?) was pretty good. I spent a lot of time gazing at La Dolce Vita's uber-Italian decor, which toed the line between decadent and tacky. The Venue statues out the front made me giggle, perhaps because most of them had a boob popping out. The interior woodwork is gorgeous and the Sistine Chapel paintings are a nice touch. The alleyway between the restaurant and cafe where you can get your al fresco on looks sweet and inviting. Which brings me to my next point. La Dolce Vita have obviously gone to a huge effort to provide an Italian dining experience - so what's with the Eiffel Tower built in the middle? In conclusion, La Dolce Vita has great Italian food but the separate restaurant, cafe, mysterious unmanned bar and Eiffel Tower in an Italian eatery really annoyed me. I don't like being confused when I'm hungry and thirsty! Oh well. I think I'll just stick to the cafe next time. read more

Its a nice place to have dinner with your partner or close friends. I usually came here with my boyfriend for meal or just desserts. Tiramisu is good. My girls and I went for valentines dinner too here. They transformed the entire decoration to be more romantic with pink balloons and roses. It was really nice. And the staff were always so friendly. Everybody also got roses on valentine's day. The desserts on Val's day was more special, they have more cakes and puddings. Desserts $6-10 Meals $14-25 read more

I watched the World Cup here. I love a place true to the heritage of its owners. The football was good and they were not pushy about everyone buying an overpriced drink. I enjoyed the drink when I ignored the price. It would be nice if they opened for the Champions League knockout rounds. read more

Food is fine, fast, and affordable. Allthough they might want to take a bit longer to get it top notch. Staff is very friendly and the floor manager constantly keeps his eye on the restaurant, kudos for this man. The greatest thing here is their desert! read more

Just had Coffee and breakfast here - Service incredibly slow - slowest service on the eastern seaboard. ( I know because we have just been from Sydney to the Cape) The food does not make up for it! Only dine here if you are trying to fill in time. read more

La Dolce Vita - Lovely alfresco dining in Park Street - Italian Near Me - Milton, QLD

We had the gnochi and Mediterranean salad. very good food, nice atmosphere, and friendly staff. wifi is also available.

We had Sunday breakfast here and the food was delicious and plentiful, the service fast and efficient the coffee was ok but the beans were a too bitter for our taste. Definitely worth a stop. read more

Nice setting but ultimately not as great quality as they'd have you believe. The veal was awesome but antipasto platter and sides were substandard. The chairs were uncomfortable and service super slow but the atmosphere and quality of the main dish salvaged it. read more

I've been a coming here for over 30 years and am truly devastated to see how far this gorgeous, iconic restaurant / cafe has declined since the Italians left and the Indian owners took over. They have NO idea nor appreciation of the history of this place and the romance associated with it. The service is constantly atrocious, the food over-priced and often now inedible. The ONLY reason people go there now is for the ambience and history but it's at the point where that's not enough to go. DEVASTATING. It used to be open from 5am until the last person left and often 24 hours. Now, it's not serving anyone before 10.15am Monday to Friday and you can wait for 10+ minutes for one of the staff to finally come to you. The whole place is grimy and dirty and lacks love and attention. Managers do not appreciate nor want any feedback and stand together arrogantly chatting whilst patrons are like drowning swimmers, madly waving for service / help and being totally neglected. Too sad for words. They need to move out and let a team take over who really care about this incredible place which I believe is now heritage listed. It's been such a grand, stylish, classy establishment where patrons were appreciated, respected and served promptly and professionally. The Italians epitomised service and thousands flocked there. Now, it's almost deserted, sad and lifeless due to stupid, arrogant, lazy managers who have no respect for what treasure they have and are destroying. I speak with many locals who share in my sadness. We all grieve days gone by here. We want to spend our money here but sadly am forced to have to go elsewhere. It's like watching a close friend die. I pray current management move out soon and fresh, caring, service oriented people take over. We'll be back to support you in droves! read more

At $140 for a primo, a secondo, two coffees and a bottle of wine it is pretty steep and not at all good value. Not so sweet a life.

Disappointing! Won't be back. Had lunch there on Sunday. My steak sandwich was all bread with a scraping of capsicum jam, a very thin tough piece of steak and a bit of rocket on top, served with hot chips and a bowl of tomato sauce on the side! My friend's (dry) chicken and avocado roll had minimal filling and was served with hot chips and a bowl of tomato sauce.Took ages to come even though the cafe was less than 30% full. We both left the chips, the tomato sauce and most of the bread. Not our idea of a fresh healthy light lunch. read more