Dolcezza

The best ice cream in WDC specialty the cilantro & lemon. Also strawberry is delicious. We loved this place!

This place was the perfect sweet ending to a jam-​packed day in DC. The service was courteous and the flavors of sorbet and gelato were OUT OF THIS WORLD! We’re talking Georgia Butter Pecan, Roasted Strawberry Stracciatella, Crème Freche and Citrus Marmalade, Sicilian Blood Orange, Pineapple Honey Lime, Thai Coconut Milk… my mouth is watering reliving this experience! They let you try whatever flavor you’d like so don’t be shy!

Overpriced but worth it.
I am a chocolate fan where dessert is concerned.
However, the small option for gelato includes 2 flavors for $ 5.60.
My first choice was the dark chocolate which was good.
I tried the blueberry lavender for my second flavor and it was amazing. like eating a flower garden.
If you spend the money and take the kids at least you are close to free entertainment.
(Nearby fountain which is perfect for running through on a hot evening– bring a towel).

Love the vanilla bean latte. Place is clean and spacious. Staff is friendly and efficient. All their baked good are excellent and gelato is tasty.

Refreshing, lightly sweet, and unique flavor combinations in this upbeat and lively center city location! This place is open till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and filled with coffee, gelato sundae, gelato, and sorbetto. I tried the roasted strawberry push pop and a small size of the crème fraîche with citrus marmalade gelato and orange honey with cardamom sorbetto. Firstly, the push pop is so nostalgic! What a cute novelty that brings back memories of the flint stones orange push pops when we were kids! I can taste every fresh and not artificial strawberry, orange, and cardamom flavor and all the combinations go really well together.

This is another one of those places where I always want it to be better than it is. Since making the full transition to yuppie extraordinaire and getting into chai lattes, I decided to try theirs for a snack break at work. It was alright, but nothing exceptional. And kinda small. I had it with an alfajore, which I’ve always eyed whenever I’m there, and again, it was alright, but nothing exceptional. But hey, I got my caffeine and another chai latte in my repertoire.

Dolcezza is my favorite spot for coffee and gelato in town and I am super psyched that there is a new location that is located closer to me now. This space has a few tables outside and a long communal table inside with some stand up spaces to eat gelato or drink coffee. I have been twice now and the staff has been SUPER friendly both times and give free samples liberally. I will probably here a lot now…

Having moved from Portland, OR in the last few months, I was missing the coffee and food the city is both known and lovingly mocked for. With it’s Stumptown brews, Smith Teas, and Salt & Straw-​level creatively innovative gelatos and sorbettos, Dolcezza feels like a little bit of home in this city.
On our visit, I opted for two sorbettos– an avocado, honey, orange; and a pineapple, honey, lime. They were both incredible, creamy, and decadent. My boyfriend, true to his nature, picked two gelatos– a peanut butter, and a chocolate. Every single one of the flavors we tried was excellent.
Excited by the aforementioned Stumptown beans, we both got a shot of espresso. I found it unusual that they pull single shots, but I could probably do with less caffeine anyway. The espresso was served with sparkling water (call me hipster, but I think it’s one of the ultimate sins to serve espresso without, or even worse, with tap water. GASP). The espresso was not the best I have ever had. There was an unusual bitterness and harshness on the forefront that both my boyfriend and I noticed. But it ended nicely enough, and it was a better pull than you can find at most places. I am excited to try more of their coffee drinks.
Sure, Dolcezza is a bit more expensive than your average scoop. But it’s also way better than your average scoop. I am happy to fork over an extra dollar or two if it means I get Dolcezza-​level goodness.

Really tasty pistachio and vanilla bean gelato but the prices are kinda high, even by DC standards. The place is pretty small and was pretty crowded on a weekend. If you’re in the area it’s worth checking out but if you spend a day in the City Center be ready to empty to empty your wallet.

Cute little spot. I was excited about running into this spot as I love Gelato for the rich flavors. Unfortunately I thought the flavors were a bit lacking. I don’t mind paying for Gelato but theirs were a bit on the expensive side for not having the rich flavors. I got the small, which was definitely small even compared to other Gelato venues … And it was still about $ 7.
The people there were very polite and friendly though! And like I said a cute little venue … Just not worth the price I paid.

Is Dolcezza overpriced? Yes. Does Pitango down the street also have gelato and coffee? Yes. And are Dolcezza’s serving portions tiny? Yes. Yes. Yes. Dolcezza may definitely take the medal for being the luxurious bougie older brother of Pitango in the city of D.C., but it certainly also wins the taste battle.
The place is great with plenty of seating unlike most ice cream or coffee places. There’s a long table and a long bar area to people watch while reading a book or having a conversation with a friend. I’m a huge fan of the décor too. It totally screams old school ice cream parlor or pharmacy turned into hipster expensive gelato and coffee. They did a good job here.
Their coffee selection is amazing. Of course they have Stumptown cold brew in the fridges, but they also make their own in-​house. The nitro cold brew with cream is ridiculous, make sure you get it and stir the cream in. Of course you can’t come here and not get the gelato. They have a great selection of seasonal items like Stumptown Winter Cold Brew as well as a couple steady heavyweights like their sweet potato flavor (get both… they are amazing).
Good for dates or a casual get together with friends. Just make sure you bring some extra bills.

Aaahhh dolcezza, you are the reason why I have to add 15 min of cardio to my workouts but it’s sooo worth it. I have been to a few locations but this is my favorite because it’s close to work and city center is just a nice place to be on a sunny day. They have just about every flavor, some I haven’t gotten brave enough to try but I’ll gather the courage one day. Until then I stick with my double scoop of dark chocolate, which the cashier remembers when I walk in. They also have pastries and of course coffee. Seating is limited but go out into city center’s courtyard and enjoy! Even though the weather is getting colder, I can still see myself here with a bowl of dark chocolate gelato dripping down my hands.

Dolcezza is a beautiful place. Clean, warm, bright, industrial/​rustic in that modern way… It’s kind of a hipster photographer’s dream. All that’s fine and good, as long as they serve good stuff. Lucky for all of us, they do.
Case in point: Bramin teas. Kale/​pine nut/​ricotta tarts. Pancetta parmesan scones. Nitro iced coffee8. It takes itself a bit seriously, but in that way that ensures great quality and scrumptiousness.
This particular location is lovely and convenient. In the beautiful new row known as City Center Plaza, it definitely stands out from the other coffee/​tea shops in the area. And the fact that they serve great teas is a huge bonus in my book.
It’s set up like a European coffee bar where you’re meant to quickly take your coffee and go; there are standing bars, which I find charming, but very few actual seats.
*This particular small cup of coffee will cost you $ 5, so if you’re not super into it, just go for their regular drip — it’s damned delicious.

Just as good as their other locations, plus they have late hours and it isn’t too crowded here!
Open till 11pm Monday-​Thursday, 12am on Friday-​Saturday, and 10pm on Sunday.
Great gelato and sorbetto flavored, like black sesame, blackberries and cream, honeycrisp apple, lemon opal basil, and cantaloupe. Small (2 flavors) is $ 5.50, large (3 flavors) is $ 6.60. A pint is $ 10.50 and a push pop is $ 3. They also offer coppettas (gelato sundae) for $ 8. You can, of course, get a cup of coffee too. Espressos, nitros, iced coffee, etc. are all available here. They also carry Stumptown coffee beans and milk from the Perry brothers in York, PA for purchase.
Compared to the other Dolcezzas, this location is relatively quiet and empty. Service is friendly and quick.

Wow, what a fun spot. And why didn’t I think of push pop gelato?
This spot has some really unique flavors, such as lime and cilantro and honey cardamom sorbet. I got the thai coconut milk gelato pop ($ 3), which was nice and creamy, though I wish it had had a dash more sugar. They are very nice about letting you try flavors.
It looks like their various locations have differnet flavors, so if you’re going for one of the less common ones, pick your location carefully.

Nice clean café with free wifi. Love that they have almond milk. Enjoyed my latte. Didn’t think it was over priced until I saw the size of the cup. Very small.
Gelato looked yummy but too early in the morning to indulge.
They also have outdoor seating.

I have come to this location almost every week day for the past month. It adds a nice flare to the snazzy Palmer Alley at City Center. There are some stools along the windows to sit down and some outdoor seating. The staff is very friendly and usually doesn’t take too long to prepare coffees. They serve a wide variety of pastries — get the alfajores if you are in the mood for something sweet! They also of course serve their artisanal (read: expensive) gelato.
I usually try not to splurge and just get a coffee ($ 3.50). Note that they only do one size for a latte — and it ends up costing around $ 5 after tax. If you feel like splurging, get the nitro brew ($ 4.50-$ 5) or nitro with cream ($ 5-​$ 5.50). It is very smooth cold brew and the cream really adds the finishing touch.
My complaint about Dolcezza is this — why only one size for a latte? And $ 1 extra for soy and almond milk? a 16oz latte with soy milk is max $ 4.60 at Filter and if you get to know them, they will add in an extra shot for you :) Also, they don’t do a frequent buyers program/​I think that Dolcezza cares more about their business model than the consumers and it reflects in their prices. I prefer Filter… but hey, it’s DC prices here so what can you expect.

I visited (9÷5÷15) first time. Many tempting gelato flavors. I tried espresso gelato-​Delicious! Great coffee flavor not bitter at all.
Lightly sweet, firm texture. Prompt service.
Worthy another visit.

Sooooooo dangerous that this is so close to me!
I love Dolcezza. Their flavors are unique and strong without being overwhelming. I really like this location in City Center. It feels really big and bright, there is ample seating, and it is open late!
I’m not always down for spending close to $ 6 for a small gelato, so the push pops are a good option at $ 3 each if you want a satisfying taste of something delicious. I do wish they had more variety with the push pop flavors, though!
Really friendly staff, too.

I enjoy this location of Dolcezza much more than the other locations. The coffee here tastes better than the Mosaic District location and the staff is extremely nice. They also have quiche from Whisked, which is a great breakfast treat if I’m going to eat a lighter lunch.
The vanilla bean latte is my new favorite. It literally tastes like warm vanilla bean ice cream with a bonus of caffeine. I also like the cappuccino, but depending on who makes it, it changes in sweetness level. I’ve tried the nitro coffee and it tastes very good! Like a chocolatey, roasty iced coffee — similar to a nice stout beer.
4 stars instead of 5 because their prices are a bit high for what they are and there is no air conditioning.