Dolce Vita Gelato & Espresso Bar

Open until midnight on Saturday, but no desserts are served after 10 pm. Huh? What’s the name of this place again?
Ended up settling for cocktails we didn’t really want. The French 75 (champagne, gin lemon juice and sugar) had zero bubbles and tasted like $ 10 lemonade. Maybe y’all are fooling some college kids with this, but I won’t be back.

This is an old favorite place of mine — right across the street from Quack’s and full of solid, good food selections plus drinks. Of course, the gelato is the favorite here. I’ll confess and say I haven’t had any of their treats, but I always thoroughly enjoy their coffee.
They have games you can play plus a good wifi connection if you ever want to stay a certain amount of time.
Sandwiches are on point. Happy hour deals are pretty the norm and I highly recommend you sit out on the well covered patio and people watch. Parking is easy to find either in the lot, across the street at the market, or even on the street!
Dolce is a lovely place to meet up with friends especially on Duval Street — give it a try!

This place is great. I don’t get the bad reviews. I’ll slap you in the head if you give them a bad review. The staff is veeery friendly.
Good caffeinated drinks.
The food is good too. Too bad the menu isn’t as big as it used to be.
This is a great place in a great neighborhood.
Walk in. Walk on.

Now that I’ve visited twice — once for the gelato, and once for a latte, I have to say I genuinely enjoy this place. The staff is friendly and delivered my coffee right to where I was seated, and there is a cute space outside with extra seating if it gets too cramped inside since it is a smaller establishment.
Their gelato is thick and creamy and tasted delicious, but I do remember that when I visited they were out of most flavors, and you could only order by pint (?), not by cup. I was a bit disappointed with the limited options.
As far as the coffee goes, it tasted just how I like it, and was a great size. I just wasn’t expecting it to have as much foam as it did, which I’m not a huge fan of. Nonetheless, excellent lattes. They also gave me part of a brownie or some pastry to go along with the latte, which was a pleasant surprise!
If you’re in Hyde Park and want to get some work done over a coffee or dessert, I recommend trying this place out!

We went for a late night treat, left very disappointed. They only have two types of gelato and its not the creamy texture you expect. They also have sorbet, I got coconut and it was way too sweet. I have a sweet tooth and it was too much, I only took a couple of bites. Overpriced for very low quality, don’t be suckered in by «gelato bar». Go to Central Market or Mandola’s, they have real gelato there.

Incompetent, poorly trained staff, poorly managed café serving sub par food in a space that used to be a gem of Hyde Park and is now more of a turd that probably can’t be polished.

I am sorry but what kind of joint would call themselves a gelato bar if they only have two types of gelato? Came in here and they offered orange fig (gross) and autumn spice. Since we drove a bit to get here, I wanted to at least leave with one gelato so I chose the latter. Come to find out they didn’t even have it!!! Please do not call yourself a gelato bar. Save people from wasting their time and gas.

I used to drop by here in the past much more frequently as I was in the area more often. I went by the other day to get an expresso and it was OK. The place was empty but it seemed still nice and quaint. I have never had booze here, and stepped in for old times sake as it is next to the cheese store. It was clean, the expresso was OK. Would I make a special trip here? No. Would I come in after going to the cheese store next door? Yes.

This is a great place to get a drink and/​or eat delicious desserts! The staff was friendly and helpful when I went there. The only reason for the 4 stars is that the ambiance may leave something to be desired. Of course, the décor is great for the place, but there is not ample seating, so you may have to get there early to even be able to get a place. Other than that though, I like it!

Terribly disappointed…
–Citrus Brûlée: Its not really a old fashion cremebrulee everyone… Its literally two slices of oranges that have been cut into tiny pieces and flamed on top with the sugar. THAT’S IT. I mean I paid $ 8 for this and I could not have been more disappointed.
–Tiramasu: this cake was very moist and was very satisfying for the craving $ 8 was worth it
–Vanilla Bean Gelato: It was weird, they didn’t serve single servings but instead sold it in a small container that ended up feeding 4 people, which worked out for my group. The gelato was nothing to rave about. It was very simple and almost tasted like store bought ice cream.
The atmosphere is very nice and I definitely would return to study one day or to try there coffee. Their desserts on the other hand, no.

Ah, a gelato place that DOESN’T have gelato. The gelato case has been broken for over a month and the owner is apparently unreachable by the employees. Not a good sign. It’s interesting to watch the droves of people who come in, see the sign on the empty cooler, and leave.
Hey owner, what in the hell are you doing? Fix your cooler and get involved and I will update the review.

This is a great place to finish a date, or as a date itself. Cute little place in Hyde Park, walkable to several nearby restaurants. I love taking out of towners (and locals who haven’t been) here specifically for gelato after a meal. Tons of seating between the indoor and outdoor options, and fantastic gelato… though admittedly, I’m not super picky about my gelato. Minus one star because I feel like the service can be borderline between unfriendly or unattentive at times, but you deal with the counter service very briefly, and this is ONLY on occasion. Highly recommend.

I’ve been here 5 times over the past year. Sometimes for coffee, sometimes for drinks, and once to meet a friend for a casual lunch. This rating is an amalgam of all of these experiences, including my very poor experience a few days ago.
Usually, there is a yummy gelato case filled with options. There’s always a small selection of pastries, as well as coffee and alcoholic options. The strawberry and walnut salad is great. Recently their gelato case broke and now you cannot view those options without waiting in a long line to ask the flavors. By the way, the variety of flavors is pretty awful as of late – this past weekend, they only had vanilla, espresso, and brandy alexander. And you can’t taste-​test.
The margaritas are good, but overpriced. I paid $ 8 during happy hour yesterday for a small glass. That’s kind of what I’ve come to expect in Austin, but still. The mojitos were better at $ 6 a glass. By the way, the happy hour menu is incorrect, and they don’t seem to really care. I got the margarita because the menu lists it at $ 6 a glass. when I was charged $ 8, I asked why, and the lady serving us said «because they’re harder to make.» When I questioned if the menu was wrong, she said «we don’t really use that menu.» ?
My sister wanted a gelato frappé, but were informed that they essentially couldn’t make ANYTHING with gelato in it from the menu, including frappes and affogatos. The reason for this was that «the woman who makes the gelato gets to decide.» That’s fine, but why is your menu so outdated if you can’t make a milkshake out of it? Turns out, you can only buy gelato by the pint.
Not worth the time or money, and there’s always hipsters smoking on the deck which renders it unusable to study or relax. We went to Quack’s down the street instead.

Stopped in for some after dinner gelato. I guess they were having some difficulties with their freezer as it took three attempts to find enough gelato for our group of four that wasn’t melted. As a courtesy, we were given two free pastries for the trouble, even though it wasn’t really an issue.
The gelato itself had great flavor, but the texture was quite a ways off. I’m sure this has to do with the freezer issues. Overall, the place had a nice relaxed vibe and I’d give them another try if I’m in the area.

I came here on a date it was really cute and the gelato was amazing
I love that this place is tucked away and very chill like the rest of austin i might say.
so if you love gelato and need to escape for a little i suggest this place.

Great place for a quick tea (get the coconut– so darn good!) or lunch (Brie sandwich is amazing!). They have great gelato and cocktails!

The bad, the unhygenic (we saw several cockroaches) and the ugly (horrifically rude service) all dwell side by side in this coffee bar/​bar/​dessert joint.
I complained because the counter person grabbed a slice of orange with her bare hands and tried to put it in my glass of iced tea after handling some cash. I was given so much lip.
I also used to stop by there after my runs in the morning, I live 2 blocks away, I left my credit card. The same lady who tried to put the orange slice in my iced tea with dirty hands took my call when I called about the card, she insisted there was no need to look as there was no card. I insisted she look and sure enough they had my card. When i went to pick it up she was rude, asked me if «I was ok» with an eye roll. I said please just give me my card.
Their ice cream has freezer burn, their coffee is overly roasted and thus bitter. Their food is strange, a weird arugula, goat cheese, beet salad with strawberries and mint. Dressed with a fruit balsamic so sweet that it turns the mushy mess into a dessert?
They embody the mediocrity that is passed off as good food in this town. I guess with all the college students who come from smaller towns in Texas, people just don’t know.
Anyway, after the grubby hands — orange slice fiasco and my complaint I decided that I will no longer put my health at risk.
No big loss, just another squalid in Austin. Lol.

Garden bagel was ehspicy and ehdelicious. Went for the next door option, Julios’s, but go figure — cash only :(
Vita is one of dem quaint bourgie cafes, but at $ 8 bucks for this treat — shiet, I’ll come again.

Sorbets, gelato, tiramisu, food, Affogato… And lovely lively atmosphere. The plus is that they’re open until midnight, and the cosiness gives off a very austin vibe. The pAtio is especially lively, even after 10 pm. What I enjoyed most about dolce vita is their tiramisu. It may be $ 8 but it’s still delectable and definitely worth the money. Of course, it’s loud and not good for kids, unless maybe you bring them babies well before bed time. It’s a pretty chill spot to bring a date for dessert, provided your date doesn’t mind cramped tables and a noisy atmosphere. (I came with my husband for date night and he thought it was «too noisy», thus the warning)
They also have a lot of other items on their menu that I am yet to try. For now, I think I’m happy just visiting for dessert when I am in the area. This is the perfect place to enjoy la dolce vita.

Cute hipster coffee shop where you can grab a drink and a quick bite to eat. Bummer that they were not serving gelato the day my boyfriend and I decided to try this place!
We ordered 4 things total:
–Smoked Salmon Sandwich
–Turkey and Pesto Panini
–Pistachio Macaron (do not get!!)
–Something like goat cheese salad
I loved how fresh the salad was and perfectly crisp the panini was. It was pure deliciousness! The smoked salmon sandwich, however, made my jaw hurt because the bread was so chewy. I took a bite into the macaron and the whole thing crumbled so, I do not recommend getting that at all.
Since I had a groupon, the meal overall was pretty cheap, but I don’t think I would pay $ 9 for the sandwiches here. Might as well go to Melvin’s Deli that’s down the street. And I definitely would not pay $ 3 for their mediocre macarons.

Near Hyde Park, north, 38/​Duval — ish
Small and cute with indoor and outdoor seating and a intimate atmosphere.
Free Wifi, espresso, wine and gelato. I think they have some italian stye food offerings, like paninis, but we didn’t eat there.
The macarons were the best i have ever had. Huge, $ 3 each and the rasberry had fresh preserves in the middle with the buttercream. The gelato was delcious and creamy. $ 4 for two scoops, I had the chocolate and mexican vanilla. The chocolate is a deep, rich chocolate — not too sweet. The vanilla was sweet and ymmy, they balanced each other out. My partner got the salted caramel and chocolate.

A friend was craving gelato so we went her. The gelato was so fresh tasting! I will be back.
I love the atmosphere of this place, such a quaint place. I got lucky with the parking situation but I believe there is parking in the back also.

I thought I already gave this place a review but I guess not. This place deserves 5 stars for so many reasons!
Its a bar and a coffee shop AND they have amazingly creamy gelato! I had a sweet tooth so I came just just to get some gelato but I ended up getting this amazing drink made up with gelato, espresso and all kinds if liquor. It ended up being an adult dessert and OMG was it amazing!
The guy behind the bar was so so friendly and made such an amazing drink for my friend and I. My other friend got an assortment of 2 different gelatos and they were all so good!
It doesn’t get much better than the coconut gelato! 5 stars on it’s own!
Oh yeah and they have an outside patio with dog bowls so my little Thor got to join us.

«Sei il mio incantesimo.»
——
Dolce Vita is «The Sweet Life» in Italian and the local owners do justice to their name.
The setting is a cute little café and gelato shop in a pocket known as Hyde Park in Austin.
A fantastic date spot or just some place to unwind and enjoy an espresso or glass of wine and a gelato.
The barista-​ettes, other than being adorable, are good at their craft of squeezing out espresso shots.
The outdoor patio is one of my favorites in the city. On one of those nice Texas evenings, it makes Hyde Park feel like you’re in your own small-​town respite. The people watching and eaves dropping is fantastic but it’s also intimate for you and your date.
Good coffee, great gelato, pastries, an amazing setting. If you take a first date there you just might get an invitation to go on a second date.
Having a place like this just a short drive away… what a «Dolce Vita» it is!