Dolce Salato Italian Restaurant in Derby

Yet another two visit's to this fabulous restaurant and thoroughly enjoying the delightful food that is cooked and served by Reno and his team. We look forward to whatever the future direction takes you and wish you well in your next adventure, thank you for some memorable evenings and meals.

Went here one rainy evening last week just by chance seeing it whilst we walked by. Quickly read the reviews and decided it was worth the visit. Glad we did as it did not disappoint. As a lover of pasta the Spaghetti a la Mer was lovely and very fresh for the seafood. The steak was cooked well and the cheesy sauce was very well made. The service was also 10/10!

Stunning food, live pianist, friendly staff and owner.

Had the pleasure of eating here yesterday. The greeting we received was second to non the rest of the service was excellent, staff were friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The food was excellent. This is from an extremely fussy person where there would generally be something wrong. There was nothing to complain about from start to finish!

Very intimate dining experience. Service was excellent and the food is second to none. There’s nowhere else in Derby that serves Italian food to this standard.

This man needs to be reported for being a predator, ive heard some stories about how he has flirted with underage girls, now dont get me wrong the food is good but this man is wrong with what he does, dont go to his restaurant!!!.

Restaurant owner is a weirdo and makes young girls feel uncomfortable DONT GO HERE

Visited Dolce Salato Italian with high expectations, given its reputation, but left utterly disappointed due to the service. Upon arrival, it took several minutes to be acknowledged, despite the visible presence of staff. The initial greeting, when it finally came, was less than warm. On-top of this, looking into the kitchen you can visibly see the dirt and oil building up. They do not keep their kitchen at high standard and it is disgusting. While the quality of the food could have redeemed the experience, it unfortunately did not live up to expectations either. The flavours were unremarkable, and given the service issues, it was hard to enjoy what should have been a pleasant meal. Regrettably, I cannot recommend Dolce Salato Italian based on this experience. Hospitality plays a crucial role in the dining experience, and on this occasion, it was sorely lacking. It's disappointing when a meal out, which should be enjoyable, turns into a source of frustration.

This is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. The atmosphere was amazing. The owner and all the staff were second to non. Food was to die for its going to be a regular place for us. ❤️

First time we've been Lorenzo is a fantastic host and chef the food is excellent and a beautiful ambience a must visit

Sadly, our visit to Dolce Salato didn't live up to our expectations. The first issue was that we were informed upon booking that only cash was accepted as payment, which is fine but how can you plan to withdraw cash if you have no idea what the meal is actually going to cost?? I really struggled to find a menu as there is no website. I looked and looked and eventually I found a menu on Facebook which said "two courses for £30". I thought that was expensive but I thought if the food is good then it will be worth the money. When we arrived at the restaurant we realised that it was in fact "two courses for £39" significantly more, I felt quite annoyed. It was just a good job that we had withdrawn enough cash or we could have been left red faced, looking for a cash point late at night. There needs to be an up to date menu somewhere on the internet that is easy to find!! Secondly the food was a let down and the price was vastly inflated. Our meal was worth £25 for two courses not £39. You are paying inflated prices just for the benefit of being able to bring your own wine. Reno says that he buys fresh ingredients every day, but this is not true. The prawns in our starter were tough and hard like bullets, they were the hardest I've eaten and were definitely not cooked from raw, they should have been soft and tender. They were ready cooked prawns that had been warmed up. The sauce was lovely though. My beetroot risotto starter came out cold and it was underwhelming. I enjoyed my fillet steak main course, the vegetables were great and I enjoyed the sauce but the steak was very small and gone in about four bites. My partner had chicken for a main and although the sauce was very good, the chicken was overcooked and a bit tough. Also, throughout the meal we had to listen to Elvis Presley on a loop!! We were subjected to "return to sender" about three times!! Not really the kind of music we really wanted to listen to in an Italian restaurant, it would have been good to listen to some authentic Italian music. Reno was delightful to chat to but I'm sorry the food wasn't good enough especially when you are charging so much money for it!!!!

Great little place. Good food, made fresh and served hot…sadly, a rarity so often these days.

Really nice place to go for a meal, the quality of the food was great and the service was also good

Private birthday party- really good. Very welcoming. Food was lovely - some was very rich. This is a bring your own booze restaurant. Live pianist. Great evening

This is a proper Italian restaurant ! Great food, great service. Special little place ! Its totally fresh, don't be put off by the small menu. That's what makes it good . The personal touch . You feel like you have been out for a lovely meal and treated special.

Lovely return visit to this very intimate restaurant. We visited a few times before lockdown but it has been a while - happy to say we enjoyed it just as much. There is a small menu but all courses are made with the best produce meaning you get to enjoy nicest tastes and everything is very well executed. The premises is not licensed so take own drinks but there isn’t a corking charge as per some places. Will definitely return soon.

Christmas Dinner 25th December was Italian style, prawn, salmon, crab with mango to start, followed by Reno's wild boar Ravioli, Sea bass with mascarpone and spinach, fillet steak in puff pastry with mushrooms. Followed by orange cointreau tiramisu. Lovely food, well presented and delivered personally by Reno. A big thumbs up from me!!! Happy Christmas

Had a fabulous Christmas with Reno, what a wonderful afternoon, delicious food, great atmosphere and wouldn't have missed it for the world. Same time next year?!

An amazing Bistro experience, great food, great host, great atmosphere. One of the nicest meals out I’ve had for a long time, we’ve already booked to go back.

An amazing Bistro experience, great food, great host, great atmosphere. One of the nicest meals out I’ve had for a long time, we’ve already booked to go back.

Food was really lovely, and the lady looking after us was very friendly.

One word - faultless! Reno runs an exceptional restaurant…. It’s always a pleasure to spend time in his company. Well worth a visit if you’ve not been there

Yet another fabulous evening dining in Dolce Salato, Reno cooks his food with passion and love and it shows when it lands on your table. Three courses at a very reasonable cost with excellent friendly service from the staff and the piano player doing his bit makes for an excellent evening.

Our first time this evening "What a gem" I almost don't want to tell anyone about this place because we may find it to busy to book super service the young lady who serviced us could not of been more helpful The service - food and atmosphere was just great. A little experience compared to some places but absolutely worth it. Definitely will be returning ☺ 😊

Fabulous local Italian restaurant, great food, what a great gem, a must visit if in Derby

Visited for the first time this evening to celebrate my birthday. Lovely atmosphere & the food was delicious - linguini, sea bass & lemon tart to finish. There was a gentleman playing the piano which enhanced the atmosphere. Will definitely be returning.

Truely amazing restaurant, excellent, freshly prepared food, lovely host, menu changes each day. Even gave me and my friend a birthday desert with a candle and sang happy birthday. Highly recommend this restaurant

Amazing place, food is absolutely on point and the staff was lovely. Authentic, well cooked Italian food can be hard to find over here and, as an Italian myself, I've got to say this place absolutely delivers. Beautifullly cooked to perfection. 5 stars, 10/10, couldn't find fault in anything.

What an incredible place! I've visited Italy and since then, no other restaurant in the U.K. has come close. Until now, we had failed to recognize Dolce Salato. All of the food is genuine Italian food, the service is exceptional and the Italian owner is very nice and considerate. I'd advise people to reserve a table as it's very occupied (the first time we visited, there was not a spare table), but trust me it's beneficial. The menu is limited to a small number of dishes, which indicates that all of the ingredients are fresh and were prepared on the day.

Reno was exceptionally helpful with arranging my husband’s 50th birthday surprise. Amazing food, great service, would highly recommend

Cena molto molto buona. Complimenti

The restaurant is unlicensed so allows you to bring your own wine/drinks. The Menu is limited as the Chef decides, I imagine daily, what they will be putting on the Menu. There are about four choices for each course, but the charge for the meal is basically £38 for two courses and £42 for three courses. The food was well cooked and enjoyable and the service attentive. We had two courses, a main and a dessert course, and between us we covered all the mains on the Menu that night. The choices were Sea Bass, Sirloin steak in a gorgonzola and stilton sauce or a chicken breast in a mushroom sauce. There were no vegitarians in our party so no comments on that. The accompaniments for all the main meals were the same, in our case a roast potato and a whole roast carrot and some green beans. A pianist played for the first hour or so of dining which was very enjoyable, the restaurant is quite small and has a low ceiling so with everyone talking it tended to be quite noisy, so conversation was a bit restricted. We enjoyed our evening but feel we would be unlikely to go there again as to be honest, we felt that the set price in our case, £38 for our main course and a dessert, worked out quite expensive for what it was and probably reflects what amounts to "corkage" being built into the price, given that the restuarant was not licensed.

Lovely food but limited choice and overpriced

Wow. We had such a wonderful evening as a family group of 9. From the start, Reno was welcoming and a wonderful host. The menu changes daily and the choices were excellent- hard to choose! I had let Reno know in advance about my nut and sesame allergies and he couldn’t have been more thoughtful and careful. The food was delicious and freshly prepared. One of the best Italian restaurants I’ve been to in the UK!

Delicious food, great atmosphere. 2 course or 3 course menu.

Genuine, authentic, delicious. Really good food. 2 course or 3 course option £38-£42 Wonderful atmosphere. We had a great night, we will definitely be returning soon.

This place is an absolute gem! Small and intimate with excellent service and enjoyable, tasty food. There were no vegetarian options on the printed main menu but the waitress gave me a couple of options and I chose the freshly made pasta with pesto sauce. It was wonderful, as was the caramel apple tart. Can't recommend this place enough!

It's nice enough. Good service and a back-to-basics but cosy set-up. However, I'm afraid the food is pretty average, and the prices play on the fact you can take your own booze. £42 a head excluding service is a lot just for three courses, food only, especially when the food isn't great. Compare that to other really good restaurants around here: you'll actually pay less elsewhere for far superior food. Sorry Dolce Salato - I wanted to love you!

Visited yesterday for our wedding anniversary. We dined downstairs which was really lovely. Food was amazing, as a vegetarian I was well catered for. Waiting staff were friendly and attentive and didn't make you feel rushed.

Another excellent meal at one the finest restaurants I’ve had the pleasure to eat in. The seafood starter was exceptional but having said that all six of us in the party were highly impressed. This was a visit prior to a concert and Reno went out of his way ensure we were fed in time to make the start

A really unique restaurant. Very small and friendly. The menu is different each day and prepared right next to the diners. The chef is so welcoming. This type of restaurant feels much more authentic than the big Italian chains. I’d totally recommend a visit. We’ll definitely be returning.

A long awaited return to Dolce Salato and it is as good and dare I say it even better than before. Excellent service from the staff and three courses of fabulous looking and tasty food prepared by Reno to enjoy in a very relaxing atmosphere with the piano player tickling the ivories makes for a fabulous evening out.

Our ex-work colleagues occasional meal for 8. Damn lovely food as ever here. We all enjoyed it. Quiet on a Thursday evening. Bringing your own wine and £38 for 3 courses makes it a good value evening for me.

Nice enough but nothing special and very over priced for small portions of average food at 2 courses for £38

Lovely little restaurant. Great service from a lovely waitress and fabulous food cooked by the owner. Open kitchen so you know it’s freshly cooked. Food to die for. You must eat here soon.

Fabulous evening at this cosy friendly restaurant. Delicious food, great service and my vegan friend was especially well looked after! Can’t wait to go back 😁

Visited this restaurant with a friend last night, I must say what a fabulous find! Food was very tasty with a good varied choice even with my wheat intollerance. Great ambience and the staff were fabulous. Thoroughly enjoyed our night. We will be back! Thanks...

We had read reviews and thought we were in for a treat.....sadly it turned out to be a mediocre dining experience which was extremely expensive for what it was! Our disappointment could have been averted if we had been able to view a sample menu...

Saturday evening pre-booked visit with friends. Always a pleasure to dine here, three delicious courses, friendly, efficient service and value for money. BYO, 'Yes' by bringing your own wine selection, this makes this delightful Italian restaurant even more affordable.

Visiting Reno’s lovely restaurant is always a lovely experience, the atmosphere is great, matching the food! See you again at the end of the month mate

I am ashamed to say that we visited this poor standard of a so called restaurant as of the abuse shown towards a 15year old child was disgraceful. the service was poor the food was from a microwave and had no taste, poor is beyond...

This restaurant had been on our “to visit” list for years and this week we finally had the wonderful experience of visiting. The food is outstanding and the service second to none. A small menu of superbly created food by Reno using fresh, quality produce....

Excellent food and the service was fantastic. The food was served fresh and hot and very well presented. An excellent atmosphere very welcoming and the standard of service was very high.

A beautiful authentic restaurant, romantic and intimate, food was 10/10,Piano playing, the seafood was amazing and i tried veal for the first time which was even better! Cant wait to come back!

The hospitality that Reno gives is from the heart. He runs his restaurant personally. He buys Italian pasta, coffee, ham and cheese directly from Italy. He collects fresh ingredients daily, I know this as I see him unload the goods every day. The menu is...

Came here last night with friends, ehst a fibd. The foodcwas incredible menu, seasonal and changes regularly with what is available. Everything is authentic. Chef Reno is fab, he comes to chat to you at your table. Nothing is too much trouble. Very knowledgeable waitress,...

Taken to this little restaurant by friends who raved about the food cooked by the Chef Reno and l can see why.We had the most amazing time - food was fantastic , 3 selections at each course and Reno cooks it there in full view....

What a amazing restaurant, the staff are so friendly and the food is amazing!! Will definitely going back again.

We've eaten at Dolce Salato on a couple of evenings and always had lovely food and great service. One of us has coeliac disease; there are always good gluten free menu options, plus the assurance that those meals are definitely gluten free. When we were...

Reno never ever disappoints, keep it up mate! We’ll be back in the near future, the food is excellent and giving you the opportunity to take your our booze is a bonus

First visit to this lovely restaurant. Excellent service and quality food. You can watch the chef cooking in the open kitchen. Take your own wine. Pianist played when we went on Saturday evening. Simple, no fuss menu, yet the food is excellent. The chef buys...

Visited here for the first time last night and what a beautiful place this is. Service was excellent, food was delicious and plentiful. I like how you can take your own wine and there isn't a corkage fee Such a lovely cosy atmosphere Highly recommend

I went on the recommendation of a friend and I can honestly say I was not disappointed. The food was freshly cooked and simply delicious. The waitress was lovely and was very patient with us - there were 4 of us and we couldn't decide...

We went last friday night and had a lovely meal, the waitress's were very pleasant and the food was fantastic. had the ravioli, then the steak with gorgonzola and finished off with caramel apple pie. I was amazed that 1 chef was cooking for over...

We stumbled upon this restaurant by chance when staying in the Peak District for a recent staycation and didn’t really know what to expect but I am so glad we found it on our last night. The menu is incredibly simple and just has two...

Lovely intimate restaurant the host was welcoming the food and atmosphere was great , all cooked fresh and delicious definitely recommend

It's a shame I can't give more than 5 stars in my review. Just had the most amazing dining experience i have ever been part of. Chef Reno has prepared such remarkable dishes for us to enjoy, I am still in awe. Everything was cooked to perfection and just can't say a single bad thing about the night even if i wanted to. I can only and definitely recommend for everyone to try out his restaurant in Derby. Thank you very much for today, keep up the amazing quality and standards!

Brilliant atmosphere, wonderful food and fantastic service.

Much as I enjoyed the celebratory evening with family and friends I was a bit disappointed. The starter should have been king prawns but I got tiny prawns, got an apology and was given one king prawn. I had ribeye for mains but it wasn't great, quite thin and served with a bit of potato and something I have forgotten. The Tiramasu was very nice. The bill was wrong and had to be sorted. I hope this was just a bad night because I have seen other good reviews

We were so looking forward to an Italian meal- after trying to get in previously and no space , we managed to get in. briefly limited menu stringy tough steak - nothing a bit of preparation could have prevented .( In was a butcher in...

We were so looking forward to an Italian meal- after trying to get in previously and no space , we managed to get in. briefly limited menu stringy tough steak - nothing a bit of preparation could have prevented .( In was a butcher in a formal life so easy) we were asked to vacate the table at 7.50 ..not an issue but to be reminded once ok and then at 7.33 asked were we ready to go. on reaching out to the owner i received a rude message, excuses about short staff, and more. I always have anywhere I go 2litre bottle of water with electrolyte in for hydration, , I always wear a beanie hat and inside place it on the water bottle the owner accused me of trying to save a few quid and hide it. they say bring your own booze...then in his reply he said we left our empty cans and bottles for them to recycle which they have to pay for ! Clearly he is not aware of social media and #1 rule of hospitality – listen to the customer and be diplomatic with your reply. respect , reputation takes along time to gain but can be lost in an instant. I have far better things to do with my time than moan - as you guess I am not happy. check out my other reviews 95% are 10/10

Really really really tasty food great accomodating staff. Small restaurant with lots of character. The chap playing a piano really added to the atmosphere. Would definitely recommend.

We went mid-week so it was very quiet and there were no staff; just the owner who is the chef (and also had to wait on the tables and host). He was absolutely fantastic- so friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. Most importantly the food was delicious...

What a gem. Fantastic food and lovely friendly service. Quite easily the best place to eat in Derby and would recommend.

Lovely ambiance, delicious food, friendly staff, value for money… they squeezed us in to accomodate and we will so so definitely come back aswell as recommend to our friends!

Wonderful cosy restaurant with an energetic and friendly owner and considerate service. And the food, was something else - absolutely amazing

Great food and lovely people! It was a full house and the atmosphere was really nice. Highly recommend a visit.

Could not fault, food was lovely, Reno was lovely and the food fairly priced when you take into account the quality and my friend agrees! Place is small though (not an issue for me) but would recommend booking a table just in case! We will be back for sure 😊

Lovely place, great selection of food. Would recommend

Went for meal with the family and was very dissapointed. Service was the best part, friendly and happy, after that it goes downhill. Very very limited menu, one fish one meat one vegetairian choice. No pasta, no pizza. Only pasta dish is a starter in...

Lovely food, cozy and nice ambience. There's no alcohol, so you are allowed to bring your own bottle of wine.

Small, discreet restaurant in Derby's Cathedral Quarter. Limited but very thoughtful menu. Food was cooked to perfection. Serving staff were both personable and attentive. Remember to bring you own wine. No corkage fee. Cash only and can recommend without reservation.

Monday night meal, restaurant was very quiet, but yet another great meal cooked and served by Reno, thank you and all the best for the coming year.

Wonderful food and brilliant service. A great evening, love.y food and great friendly service. We will definitely be returning. The lamb chops were to die for and the barbera sauce was absolutely devine.

I held my birthday celebrations at Dolce Salato Italian Restaurant and had a fabulous evening. The atmosphere and food was fantastic and Reno and his team worked hard to ensure an amazing experience for all. Thank you.

Celebrated our first wedding anniversary here with family and friends as we got married during lockdown last year. Lovely food cooked fresh by Reno. Big thank you to Reno and his staff for making it a very special occasion.

Lovely restaurant, staff were very friendly and attentive. The food was excellent, we had a great night and definitely will be returning Take your own drinks though as it is not a licensed restaurant

Absolutely fantastic food and excellent service 👌

Went here last night having looked forward to visiting for some time, but sadly we found it a little underwhelming. The starters (gnocchi with spicy sausage and king prawn castle) were well presented and delicious, but we both ordered the sirloin steaks for main course...

This place is absolutely lovely! Just so you know it's cash only and you have to take your own booze but the food is delicious and staff are lovely so it's well worth a visit

I managed to book at quite late notice for Saturday evening, and they did really well to fit us in and make us feel very welcome on a very busy evening in the restaurant. The food was absolutely fantastic and great value for money. Each...

Delicious food and whilst there weren't more than one vegetarian option in the menu others were quickly offered when asked. Chef is friendly and makes it all look easy!

Abbiamo cenato al "Dolce Salato" ieri sera ed é stata un cena spettacolare. Il proprietario é proprio un appassionato di cucina, questo si riflette nei sue piatti freschi che variano sempre in base alla disponibilità giornaliera degli ingredienti. Essendo italiani a Derby da circa 4 anni ormai, posso confermare che cenare al Dolce salato ci ha riportato in italia dove ceni nelle piccole e belle osterie tradizionali. Mi é rimasto in bocca il sapore di questo buonissimo Caffé fatto alla perfezione. Ottimo posto!

Looks like a nice place, however overpriced. Chef comes across very arrogant and cocky, however unable to cook simple steak! Once ordered medium to rare got well done, gave it a second chance got tiny piece of chewy and stringy meat, I wouldn't feed my...

Amazing! Lovely hosts and traditional Italian food.

Food was excellent, the service excellent. A really friendly place to eat.

We ate there on Saturday as we were in derby for a gig at the flower pot pub just round the corner. We were a little early but were welcomed in and had our wine opened for us. The menu is changed daily and we...

Fantastic homely restaurant with outstanding food and a welcome you will not forget.

Amazing food and lovely atmosphere. Reno and his staff really went out of his way to make our evening special. So very grateful

We have wanted to go here for ages, but it’s always booked up at the wkends. We chose a wed night. Great atmosphere , the guy who owns it, cooked and served us ! Brilliant service. Mega food ! You can take your own tipple...