Volare Restaurant
“You will feel like a celebrity from the times of rat pack in this old school New York classic.”
“Had the osso buco, which was huge and filling, but they'll cook anything on- or off-menu.”
“This hole-in-the-wall Italian gem came highly recommended and lived up to every expectation.”
Volare Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Although our waiter was Albanian, the place was bona fide Italian. Some of the friendliest service in NYC, totally devoid of pretension. Had the osso buco, which was huge and filling, but they'll cook anything on- or off-menu. The risotto is also very good, creamy and melting in your mouth. We also got complimentary sambuca and other after-dinner drinks. I don't know if I'd make this a destination, but it is a good neighborhood restaurant.
Another visit to my father's favorite restaurant in New York City did not disappoint. Yet another fine experience with Sal, Falco, and crew on Saturday night. A warm, cozy space on the ground floor just steps away from the bustle of Sixth Avenue. Although not a lot of extra room, it is a place where you can relax!
Reliable, consistent, and well-executed southern Italian cuisine, highlighted by friendly and accommodating service. Although the restaurant has earned a large group of regulars, first time customers will feel equal warmth from the staff.
A menu is available, but unnecessary given the array of specials and the ability of the kitchen to accommodate requests and substitutions. Portions are substantial but not overwhelming. Hearty, but not too heavy. Start with some of the simple, yet excellent pasta courses for your first course and then take in a meat or fish dish for an entree. Risotto dishes are regularly ordered at our table. Stuffed veal and pork chops are particularly well executed and their straightforward grilled fish presentations can be tweaked for different tastes. Mixed seafood appetizers (baked clams, fried or grilled calamari, grilled shrimp, and small grilled/baked lobster tails) for the table are worth the modest splurge.
The wine list is small and mostly contains current vintages of well-known names, but it has reliable choices at each price point and good value on the lower end of the spectrum. Mixed drinks are poured short and after-dinner drinks are encouraged, so pace yourself! Deserts are simple, classic Italian and are just the right portion size after a multi-course meal. I recommend the tiramisu.
As usual, we left satisfied. I trust that you will as well.
Classy hidden gem with very authentic Italian food and drink.
Mouth watering dishes and generously large cocktails and wine.
You will feel like a celebrity from the times of rat pack in this old school New York classic.
The smell of wine and garlic along with some older happy chatty new yorkers emerged from the stairs of this basement restaurant and I got my hopes up. Atmosphere and decor leaned toward a classic 60s old school Italian place. Film a movie here but I wouldn't recommend it for dinner. My risotto and sauce were tasty and creamy but the asparagus and shrimp were diced up into tiny pieces that didn't seem worthy of the $18 entree price. House glass wine was $12. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing or maybe the lack of bad reviews on yelp are from fear of getting "ya legs chopped off and thrown inta da Hudson."
This is my new favorite restaurant in New York. It has a very old school feel (appropriate since it is about 70 years old) and makes you feel as though you've stepped back in time, or maybe just into an old film. The food was great, and the service was perfect. The staff really seems to try and read the clients – when I came with my boyfriend, they left us with our menus and wine for 15-20 minutes before asking if we wanted to order; whereas, when I was with my parents (and we were hungry and ready to eat) they look our orders almost immediately. You never feel rushed, and they seem to know exactly when to ask / offer something up.
Although I agree with $$$, I find it to be a good price for what you get. Not only are there lots of pricing options on the menu for food, but the wine menu has bottles from $30 to $200 and above – which makes the vibe even more inclusive and comfortable.
For reference – the noise level is usually pretty low, but get much louder past 8 (they typically seem to have a number of large groups.)
Ate lunch here about a week ago with a group of 5. One of my friends knew the owner and the staff was extra extra nice to us. Maybe they are this way with every table? We ate the seafood antipasti which was absolutely delicious. Good variety of shell fish and everything was tender and fresh. For an entrée, I had the lobster ravioli which was tasty! The ricotta/lobster filling was mild but regardless an excellent meal. The ambiance is also very very warm and cozy and the staff is attentive. Recommend this highly, especially for a several course meal with family.
Had reservations here for a Friday night for a group of 6, but we still ended up waiting for about an hour before they finally made up a table for us. We passed by the time by knocking back grapefruit vodkas. Space is rather limited, and I felt cramped at times…
BUT once we were seated, that's when the show started. We did a family style session of hot and cold. Fresh lobster tails with chunks of meat, huge plate of charcuterie with large slices of super fresh proscuitto (and I LOVE proscuitto), calamari, risotto etc.
My friend and I shared the linguine with clam sauce, and when we told them we were going to split the plate, they brought it out to us in two separate bowls with all the appropriate garnishing so we didn't have to go through the trouble. So considerate!
Heads up: They like to do their foods salty, and I mean salty. Proscuitto is meant to be heavy on the sodium, but they have a generous hand on everything as well.
Love the atmosphere of this old-school Italian restaurant. I just met friends there for drinks but most tables were already filled with diners by 6:30pm on a Wednesday. The entrees looked pretty large, so bring your appetites… Service was very efficient and the main bartender / manager Sal was very friendly and made his rounds to greet all the regulars. Great spot to meet for drinks or dinner.