This is a consistently good place for a nice lunch. Four of us went on March 20. Kudos to the restaurant for providing a basket of bread to the table. The bread is fresh-baked, plentiful and irresistible. We ordered glasses of wine. The various house wines are good quality and come with a generous pour. Two of us had one of the specials _ fresh Atlantic flounder Francese-style with rice _ and it was absolutely superb. Perfectly prepared fillets, light and flavorful. The others at our table had eggplant parmesan and lasagna _ and enjoyed both. Dinner-sized portions on both. The staff wrapped our leftover bread to take home _ and added several more pieces. What a considerate gesture.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
KJ6pack
We took are daughter here for her 21st birthday and enjoyed a memorable night! Great service, nice wine list, amazing food and yummy expresso martinis!
We have eaten at Dove III, on two separate occasions. So I judge a great restaurant by the quality of their pre dinner bread. And Dove is excellent. With bottles of great wine reasonably price for an upscale restaurant, fantastic soups, wonderful entrees. And did I mention that my wife and order one entree each, but because they are so large we have taken most to go with us each visit. The next days lunches are a joy. Deserts are wonderful. Oh and i started this review talking about bread. There is a box by the front door, and you can literally pop your head in, and grab a bag of same day fresh bread and take it with you for free if you wanted. It's just something they do for the community.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Marsala, Dove Salad with Shrimp, Flounder Piccata, Veal Francese, Bread Basket
Madelyn S.
This place was so good!! Visited some friends from out of town & they brought us to the dove. The food was delicious and the service was even better. They even give you bread & lemon cello shots. I highly recommend the chicken marsala.
Phyllis Balestracci
One of the best fine dining experiences. Food is fabulous..staff is wonderful, friendly and very attentive. We visit whenever we are in Melbourne.
Food I did not care for the veal masala Veal is suppose to be super thin Did not like the masala as well Service was fantastic Ambiance was nice
Jim B.
Let's start. You come in the front door and Carlo, the owner / host is right there. Immediate warm greeting. We were accommodated very soon after arrival. Our waiter, Joe, was truly attentive throughout the meal - how rare is that? In a word - class operation in every parameter. How often do you finish a meal and then can't find a waiter to bring the check (Stupid - but very typical move by many wait staff). I have even walked out of a high-end restaurant after waiting for the bill for over 10 minutes. after leaving most of the check amount on the table - less my wasted time. Not here, our waiter was fully involved throughout our visit. My fairly vast experience with higher end Italian restaurants has not been all that good (usually just plain crappy) - from Long Island to Manhattan, down the Eastern seaboard to all over Florida. They often give the feeling that you, the customer, is privileged to eat at these (as it turns out) slop houses. Typically, they (the owners / managers & many waiters) are way over-impressed with themselves - without merit. I say the foregoing to give context to show just how great Dove III is. God forbid you order some wine in many comparable establishments, without pinning down the price- typically a very small glass of crappy, vastly overpriced excuse for wine. Not at Dove III - a healthy portion of really good wine for a very reasonable price. The food - great portions for sure. Now you can get big portions at Olive Garden (while they work you to order higher priced items). At Dove III every morsel of food was great to beyond great. Served with the correct amount of sauce. at the correct firmness, etc. They don't skimp on the "good stuff" by pilling the plate with fillers. They give you great portions of the "good stuff". I have paid more - a lot more - for good Italian food, but this food is clearly in the top 1 - 2% of all, including the meals we have enjoyed in Tuscany. I can easily say, with much experience, it is the best Italian Restaurant currently in operation in Florida. The atmosphere - think Billy Joel's scenes from an Italian Restaurant. To a person the other patrons clearly were low key classy folks. I seldom glance at other folks when eating (being with my hot wife for 30 plus years tends to limit my focus), but everyone was clearly enjoying their experience at Dove III. The staff - they worked together like a well-oiled Swiss watch. How many times do you go into a restaurant these days and get the clear impression they can't wait for their shift to be over. Not here - EVERYONE just meshes with one another. Bottom line - I would drive an hour to get to the Dove and be glad I did. It is a destination in itself. PS - this truly a location where I would be embarrassed to tip less than 30%. I am sure the supporting staff depends on tip-outs. Don't overlook them.
Dove III is a phenomenal dining experience. The service is impeccable, the ambiance is romantic and reminiscent of the best Italian restaurants in nyc, and lastly the food is delicious. Joe was our server last night and was absolutely outstanding. We have been to Dove III at least a dozen times and the experience is the same each and every time. We highly recommend it.
Michelle B.
Dove III Italian Restaurant was a spontaneous Thursday night pick after finding our go-to spot closed. Trattoria Bella's Thursday shutdown led us to Dove III, a place I'd been curious about. We got seated right away, and the service was top-notch. They kicked things off with an assortment of bread that was a delicious start, but the free limoncello missed the mark--it tasted more like thick simple syrup with a faint lemony hint. The pasta fagioli soup as the included started was quite tasty. The house Pinot Noir was a good option and the pour was heavy, so I definitely was pleased. My husband had the Italian Margarita. He said it was very good and strong. I went for the flounder francese from their specials, but the dish didn't quite hit the spot. It looked kinda off with its weird yellowish tint and tasted heavy on butter but light on lemon. Not something I'd order again. My husband's lasagna was well-made, but the ground beef being placed as rolled logs instead of the usual crumble was a bit odd for us. The vibe was great, and the service was stellar, but unfortunately, the food didn't quite meet our expectations. Perhaps we ordered the wrong items or maybe it was an off night but Dove III Italian Restaurant will not make it onto our revisit list anytime soon.
Nina G
I absolutely love this restaurant. My favorites are the chicken francese and the linguini in clam sauce. Soup and bread are included.They give you a house made limoncello (as a palate cleanser) that they should bottle and sell. It is amazing.Julie is my favorite server. This is definitely a restaurant I would recommended to anyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony Polizzi
Carlo all the staff at the dove restaurant in downtown Melbourne are absolutely phenomenal. They make you feel like you're in your own home ordering eating and relaxing to an unbelievable Italian meal. Thank you so much see you soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
CaitlinsTurn
Reservations are a good idea. The specials are usually super good. A very nice wine selection.They open for lunch then close then reopen for dinner.The only thing I didn't like was the phone ringing all the time for reservations I suppose.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Parmigiana, Almond Cookies
Delicious!!! And I got free bread to take home !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a consistently good place for a nice lunch. Four of us went on March 20. Kudos to the restaurant for providing a basket of bread to the table. The bread is fresh-baked, plentiful and irresistible. We ordered glasses of wine. The various house wines are good quality and come with a generous pour. Two of us had one of the specials _ fresh Atlantic flounder Francese-style with rice _ and it was absolutely superb. Perfectly prepared fillets, light and flavorful. The others at our table had eggplant parmesan and lasagna _ and enjoyed both. Dinner-sized portions on both. The staff wrapped our leftover bread to take home _ and added several more pieces. What a considerate gesture.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
We took are daughter here for her 21st birthday and enjoyed a memorable night! Great service, nice wine list, amazing food and yummy expresso martinis!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagna Napolitana, Veal Marsala, Chicken Parmigiana
We have eaten at Dove III, on two separate occasions. So I judge a great restaurant by the quality of their pre dinner bread. And Dove is excellent. With bottles of great wine reasonably price for an upscale restaurant, fantastic soups, wonderful entrees. And did I mention that my wife and order one entree each, but because they are so large we have taken most to go with us each visit. The next days lunches are a joy. Deserts are wonderful. Oh and i started this review talking about bread. There is a box by the front door, and you can literally pop your head in, and grab a bag of same day fresh bread and take it with you for free if you wanted. It's just something they do for the community.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Marsala, Dove Salad with Shrimp, Flounder Piccata, Veal Francese, Bread Basket
This place was so good!! Visited some friends from out of town & they brought us to the dove. The food was delicious and the service was even better. They even give you bread & lemon cello shots. I highly recommend the chicken marsala.
One of the best fine dining experiences. Food is fabulous..staff is wonderful, friendly and very attentive. We visit whenever we are in Melbourne.
Hidden Gem …. Left Happy !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic all
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Eggplant Parmigiano, Veal Parmigiana, Chicken Parmigiana, Sausage Rolls
Food I did not care for the veal masala Veal is suppose to be super thin Did not like the masala as well Service was fantastic Ambiance was nice
Let's start. You come in the front door and Carlo, the owner / host is right there. Immediate warm greeting. We were accommodated very soon after arrival. Our waiter, Joe, was truly attentive throughout the meal - how rare is that? In a word - class operation in every parameter. How often do you finish a meal and then can't find a waiter to bring the check (Stupid - but very typical move by many wait staff). I have even walked out of a high-end restaurant after waiting for the bill for over 10 minutes. after leaving most of the check amount on the table - less my wasted time. Not here, our waiter was fully involved throughout our visit. My fairly vast experience with higher end Italian restaurants has not been all that good (usually just plain crappy) - from Long Island to Manhattan, down the Eastern seaboard to all over Florida. They often give the feeling that you, the customer, is privileged to eat at these (as it turns out) slop houses. Typically, they (the owners / managers & many waiters) are way over-impressed with themselves - without merit. I say the foregoing to give context to show just how great Dove III is. God forbid you order some wine in many comparable establishments, without pinning down the price- typically a very small glass of crappy, vastly overpriced excuse for wine. Not at Dove III - a healthy portion of really good wine for a very reasonable price. The food - great portions for sure. Now you can get big portions at Olive Garden (while they work you to order higher priced items). At Dove III every morsel of food was great to beyond great. Served with the correct amount of sauce. at the correct firmness, etc. They don't skimp on the "good stuff" by pilling the plate with fillers. They give you great portions of the "good stuff". I have paid more - a lot more - for good Italian food, but this food is clearly in the top 1 - 2% of all, including the meals we have enjoyed in Tuscany. I can easily say, with much experience, it is the best Italian Restaurant currently in operation in Florida. The atmosphere - think Billy Joel's scenes from an Italian Restaurant. To a person the other patrons clearly were low key classy folks. I seldom glance at other folks when eating (being with my hot wife for 30 plus years tends to limit my focus), but everyone was clearly enjoying their experience at Dove III. The staff - they worked together like a well-oiled Swiss watch. How many times do you go into a restaurant these days and get the clear impression they can't wait for their shift to be over. Not here - EVERYONE just meshes with one another. Bottom line - I would drive an hour to get to the Dove and be glad I did. It is a destination in itself. PS - this truly a location where I would be embarrassed to tip less than 30%. I am sure the supporting staff depends on tip-outs. Don't overlook them.
Restaurantji Recommends
Dove III is a phenomenal dining experience. The service is impeccable, the ambiance is romantic and reminiscent of the best Italian restaurants in nyc, and lastly the food is delicious. Joe was our server last night and was absolutely outstanding. We have been to Dove III at least a dozen times and the experience is the same each and every time. We highly recommend it.
Dove III Italian Restaurant was a spontaneous Thursday night pick after finding our go-to spot closed. Trattoria Bella's Thursday shutdown led us to Dove III, a place I'd been curious about. We got seated right away, and the service was top-notch. They kicked things off with an assortment of bread that was a delicious start, but the free limoncello missed the mark--it tasted more like thick simple syrup with a faint lemony hint. The pasta fagioli soup as the included started was quite tasty. The house Pinot Noir was a good option and the pour was heavy, so I definitely was pleased. My husband had the Italian Margarita. He said it was very good and strong. I went for the flounder francese from their specials, but the dish didn't quite hit the spot. It looked kinda off with its weird yellowish tint and tasted heavy on butter but light on lemon. Not something I'd order again. My husband's lasagna was well-made, but the ground beef being placed as rolled logs instead of the usual crumble was a bit odd for us. The vibe was great, and the service was stellar, but unfortunately, the food didn't quite meet our expectations. Perhaps we ordered the wrong items or maybe it was an off night but Dove III Italian Restaurant will not make it onto our revisit list anytime soon.
I absolutely love this restaurant. My favorites are the chicken francese and the linguini in clam sauce. Soup and bread are included.They give you a house made limoncello (as a palate cleanser) that they should bottle and sell. It is amazing.Julie is my favorite server. This is definitely a restaurant I would recommended to anyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carlo all the staff at the dove restaurant in downtown Melbourne are absolutely phenomenal. They make you feel like you're in your own home ordering eating and relaxing to an unbelievable Italian meal. Thank you so much see you soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Reservations are a good idea. The specials are usually super good. A very nice wine selection.They open for lunch then close then reopen for dinner.The only thing I didn't like was the phone ringing all the time for reservations I suppose.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veal Parmigiana, Almond Cookies