La Dolce Vita — Restaurant in Mambajao

As someone who has been working in the hospitality industry for over a decade and currently an Executive Chef, I always try to understand the dynamics of restaurant operations. But my recent experience here was quite disappointing—not because of the food, which was okay, but because of the poor service.

Proper service etiquette was not observed. Instead of setting the plate from the right side in a respectful and professional manner, the staff just reached out awkwardly as if they were trying to hand something across a long table. They placed the plates all at once in a rushed, careless way, far from what’s expected in basic service standards.

What really shocked me was when a waitress named Jessa approached our table before our orders had even arrived and asked if she could serve the dessert first. Seriously? That clearly shows a lack of training and understanding of guest experience.

This restaurant badly needs proper customer service orientation and F&B training. Food alone won’t save the overall dining experience if the service is...

This is an authentic Italian restaurant, run by an Italian, right in front of Camiguin Airport.

Pizzerias are common in Camiguin because of the foreigners who settled here. But La Dolce Vita, although more pricey than others, offer pizzas with quality ingredients, baked in a wood-fired brick oven. We ordered "Speck E Tartufo" (Php480) - truffle cream, mushroom, garlic and thick prosciutto - really good! Also recommended is their Ravioli (Php420) with a choice of Ragu (tomato based) or white sauce.

And since most of the restos don't open until 11am, La Dolce Vita, which opens at 9am is also a breakfast choice for their really good, reasonably priced coffee. Order their American breakfast (Php250) - it's a big plate of bacon, 2 slices of home made bread, butter, jam, fresh slices of mangoes and banana. This comes with a glass of fruit juice and french-press coffee!

In a far away small island that doesn't have big hotel resorts for breakfast options and dining, La Dolce Vita is a go-to place where you get your...

Above everything else, the panna cotta will make visting this restaurant worth your while. One of the best I had and inexpensive too. It is still being made by bella signorina from Italy who made Camiguin her home. I asked for the choco (?) drizzle to be omitted. The pollo fritto tasted like jollibee (seriously), though the gravy it came with was too salty for me. Caprese salad had pinoy market tomatoes rather than big vine ripened ones, basil, EVOO, pepper and sliced bocconcini (rather than big mozza balls, to complement our small local tomatoes). Condiment tray had olive oil,salt&pepper, and balsamic vinegar if you want to adjust the taste of your orders. Had to use it with the insalata as our pinoy tomatoes are watery and a bit bland. The serving ladle of the salad was weird (plastic, too big and thick). Brewed coffee is served via a french press and a MUG (2 1/2 cups worth) so that was worth it. I also had takeaway of calzone of mushroom and ham, the crust was burnt too much for my taste. Their restroom...