Small and welcoming Italian cafe. Great pastries, coffees and if you’re a sweet tooth, this is your place.
This is a small, artisan patisserie creating a tantalising range of both sweet and savoury delights with a Sicilian twist in North Melbourne.
To call their offerings “manufactured” or “mass produced” as some reviewers have done is gobsmacking and laughable. I think Dolcetti’s back room kitchen is smaller than my tiny inner city living room, Coffee is decent but the star attraction here are the sweets and the limited savoury treats. The panna cotta vanilla tart is heavenly.
Dolcetti is like experiencing a local village pasticceria in Sicily or Nonna’s kitchen on Sunday. Hands down the best Italian custard in Melbourne (ok Australia) and the most authentic family recipes. Traditional Biscuits, tortas, bombolone, pizze, ricotta sweets and nougat complimented with a damn good coffee. You’ll be addicted before you can say Ciao!
Simply the best!!!!
Marianna is the ultimate 'queen' of delicious pastries!! Recently tried a fruit pastry with figs...picked from her father's tree! Dolcetti is authentic...not your mass-produced 'industrial' cakes/pastries. On a hot Melbourne day her almond granita is bliss.
It's my fave place for coffee/something sweet and delicious. I am a happy 'addict' !!
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Dolcetti cannot be faulted for its sweets or coffee. It is perfection in every way. It is 100% authentic Sicilian which uses the best ingredients seasonally.
My all time favourite is the Budino that usually pops up during winter, it’s so light, yet creamy & moorish.
I also love the Mimosa tart that shows up in the summer. The fresh pineapple along with the custard & cream offers the most amazing texture. The Ricotta Canoli is to die for, though I think they would be better in the larger original size rather than the smaller type. You always want more!
The cafe itself is cute, quaint, humble but small. It has an old Italian vibe that offers nostalgia in a city that moves forward for modern.
Dolcetti can get quite busy on weekends & when the weather is nice. There is usually people waiting for a table, but some regulars tend to think they own VIP status & believe they can sit there as long as they like, even when they can see people are waiting. Dolcetti only has about 4 tables inside that seat 2 patrons & the VIP crew love to join the tables & hog up the space & act like they own the place.
Customer service is quite polite & very accommodating from the Baristas. They usually have a beautiful nature & beautiful personalities. I do believe that the owner can pick & choose who she is friendly with & if you are not in ‘the know’ she won’t make effort to say hi or greet you. Sadly, getting her attention depends on who you are, which is a shame. It can make you feel unappreciated as a customer when she greets & makes conversation with others & doesn’t even give
you eye contact.
Overall perfect sweets, gorgeous whole cakes but it could be friendlier.
Eat_today_diet_tomorrow
+5
Amazing and friendly staff
The pear pastry, burt lemon curt tart, pannacotta tart were our favorite.
The hot chocolate tastes amazing too
Would go again ! Soon
A true Italian gem!! So close to Vic Market. OMG best pillowy donut I've ever had in Melbourne without a greasy mouthfeel.... Love the bombolone with chocolate custard and the casateddi filled with ricotta! It stays permanently on my REGULARs list! :)
Located in North Melbourne this is one of those places that I desperately wish was closer to home. I try and call in whenever I can and am never disappointed. Visited at 9.30 am this morning and tried one of their amazing fig brioche. Still warm from the oven it is quite simply one of the loveliest pastries I have ever eaten. All savoury and sweet items I have tried have been delicious. The nougat is always wonderful as are the soups in Winter and a special tip - close to Easter they make amazing hot cross buns. A Melbourne treasure.
Dolcetti is one of our favourite pastry shops in Melbourne. In the tradition of a Sicilian pasticceria, its cakes, pastries and biscuits are truly wonderful. Try the Sicilian specialities, such as the savoury impanate and the sweet cassateddi, and make sure you leave enough room for one or two amaretti.
My mum and I literally just walked into this little jewel of a cafe / bakery after visiting the lovely 'Star of the Sea' Catholic Church just nearby.
Small, basic but also welcoming at the same time. You get a sense that it has been here a long time. No pretensions, just a place that has obviously built a well deserved reputation.
The food here is beautifully made, and they make a great coffee too. The take away selection of small pastries and little cakes, just amazing. And the nougat blocks ... 😀
All baked / made on premises.
Will be going back, if you are in the area... pop in 👍👍
5/5 from me and mum.
I asked around the office for where the best cannoli in Melbourne can be found, and Anthony (bearing an Italian passport) pointed me over to Dolcetti. It’s an easy walk from the market and the cabinets are lined with lots of delicious-looking baking across cakes, cheesecakes, danishes, donuts and tarts. I was only here for the one thing though.
Dolcetti came by recommendation for its cakes and pastries. This quaint little cafe serves up a range of delicate and delicious desserts. Would recommend coming here early as some of the best cakes are quickly sold out. Dark Chocolate Gianduja Tart $4.50. Reminded me of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate in tart form. Good quality chocolate. 7.8/10
Dolcetti is an unassuming Italian bakery that I wish I'd discovered sooner. They use great quality ingredients here, with my favourite item being the pear and pistachio tart. The thin slices of pear and layer of pistachio frangipane was absolutely delicious on top of the flakey and buttery pastry crust. True to the Italian heritage, Dolcetti also offers a range of bite-sized amaretti biscuits and I particularly liked taste and texture of the pistachio amaretti. I found their best selling cassateddi slightly too sweet with the sugar coating, however, the ricotta encased in the brioche was lovely nonetheless. The savoury pastries here are great too!
Wonderful little Sicilian bakery near Queen Vic Market. Absolutely delicious pastries- seriously some of the best Italian baked goods in Melbourne. Must try the cassateddi - a Sicilian brioche pastry filled with sweetened ricotta - absolutely amazing! Make sure you take home a selection of the biscuits as well. Lovely staff and great service rounds out a really delicious experience.
My favourite place to buy Italian sweets and cakes in Melbourne! There is always a delicious selection to choose from and its definitely the closest you can get to the traditional sweets from Italy!
Doughboy Doughnuts for their epic gourmet doughnuts and coffee. These aren’t just your average doughnuts -they are made fresh in batches everyday and hand dipped in palate popping flavours. Think lemon zest and poppy-seed or a two Double D (peanut butter, chocolate and nuts). This is a doughnut experience like no other.
Lives up to the hype!. Went in last week for first time, having seen it on Food Safari. Definitely lives up to the hype. Small place, don't expect to walk in with a group of six and find a table. Don't listen to the noise in previous posts about "poor service". It's not a restaurant with an army of servers, it's two people handling everything, and one is only four/five days a week.
Food is legit. Had an apple & pear pastry, quite possibly the best puff pastry I've ever had in a sweet. Great spot; keep up the good work!!
MelbourneStaycation.com
+4.5
My number 1 sweet shop in Melbourne is Dolcetti. It is a little Sicilian pastry and cake shop in West Melbourne – with a delicious range of small pastries, biscotti, tarts and doughnuts. If you wish to be greeted with adulation when you visit someone, nip in and select a box of sweets. If you want to see a bloke go ga-ga, give him anything from this shop with custard in it. The kids (and some of the adults) love the doughnuts. And I love, well almost everything in this shop. Everything is made on site here. Dolcetti also make large cakes on order (from about $40 upwards) and chocolate name plates for large cakes ($2.50). I find it costs me about $18 to fill a small box with sweets, which are individually sold at around $2.50 – $4.00, depending on the size and type. Dolcetti also serves tea and coffee with tables inside and outside. Pop in here and reward yourself after you finish shopping at nearby Victoria Market. Open during the day from Tuesday – Saturday. Doors are usually closed a
i totally enjoyed spending my afternoon desserts there and looking forward to try their famous biscuits. Staffs and the place itself are just lovely. Cakes and pastries are all freshly baked and good with cheap prices!
Spoonfuls Of Wanderlust
+4.5
This blog post contains photos only.
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Pasticceriartisans. The word "pasticceria" encompasses a lot of territory when it comes to bakeries. Sometimes it means a place that does bikkies and other average pastries with a bit of an Italian edge; other times it signifies a place whose pastry rises to the level of art. Dolcetti falls into the latter category. Its creations are small, original and finely crafted. I'm talking about touches such as glass-like shards of caramelised butterscotch on top of miniature cheesecakes, or a delicate pistachio biscuit covered with chunky nuts and a candied cherry adorning the centre. These are the sorts of things you want to take photos of before you eat them, just to remember how pretty they were. The prices are bigger than the pastries -- I'm talking the $5 to $6 range for smallish sweets -- but if you want big and cheap, go to Brumby's. If you're going to a dinner party hosted by foodies and you want to make them go "Ooh" and "Aah" then try Dolcetti.
P.S. To counter the complaint about the service, I came by at the end of the day and bought three items for takeaway. The counter girl was friendly to me and even threw in an extra pastry for free, since it would soon be a day-old. That's nicer treatment than I get at most places.
Aaa rating!!. This morning was my first time trying Dolcetti. I gave it a try as it was so highly rated. As usual, I ask the lady behind the desk, what is your best seller? I couldn't hear her that well so I just said yea sure ill get it. Turn out it was freshly bake pear pestry. it was very light. very tasty and very filling. You guy can check out my photos. I enjoy it so much that I went back to try this other pichacio biscuit. Again loving it. I am so coming back next weekend!!
Amazing. I can't believe that someone wrote that the cakes have a mass-produced feel to them! They are the most stunning hand-made cakes you'll taste outside of Italy and if you don't believe me, just look at the pictures. (Or taste for yourself!)
The business is family owned and everything is made out the back in the tiny kitchen. The cakes are "to die for" and worth every single delicious calorie. My favourites are the mandarin and almond cake, and custard tarts, the lemon tarts.... The chocolate hazelnut nougat... I can't wait til I can order this year's birthday cake. I love you Dolcetti!
Dolce Latte Cheesecake. Wonderful Sicilian bakery that never disappoints. The dolce latte cheese cake topped with toffee is an elegant and special treat that I travel across town to indulge in. Reasonably priced and beautifully produced may the team at Dolcetti enjoy much success.
Elegant, affordable cakes. I love this place because the cakes are well-balanced and not ridiculously sweet, like at many other Melbourne cake joints. The ricotta cheescakes are subtle, silky and blend into complex flavours. Their base is moist and flavoursome, and the cheese is interluded with explosions of fruit. The prices are very reasonable too, and the cafe generally feels ordinary and homely. It's all about fantastic sweets, which is all I need and want.
Tutto Posto - from WA. Well well what can we say; rocked up mid sunday morning and just had a selection of freshly made pasticcini's, my favorite the sicilian pillow filled sweet ricotta was amazing, we felt like these were made especially for us. the staff were polite and welcoming.
cant wait until we come back to melbourne. Ciao
A Must have!. Go there for Cheesecake everytime! hands down the best ever!
Chocolate heaven. The hot chocolate is the best I've had in Melbourne. The sweets are a little too delicious considering how close I live. I particularly like the pistachio cookies with a cherry on top.
Exquisite!. Yummiest and most reasonably priced cakes in Melbourne! Living so close is not good for my cholesterol!
Very, very good cakes. Coffee quite good, not the best you can get in Melbourne but a generous size cup. Service is warm and the atmosphere in the venue is intimate. Don't pass it by should you be anywhere near..
An excellent range of sweet treats and pastries bar none.
And unlike the last time I had a mini-cheesecake (see my cafe burgundy review) this was amazing: soft, gooey and creamy, with a wonderful sour cherry centre.
Beautiful sweet treats. Dolcetti is a tiny little cafe serving lovingly prepared Sicilian treats. Cannoli, biscuits and tarts are all tiny so you will be able to try more than just one. My fav are the espresso and pistachio/cherry biscuits. You can tell ingredients used are high quality and whilst they aren't cheap this is deservedly so as the work to make these goodies is labour intensive.
Amazing! I can't help but finish it all
Its my favorite place. Must visit!
Lovely cafe full of treats made with love
Delightful. On a recent return visit to Dolcetti for their nougat and cherry pistachio biscuits, I tried their fig and honey ricotta cheesecake. What can I say, after virtually inhaling the first, we just had to have a second one!
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Dolcetti- a piece of homemade Italy. Going to Dolcetti was like going to an Italian home and eating their home made baking. My daughter became a fan girl after seeing the owner on Food Safari making nougat, so she asked if we could go to Dolcetti for her birthday. So we did. we choose from almost everything on offer as well as bought their cookies by the kilo ($48/ kg). we also had coffees and sat in the quaint little shop. I love beautiful china, and they had very beautiful pieces on display as well as in their service. This added to the charm of the experience for me. Unable to eat everything we purchased, we took home the rest. On our way out, the owner came out to meet my daughter, which was a big thrill for her. After wishing her a happy birthday, she generously gave her two pieces of her famous nougat. It was a beautiful, memorable experience so different from the mass-produced, commercially-made sweets that are usually offered. I have very refined tastebuds and I could taste REAL butter and genuine vanilla beans, real chocolate and fresh nuts in the products. As for freshly made, things were coming out of the oven as we stood. Thank you Dolcetti!
Best coffee and cake in melbourne
Quaint. What a great little place to eat ricotta canoli and drink fantastic atomica coffee!
Cant wait to return to try the other wonderful desserts!
It's hard to choose which cake to eat, because they all look very delectable! Fortunately, they are little, so you can choose a few different ones. I had the strawberry cheesecake and fruit tart. Both were light and didn't taste overly sweet, which is the way I like it. The little cakes were $3.70 each, not too bad. The coffee was ok. If you love your cakes, make sure you come here!!
Had a Ricotta and sour cherry cheese cake with morning coffee, it was superb - light, tasty and the right amount of sweetness!
One of a kind. Great coffee, great cakes, can't go wrong at Dolcetti.
A real little find. A little shop of wonders which is easy to miss but you should definately stop and savour the many little and not so little sweet things on offer. The best bomboloni in Melbourne (and the world?) filled to capacity with patisserie cream that is good enough to make you weep.
The best kept secret in Melbourne. If you like sweet Italian things, this is the place.
Delicious Sicilian Sweet Things. A recent segment by Guy Grossi on SBS's Italian Food Safari tempted us (and obviously many others) to visit Dolcetti on Victoria St, West Melbourne.
Dolcetti is a relatively new Sicilian pasticeria by Marianna Di Bartolo formerly of Brunswick.
What a feast for the eyes (and mouth)! Superb hand made Sicilian delicacies beautifully presented, including delicious nougat, fiori di mandorle (almond) pastries, panna cotta pastries, other bite sized pastries and sweet delights from Marianna's kitchen. Take home or have with a cup of coffee there and then.
According to the overworked staff, business has gone off the scale since the SBS segment, so you may have to be patient and wait for service, and a table.
They are open every day except Mondays.
We will be back.
The lady there was lovely and she did smile. I think the next time when I'm in North Melbourne I'll check this out again. To all the people that visit Melbourne, this is a must try.
The shop front looks only small and unassuming, but it’s like a hidden find inside. The cakes are homemade, delicious and traditional, and not even the slightest bit tacky. The coffee beans they use here is Dukes - roasted locally in Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
It is a lovely place to have coffee and homemade cake / biscuit, hot chocolate etc - I especially recommend the mini homemade chocolate donuts - or anything really. Even the milk they use is of the best quality and care - everything is good about this place.
I've been reluctant to write this place up, because it is so great and I would hate to see it become overrun with customers! ...This part of Melbourne is blessed with two extraordinary cake shops, and they represent vastly different approaches to the art of cake-making. A little over a kilometre away from Dolcetti is Beatrix, where cakes are at the cutting edge of contemporary innovation - unusual ingredients and combinations with some brilliant results. Dolcetti is at the other extreme - light traditional Sicilian cakes and pastries delivered with flare and imagination. Many cakes delight - my current favourite is the pear and pistachio pastry. And the cakes are complemented by excellent coffee and a setting that is homely and endearing.
The best Sicilian cakes, pastries and savouries outside of Sicily and inside of Australia. Marianna along with the Dolcetti staff are meticulous and proud of their artisan ship. Through her Sicilian cuisine, Marianna tells the story of her cultural heritage and keeps alive the traditions passed on by her grandmother and mother. In my opinion, anyone who rates Dolcetti below 5 stars, lacks appreciation of fine ingredients, talent and handmade products.
We totally fell in love with this little pastry shop. Authentic decor, special atmosphere and all the pastries we had were OMG!!!
Thank you Maria for such a great experience, we wish we were living in Melbourne to come more often!
I wanted to bring morning tea to my Melbourne coworkers when I visited. I had been tempted by one of the larger chains of pastry shops, but found the website for Dolcetti and I'm glad I did.
It's a family run place that looks impressive - more importantly the pastries and cakes look and smell delicious and proved to be even better.
I think I even got some more customers lined up to help support this great little cafe.
Wow....just wow....
What can we I say? Marianna, you have taken me back to my childhood, when a millefiore cake was a tradition in our family.
On the basis of your reputation I took the risk of ordering a millefiore cake from you for my wife's 50th birthday celebration. Needless to say, as a dumb male trying to make sure he did right, the pressure was on me to impress. And your cake did just that. Not one person left our event without being super impressed and overawed at the experience of being able to sample your cake.
For me personally you took me back more years than I care to think about. Beautiful.
Thank you. Thank Melbourne for letting passionate people like you flourish.
Amazing desserts especially the cannolis and the doughnuts. They also have and the best pizza in town with the freshest ingredients (be quick as the pizzas are usually gone in less than an hour). Everything is handmade!
This place is the place when it comes to Italian pastries.
The Pana Cotta tart and amaretti, i just can't get enough.
The staff are really friendly and the owner is super knowledgeable.
If you don't already know this institution, do yourselves a favour and fall in love with it like we all did.
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