We came to Dolce Pane E Vino for an early dinner and sat in one of the comfy booths near the front of the restaurant. Â Decor was kind of rustic contemporary - not pleasing to my eye by any means - but it's a cozy spot and it sounds like the patio is a big hit (I did not see it). Â We ordered a couple of pizzas that were very good - thin crust but still a nice chewy consistency. Â As expected, very good bread and I enjoyed a white wine flight. Â Tried a couple salads and vegetable side dishes - all very good, vegetables a bit salty. Â Was not a fan of the tiger shrimp with cannelini hummus - shrimp was fishy but I know that can be common with tiger shrimp. Â Service was great. Â In the end, I felt like I had a dinner consisting of a ton of bread and some vegetables and our bill was a bit over $100.
Review Source:This review is overdue, our visit was a few months ago but! Loved this place. We had excellent company and reservations. Two thing that make a dining experience at a busy place like this start out on the right foot.
It's got assorted tables so if you'd like to be at a tall table, low table, in one of the more lounge corners etc ask about it when you reserve. The wine list is extensive and the menu has everything you could want for a low light romantic atmosphere. Gnocchi and lamb and small plates... Meats and cheeses and dessert. Yes please!
We met friends for a double date and they sat us in a cozy corner. We ordered some starters and all had main dishes and even some dessert. Each dish was delicious and cooked properly. It was so hard to decide because everything looked good. The crowd is very RSF Del Mar Carmel Valley, established and a little older. But we were there (early 30s) and the age ranged with a girls night across from us too. It's a great choice for a dinner for four, taking your parents to dinner or date night.
Wow! Following advice from another local we went here on Saturday night. We didn't have a reservation but still got a lovely table out on the outdoor patio during a magnificent sunset. A similar place is Burlap in Del Mar but similar only in style because this place is much more secluded and quiet and serene. The wait staff are excellent but not career waiters. Which is perfect in my opinion because they're younger and more casually approachable. The food is wonderful and not huge portions but just enough. The bread is excellent and the cheapest bottle of red wine is 36 dollars. Magnifico!
Very non-pretentious down to earth friendly feel with a sense of upper class appeal
Great location in the heart of RSF. Small restaurant with Tuscon setting. Great food and wine selection. The bar is a perfect place to gather and cocktail with friends. The place is pretty boomy  when it gets busy so probably not the spot if you are looking to have quiet conversation.
Review Source:My sister-in-law and I were visiting the area and stopped in for lunch. Â First visit., no second chance. We liked the name of the restaurant and there weren't many choices in the plaza. It was Sunday, 2-17-13 about 1:30 pm. The interior was beautiful, with dark rich wood at the hostess center and a floor to ceiling shelving unit of cubes all holding bottles of wine. Â We were greeted promptly by the hostess and lead by a different person to a patio table, which we had requested. We were given two menus. Â No drink order was inquired of. Â We perused the menu as it was atypical to what we were accustomed. It took a little time, but we were never approached during that time, or any time thereafter. We watched the two servers enter the patio and exit several times, and only one time did it appear that one glanced at us, but it was the glance that saw nothing, not even our hopeful faces. Â All the tables had customers, but it didn't seem harried. Â Most looked relaxed and were enjoying their moments. Â Finally a waiter delivered food to the table in front of us, so we waited to catch his eye when he was done, but again, he never looked at us. Â I told my sister-in-law I was not against leaving. Â She seemed hesitant, so I set my stopwatch on my phone. 7 minutes later, still with out a drink or any attempt to notice we were there, although they had still entered and exited a couple of times, we walked out. Â As we left, the hostess that greeted us on the way in, asked brightly, "Is everything all right?". I will say we discovered a pizzeria called Leucadia in the same plaza. It might not have had the same degree of sophistication that Dolce Pan E Vino had, but they greeted us, served us drink and garlic bread while we looked at a menu and brought our lunch out in a timely manner. Plus, the server was attentive to drinks needed filling and was pleasant and cheery and answered questions about the food in a knowledgeable way. Lunch was excellent. Â I would highly recommend going there. The cuisine is different from Dolce's, but you get served, so if you are hungry Leucadia is the better choice. Â See my review on that page.
Amendment: Â Saturday 2-23-2013 Â Upon reading my review the owner contacted me to invite us to visit the restaurant again. His standards are high and he was dismayed at the oversight of two patrons. He wanted to let us see what should have occurred. Sadly we live too far to return. I appreciated Mr. Flowers' response and invitation. This is indicative of a business owner who is serious about customer service. Kudos! Changing from 1 star to 4 stars because of Mr. Flowers' Â attempts to make amends.
Nicely decorated, but much too noisy to enjoy an evening with friends.......you have to shout to be heard!
They emphasize presentation but the food was just mediocre. To start off, we were brought a basket of cold bread and one plate with 2 pats of butter and a little combo of olive oil and balsamic..........we were a large table of six. It didn't make sense so asked for an additional plate of butter and oil/balsamic.
One of the soups was overpowered with salt.
The scallops were very good as were the short ribs, but the chicken under a brick had no seasoning. Two of us at the table ordered it and agreed it had no flavor. The chicken was cooked nicely, but not seasoned.
For dessert, the tiramisu was delicious, and a couple of people said they liked the salted caramel (though it sat uneaten) , the strawberry shortcake biscuits were left uneaten and the chocolate bread-pudding was heavy and not bread-pudding-like.
It's a beautiful restaurant, but could use a few improvements.
I have to admit, Dolce Pane E Vino Restaurant is overrated...but in the absolute best way possible.
It is difficult to find a good bottle of something to sip on for under $100, but the price does come with the guarantee that it will be amazing.
Appetizers are the way to go. I love coming here with a small group of friends and ordering a few to nibble on while we enjoy our wine. The cheese plate and any of the flat bread pizzas will be sure to please everyone in the group.
The communal tables are fun if you're with a date.
For extra first impression points? Order the salted caramel dessert.
Spreading the net a little wider than normal we ended up in Rancho Santa Fe at Dolce.
Friday night, busy and noisy. Placed in a booth right by the door. Not really dinner tables, more like coffee tables.
Service was very good, attentive and suggestive. I liked this. What I didnt like was a $130 bill + tax for 2pp in a restaurant that is more of a bar & where the food was ok but certainly not mind blowing.
We probably made a few mistakes, firstly we took the recommendation of a certain chardonnay that i later discovered was $17 a glass and average. We decided to share the flight of pinot's for 2nd round. 1 was excellent, the other 2 not great.
We also decided to share 3 small plates and a salad (a very average caprese that had no imagination) , this was probably the biggest mistake as although they were not too expensive eg $12-15 a plate they were tiny...end result we needed more food and so ended up with the flatbread which was quite large. then the $130 bill turns up.
OK not the worst the place...but too expensive for us to come back again from Encinitas. If we had have paid $80-100 then probably fair.
They had pretty good Flatbreads here. Â I had the Prosciutto with Egg flatbread which was pretty tasty! The Broccolini was deeeelicious. Â I definitely will come back for more wine too. Â The low booth seats were a little uncomfortable so I'll ask for a table next time. Â I stayed at the lovely Rancho Valencia hotel right up the street and it was a great trip!
Review Source:We went for dinner on a Saturday night with a reservation. Â They seated us in a booth which was actually in a lounge area with a very low table and was uncomfortable to sit at as a woman in a short dress, and for my tall husband. Â At some point the staff were cleaning silverware 5 feet away from us and chatting away. Â The ambiance and service were mediocre from our table (even though the rest of the restaurant was beautiful). Â We enjoyed the food and wine, but would not return because of the service/hospitality.
Sometimes you just need a drink! Â After taking our drink/app order later than other guests who arrived after us, our food came first surpisingly. Â Between the bad seating area and the forgetful waitress, we're not feeling loved at this point.
The waitress made the specials sound hardly good (and barely remembered the details) - felt like I was watching episode of Restaurant Impossible. Â When the meat & cheese plate were brought over by the manager or owner, we had to ask him to describe the plate and he begrudgingly did so (we've never had that happen!). Â
Like I said, the food and wine were very good but we felt like we wasted a night out (and money) and should have gone elsewhere. Â Maybe it is a good place for a casual lunch and you should make sure you ask for a good table!
This place is all about the wine. Great location in Rancho Santa Fe with a small wine bar. They have communal tables which I thought was weird, but they're really wide tables and you don't even notice your guests. They arrange it really well on the seating, and we were able to see the fixings in the kitchen.
We sat inside and are glad we did. The atmosphere is much more fun inside. It's lively without being noisy. The crowd is much older, richer RSF crowd. We went on Friday night at 6:30.
Corkage fee is $25. Really good selection of wine at normal prices - not too expensive, but not happy hour prices either.
Many people commented on small size plates. This is NOT true. Portion sizes are very large. Flatbreads are more like pizzas and we split one. We both had appetizer and the garlic gnocchi was okay. You can tell all food is homemade. I"m a foodie and don't think this is as spectacular as Market, Nine-Ten, or Tapenade.
Come for the service (A+), atmosphere (lively!) and good wine (excellent choices).
Very interesting culinary combinations. Â Really enjoyed:
the  PROSCIUTTO & EGG FLATBREAD - nice portion ( size of a small pizza)
The Carlsbad mussels - local seafood with a spicy chorizo broth. Â Unbelievable combination
Yellowtail tartar - fresh and very tasty
We dined on the patio which is quaint, less noisy than inside and offers ample heat lamp coverage so no worries about being cold. Â
Great place for a date night and the wine fanatic.
Came here on a Sunday for an early lunch before the horse races at Del Mar.
The place is beautiful and unique inside but we actually sat outside on the patio which was equally lovely.
We sat down around 11:30 and our waitor brought us waters and didn't come back for another ten minutes to take our drink orders...we got mimosas with the house (aka shitty) champagne which were nine bucks a pop, but standard for this area.
I ordered the lamb sausage flat bread and my dude ordered the tomato/mozzarella/proscuitto panini.
For 17/18 dollars I expected the flat bread to have a LOT more lamb on it. The bread part was tasty and crispy, but the toppings just did nothing for me. Poorly seasoned greens, no sauce, and just a few sad pieces of lamb sausage...I was disappointed.
The panini was delicious, but again, not very generous on the meat.
Our server did not come check on us once; he saw that we had finished and grabbed our plates and didn't come back for another ten minutes so I actually had to go grab him to get the bill. We wanted a quick but enjoyable lunch and it ended up being 2 hours because the service was so slow. There was no one inside and only 4 tables full of people outside with two servers...the service should have been a lot better.
Overall, I would say the food was about a 6, the service was a 3, and the actual restaurant style and atmosphere gets an 8. Has a lot of potential but they really need to step up their game.
Place is awesome! Super helpful staff, nice cozy interior and mouthwatering food. Prices are appropriate for what you get.... This place gets their veggies from Chino farms, same place Wolfgang Puck does. You get what you pay for. If you're expecting Applebee's prices, then maybe go to Applebee's.
Review Source:We went here the other night. The staff were on it upon entry. We made reservations to be safe, but not necessary for a sunday night, since the races are done.
We ordered the standard bruscetta, meat & cheese platter to share. Both were fantastic.
They were out of 2 of our chosen bottles of wine, but that's not a big deal.
We tried the NY steak & short ribs; margherita flat bread and finally the roasted chicken. No complaints. All the ingredients were very fresh & the portion sizes are reasonable, not overwhelming. All were cooked to perfection. I believe the only negative we had was towards the prices. They are quite pricey for the dinners & their portions. I understand they are in Rancho Santa Fe/Fairbanks Ranch & likely have high rent...but the prices are a bit high. Are bill nearly caused a couple heart attacks.
If I could, I would give this place 5 stars for the food and 1 star for the service. Â I made a reservation and when the hostess pointed us to a low sitting cocktail table near the front, I was like "ohhhhhh nooooooo". Â INAPPROP! Â We were there for dinner and wanted a real table, so she took us to the chef's communal table.
The cheese plate is excellent and the apple compote is really unusual but delicious. Â The flatbreads were good as well. Â Very extensive wine list. Â We could see into the kitchen and everything coming out looked great.
For being in such an upscale location, the staff isn't properly trained. Â I mean seating people at cocktail tables when they are there to have dinner? Â Also, the waitress seemed in a rush and did things like reaching across us to pour water because she was too lazy to walk around. Â You can find better trained staff at your local Chili's (not even joking).
I really hope they can improve the service because with great food and great service this place could be around for a long time.
Last night was phenomenal. This is the second time I've been here and this time, I brought a party of 8 for dinner. Let me just say that nobody went home with a doggie bag and if you think that's because they don't have big enough portions for you...then YOU my dear are a glutton.
If you can find Dolce, you are in for a real Food Network experience. You know...where you watch their shows and the flood gates of your saliva glands gush wide open and you are getting pissed because you can't just get in your car and go to Chicago, Boston or Portland? Well, in my humble opinion, Dolce Pane E Vino has come to us and they have arrived in nothing but stellar fashion.
To be able to dine on vegetables and fruit that still has a heartbeat is simple nirvana. To savor roasted bone marrow with fiercely toasted crostinis while sipping on delightfully iced acai' white sangria is downright illegal. Â And their flatbreads (pizza) kicks it up notches above most pizzerias in San Diego with a tomato sauce and flatbread relationship that is not just going to be a one-night-stand. If you don't like their flatbreads, something is seriously wrong with you...maybe your tastebuds are dead...or you missed an appointment with your therapist....or you are into your cologne/perfume more than dining au natural. Capice?
There is one dish listed as an appetizer that totally blew our entire party away. I missed getting a photo of them because 1) everyone popped these little beauties in their mouths before I could snap the button 2) sometimes photos can be so annoying. JAMON IBERICO DE BELLOTA AROUND HONEYDEW MELON. If you know your meat candy...then you know that life is way too short to skimp and not get this. It's sexy, smooth, salty, sweet, savory....front-door fabulous.
Next time I go (oh...I'm definitely going back) I'm wearing a cowboy shirt in honor of the GM who apparently, is from Houston, TX. This man is the epitome of class in slinky, black cowboy boots and grace. Watching this head honcho refill water glasses, clear plates and mingle with the diners spoke volumes in my book. The same goes for ANDY who took 4 of my 5 calls when the number of people in our reservation kept changing. (Dang friends.) Andy, you are front-door fabulous too.
I have a sneakin' suspicion that Dolce Pane e Vino will become "Big as all hell and half of Texas", thus preventing me from getting an easy reservation sooner than later. Good thing they are open everyday!
super good food, wine, service, and ambiance. Â We went with a party of six and four of us showed up about 45 minutes late (fashionably late) while two friends held strong at the bar ... our table was there and waiting for us which was greatly appreciated. Â The wine was an 07 Napa Cab ... Slingshot ... and was a fantastic value, can't remember the price per bottle BUT for a part of six to have had two bottles of red, one bottle of white, three flatbreads, one meat and cheese platter, one order of bone marrow (TO DIE FOR BTW), a beat salad, and a beef carpaccio ad pay $110.00 a couple ... I felt the whole experience was great. Â My wife loved it and my friends loved it ... I loved it. Â Will def. go back.
Review Source:We eat here at least twice a week.
Love love the BLTA sandwich. I get it with the salad option. The salad is just greens with a delicious vinaigrette and is unjustifiably good. It's so simple! But the greens are fresh from Chino's and the dressing rocks.
Watch out for the modified menu from 2:30 to 5. It's basically flat breads and drinks (no BLTA). But at least they are still open.
Salumi flat bread is really good, butterscotch dessert is really good too. They make their own gelatos, but I am not a fan.
Two small things I like: their iced tea and music.
Really cool place. Love the salumi "flatbread" and the BLTA. Don't get chicken on the BLTA like I did the first time. It cranks up the price of the sandwich to a $19 BLTAC and the chicken doesn't work with the combo. They give you a very gracious amount of bacon in the first place.
I don't drink, but it's apparent that there is a very nice wine collection here.
Recently there has been this disturbing leg of some animal in the back that I tend to stare at for a few minutes each time I go back even though I know it's cured and totally normal. I guess that's why I'm not a chef.
I'm also tempted to try the super duper ultimate water filter machine they have, but I don't want to pay for it. Curious as to why it costs money.
They are guilty, just like almost every restaurant in the Ranch, of switching their menus around at certain times in the day (I believe 2pm).
P.S. Do yourself a favor and get the butterscotch dessert thing.
This nice restaurant / Wine Bar is located in a shopping center on the south side of Rancho Santa Fe. Â It features a wine store and restaurant, it also has a full bar. Â It is well appointed, comfortable furniture and a great place to meet people. Â It's not cheap ! Â Most of the wine list is bottles $100+ You won't find and value wine here ! We enjoyed a bottle of Dry Creek Zinfandel ($57). Â The food is wonderful, it features local produce from Chino Farms and the chef does a great job ! Â The menu is however somewhat limited, the food prices are reasonable. Â I enjoyed bacon wrapped pork tenderlion that was done perfectly and the plating looked great. Â My companion had flatbreads, this is a thin crust pizza in a wood fired oven. Â The ambiace is nice although just a bit loud. Â They also have a very nice patio looking over Ranch properties.
Review Source:Great ambiance, eclectic menu and wine list with a warm and inviting staff. Â The nontraditional setting of this neighborhood restaurant welcomes you when you walk in the door with art, wonderful lighting and the chef wanting to please you. Â Menu changes often with local grown produce and chef's ideas. Â Great sharing portion sizes so you try several items. Â The porcini sausage pizza was delic! Â Looking forward to next time.
Review Source:We had another fabulous dinner at Dolce recently, actually twice. Â We were there for their Caymus Wine Dinner that Chef Chris paired perfectly with the Caymus and then we were there for Christmas Eve with family and friends. Â Excellent food and service. Â We will be back and pick up some wine to take home!
Review Source:This review is about drinking rather than eating!
Had a wonderful birthday at Dolce's champagne tasting event.
They do ongoing really fun/cool events that are in addition to the wonderful restaurant.
As you walk in your are struck by the warm inviting interior and decorating. Its like how you wish your villa in France looked like that you visit on the weekend! Â I love the seating in the restaurant and the colors and textures. just beautiful. Â Bar is gorgeous too and BIG, plenty of room to rub elbows with the RSF elite!
The outdoor patio is also very nice and overlooking Jenny Craigs horse farm.
Haven't eaten there yet, only had cocktails but menu was impressive but expensive.
Love the open kitchen and seeing the action going on. Â Once again a shocking find in a strip mall, but of course, its a strip mall in Rancho Santa Fe so I guess its not surprise how elegant it is!
Look forward to going back to eat and a great place to just drop in for a glass of wine or cocktail, bar is gorgeous.
A friend of mine went here when it first opened and waited over an hour for his food. ( whole family with small children). One mom ( with toddler)
left. Finally the waitress came with the check and asked if they enjoyed the food. He replied that they didn't GET their food yet. Sh actually asked if he was sure!? Â So I still thought I'd give it a go. Â The service was so bad,
we never actually got our appetizers, and the brochette we got for 2 people, was 3 silver dollar sized bites. Awkward.
Even I they can get the service part fixed, I would say overpriced for what it is. I'll take Pampelmousse over this any day.
It's too bad, as I was excited for a new game in town.
Had a completely satisfying experience at lunch. Â The corn chowder was delicious, and the chicken pannini done just the way I like - with more ingredients than bread and expertly grilled with the component textures and tastes preserved.
Can't wait to go back and try the more complex offerings at dinner time.
Yum yum Dolce: good wine and delicious bites.
We did the $20 per person wine tasting last night  (from 4-6pm) and loved every moment of it.  The tastings are done on the back patio which is so lovely, but I do suggest coming early to snag a shady spot. Â
Passed apps were included with the tasting and of the ones that we tried, the 4 cheese flatbread was definitely my favorite. Â And once the wine buzz kicked in, we also ordered a cheese plate (super yum) and a fungi flat bread pizza (not my fave, but still good).
All in all I would say if you are a wine lover, Dolce is a must try.
I absolutely love Dolce!! Â
As a new resident to San Diego, my family decided to take me out to dinner for my 25th birthday. Â We decided on Dolce mainly because it was close, and second because we are huge wine fans. Â We showed up without a reservation (bad idea for parties of 4 or more) and they managed to work us in anyways. Â They have traditional style seating, so you usually get sat with other parties- which, when wine is flowing, is usually a lot of fun!
The food was amazing, definitley worth the price. Â The wine was fantastic as well, as my family and I have been back many times to indulge. Â And dessert, well... enter at your own risk! Â This place has got what it takes to keep you coming back for more!
I read the stellar reviews here on Yelp and was looking forward to my visit to Dolce. I ordered a BLT panini. It was $13 with soup. The soup was great - smoky tomato, very good.
The "panini" was a toasted white bread sandwich. The bread was the kind that you get from Safeway for $1 for a really long loaf. From Wikipedia: "Panini are sandwiches, Italian in origin, but now international. In Italy, a panino (Italian pronunciation: [panino]) is customarily made from a small roll or loaf of bread, typically a ciabatta or a rosetta. "
It was okay as a toasted white bread sandwich, but I do not think it was a panini. And I'm not sure I would have minded if it were some other kind of bread (I hesitate to say the word "artisan", since that too means different things to different people), it's the holding out of plain ol' white bread as panini material that is objectionable.
Finally, a new spot to eat in the Ranch!!
Pros:
Location - If you live/work in the area, then you know how desperately we need new restaurants!
Wine - If you like wine, then this is a spot for you. Â Lots of choices at all price ranges.
Soup - The cauliflower soup is the stuff dreams are made of...so delicious with veggies from Chino Farms.
Cons:
Price/Portions - The food is expensive considering these are "tasting" plates. Â The paninis come with a side soup or salad, so that is by far the best deal. The pane rusticos (flatbread pizzas) are tasty, but tiny.
Beverages - If you don't drink wine, then your beverage selection is limited. Â They only offer bottled iced tea (and if you've read my other reviews, then you know that this is a big pet peeve of mine...it's fresh brewed or nothing!).
It just recently opened, so I'm hoping that they revise the menu to be more satisfying for the price. Â But overall a great addition to the Ranch.
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