Dolce Vita Wine Bar

I’m not a big NoDa person but I have to say, I love this little wine spot. Great place to hang out with the girls or just go in solo for a drink. Sometimes they have love music, that’s cool. Prices are good too. I’m a fan.

Awesome food great service! Kasey and Cameron were great and Davey was very passionate about his cooking! Great pizza!

I went to Dolce Vita for the first time using a Unilocal Deal. I have since gone back and I think I might be hooked! It’s such a relaxing place for a date night or just to hang out with your girlfriends! My boyfriend and I went last night (Wednesday) and were pleasantly surprised with the bill. We got 3 glasses of wine each, 2 of their personal size pizzas, and the hummus all for under $ 40. All of their wine by the glass was half off! They seem to have some great deals throughout the week.
The atmosphere is great and they had the garage door open to Davidson St. We will definitely be back!

Very chill place in the heart of NoDA. I recommend the vintner’s guild pinot noir and the cheese plate (favorite cheese was cranberry-​something). I especially liked that it wasn’t noisy inside, which isn’t very typical of other NoDa establishments on a Friday night. Perfect low-​key place for a date night.

Dolce, I love you! They have amazing bartenders (Paul is the BEST!), a fantastic wine selection and surprisingly great food. I say «surprisingly» because I usually don’t expect much from the food that gets sold at bars. BUT, the «Beast From the Middle East» wrap is my go-​to sandwich (it has stuffed grapes leave INSIDE THE WRAP, y’all), and their honey-​drizzled baked brie is out of this world. Their Sunday morning waffles are insanely good, too. Check this place out, since there seems to be something for everyone here… they even have plenty of beer & mixed drinks for the non-​wine folks.

I really want to like this place, but just can’t because the service is horrible. I’ve been here 2 or 3 times and on each occasion the service has been bad. I understand the place is in Noda and things seem to move at a slower pace, but it is unreasonably slow here. On my most recent trip, I had to take the checks/​cards up to the bar to have them processed because the waitress/​bartender never came around to pick them up. Once I gave them to her, she processed the first one after having to slide the card about 5 times. Then for my check, she told me she doesn’t accept American Express, which I do understand, so I gave her a Visa. I then noticed a sign above the register that stated no Amx or Discover, but they are using Discover check holders… hmmm. So she tried running my card like 10 times but the computer would never work/​accept it. She told me that the owner is in the back pulling reports and it’s making the system slow and she couldn’t get it to work. (why couldn’t those reports be pulled during the day when the bar is not open?) Her alternative to the issue was for me to use their personal ATM. I told her that wasn’t an option as I would be charged approximately $ 5 in fees for a tab that was only $ 10. She got pretty aggravated and handed me back my card and just said she would handle it.
Also, the wine list is very small to be a «wine bar» and the pizza is not good at all. It totally tasted like it was frozen and heated up in the microwave.
I’ve given this place multiple opportunities to change my mind about it, but I will not be back and don’t recommend it to other people either.

Great atmosphere, great wine, great food. Sometimes has a band or artist playing music which is nice. Staff is knowledgeable about their wine and food which is always a plus. It is not too loud so it would be a great meet up place for a date or to see some friends. Location, location location! NODA is a great spot for a wine bar like this. Love that they had a Unilocal deal so that I was able to try things for half off.

This is one of my favorite places to go for a girls night out. It has a great atmosphere, and lots of great wine (and beer too.) My friends and I always get hungry when we’re out, so it’s nice that this place also has a high quality offering of snacks and small meals like sandwiches and flat breads. I really like the Mediterranean plate with lots of hummus and olives.
The indoor-​outdoor seating makes for a great atmosphere and keeps the place from getting too insanely loud when it’s full.
There are different styles of seating from high tops to tables, to couches, to a bar, to stools with old wine barrels as the table. So you can pick what kind of night you want to have.
I’ll definitely be back.

Classy little wine bar without the pretentious feel. Small menu items and pizza but kitchen closes at 10 on weekdays. So far, I’ve tried the wine, but not the food. I will be back.

Dolce Vita is a staple here in the NoDa district. If you’re bar-​hopping through this neck of the woods, this is a stop not to be missed. And don’t be fooled by the name, they have beer too! They also apparently have a full service meal menu although I admittedly have not eaten a full meal here before. I typically drop in for a beer or two and something from the tapas side of the menu.
I personally love to go for the pita points and hummus or pesto. I often have cravings for this menu item months after coming in here. So they must be doing something right! I like to compliment it with a can of the Stoney’s brew. The cheapest and best beer for the price on their menu, if I recall correctly. I’m no wine connoisseur but they have quite the selection. As long as there’s a merlot to be had, I’m sold.
They’ve got décor down, by the way. A roll-​up garage style door makes the place look like a reno’d loft where somebody once parked their car alongside their living quarters. When the weather is stellar, they’ll roll it up and the whole place seamlessly connects to the street outside for that integrated nightlife feel. Just inside the door they’re known to have live performances on busy nights. The walls are deco’d with a few hanging bikes — everso necessary for that proper NoDa charm. And the seating is in no short supply from couches to tables to barstools around barrels.

We stopped in here on a Saturday while walking around Noda just to get a drink and hopefully an appetizer. We loved the place, it was small and intimate and lots of light during the day, just a great place to stop for a quick drink. Sadly they didn’t start selling food until 5 which was a major bummer. I was hoping for some snack choices. While we were in their drinking another table came in and was able to get an appetizer, when we asked about it they said an employee had come in early so they were willing so serve humus & pita. The humus was fantastic, as were the pita. Humus was nutty with great flavor and texture. I wasn’t a huge fan of our waitress as she never came over without being asked but other than that I loved everything about it and can’t wait to give it another try.

On one of these gorgeous late-​winter /​early-​spring days Charlotte has been enjoying recently, I found myself wandering aimlessly around the neighborhood. Typically, my evenings take me where I’m supposed to be without my having to plan for any cause or direction. I kinda just let the dull rumble of scrolling traffic and chilled breeze of dusklit air guide me… and, inexorably, to Dolce Vita I was drawn.
Dolce’s «my place», in regards to Charlotte watering holes. It was the first bar I got comfortable in when I moved here. It’s the place my friends and I always default to when we don’t know where else to go. It’s casually cozy, it’s subtly artsy, it’s predictably fabulous… and it seems no matter what day or time or how empty or how full, there’s always this one tattered chair there waiting for me.
Around 7pm, on this particular Tuesday night, there was no one there. No one but me. I don’t typically drink alone (well, that’s not true… I don’t typically drink alone in a public place), but Dolce is as much my living room as any other place so it didn’t even cross my mind.
I strolled in and hunkered down in the middle of the bar, right in front of the primary flat-​screen, which tends to run Animal Planet programming about 90% of the time. I watched a promo for the upcoming episode of River Monsters. It just made sense.
In due haste, Evan came from the back room behind the bar. He’s a handsome bastard; well built with a strong voice. The sorta guy you want to jealously dislike the moment you see him, but then can’t help but bro-​out with once you’re three sentences in. He’s a charmer. I ordered a gin n tonic; there wasn’t much debate. Evan absconded to fetch a bottle of gin from the store room.
Dolce used to be all wine, with some beer. Then the beer offerings swelled. Later, and not at all long ago, they introduced liquor drinks… and things went from here (hand held at neck height) to here (hand extended high above head). It’s as if they did it all just for me…
I have all these marked moments in my Dolce memory, like the notches of a child’s growth against his bedroom doorframe… First it was swilling half-​priced reds and laughing with my cronies on the oversized ratty sofa in the back corner. Then it was soulful conversations by the window over glasses of Riesling and pints of oatmeal stouts. On holiday nights it’s piggy-​back rides and jello shots… or New Year’s kisses and tiny squints in small light that capture every flutter of that one girl’s batted lashes. Its unfinished cement is a gently rolling ocean beneath my drunken feet. Its flat-​barrel tables and thrift store sofa-​chairs are my boats and my buoys. Its red walls and spotted ceilings are my searing horizon. When I’m gone, I get found here. When I wanna be deep in the drink, this is where I do it. All the faces are familiar and beautiful. And there’s never a story told that you’ve already heard before.
Evan brought me my gin and we started up a chat. He talked to me about the new liquor offerings and what he was trying out for the menu. He spoke to me, enthusiastically, about this roasted beet purée drink he had concocted. I was more than intrigued. «Would it put you out to make one of those right now?» I asked. «I think have enough for just one more,» he replied. Sometimes it just all works out.
What Evan presented me wasn’t a drink so much as it was a journey. Served tall and cold in a wine glass, garnished fancily and fitted to the brim. Roasted beets, blended, with gin, lemon, zest of lemon, and ginger beer on top. At first you get the beets… rich and earthy and simply sweet — but not too sweet — and underneath that you feel the gin, warming your throat from within the cold slush as it swallows down. Then, after you gulp, the ginger rises up through your nose and tickles out like a breathless exhale. My eyebrows raised high. «Wow…» I stammered. «That was quite a process… I just took a trip.»
Evan nodded. «Yeah, I like to do that double-​hit. You get one thing up front, and then something else after.»
I smiled. «Yup.»
He started mashing some apples into a bowl. «I got these fresh apples at the market. I’m trying to do something with their juice.» He wiped his hands and moved toward me down the bar. «And I got this vanilla-​infused honey from a vendor earlier. Wanna try?» I sampled it… it blew my mind.
A friend called me for dinner, so I had to cut away. As we ate, I spoke to them of the beet drink and the journey it had taken me on. I managed to convince my crew to swing back by for one quick round after we finished our meal.
By 9pm, Dolce was full up with life and light and laughter. Evan was behind the bar, shaker in hands, eyes wide, smiling tall as he broke words and commanded his station. I sidled up. «Figure out that apple drink?» I asked.
«That’s what I’m making right now.»
«Bring us three when you get a chance.»
One round turned into two, three, five… and I sank deep into a spectacular evening.

So before I moved to the mountains I decided to try this place one more time… without the crazy X… and it was a lot more fun.
I continue to find the staff on the ball here and selection continues to change.
It was great to try this place one more time… without the drama of basket droppers.

I’d never been before, so I didn’t know what to expect.
I guess the immediate impression is kind of a wine dive bar with the rustic charm & old chairs & sofas.
Other than that immediate impression, though it’s a laid-​back, neighborhood atmosphere with a good wine selection & pretty good food!
I had the smoked turkey with fig & brie on a panini & it was delicious. I wish they weren’t so sparing on the fig spread, but I would get it again.
The guy that was serving, was super nice & checked in to make sure I was happy with the food & for any refills on wine.
It’s a little out of the way for me, but I’d definitely recommend it. They also have a nice patio they open up for good weather.

Very relaxed wine bar in NoDa. It has that gritty, urban-​artsy thing that the rest of NoDa has, but an intimate wine bar feel at the same time.
There are plenty of tables and several chairs and couches for relaxing with your poison of choice and a long bar that runs the length of one wall. The thing that struck me the most is that, unlike many wine bars, they have not crammed the place full of furniture. There is open space to move around and stand and hang out if you like.
The drink menu is decent, with several styles of wine and beer to choose from and usually something nice on special. Our first visit was for a Sunday drink before an appointment at Fu’s across the street. It was very quiet and relaxing. Another atypical thing for Charlotte: the TVs were tuned to Indy races, a theme echo in the bathroom décor. A bar in in the QC that isn’t just football or NASCAR? What a welcome change!
Following the lead of the table near us, we ordered some hummus from the kitchen. Great flavor and their grilled flat bread is pretty addictive!
Usually I’m all about the breweries in this neighborhood, but I’ll definitely be back to imbibe on the juice at Dolce Vita.

This place has a 4.5 star average??! WTF?! Maybe my perception of what a wine bar should be is wrong. Couple of points…
1. Wine bars do not have ping ping tables
2. Wine bars have more than 6 – 7 wines by the glass
3. Most wine bars have an eclectic and varied menu with gourmet options for pairing. This place has a personal-​sized pepperoni pizza! WTF?!

Love that this No Da staple is seeing so much love!
I don’t know my wines very well & that’s totally fine! Their ‘menu’ has very descriptive wording, that makes my wine selection easy!
Be careful… this place keeps a steady stream of people! But it’s nice & cozy inside, so you won’t mind.
Oh & sushi on Thursday nights? YES, PLEASE!

As soon as i hear wine bar, i think pretentious or some sort of fancy pants place. i don’t frequent wine bars so i don’t know if that is just a misconception in my head, because this was definitely not the case at Dolce Vita. They lured us in with ½ price pizza on the chalkboard on a Tuesday night. Superb little pizzas. Tried the three meat and the veggie like one with red peppers. Both were delicious. Felt obligated to order some wine and it was very agreeable.
It’s just a chill spot with mostly wood tables and chairs with an open air feel with the one side open to a few patio tables. There were just a few people around the bar and it was surprisingly loud, but i guess you’ll have that when you’re serving PBR tallboys. Not uncomfortably loud, but louder than expected with the small crowd.
We had a fun little night in NoDa and it all started at Dolce Vita.

Yet another cute little place in NoDa that I somehow didn’t know existed. The hubby and I passed this place while on our way to a different restaurant and we couldn’t help but notice the sign that read 50% off pizza. Mr. P. had pizza on the mind anyway so we decided it would be worth a try. This place is small but has a fun feel to it. Keeping to the theme of NoDa they have plenty of local art on display and a few random items (surf board, bicycle, etc) used for décor on the walls. They offer a mix of seating with a few normal tables, some lounge chairs, and pub tables made from large barrels. They also have a good sized bar with seating.
If you’re starving and looking for a big fancy feast this isn’t the place you’ll find it. This is primarily a wine bar with a limited food menu. However, the personal pizzas, normally priced $ 5-​$ 7, are delicious and well worth paying only $ 2.50-$ 3.50. What a steal! The size of the personal pizza is just enough to fill up one person, and I even had room for dessert afterward.
The hubby and I each had one glass of wine and both wines were very tasty. This is a great laid back place to meet up with some friends, relax and have a couple glasses of wine (or whole bottles depending on your prefrence).

I have to echo others’ reviews and totally agree — this is such a laid back, chill wine bar, in the best way possible. I’ve been here a few times but more recently for a casual bite and glass of wine. The owners are very, very kind and bend over backwards to ensure that you enjoy your time here.
I ordered a delicious glass of Malbec, adequately priced and would be even more intriguing on a Wed. during with their half price glasses of wine! For my meal, I split the Baked Brie — a generous chunk of brie wrapped in a light pastry topped with balsamic and honey. This delectable chunk o’ cheese was served with a handful of pita triangles and crackers. It’s cheese, it’s baked and I mauled it.
As for my meal, I went with the Roasted Red Pepper Panini, which was filled with thick sliced of marinated roasted reds and mozzarella. I chose a side of mixed greens instead of chips and was served a mighty large side of salad. The sammie and greens were flavorful and definitely enough to fill me up.
Dolce Vita is a great place to take a load off and chill with friends. You can also buy bottles to go, too! I believe they charge 50% of the list price.