Dolce Vita Coffee Art

Wonderful, spacious café! Lots of outlets and free wifi so a perfect place to get some work done! A wide variety of people, from hipsters to business people! I had the basil chicken pesto panini and it was delicious! Very comfortable atmosphere! Would highly recommend this place to anyone looking to sit down and get some work done as there is lots of seating!

A top-​notch Americano! The food is also tasty, but the atmosphere could be cozier. Even so, I like the bright, naturally lit setting and the staff is friendly.

If you’re looking for a spot to work with a laptop (as I was recently), the pros of this place are that there is plenty of space to spread out, and they seem fine with you ordering a drink and sitting for a few hours. The cons are that it can be quite loud, depending on whether the owners are chatting with customers, and there’s a limited supply of power outlets.

Visited Victoria July of 2014 and I walked to this place every morning! The Spanish latte is wonderful and the latte art is good too. Except the baristas slam the pitcher to get the bubbles out of the milk… but that’s the coffee snob coming out from me. (Taping the pitcher actually ruins your milk, people). Also, the coconut bars are to die for!!! Next time I visit I will be back here.

My sister spotted this coffee place while walking along Douglas St. I had their mocha on ice and their hot mocha on different days. Both were very good drinks and gave me a nice kick when I needed a boost to my day. If you have their hot drinks in the shop, they have cool coffee art designs with the froth.

Initially intrigued that they served Intelligentsia roast (I have visited three of the Intelligentsia café locations in Chicago), I was very pleasantly surprised by both the food and quality of the coffee and latte art.
Though the staff were not your typical hipsters, they impressed me with how well they new their local patrons. They impressed me even more with the high quality of the latte art.
I am a soft touch for a good cinnamon roll, and theirs was excellent as well.
Highly recommend this place.
Please note that I feel that I should qualify this review by noting that I am very, very fussy over my café choices. I was extremely disappointed when C. Art. closed in Victoria, but would go back to Dolce Vita in an instant.

Very good coffee. Spacious place so we were not cramped in. Pumpkin scone was delicious and my husband liked the cinnamon roll. Very cute older couple that own it and work it. Worth the walk from the empress hotel

The oat bar was actually pretty good, despite looking bland in the case… well, it is sort of bland («oat». «bar».) but I was pleasantly surprised by it’s subtle sweetness and subtle moist content.
The latte was pretty good. I forgot what I had but I did finish it like a speedy delivery.
It makes for some interesting people watching, as well, from old lady group coffee times to busy consumed students with their laptops.

Spotting an Intelligentsia logo in a coffee shop window in Victoria is surely a welcome sign. As is the gorgeous La Marzocco machine sitting majestically up on the front counter.
Disappointing is a properly presented but not that proper tasting espresso. Could be the grind was off on the day I visited or it’s simply not being pulled with a ton of care. I’ve been a big fan of Intelligentsia when I’ve had it in PDX and SF, but the quality of the beans is only one part of an equation that results in a perfect cup of coffee. And some variable was off here.
Can’t say what it was, but neither the Americano nor Latte I scored here (one for me, one for the wife) were up to the par I was expecting for this roast.
Still way better than your average burnt-​bean macro-​roast coffee, that’s for sure. But not as good as even the local roast down the way.

After searching and searching for a place that was open on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, and almost giving up, we ended up at Dolce Vita. I wasn’t expecting much to be honest, but it was actually really really great.
I ordered the artichoke chipotle calzone with low expectations. I am not usually a fan of chipotle, but I wanted to nibble on something and it was the only thing that looked good to me in that moment out of all their display case options.
I was a little nervous when I saw them put it in the microwave, thinking it would be all soggy and half cold, but was pleased to see them throw it on the panini press after a quick warmup!
It was hot, crisp, cheesy, melty, and delicious! I would definitely order this again.
I also ordered the Banana Mocha. THIS WAS SO GOOD. Sure, it’s probably not REAL banana, but it’s fucking tasty. I wish I’d had more of this! It was sweet, like a hot chocolate, but not so sugary that it was vomit inducing. I want to drink this every day. Why have I not seen it anywhere in Vancouver?

This place was pretty rad — complete with friendly service and an interesting mix of clientele; from business men in pony tails, to a rambling elderly lady who came in and almost kicked us out of «her favorite sitting spot» and a cool selection of interesting beverages and snacks.
After a local friend carted us around to three other coffee shops that were all closed on Thanksgiving day (I sometimes forget that Victoria isn’t a real city) we landed at Dolce Vita, and for a fourth choice it was still a very nice one.
Soy London fog: perfect
Banana mocha: Amazing — why have I not seen this before?
Pumpkin spice tea: Wow — this is way better than the pumpkin spice lattes everywhere else is all about this time of year
Spinach feta chipotle calzone: WAY better than I expected from a coffee shop, and not goopy so you can eat it with your hands

I’m so glad we stumbled upon this cute little place. The coffee list is pretty impressive, with some interesting specialty drinks I’d never seen before (like an «africano» and a «spanish latte»). We stayed in, sat down, and had the lemon cake which was a gorgeous mix of lemon custard and whipped cream in sponge cake. The coffees were good, the service was friendly, the place was adorable!~

Victoria has no lack of coffee shops, that’s for sure. In fact they have no short supply of good, creative, local coffee shops.
What sets Dolce Vita apart from the other local shops is their care and dedication to really good coffee, both their basic coffee and their specialty drinks. They put real care and effort into creating a consistent, high quality, enjoyable coffee.
In addition, they carry a variety of baked goods including gluten free, dairy free muffins.
I had a soy latte and an apple muffin on my way to work the other morning. Price for food and coffee was comprable with every other establishment, I’d say, however the service was slow. This is true about whenever you get coffee from them, however it’s not because they are doing other things, it’s because they are putting some solid TLC into your drink.

Intelligentsia coffee in BC, properly brewed and presented.

I am very fond of this coffee shop. Whenever I am downtown during the day, I almost always drop in for a drink.
The drinks are quite good with several unique options on the menu. My personal favorites are the Spanish Latte and the Rooibos Caramel. Their regular drinks are also very good and the coffee art adds a whimsical finish.
I should add a couple of cautions. Firstly, do not go to Dolce Vita if you want a fast cup of coffee on the run (at least not a latte or something mixed). The pace of the shop is best described as leisurely and your drink will take time (especially if you order a tea misto as they make it with loose tea). I personally like the slower pace (the owners are a delight to talk to) but you may not. (Dolce Vita has another location on Yates St. a few blocks away which is a little quicker as I recall)
Secondly, be warned the coffee is quite strong and the flavour of the coffee comes through –very– distinctly in the mochas and lattes. If you don’t like a dominant coffee flavour when you order a mixed coffee drink, give Dolce Vita a pass.
The shop itself is quite large with ample seating for many patrons, so it is usually possible to find a seat. The décor is simple and relaxing which I find adds to the leisurely feel.
Well worth a stop if you have some time to spare.