La Dolce Vita

What once was a dynamic enjoyable restaurant, filled with the vibe of happy diners for many years, has slid to the bottom of the mountain. We (party of two) arrived for our 715pm reservation on a Thursday evening and the restaurant was empty — not another customer in the place which should have set off alarm bells… first impressions of a restaurant are frequently the most telling and usually prove to be valid. Ordered a Moretti beer and a kir — can’t screw up a beer and a kir is quite a simple cocktail made with a few drops of crème de cassis added to chilled dry white wine. What arrived at the table was a disaster consisting of an overabundance of the requisite cassis added to the wine, to which had also been added ice cubes and club soda. Really? Had to tell the young bartender how a kir should really be made which was the second impression that things were only going to get worse. The caesar salad was totaly bland and absent of any flavor of anchovy, parmesan, and the normal ingredients of a caesar dressing — did it come straight out of a store-​bought bottle? The alarm bells were really ringing at this point as unfortunately, the entrees were even worse… overcooked sand dabs swimming in olive oil and butter… simply inedible and tasted like they had been cooked in a deep fat fryer rather than being sauteed. And the veal piccata, once a favorite dish of mine at this restaurant a decade ago, was so oversaturated in flour for cooking and then also greasy with olive oil like the sand dabs, and not a hint of lemon or capers which piccata recipes call for. Oh, and I should mention that by 815pm we were still the only customers in the restaurant, until then a family of four came in. We left at 9pm and that family was then the solitary customer in the place… not another customer had arrived the entire evening. Enough said as I think you see where I am coming from, and certainly not going to again.

What a wonderful dining experience. This is an establishment with history and tradition, and it is reflected in the straightforward delicious food and impeccable service. After you have tried the classics, do yourself a favor and ask your waiter if there is anything special «off the menu» — you might be pleasantly surprised with a delicious and creative appetizer like the beef carpaccio with a Japanese inspired sesame and radish dressing. Also, the folks behind the bar know what they are doing… This is a place that will make the perfect «classic» cocktail or highball. Enjoy!

This is our new go to place. The service is exemplary and their chopped salad puts La Scala to shame.
We also love their Chicken Parmesan. There is such a pic history at La Dolce Vita and we are thrilled to be able to still partake in it.

I have two ways of looking at my experience here.
Service and setting — 5 Stars — both were top notch I felt. The staff was extremely polite, courteous and attentive and made you feel at home. The setting couldn’t have been better as you lounge away in the very booth that Frank and Dino frequented many moons prior in a different age. This place definitely takes you back and has the charm that you rarely see these days elsewhere in Los Angeles.
Food — 2 stars — the food was a little too heavy and lacked the quality in taste to meet the price tag in my opinion. The arancini wasn’t bad but was really tough, lacking a wow factor and the bistecca florintina was overloaded with garlic (and I love garlic). The tiramisu was also lack-​luster and very spongy to our disappointment.
Overall — the service and setting did enough to make up for the food. Keep in mind that the current corkage fee for wine is $ 20. I’d say that if you’re looking for authentic Italian cuisine, this might not be the place. However if you’re looking for that vintage, golden-​era of Hollywood feel with a touch of romance, this would be a great visit.

Without a doubt, my favorite place to eat in Beverly Hills. It is all about attention to detail, delicious food, impeccable service and is a total old school Hollywood environment. Celebrities eat there but the real stars are the restaurant and the amazing staff! Check it out!

After getting recommendation from concierge and confirming with Unilocal we headed up to this place.
Nice and cosy atmosphere and that’s what i can say nice about this place.
First lets talk about a food we went for a classic set by starting with caprese and following with risotto mushrooms for my wife and i a shrimp diavolo for me.
Caprse was o. k no more no less.
But the second courses were disaster. The risotto was too salty. The pasta wity shrimps was a bowl with tomato souce with a «flavor» burned garlic and few shrimps.
We returned our dishes almost untuched, and here is a second part… The waiters seemed careless about it even we did say risotto was too salty. We didn’t ask to return our dishes as we not used to. We almost never had to return as we carefully pick up places we go to eat. But I’d say this was one of my worst experience for food and careless service.
And even a tiramisu that we tried didn’t «pull us up» as it was also mediocre.

I enjoyed this old school establishment
When you walk in you pass the long bar that is well stocked. There is a musician playing easy going old school music in this dimly lit speak easy style, yet cozy restaurant
The staff are friendly and professional
The menu offers many options for all diets
Everything we ordered was delicious and the corkage fee was reasonable compared to other restaurants in BH
I recommend Dolce Vita for a romantic evening, a small couple gathering or a small business meeting

Wow, in less than a year I went from a rave review to a giant «what the hell happened» review!
Things here were so off tonight I got really sad, because I like this place or at least used to.
My Caesar Salad was warm and limp. No excuse here. Pretty lame.
My wife’s Chicken Milanese was served to her RAW! I mean you can eat almost anything on earth raw EXCEPT chicken. Faux Pas of major proportions. This dish was sent back immediately and replaced but golly gee, what the &^%@?
My lasagna tasted like canned Chef Boyardee off of the shelve. Luke warm to boot. OUCH! This was getting painful!
My friends pasta bolognese look and smelled old. I mean Frank and Dean must have been rolling over in there graves at this point.
I’m not picking on La Dolce Vita. I gave it five stars a few months ago. I still love the ambiance and old world feel. The service was still good. The bar still mixes VERY good cocktails This place hit it on all cylinders last time. This time the kitchen was just vermished. I mean creepy vermished! I would like to know what the hell happened? It’s hard for so many things to be so right on one visit and so wrong on the next?
They fell like a brick which lends me to believe there is a logical explanation here (somewhere)?

Delicious!!!
Vongole was the best I have ever had. seriously, like no joke…
Adam, Thank you for being our server great guy funny and attentive even tho he had a table full of A list celebrities.
Cheers,

This is a great place for dinner. The restaurant has a great back story about Frank Sinatra and the food is wonderful. We had the spaghetti bolognese which was great. The most outstanding thing here is the service. You are well taken care of by everyone.

We were vicariously celebrating Frank Sinatra’s 100^th birthday, and decided to have dinner at La Dolce Vita in Beverly Hills of which to our understanding old Blue eyes was part owner.
It was a charming place looking like the older Italian restaurants with photos of regular celebrity patrons and booths with nameplates for the favorites. We sat in the Reagan booth right next to Frank’s booth. We were given a menu and a special menu honoring Frank’s favorites.
The drinks seemed a bit weak which made sense when told there was no more Glenlivet. The rolls were hot and tasty. The special romaine salad with «green goddess» was more of a vinaigrette, but we both bit into a crunchiness you find when the lettuce hasn’t been properly cleaned, hence dirt. My wife’s scampi were good sized, but my clam dish would have made Frank Unilocal with the sand particles encountered.
I orders the veal Milanese off the special menu, and found it mediocre with a soggy arugula tomato mix on top which marred the crispness. The saddle of lamb was ordered medium rare, but not only came out rare, but the chewiness turned out to be a piece of twine from the roast. Our server told us the restaurant had been sold years ago.
The tiramisu was the highlight, and one of the best we’ve had.
All in all, the ambience was very nice, but not enough to warrant a return visit for the food.

Absolutely outstanding from start to finish.
I enjoyed a wonderful dinner date here with my other half. From the amazing bartender who recommended the perfect bottle of wine to the perfect penne alla vodka and «omg» tiramisu, everything was flawless. We also loved sitting at Frank Sinatra’s table, which has a great view of the entire place.

Nice atmosphere and cozy. Tried some of their signature dishes but overall quality of food average. Sauces tasted to thick and pasty and did not have a fresh taste. Great service.

Great spot with qualities I find important: good food, good service, remarkable atmosphere, and quiet. I hate trendy. Every table here is a booth. Great touch.
I heard about La Dolce Vita from Alison Martino’s incomparable Vintage Los Angeles, a Facebook fan page for appreciators of LA’s past. I happen to share a love of Dan Tana’s with Ms Martino, so I felt pretty good that La Dolce Vita would hit the mark. It did and continues to do.

I have lived in this area most of my life and driven by in curiosity! Well last night I found out how old school and great it is. We sat at the Reagans table right next to Sinatras table and it was great.
I ordered the sausage and peppers and the chopped salad. Everything was great. I will be back for sure. My wife ordered the veal piccata and she was very happy.
There was also a man singing on an electric piano and we enjoyed ourselves. There is valet parking up front or a public lot down the street.

«If These Walls Could Talk…»
When my dad made reservations at La Dolce Vita last night, my first instinct was to say «No way! That place looks dated and bland. Let’s try a hot new restaurant!» He told me to give it a chance, so I did. After all he was paying, so what choice did I have?! Boy, I’m glad I did. How does that old saying go: ‘What’s old is new again’
Upon entering, I felt instantly transported to a by gone era of old Hollywood. At any moment Sinatra would stroll in and take a seat at his favorite table.
I decided to give in to the moment: I had an Old Fashioned and it was excellent. The Caesar and Tricolore were simple but classically good. The Bolognese sauce was flavorful and the pasta was definitely homemade. The King Salmon was very tasty as well. The service was friendly and prompt.
If there’s one negative thing to say, it’s a touch over-​priced, BUT it’s Beverly Hills and you get what you pay for. So here’s my advice: give it a chance!

The ambience is stunningly romantic, with exposed brick walls, mirrors, wired booth dividers and extremely dim lighting. There was a gentleman playing a piano throughout our meal (from 7:30 to 9:45pm) and his music ranged from jazz-​band to modern-​played-​as-​if-​it-​was-​jazz-​band that was a lovely accompaniment to the meal. A lovely touch was plaques on the wall behind each booth displaying who regularly sat there!
Dress code is somewhat dressier, but don’t come in a cocktail dress haha
Audience is fantastic to people watch in — old men on a business dinner, 30 somethings bragging loudly, a demure married couple smitten by each other. It truly adds to the atmosphere.
Food was great. My mom had their special risotto — she’s extremely picky and enjoyed it. My sister and I shared the Frank Sinatra Filet Minon (tender, peppery earthy) and the Pollo Parmigiano (the linguini wasn’t my favorite). Crimini mushrooms were delish, and the Caesar salad wasn’t anything to write home about, but nice as an addition to the meal.
Dessert was definitely the highlight! We had the cheesecake (divine), tiramisu (light and dreamy), and cappacino gelato (i could eat this for the rest of my life)! Their cappuccinos are excellent as well! We ordered mai-​tais and cab savs — both fab.
Service was silent, as my sister, mother and I were totally engrossed in our conversation with each other, but still very much there. The server was kind and made jokes when it made sense to, but never felt pushy nor absent. The bussers and server assistants were excellent as well, and the whole experience made us feel as if we were important VIP regulars there.
As a whole, we definitely enjoyed the experience 100%, and my sister and I are more than excited to take our mom here for her birthday in a few months. An amazing meal and time from start to finish!
(there is valet at $ 8 and i do recommend it, especially in beverly hills)

Read about this place on Zagat so figured it was worth a try.
Came for Valentine’s day dinner and was a little bummed that they had a set menu, but we still had a lovely time.
The food was very good but the best part by far was the service. I love a place that makes sure your glass is never empty and dirty plates are never left on the table for long. It didn’t matter who our waiter was, everyone in the restaurant made sure to serve us and bus our table which is what I think you truly pay for when you got to a place like this.
Aside from the service, I also absolutely love the ambiance and décor here. The restaurant is nice and small and feels very old school. The bar also makes an amazing old fashioned, according to my hubs.
The rice balls filled with cheese and topped with crispy sage along with the cheesecake were highlights for me. I’m pretty sure those are on the regular menu so I would definitely recommend them.
The cheesecake was the probably one of the best I’ve had. A very dense little round cake sitting in a pool of cinnamon caramel. Neither element overwhelmed the other with sweetness or flavor, the cake was mild while the sweet sauce was nicely spiced. Together they balanced each other quite nicely and the fresh berries on the side were a perfect compliment as well.
Also the BREAD! How could I forget the baskets of hot, fresh bread that you can smear with rosemary butter? Delectable.
The only downside is that the only option for parking is valet but I guess that’s to be expected when you’re in Beverly Hills.
I would definitely love to come back, especially for the carbonara that I’ve been dying to taste.

Great service, lovely ambiance. Appetizers: Caesar salad, main course: osso bucco: extraordinary… And the bolognese on the pasta was great. This is really a 4.5 not a 4, but Unilocal doesnt offer ½ stars.
Highly recommended, born and raised in West LA can’t believe this is my first here!
We will be back.

Post Valentine’s Day Dinner
February 15, 2014
My boyfriend made reservations for this place about two weeks beforehand for 5:30 pm when it opens. WOW! This place is utterly romantic. I have not been to a restaurant so romantic before and now I HAVE.
We came in late due to traffic and parking confusion. We called in and told them that we’d be, at most, half an hour late. The hostess was kind and understood our dilemma. As we got in, the hostess directed us to our booth. So damn gorgeous!
The servers were very professional and would chat with us once in a while. OH, BTW, our server was HOT! He’s reminds me, so vividly, of Chris Evans. My favorite superhero (Capt. America) is basically my server! I couldn’t believe how handsome he is. Anyway, I didn’t gawk at him because I have an equally handsome fella right next to me.
I ordered the Risotto of the day (Seafood Risotto) and it was delicious! My boyfriend, my fella, ordered something like a rolled up venicin smothered with cheese. His food was also amazingly tasty. We ordered the meatball appetizer and, for dessert, we got the Tiramisiu. Everything was so good and I didn’t feel fat. After all, it is Valentines Day and I’m willing to splurge on calories, even if it’s a CALORIE OVERLOAD! hahaha
Would love to come back, but on another special occasion!