Dolce Riviera Reviews

I have been searching for a good Italian place for so long and I have finally found it. This place is extraordinarily good!!! Everything is so well prepared, fresh and delicious. Cool atmosphere and a small but adequate wine list. I really enjoyed the evening. I highly recommend you try the gnocchi with truffles as an appetizer or side. It was great.

Visited here early evening before the Adele concert at the AA center - only about a 10 minute walk so ideally located. I didn't see much of the inside as we sat on the beautiful patio which was surrounded by greenery but was not very well lit once the sun went down. The dining area that looks onto the patio was very homely and bright - decorated in blue and white. The wine selection was excellent with something for everybody. They also had a good choice of cocktails. A complementary bread, cheese and olives plate provided us with some sustenance as we worked our way through the menu. The menu has several salads and appetizers to choose from. We shared a panzanella salad which the kitchen kindly divided up onto separate plates (without us asking) and a burrata and tomato salad. Both were very fresh and light. The pastas are all made in-house and they have some very inventive dishes. One of our party had the cocoa papardelle with speck and sweet peas which he said was delicious. I went for the rigatoni with lobster and lobster bisque sauce. It tasted wonderful and was not as heavy as I expected. The lasagne was apparently the best that my friend had ever tasted. The service was excellent to start with but then our waiter seemed to disappear. We had to retrieve our bottle of prosecco from the ice bucket he had placed it in on the other side of the patio after our glasses remained empty for several minutes and my husband who had ordered a red wine to drink with his entree had still not received it 15 minutes later. The manager happened to walk by and he was very apologetic and immediately brought over a more expensive glass of red wine and did not charge us for it. This was really the only glitch and I will definitely return here.

Went to Dolce Rivieria about a year ago, and it was one of the best meals I've had. Went again a few weeks ago and was very disappointed. The food was still good, but the restaurant was a zoo. It was packed with group parties and it seems they've expanded the place and the kitchen and wait staff just can't provide the incredible service we had the first time we were there. My drink was fabulous and my meal was good, but it's more of a scene now and less of an superior dining experience. Sad..this seems to happen a lot to restaurants in Dallas.

I was visiting a friend in Dallas and she suggested that we try here for brunch. As she was the local, I thought, sure, why not? The weather was beautiful and sat in the restaurant but it was all open which was nice. I ordered eggs with the ham, hollandaise sauce and breakfast potatoes. It was lovely and the eggs were poached to a great standard. I also enjoyed the best Bloody Mary I have ever had. The staff were also super friendly.

I made a reservation for DR knowing from the reviews that the service might be spotty. I am glad i took the chance. The service from the whole team, and especially Fabian, was excellent. The service was on par with top Italian restaurants in NYC and Italy that I have experienced. For example, one in our family has a food allergy. Fabian patiently explained the menu and helped us avoid any concerns. The branzino in parchment was sweet and excellent, the gnocchi with truffles was a great dish, two enjoyed the lasagna, the tuna was very good, and we shared the burrata caprese salad with balsamic pearls which was great as well. The desserts were good. The atmosphere was special as many have said and had an authentic southern Mediterranean feel without being kitschy. And all ages liked the music. Will definitely go back.

This was once a great restaurant. It has an incredible location and retracted ceilings and open walls. It used to have great service and awesome food. Tonight I waited two hours for an entree. They have a crouton salad that is croutons. Don’t know how to help them. Hope they find a path back.

We ate here for the first time on New Year’s Eve. I know we likely didn’t get a regular experience, but in all my years working in restaurants. I found that you usually get the worst experience on things like NYE or Valentines. With that in mind, we were very impressed. The management pays attention to make things feel special, like little flashlights and purse seats. Our food was delicious, and the wine and whisky list were also great. Our service team, lead by an awesome waiter Brandon, were the perfect mix of attentive yet invisible. Worth the trip downtown.

We split a regular salad, each ordered pasta, split a dessert, and drank tap water. Lovely dishes, but tiny pasta portions at $20+ each. Supposedly you’re expected to order a main course too. It’s delicious, go if you’re on an expense account.

So this spot has potential for the great Milano tradition of aperitivo. Apritivo is sort of a happy hour, tapas or snack time that runs 5-7 or so. The garden area and bar is spectacular and they do know how to make a proper Negroni. So a cocktail with the bread, olives and parmigiano cheese bits will send you back to Milano. But the wheels fall off when the dining begins. Why oh why do fancy places offer out of season panzanella and caprese salads? They must have vine ripe juicy tomatoes to make them work. The panzanella was awful. The bolognese with pasta was not a good rendition. Over use of tomato, under seasoned and not creamy enough. the slight use of cream, fresh herbs and nutmeg make the dish pop and this did not pop. The pasta was not house made as I thought I saw advertised. Other mains were not much better. They need to work on the food as it was not that good. Service was classy and as mentioned the decor is fantastic.

Great Italian food,extensive wine list and in warmer months your own canopied table with candlelight. It actually feels like you are in a meadow in Napa until you go to leave and remember your in the middle of downtown dallas. Service was great and all in our group of eight from 16-60 found something they loved on the menu

In our very humble opinion, Management has no idea how to run a restaurant. Our server was in the weeds. We were a four top. After ordering appetizers and a $200 bottle, (of which we ordered another, so two bottles for $400 in total wine sales) there was a large time gap before our entree. In the gap our wine glasses went empty, our waters were empty and one person in our party had no water glass. This why, in our humble opinion, it’s management and not the table server, because we had one server and she had NO backup. The server had no water runner or help with her section. We brought this management’s attention and they not only reprimanded the server after we explained it wasn’t her fault, but then proceeded to explain to us how her section was within their parameters for her to serve. Rather than, just accepting responsibility for the experience and correcting it, they seemed to rationalize it and imply it was the server. Awkward to say the least. The one fact they can’t blame the server is the extended time gap between appetizers and entree, so we don’t buy blaming the server by management. It’s management. I will tell of our experience with our party of four with a $700+ (food+wine+cocktails) dining experience. Just sad, because the food was exceptional.

I love Dolce Riviera....The food is very authentic without being to weird. The restaurant has a calming atmosphere and great service. I loved it so much that I came back the next week. The food is simply delicious and our server Cat was great. I can;t wait to return.

We had a nice evening at Dolce Riviera, although our host was stressed much of the time because the service was close to disastrous. The food was excellent. As good a take on Italian as you will find in Dallas. The room is lovely. But, it took almost 20 minutes and several requests to get a drink. Practically had to beg for a menu. Then, the food arrived in waves, but at no time was a course served to everyone at the table. I'd say average wait time to complete the service of a course was 15 minutes. Then to top it all off, the valets had absolutely no idea which car to give us. Nor could they find them when we went to the key cabinet and said "We'll take these two".

This is a cool "in" restaurant with a nice ambiance. Having outdoor patio is a plus but I didn't see any fans outside which would help. Our dinner was good but not great, I had a pasta dish with clams that was on the sparse side. Our waiter was good although we had to ask for the bread. I think that the front desk needs some help. They don't seem organized or very professional. I made a reservation through open table and called the restaurant directly to ask for the dining room seating and mentioned that it was our anniversary. For some reason, the morning of the reservation, I received an email from Open Table saying that the restaurant had cancelled the reservation and to contact the restaurant. It took three calls to reach someone. Then they said that they did have the reservation. No apologies. I again mentioned to the front desk that it was our anniversary. I saw lots of tables getting a desert with a cute firecracker candle for special occasions. There was no acknowledgement of our anniversary until I mentioned it again at the end of the dinner to a management person who walked by. A waiter wished me a "happy birthday" after serving me the desert which I ordered (and paid for.) DR is crowded and it's hard to get a reservation, but I think they need to get their act together.

I recently heard a chef say that the three most important ingredients in a restaurant, in order, are: environment, service and food. At Dolce Riviera, you couldn't ask for a more beautiful and soothing environment. The light blue and white decor makes you feel like you're on a Mediterranean vacation. The large open windows allow you to enjoy the outdoors while still in the A/C. The outdoor patio is as large as the indoor dining area and there are comfy chairs throughout. There is also an indoor/outdoor bar. It's definitely the latest place to be for Dallas people in the know. The service was also excellent. Cocktails were good and came with an antipasto of olives, foccacia and cheese. The waiter was attentive, as was the bus staff. The food, however, is a different matter. My little gems salad with lemon vinaigrette was bitter and bland all at the same time, perhaps because it was overwhelmed by radicchio and there were only a few leaves of lettuce. And the pasta "cacio e pepe", which I was so looking forward to, was also a disappointment. The pasta was dry and it came in a parmesan shell that was impossible to cut, even with a knife. One of my companions had the beef carpaccio, which looked like sliced liver and appeared to be bresaola. (Maybe that's what it said on the menu and he didn't realize it - I'm not sure - but a little of that goes a long way.) I didn't order dessert, but another dining companion said the cheesecake was good. For a place which is supposed to serve food like they serve in Italy, it was definitely not up to the quality of food I ate during my four weeks in Tuscany this past summer. I would suggest going for a drink and antipasto.

Food was very good - delicious, in fact, but way over priced, especially for the portion sizes they dish out. Still, it was an enjoyable evening with very good service. I'd go back.

I have such a hard time finding good Italian restaurants in Dallas, but Dolce Riviera really exceeded my expectations. Their food is very authentic and fresh, not to mention delicious! I will definitely be back!

Our server was outstanding and the food was fantastic. The atmosphere does make you feel like you aren't in Dallas anymore, and at least a little closer to being in Italy... Calamari, fish, linguini and clams all great! Bar at the front with the open window was perfect on a pretty day for getting fresh air!

A great, but very formal setting that reminded me of a restaurant in Italy. A bit stuffy was the feeling I got, and the service was the same. Very efficient, formal, excellent.... but a bit stuffy. The food was fabulous and the presentation was on the same level. It is very expensive, but is great if you're on an expense account (with a high limit) or willing to spend on a special occasion.

We went on Christmas Eve so i'm guessing we didn't have the A team that night, so i will go again another time to compare. Our waiter was nice but not very attentive. Waited a long time to have wine brought for the entrees, etc. Cheese plate was excellent and had interesting and fun condiments. Our wine was delicious though pricey at 18.00 a glass. My pasta was really disappointing but again it was Christmas Eve and i asked for gluten free pasta. It was really sub par dish for the reputation of this place and the price point. My dinner companions had the veal which was okay to him but bland. The decor and lighting is lovely and it was very festive and fun in there and my entree was the only low point for me. Again, i would not think the holiday's is a typical snapshot of the food or wait staff.

Our experience at Dolce Riviera was disappointing to say the least. After waiting awhile for the waiter to first visit our table to bring us menus, We placed a drink order of two glasses of champagne. This was not delivered until after we ordered appetizers and our full meal. To start we had the octopus and the burrata, both dishes were fine but impressive. Before we were able to even get close to finishing our appetizer our waiter informed us that he had accidentally fired our entrees at the same time as the appetizers. Then immediately served us our entrees of Ahi Tuna and the White Truffle Risotto and our red wine. At no point did he make an attempt to take back the dishes and re-fire them for when we would be ready. The fish was bland and disappointing and you can see blatant mistakes in the plating, however, the White Truffle Risotto was a bright spot in a bad meal. It was delicious, though also a $60 risotto. Overall we will not be planning on returning, which is disappointing for a beautiful restaurant with great potential.

I went here on the recommendation of some friends who love this place. The indoor/outdoor bar was nice (we sat on the "outside" side) and with the A/C blowing from the inside it was tolerable even in 98 degree heat. We had reservations for 8:45 on Saturday night, but they were running behind and we didn't get a table to 9:15. We sat at the table for some time before the manager came by and asked if we had been helped which we had not. After this initial snafu. the service was pretty good. I had the breaded wagu ribeye and my wife had the Filetto di Branzino Al Cartoccio (aka mediterranean sea bass baked in parchment paper with mussels, clams). The wagu ribeye should have had more flavor than it did; my wife said the branzino was good. For the money, there are better Italian places in Dallas (my personal favorite is Bellini's at Congress and Oaklawn).

Very nice place with a beautiful, sexy ambiance! Our server was sooooo sweet and enthusiastically informative. We ordered the calamari to start, which was A-ok, but nothing to remember. I had the salmone capricciosa dish with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach with a side of the pappardelle al cacao. I asked for my salmon medium rare, but it was cooked all the way through. Oh well. It was decent. The pappardelle was bomb! Hubby and friend got a rib eye and lobster rigatoni. Both were great! They have a good wine selection as well as a few nice cocktails. The best cocktail we tried was the Il Bellini Veneziano. We had a bottle of the 2010 Barbi brunello--it was a tad disappointing considering that's a great vintage, but that's not on the restaurant itself. We also enjoyed the tiramisu, chocolate cake with vanilla gelato, and pannacotta for dessert--the tiramisu was the stand out winner of the three, followed closely by the chocolate cake. Overall, a great date night spot or to meet a group of friends!

Excellent rating for this place due to location, ambience, service and quality of food. Chef was very accommodating to requests to change items on the menu with different seafood and different sauces etc. Our server Walid was attentive and charming. I wish I visited Dallas more so I could return here!

My second time to this restaurant and went with my wife to celebrate our anniversary. Everything about our experience was perfect. Everyone on the staff was friendly, approachable and smiled with every request and table visit. All the waiters were professional and acutely attentive. The food is magnificent. Pasta is made in house with fresh ingredients and it all tasted amazing. They certainly made us feel special on our anniversary even before they delivered the complimentary Tiramisu with special effects to our table. So appreciated. We will definitely go back again.

Exceptional service from the bar throughout the meal. Veal chop was HUGE! Fresh pasta was delectable and desserts were decadent. Can’t wait to return!

My sons girlfriend found this restaurant and she lived up to her reputation of finding great places. We had a lovely outdoor curtained table. Classic Italian dishes well prepared no surprises , good wine list and great service. Don't let the location fool you-it's downtown bit you feel like you are miles away from everything.

WOW! Celebrated my daughters birthday here! WOW! The two bread selections that were brought to the table were warm and delish! Served with fresh chunks of parm and marinated olives. AMAZING! (I love the olive oil dispenser that was on the table!) Lasagna-creamy and delish! Linguini and Clams- fresh, light and delish Lobster pasta-AMAZING! Perfect amount of food! Excellent service! Outstanding menu! Excellent wine list! Loved loved loved the decor! The outside bar is epic! Cannot wait to go back!

Our first time at Dolce. Went for dinner before a concert at American Airlines Center. Attentive and knowledgeable staff (George). Quite ambiance. We went for the Pasta. We had the Risotto and the Gnocchi . Both good. We went early in the evening so it was not crowded. The chocolate desert was the bomb. The only thing we noted was Open Table showed no reservations available from 6-9 PM on a Friday night, however there were tons of tables empty from 6-8 Pm when we left.

Attended large group of ladies’ brunch on patio that was nicely heated and covered. Excellent service. My spaghetti was not cooked enough but the sauce was delicious. Salmon was ok, but tiramisu was so yummy. Would like to return for the ambiance.

On my first, and possibly only, visit to Dolce Riviera, I found an Italian delight tucked into a busy commercial district. The menu was classically Italian with a nice variety. I had Pollo Milanese--delicious-- and my partner ordered salmon, which was also very good. The waiter was very good--attentive but not hovering. The problem is access to the restaurant. There was a sign for valet parking but no one was there. I circled the building three times, looking for signs of life at the valet stand but there was none. I did park in the building garage (had to go to the ninth floor to find a spot). When I finally made it to the hostess stand, she said that there was a valet but he must have been away from the stand. I told her they should do something to improve the valet parking. She said they get lots of complaints about that but that she could not do anything about it. She suggested I speak to the manager. I told her to send the manager to my table and I would let him know about my experience. That never happened. There are lots of great restaurants in Dallas and if you want to attract diners you have to make it easy for them to get into your place of business. There was nothing so special about Dolce Riviera that would make me work hard to go back there. It may be a great place if you are within walking distance.

Third time is not the charm. Service has been bad each time. Order was wrong and then the manager proceeded to laugh about it in the back. Then they brought me a fish so raw that I couldn't even put my fork through it. They even told us before the meal that they had heard rumors about how bad their service has been and promised it would be better. Very poor performance and ruined a nice night out. I would not recommend this place to my closest friends.

My wife and I visited Dolce Riviera this past Friday evening and had a great time. We were seated out on the covered patio just outside the main dining room and when we first got there the roof was open. Once the sunsets and it began to get a little cooler they close the roof. The service was timely, the food was very good, and we were seated promptly. I had read some of the reviews of long wait times and rude hostesses but we did not experience anything of that nature. Our only small complaint was with the cocktails which seemed to be very small for the price point. They tasted fine but we’re pretty minuscule. We will come back and skip the cocktails and go straight to a bottle of wine next time.

We went to this restaurant on a Saturday night to celebrate a special occasion and the place was packed, so you definitely should make a reservation. The menu is very much a tour of Italy and it is served in the Italian tradition of prima and seconde piatti. We started our meal with some of the restaurant's speciality cocktails and all were very good and well prepared. Dolce Riviera also has a very nice wine list. If you would like, the restaurant will make a half portion of any of the pasta dishes as a first course. The members of our party each had something different including the lamb chops, osso bucco, branzino, risotto with scallops, and braised beef ribs with risotto. For dessert, we shared the pannacotta and the tiramisu. Everything was very well prepared and presented. Our service was very good. Be aware that the food is pricey and the restaurant can get quite noisy to the point that you may not be able to hear someone that isn't sitting directly next to you.

Second visit to Restaurant. Hard to say best Italian ever, especially with my background, but it is very acceptable. Like above average, the wine list is good, when they have the bottle. Twice I have ordered some super Tuscany and they do not have. With that said their selection is large enough you can be happy. I had the steak this last time if was good, my son had the risotto with scallops, and his wife had the lobster ravioli. All good. We sat outside under the canopy and it was delightful. Go early to be the crowds as it did get loud. The restaurant is very close to the arena downtown, and many folks come here before concerts and they are loud. I guess we could have moved to avoid the craziness. So the please try and let me know what you think. Parking is also a battle so give your self some time lead way or simply use a car service.

Thought I was in Italy! Food, decor service! All excellent and can't wait for a return visit, maybe this weekend.

Food was delicious, I read other reviews that the pasta was VERY al dente and I would have to agree it was a tad too chewy for me. Wonderful cocktails.

As I was traveling trough Dallas, I visited friends whom I have not seen in a long time-Beautiful restaurant, felt back at home in Italy, learned Chef Michele being from Venezia,and sous chef also Italian, and GM also Italian;prompted me to high expectations. Great wine list. So Chef Michele decided to let us enjoy a blind tasting menu. I welcomed such an incredible idea. Calamari soft and flavorful,a tasting of pasta enjoyable with every bite, I then learned it’s all house made every day,seafood simple yet extremely delacactly put together. Dessert decadent- Service very attentive yet not too overwhelming. Overall excellent experience-Cheers to everyone.

We went to dolce last night to celebrate a friends birthday… I put on the OpenTable reservation that we were celebrating a birthday, yet there was no mention of it and they did not bring out a cake with a candle in it or say or do anything… We did order a dessert but they did not do anything special with it… we did see them do this for other people, so clearly they just dropped the ball on our reservation… Our waiter Jorge was extremely hard to understand and really did not speak enough English to be serving people… None of us could understand a word he said… He was also overbearing and hovered around the table all night to the extent that it was very annoying and intrusive… He told us about the specials but did not state prices…The lobster special with gnocchi he recommended ended up being $54 and it was very very mediocre and had no flavor… The pappardelle pasta dish with truffle oil was much better. Jorge never offered us a bread basket so we finally asked for one… We also got the Burrata and calamari appetizers which were both ok... The molten chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert was pretty average… But again, they totally dropped the ball on celebrating the birthday which was totally unforgivable… We went there to celebrate a special occasion and left with a very expensive bill ($140 for two people, no alcohol) a lousy meal, and no mention of the birthday. We won't be back anytime soon!

My first time at this downtown Dallas restaurant. Very nice decor, great menu and great service....at prices that reflect the costly location. My only negative; at 630 pm on a Friday night the place was filling up fast, and the noise level rose accordingly. Our table of 8 HAD TO SHOUT TO BE HEARD!

We used to go to Dolce Riviera for lunch because we loved the atmosphere, but were always disappointed in the service. That is not the case any more. There is a new menu and the service was great. We had been told by some friends that we should try this restaurant again, so we went for brunch. The restaurant was hopping. The bar area was full and there was a wedding shower in progress. We chose to sit inside where it was quiet. The server was knowledgeable about the new menu and our order was brought out promptly. The French Toast Croccante was fabulous and my order of Croissant Benedict al Prosciutto (hold the Benedict) came out perfectly. We applaud the new menu and the improved service and we will be back for more!

Went with a group of 6 on a weekend...the setting is terrific, especially in the open air dining area. Unfortunately, the wait(s) for service (acknowledgement/drinks/food) were excruciating. The signature cocktails were unremarkable as was the food. The tableside melting cheese and pasta 'swirl' was a bad imitation of how it's done in Italy...the pasta is hot enough to drop into the cheese wheel...the poor server had to use an everclear fire to try and melt the cheese...another 20 mins wasted. The location and rooms and ambiance are too good for the service and kitchen not to improve...will try again and report back.

Beautiful grounds and garden! Sit outside on the patio if you can. Barrata very fresh and excellent! Cocoa infused pasta okay. Lobster ravioli on the special was phenomenal! The highlight was the tiramisu..... best we have ever had! Hands down! Infused with an expresso liqueur and was divine!!! Service wonderful but a bit slow and the restaurant was not that full. Good music, love the lamps and fountains, and open concept.

This is a personal review, my dining partners said their meals were “fine”. Osso bucco and Calamari AVOID. Loved the wine list, server was great. But word cannot describe how bad my main dish and appetizer were.

When you see in the specialty menu 2 eggs anyway, it's not quite so, it's the way they wanted, I wanted an omelet but the omelet was just the signature of the house... so I asked them to remove some items from the omelet from the menu... So I surrendered to a pomodoro spaghetti, which supposedly had tomato confit. And for the first time I had the disappointment of meeting the “tomate confit” of this restaurant that most seemed to have just come out of a can of peeled tomatoes, without ever being confit. The pasta floated in a bath of spicy sauce that two glasses of water and 1 coca cola still kept my mouth burning! Tomato sauce with tomato confit is very simple to make, and by chance I ate this week at a restaurant in New York..was worth the comparison between simplicity and pretension!!!

Went for dinner, looking for a rehearsal dinner venue. Had reservations, showed up 10 minutes early and waited 20 minutes to be seated. Took forever for waiter to stop by for drinks and appetizer orders, then about 15 minutes to get two glasses of wine. Waiter suggested several off menus items that were not on the “summer menu”, then specials, then what he recommended on the menu. Food came out fairly quick ( was delivered by kitchen staff instead of our waiter) and everything was excellent. Decided on desert and took 26 minutes to deliver. Again, delivered by kitchen staff so maybe not waiters fault for the timing( unless he didn’t pick them up earlier) No one ever stopped by to welcome us, ask if everything was good or thank us for being there. Again, great food but nothing else to brag about. Moved to bottom of list for rehearsal dinner as don’t want our friends feeling the same way

Restaurant is beautiful, but we were presented with the "special" risotto and weren't told it was $65! Risotto was served in 10 minutes, meaning it wasn't made to order and it was a glop of brown rice that looked like oatmeal. Very unappealing. When I complained to the manager that we were not told how expensive the special was he was extremely defensive.

Spectacular patio. Double sided bar that opens to the patio and inside both separated from the dining room which is a bit more formal. Great atmosphere and the people watching is spectacular. Italian cuisine was amazing. Bronzino definitely one of my favorites. Simple presentation but elegant and the fish is so flavorful. Waitstaff was anticipating our needs and attentive but not intrusive. Everyone was friendly and anything but stuffy. Thoroughly enjoyed my 3rd visit and can't wait to go back. Highly recommend!!!

Dolce Riviera certainly will be one of the hottest tables in Dallas for some time to come. Probably the best patio and outdoor bar in Texas for those nice days when you can be outside. Food is pricey but very good and the service is impeccable. Yes, go, especially if it's nice and you can sit outside.

Didn’t know this existed, sort of happened by. This was a great find, and cheeks the box as an authentic Italian restaurant that we don’t have an abundance of IMO. Everything was perfect, the room, the servers, the wine list, the food...everything. The menu isn’t terribly deep to me, but what they have is simply awesome. Creative menu specials are worth noting. The bolognese...is worth the trip there. It’s a great atmosphere and the bar even looks inviting. I’m down for more of this place.

We visited on a Friday night. The place was hopping. Very nicely done both indoors and out. Unfortunately we would up having to sit near the kitchen which was annoying (lots of traffic back and forth). Pasta dishes and salads were excellent. The dessert - Tiramisu - was ok, but save yourself the calories. Our waiter was rushed but tried to be helpful. The cocktails were just ok - have wine instead. Bottles are reasonable as are most menu prices.

Being a foodie and living in Dallas does not suck with so many options we have for great meals. With over 7 million people now living in the DFW area, here is a lot of competition for great restaurants. My first visit was just a few months after opening day on Easter. Food delivery, timing, correct order was a very big miss and I had to chase down almost a glass of Rosé still left in our bottle as it was almost disgusted by the bus- fast forward to Mother's Day, 6 women all enjoying this gorgeous restaurant, be cause as far as aesthetics, it's hard to beat a prettier patio and outdoor Sunday brunch venue. Again, kitchen to table failed, theybwere lut of half of the offerings on the menu and the dessert came out before lunch! Wow, these things really are inexcusable in Harwoood and with a reataranjnt that looks like this! So the food is good, not overly exciting but if it came when orderderd and what you ordered it would taste even better. Probably will only have cocktails if I go back here. Too many options, get it together guys.

The branzino is the best lunch dish, closely followed by the salmon. The pasta with lobster was very good. The gnocchi is generously truffled, but I think the texture could have been better. (The other person at the table liked the texture.) The ricotta cheesecake is beautifully presented with a small round cake, a scoop of ice cream, and a couple of tablespoons of pkump blueberries in syrup. The texture of the cake is probably typical for ricotta cheesecakes, but it was too gritty for my taste.

Pretense in our waiter's describing the specials left me humorless. I had to ask three times what our waiter was saying. I don't remember what he called it, but essentially it was pureed cabbage and turnips and something else. He went easy admitting to the turnips. This was the base on which duck breast would be served, topped with a sauce made with Amarena cherries and gold leaf. Perhaps the gold leaf accounted for the $50.00 price (that I had to request and was whispered back to me). The duck breast consisted of three slices...where were the ends?...and was served on a piece of slate. The waiter did not use the word slate. The slate made it difficult to serve leaving much of the juices and the pureed vegetable that were not after all under the duck, but dolloped around the serving 'plate', a 14" x 14" piece of slate (or onyx). This duck breast's price was $50.00 and for me something better presented on fine china. A rubber spatula instead of a serving spoon might have been a better choice. And it sounded like a wonderful winter dish. For a starter I had the endive salad, La Conca D'oro, Shaved Fennel, Gaeta Olives, Pistachio, Orange Segments, Balsamic Vinaigrette. So overdressed I pinched myself for not asking for dressing on the side, and it was mostly spinach, not fennel. We had small plates of pasta next. My linguine Bolognese was too al dente for me and I asked that it be cooked a bit more. It had a very rich sauce and little meat. My husband had the lobster pasta, pacer all'astice. The lobster seemed to be from very small lobsters, not slices of the tail. We skipped dessert. For a restaurant that was so festive and wonderful the last time we visited we found it sad. There were few diners even at 7:30.

Please pay attention to this post. I am a foodie at heart. I very seldom post reviews. This is only my second review ever. Last evening we went to dinner at Dolce Riviera. The two stars are for the ambiance. Beautiful. The bread, cheese, and olives were delicious start including the high quality olive oil for dipping. We ordered cocktails and wine. Not bad. Carpaccio was delicious. Tho the waiter wasn’t attentive enough to refill wine glasses. We were provided suggestions from the waiter on what to order. Tho “everything” was good. Not the case. When the order was delivered the runner/waiter helper insisted that my wife ordered the short ribs with ravioli. Finally he gave me the short ribs and the other two their dishes, except for my wife. We waited and waited and finally her salmon arrived. Time to eat! Not. The short rib was absolutely the toughest meat ever. Not even Golden Corral would serve meat this tough. Presentation looked great but the execution was awful. Even though I didn’t eat, the did give us two complementary tiramisu desserts. This seems to be a pattern on reviews. Poor quality of food, free dessert. And the price $$$$. There are much better options than this place. If you go, go for a glass of wine and the carpaccio. That’s it.

We had a rude loud waiter who treated us with condescension like were were kids. I made a mental note to leave him less than average tip only to find out that the restaurant already included a 20% tip on our bill for four people. No wonder the waiter felt like he didn't have to be pleasant. The rude service with the surprise tip at the end ruined the experience. Too bad, because the restaurant is beautiful and has a south beach vibe. Unfortunately, I won't be coming back.

Went with daughter, son-in-law, and grand daughter for a special treat, taking two of her friends. The restaurant was busy so even though we had reservations and wanted to be seated outside, we were seated inside. The food was tasty but portions were small and there was no bread on the table. I would have like breadsticks at least. No one was given napkins and I had to ask the waiter twice for a napkin after my food was served. I thought that the service was exceptionally poor

Ask to sit on the patio. We were first seated inside with a lot of traffic walking by constantly. We asked to be moved to the patio and once at our new table, everything was great. I had gnocchi with truffle. Very good but too rich. My husband had salmon which he enjoyed.

been here several times. food is excellent - fish dishes are always great as is the fettuccini bolognese, lasagne, and misticanza salad. service is consistent, friendly and helpful. my only complaint, since they covered the patio area it is unbearably noisy (and that's saying a lot in Dallas where almost all restaurants are noisy). i know it's Dallas and people want their A/C, but if you're looking for a nice dinner where you can hear the others at your table, this isn't the place for you. everyone is literally yelling. i miss the old atmosphere.

We stopped in for Brunch on the Sat. Great service, good selection. They have a special weekend brunch menu. The food was very delicious. We were kind of rushed for time and told the waiter and he did a great job getting us in and out without feeling rushed. Not our first time and wont be our last. Great Italian place.

My wife and I had dinner here recently. The best Italian food I've had in Dallas, and I've tried most of the places considered authentic and/or high end. Beautiful location in uptown, with a great outdoor patio and bar in front. The restaurant is elegant but contemporary, very inviting and cool. The service was good, but not great - but this seems the norm these days. The food, however, was stellar. Standard focaccia bread, olives, parmesan cheese to start, but all was fresh and good. Appetizer of dried beef carpaccio was extremely fresh and authentic, served with parmesan wedges and arugula. We shared a panzanella salad with heirloom tomato and cucumber that was fresh and delicious. Pasta entrees were perfect. My gnocchi was pillow soft and had a rich, creamy sauce accented with shave black truffle. My wife had cacio e pepe, which was spot on - creamy, parmesan infused sauced with perfect pasta and an elegant soft parmesan bowl. Good wine selection with many Italian choices and a fabulous bar. We did not try fish or meat entrees, so can't comment on those, but will try at a later date. Excellent choice.

The food is absolutely gorgeous. Fresh made pasta is perfectly cooked al dented with exquisite flavors. The pappardelle di cocoa is rich and flavorful. The shrimp pesto pasta was perfection with large perfectly cooked shrimp. Fresh bread and olives start off this great meal. The service is helpful and knowledgeable. Beautiful restaurant and I can't wait to return.

This restaurant is too good to do business with Postmates or Favor... I don't usually do reviews, but I have to get this off my chest. I am a part time Postmates driver in the Dallas area. I do this on a daily basis after my primary shift is over for some extra cash. On 10/31 7:09PM, I got a Postmates order calling for Dolce Riviera Restaurant on 2950 N Harwood St Suite 115. The order had two specific items listed from the customer. I proceeded inside to place an order, but got refused by one of the tall blonde host. She told me that it is not possible to take orders from Postmates or Favor, due to the system is not set up for such. I told her to take Postmates out of the equation and handle the order like any other take-out orders. There is no difference from me ordering and paying using a legitimate credit card than someone eating inside or ordering a takeout. I have two items on the menu listed on my app from their customer that I need to order and a good credit card to compensate for regardless the price. She shook her head and said "no, sorry we can't, the system won't allow us to take Postmates or Favor". I couldn't figure out why we are back on this loop once again. I have no alternative but to cancel the order and got penalized by Postmates for cancellation. The host needs to realize that, I am picking up this order on a behalf of their customer. By refusing my service, they are refusing services to their customer. Guys from my experience this place is a two thumbs down on customer service. This place is a fake, please don't go there. The host is a fake throwing away potential income practicing a bad business practice. She needs to get her head out of the cloud. There is no reason to treat customer with a Porsche differently than a customer with a Honda Civic or a Mazda. All customers should be treated equally regardless what they drive as long as they have money to compensate for food and service.

This will be on my hit list every time I go to Dallas. I recommend that the owner open a place in the Vail Valley in CO where I live. Half of Texas is there part time so it is a likely place to expand. The marshmallow soup is to die for. Melts in your mouth with those floating islands of goat cheese! Loved the twist on the pesto with pecan instead of pine nuts. The savory flavors of the truffle and mushroom soufflé still linger in my memory! I just returned from the Italy a few days ago and with white truffles and porcini in season, had to try it. It did not disappoint. My roomate from London took me here because it is innovative, fresh and different! Love all the items for sale in the restaurant. As an interior designer and a professional chef, I give this place a 7! Bravo!

Made reservations for a party of 18 two weeks prior to our visit. They set up a table for 12. 20 minutes later when they got the new table set up, we started the worst brunch experience I've ever had. My plate was filthy. Our drinks took at least 20 minutes and half of them were wrong. The food took over an hour. Here are some direct quotes from our server to give some perspective... "We're out of cheese" "The omelet station listed on the menu doesn't exist" "The chef doesn't allow any customizations to your order" "I can't make any recommendations because I've never eaten here" This place is an overpriced joke.

Anniversary dinner with friends was made special by the experience at Dolce Riviera. Food was excellent and the atmosphere was incredible. Wait staff was very attentive.

I requested cacio e pepe with my reservation, and it was no problem at all for the restaurant, in fact we were given the option of shaved white truffles if so desired. As I am a snobby purist I passed on them, but the aroma coming from them was tempting. The pasta was perfect, as good as I enjoy in Italy. The rest of the dinner was excellent, the special being a succulent lobster tail that was delicious, and a home-made gellato that also received an award of excellence! Hard to imagine that this restaurant is not in the top 5 Italian restaurants in the city.

I’ve been here twice recently: The first time was for a dinner with some girlfriends. While our first waiter ignored us, another waiter quickly jumped to attention and happily helped us out. The hostess was so thoughtful and brought us a stool for our purses, and our sweet waiter made up for the initial lack of attention with his delightful personality and service. We were very impressed by the restaurant’s ambience and presentation. We started out with a round of aperol spritzes (a must!) and followed with some excellent pasta. Our waiter ensured that we had a fun and special evening, and it was a very positive experience. The next time, I brought a group of friends for brunch and instantly regretted it. There was a “live DJ” (not sure who thought that was a good idea) and there was awful music pounding the entire time. I could barely hear my friends speak and had a headache afterwards. Our waiter seemed like he would rather be anywhere but at work and only made the effort to walk by quickly every thirty minutes. We had to flag him down for service, and it took over an hour before we were able to order our entrees. The food was average but nothing to write home about, and it was such a disappointing experience. If you come here, be warned: your experience will be entirely dependent on who you land as a waiter. However, the pasta is amazing and well worth it when the service is good. Your chances are much better with dinner since it is a more high end experience. Avoid brunch at all costs - you would be better off going to a nightclub.

Made a reservation for dinner with my wife for our 26th anniversary and was looking forward to a special evening. Unfortunately, there was an accident on DNT that was going to make us 7 min late for our reservation. We called ahead as a courtesy to let Dolce Riviera know and were rudely advised that our 7 min delay was fine, provided we understood that we needed to be gone by 8pm. Really? We voted with our feet...and had a spectacular dinner at Nobu. Don't bother with this place...they don't care about their patrons.

This restaurant was phenomenal! Great wine selection, food was unique, ambiance was lovely! We ordered a bottle of reserve Chianti, it was wonderful! Good was awesome, very authentic Italian. Service was great, staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

Took my beloved to try this new Italian restaurant for no special reason. What a lucky find. The staff from the hostess, to the waiter, to the manager made sure every aspect of our visit was memorable. The pace was charming, the wine recommendation spot on and the food was as delicious as it was gorgeous in its presentation. The decor is inviting and there is a beautiful patio and quaint bar in addition to the restaurant. We would strongly recommend and look forward to our next visit.

My wife and I planned a lunch date, closer to our offices; and this restaurant didn't disappoint. They have many vegetarian and glutton free options to choose from. It is now on my go-to Italian place.

I went for a birthday. A wonderful dining experience. Each had a different dish and split a salad. Good bottle of wine for about $100.

Dolce is a wonderful find in Dallas. I've met clients here as well as taken my family for Sunday brunch. The environment is classic European Italian by the sea. During the summer, there is an open space next to the restaurant where you can walk around and have the teenagers/kids play outside. I recommend the melon with prosciutto and the truffle oil gnocchi. Staff is great, cocktails are refreshing. A must visit in Dallas.