Volare

Possibly the best Italian food I’ve had outside of Italy, but style of food aside, it was the best quality and best preparation of any meal I’ve had in years.
I started with burata and Parma ham and it was beautiful. I’m not sure if the burata was house made, but it was fresh and perfect.
For main dish I had amazing fillet steak and peppercorn sauce, and, seriously, it would challenge the best steak I’ve had in Buenos Aires — it was perfectly cooked and so tender it almost melted. The sauce was seasoned just right, and the vegetables that came with the meal were also cooked as they should be. The dauphinois potatoes were also worth a mention — often they are greasy and the temperature is too cold, again, Volare got them just right.
I finished with freshly made Zabaglione, and I have to admit, the best Zabaglione I’ve had previously was from M&S. This was a world apart — served warm, whipped eggs and Marsala, very rich. My dinner mates shared the crepes which came flamed and delicious.
Overall, best place I’ve visited for a long time, and not just in Southport!

Sometimes, when you’re a girl in a long-​term relationship with a member of the opposite sex, escaping to an all-​female household is a breath of fresh air, hence why I disappear to the seaside town of Southport if I’m in need of a bit of girly company. The brunette who rather loves Italian food was raving about a little restaurant called Volare in her sandy little district so I thought it was only fair to do my civic duty and let you Unilocalers know about it.
It’s traditionally and classically Italian and only fairly young, with a promise to offer proper authentic and beautifully simple Italian food and a Mediterranean atmosphere in a lovely environment. Owned by actual Italian people, Onofrio from Sicily and Cinzia from Puglia who have extensive experience in professional kitchens, catering, holiday hosting and the like, you get a very warm and friendly welcome along with fantastic service. It’s family-​run too with the kitchen chef being part of the clan as well. The food is lovely, and as I said simplicity is key here — starters like minestrone soup, caprese salad, poached asparagus and antipasto and what’s really nice about this place is that they do several different types of bruschetta as well as the quintessential garlic pizza bread. Mmm. Main meat dishes are numerous and served with veggies and there are many delicious pizzas and pastas to choose from. The menu literally has something for everyone, rather a large one for an Italian restaurant but the choice is wide and delicious. I’d highly recommend the tagliatelle rustica with chunks of monkfish, it’s moreish.
Desserts are fewer with all your usual favourites — tiramisu, profiteroles, ice cream, an Italian cheese selection and some you may not have experienced such as zabaglione and an Italian take on Crêpe Suzette. The wine list is nicely extensive too, and overall, the warm service and attention to detail make for a lovely dinner.