Dolce Vita

Restaurant

Dolce Vita
Kungsholmsgatan 16
112 27 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone (46) (8) 650 60 80

Website www.dolcevita.nu

Overview

Eva and I went to Dolce Vita on Valentine's night, for a rather pleasant and romatic Italian meal.

It is has been quite a while since we have been to the Dolce Vita. When I lived in Stockholm (1996-2000) we often went there. However, this is the first time that we have been back since 2000.

I am happy to report that it was much as I remember it.

Ambience

Dolce Vita has been in existence since 1985, and serves good quality Italian food in a bright and cheerful setting. It used to make rather a fine selection of pizzas, as well as the pasta dishes. However, pizza is now no longer on the menu.

The restaurant is bright, lively, cheerful and busy. You would be well advised to book, especially if you wish to dine there on a Friday or Saturday night.

We were warmly welcomed and promptly shown to our table.

I would also note that despite the fact that the place was full, and the tables were quite close together, we did not feel claustrophobic (the brightness of the decor helped a lot in that respect).

Menu

The menu offered a good selection of Italian dishes (except for pizza) including, steak, veal, chicken, pasta and fish dishes.

Service

The service was very good; efficient, friendly and prompt.

Food

Eva started with the Scampi Piri Piri sauteed in olive oil, paprika and garlic. These were splendid looking fellows indeed, magnificently plump. Fresh and tasty, neither too much oil or garlic had been used to overpower the taste.

I chose the spaghetti bolognese, yes I was a greedy pig! Our waiter warned me about the size of the dish, and even offered me a child's portion.

Needless to say, I chose "adult size".

The dish was as I would have wished it to be; robust, tasty, large and accompanied by a huge bowl of freshly grated Parmesan.

What more could a man ask for to start his meal with?

Eva then chose the veal escalope with Mozzarella in a white wine sauce. She was more than pleased with this dish, the sauce complemented the meat and the cheese was not too rich. The veal was tender and flavoursome, not overpowered by the sauce with added just the right amount of piquantness.

However, the quantity of the dish defeated her (hence the need to summon the doggie bag at the end).

I opted for the fillet steak in a pepper and cognac sauce. Now I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of the meat, it melted in the mouth and was a good sized decently cooked portion of good quality fillet steak. However, I feel that the sauce needed some attention:

1 The pepper element of it was not quite as strong as I would have preferred.

2 The steak was topped with a slab of goat's cheese, which was totally unnecessary and overpowered the pepper sauce along with every other ingredient on the plate.

Polite advice to the chef:

"Lose the cheese, the dish most certainly does not need it"

That being said, I finished the steak (having removed the cheese).

Our main courses came with a very generous bowl of home made saute potatoes, which were excellent and far removed from the sad greasy fries served by many establishments.

The meal, which included a bottle of Mateus Rose, came to 896SEK before tip.

Overall Opinion

A good, fun, cheerful restaurant; we are happy to recommend it.