Review Volare Restaurant - Manukau

Very delicious dishes. Plenty of choices. Portion size are really satisfying. Special recommendations are constantly changing. Good environment and choice of background music. A good place for family and friends gathering! 👍

My family and I really enjoyed my dinner here tonight for my birthday. The gnocci was amazing, the bruschetta was delish! My nan really enjoyed her shrimp cocktail. The lamb was totally different to what i expected when it came out but it was very tasty and I loved it. Chocolate fondant was to die for!!! My kids loved their pizzas. Everything we had ordered was just delicious 😋 😌 also the service was spot on. 👌 will definitely be back for some pasta dishes. 😋

Hey! Visiting from Canada, this was our big date night out after a month in a campervan all over Newzealand the day before we fly home. We booked a reservation days in advance. Amazing food! We ordered bruschetta to start, then I ordered the gnocchi as a main, and my husband got the lasagna. We also got the tiramisu and fondant cake for dessert. The tiramisu was light and delicious! The only downside to our date night here was being placed on their second floor, at the back. It felt like we were in a closet. The owner or one of the employees (I think it was Op?) had an 80th birthday that they had everyone sing happy birthday for, but we were the only ones upstairs and felt so left out :(. We both got all dressed up too but we were up top alone with no view (next to a wall) Even the ceiling was too low for my husband to set next to it. I wish we were on the main floor, it was a huge disappointment for me.

We were recommended by our Airbnb host. The food was delicious and service was impeccable. The food was delivered incredibly quickly and we dined both Friday and Saturday nights. Definitely coming back. The staff looked really relaxed and happy to work here!

Food was superb, I love their pizza, staff & service was even better - fast and courteous. Ambiance is casual, it's located in a quiet community yet it was packed (book a table ahead). Price is moderate. It was my first, but definitely not my last. Buon appetito !

Had birthday dinner in this place last week. Staff are all friendly and attentive. We loved the formaggio pizza, penne volare and breaded chicken. Fettucine al pollo is a little bland to me, but the chicken was cooked to perfection! All in all it was a good experience.

The Waitress we had was Taryn, great staff, extremely bubbly and outgoing, she lifted the whole mood, food was incredible too. She even wrote a note on our pizza pox. definitely recommend coming here again

Nice local Italian eatery. Cosy atmosphere. All the food were decent but for the high price I expected better.

Great Italian food! Good service!

Amazing food and service. Excellent variety on the menu and beautiful presentation. Really good communication even if you make contact online. Have been more than once and will be going back. All our table were very impressed. AND really appreciated being able to split the bill at the end of the evening - very accommodating. Thank-You.

myself and my partner went there for dinner after work. I have been to volare on several occasions and the food is always superb.<br/>the staff are great and the service is excellent.<br/>unfortunately on this night the bolignase was below par, tasteless my partners cream bacon and broccoli was delicious. <br/>the desert was delicious ( choc pudding and creme brulee)<br/><br/>

Best Italian out 😍 definitely returning

Absolutely amazing restaurant; the entrees weren’t much to talk about ie bruschetta and herb bread but the mains; oh wow perfectly executed especially my chicken wrapped in bacon just Devine and the glass of red of the Primitivo Puglia IGT was sooo yum and top off top notch staff especially the owner/ manger thanks again

Went here for my cousins graduation big group. Atmosphere was nice it was full house. My mum ordered the pork belly an she LOVED it i ordered a fettuccini with extra mushrooms and it was delish not amazing but delish. Never ordered a dessert as the meal was very generous staff were wonderful gave our kiddies napkins full of jelly beans thought that was lovely just nice homely feel i thought tucked away in the gardens awesome.

Lovely atmosphere, outstanding service ‼️ especially with our children who are fussy eaters. The beautiful waitresses sang happy birthday to my husband & included the kids in the secret surprise. Something to be said about the ‘local touch’

Good food. But lacks a bit of service. We were served our mains before we had even finished our entrees. No one came to ask us if we wanted another drink. Been here a couple of times and same thing each time. All the wait staff stood around in a group talking.

A great night of delicious dishes and first-rate service.  Our party of 4 tasted a variety of the impressive menu - Vegetarian Lasagna, Salmon Risotto, Volare's signature Fillet Steak and Lamb Skewers.  All were superb.  The staff were very attentive and knowledgeable without fussing.  The desserts were presented beautifully and tasted as good as they looked.  Volare is a wonderful suburban restaurant and a credit to management and staff!

Been here several times, always great food, wait staff are good but can forget to top up your water glass, a bit noisy at times but enjoyable.

I placed a phone order for takeaways for the first time from Volare. I ordered Penne Volare and the Garlic Pizza Bread. My order was ready in 15 minutes as stated on the phone. The food was piping hot and delicious. I have eaten here a few times over the years and the food has always been amazing. Great service and great food at a reasonable price.

Ordered takeaway pizzas, when home the base on one wasn't cooked and the chicken on another was dry, hard to chew and not nice at all.  We took them back to Volares and would like to say thank you for replacing the two pizza's without a fuss and we will use the gift vouchers.  The replacements were great.

Went for dinner for hubby’s birthday. Food was amazing. Service excellent! Had a beautiful evening. Quite busy for the middle of the week which speaks volumes to me... Well done to the staff who kept checking in on us and making sure we were well looked after. Would highly recommend this restaurant.

Rating: 3.5<br/><br/>Came here for a work function.It was nice we were placed on the top floor since we were in a big group. It has a huge menu selection!We started looking at the menu before even coming and still we could not decide.Lol. Overall the food was decent. Really enjoyed the Cesar salad and the bruschetta. The wait staff was overall attentive and patient- since it was a rather chartty group we took awhile to order.Thank you for that.Only thing was after getting most of the mains on the table, my colleague was told that they couldn’t make her meal (she had a few food sensitivities). This was corrected, new meal was ordered although she had to wait a bit longer. A little bit on the pricey side for me.<br/><br/><br/>Ambience- 4/5<br/>Service- 4/5<br/>Food- 3.5/5

The best Italian in South Auckland. Nice and close to the motorway and a lot of parking. The owners are very friendly, you see them behind the counter or serving meals, they're very involved with their customers which gives a warm homely feel every time I dine there. Always call in as they do get busy. I've been dining here for over 12 years and the service and food is always great

Highly recommend.  All dishes served were amazing in taste and were reasonably price. Wine prices are also reasonably priced. Staff and customer service was outstanding. Can not fault anything about the resturant. Would like to thank all the waitresses for outstanding service especially Maria.<br/><br/>We will be going back and will recommend to our friends and family

First time I have been to Volare and can't say it will be my last.  It was worth the 60km round trip.  Awesome food, which I couldn't fault.  Great staff, which any owner should be proud of and lovely owners :-)  Did enjoy our little Christmas treat at the end of the meal as well.  Highly recommended.

This was our second time at this Italian restaurant. I took my husband in for his birthday tonight. Overall, excellent experience 10 of 10. Nothing to fault. Customer service was excellent. Kitchen was ultra efficient despite the restaurant was full. We ordered a bottle of Marlborough pinot noir. It was great. We ordered king prawn with bacon wrap entree to share. The sauce was yummy. It was superb. Husband ordered the special main, chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto. I had the pumpkin tortellini with parmesan cheese. It was a generous serving. I had Creme brulee as dessert. Presentation was impressive. It's to die for. The birthday port was on the house as it was a birthday. These was unexpected. Thank you to the host. It made the night more special. We will come back again. Highly recommended.

Had made a phone booking but this was not made as staff were confused when we arrived.. Seated at a table then moved to a smaller one. Warm flat gin & tonic served. Had the fish of the day - two tiny potatoes and one crushed caper did not fit the description .... Duck was so over cooked it was grey not one bit of pink.... the service was good and the place had a good vibe but the mains were a bit of a let down

I took my partner to Volare for her 55th Birthday on Tuesday the 4th of July 2017 and was extemely disappointed with everything about the place.!!!  We were asked if we would like to be placed in the "noisey" section downstairs, or upstairs in the "quiet section"....so we asked for a table uptairs....There was no reprieve from the noise downstairs or from a big table of clients upstairs, so it hardly made for an "intimate" evening. I had the "Special Main" that being the lamb-shank....and my partner had the fish....The vegetables on my meal, were cold and appeared to be left-overs from the night before and I would not have fed them to my brothers pigs.!!!  My partners fish was over-cooked and the salad was dry and tasteless....The price of the dinners came to $70.00...the garlic-bread was $7.50 and was over-coated in cheese....and a half-full glass of crappy house wine, was $12.00.....I have dined out at many restaurants around New Zealand, The Pacific and The World and would put this restaurant at the bottom of the list.!!! I will never go back there again.!!!

Had an absolutely brilliant evening here last night celebrating my grandads 67th birthday. My grandad has been a frequent diner at Volare - it is one of his favourite places to eat and chooses to celebrate every birthday here. The food is delicious. They offer a wide variety of dishes and they are all great. I would personally recommend the chicken thighs wrapped in bacon. Joy was a fantastic waitress - couldn't fault her one bit. We brought in a cake and after dinner one of the owners silenced the entire restaurant and the whole restaurant sang happy birthday to my granddads surprise. Thank you for making my Grandads birthday so special - it means so much to me and my family.

Visited Volare last night, very busy which is so great to see,being a local restaurant.<br/>The wait girls are very attentive so 10/10 straight away.<br/>Arrived just as an influx of other diners, but didn't seem to slow down the service.<br/>Two of us had entree, very generous, however you do pay a reasonable dollar for them.<br/>Mains were also generous for the two of us that had pasta dishes, well cooked and delicious.<br/>We all had desert , lemon meringue beautiful and well presented,<br/>standard gelato yummy,<br/>Fig ice cream with popcorn interesting didn't finish too much happening on the plate.<br/>Nice end touch of complimentary Limoncello.<br/>Well done again Volare lovely relaxed atmosphere.

I love their desserts! To be honest I go for pasta but ended up enjoying the dessert more! <br/>Prices are quite up there but I think they aim to be that way especially being in south Auckland! The decor is great. The restaurant is two stories, so if you're wanting to have a function you can go up stairs and book it out!

I have been here 2 times already and will definitely go again...i ordered the pork belly which is one of the best ive had the only downside was there was a bit too much passionfruit in the mash potatoes. <br/>The 2nd visit i ordered a smalon which was cooked in puff pastry..this was one of the best salmon dishes ive ever had. It was a big serving, salmon cooked perfect, pastry was crispy and the roasted vegies was just right.<br/>Dessert was pleasing to the eye and taste buds..a well portioned serving.<br/>The staff is always accommodating and no matter how crowded the place gets (which it can get pretty packed) their always checking in on your table and food is quick to be served.

Delisioso amazing authentic Italian meals. Loved the views both in and out . Upstairs there is a more intimate feel and then u have the outside atmosphere where it's a bit more loud. Awesome customer service as well no complaints one again .

It's a task to find good restaurants in South Auckland so this was a real gem. We were a party of 4 and we loved the food, ambience and the great service. They also have an impressive wine selection. We went on a Wednesday night and it was busy but our food came out in a jiffy. If you using GPS to find the restaurant, it will lead you to a residential home. Keep driving until you reach a set of shops on the same road and see a sign with the restaurant's name. It's close to Totara Park.

Busy on a Saturday night but the service was prompt and cheerful. <br/><br/>Good range of local and Italian wine, reasonably priced and good selection by the glass. <br/><br/>Food is cucina standard, not fine dining but well cooked and very generous serves. The veal in particular was very good, probably the most tender bit of veal I have eaten in years. <br/><br/>Price not bad either. <br/><br/>Recommended.

Family here from overseas so we decided to go to Volare, had heard many good things about it previously...expectation was exceeed by attentive waiting staff and a Duty Manager who was on the floor supporting his staff and assisting clients as required a great place to go. We sat in the outdoor area which was enclosed. Everyone enjoyed their meals and would definitely recommend it Thanks Volare!

Heard great things about Volare. A small bunch of us had a very nice & enjoyable evening meal there. The place has great ambience, love the timber interiors & most tidy tables & wide choice of dining spaces. We were warmly greeted & welcomed & seated most comfortably. Must compliment them on having very good environment (aircon) as it was a really hot & sunny day in Auckland. A delight to be able to see these great Chefs preparing their culinary creations to such perfection. Absolutely wonderful staff. Their plates were really well presented. This place gets so full, you better have a booking. Their dishes are legendary & taste so good. They could do with slightly better portions, based on the menu pricing. Anyway the dessert made up for the above. We enjoyed a range of desserts & each one was temptingly better than the other. Suggest to order a variety of desserts between a group so you know what I mean. The wait staff were fairly experienced, genuinely friendly & knew what to recommend from the menu. Thankyou dear staff, for some really good suggestions. We enjoyed a lovely evening.

My family and I love this little place. Time and time again - delicious, tasty food. I recommend this to anyone looking for a great place to eat out or have takeaways at reasonable prices.

I last ate at Volare around 10 years ago & it looked much the same decor wise - very dated, but fine. I wasn't sure what to expect 10 years on reading some mixed reviews. I must say it was ok - good service, good food, nothing amazing but really great for a local Italian (& we eat out a lot)<br/>The restaurant ended up quite full, but there were plenty of staff on so we didn't have to wait too long. Meals were fine - your standard kiwi/Italian. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they had.<br/>We had a variety of meals - no complaints. Happy to visit again when in the area.

always my first choice when feeling in the mood for some good italian food, A little gem that not everyone may have discovered but surely one that will be coming back to more and more.

A nice environment but below par food. They need to use higher quality ingredients and employ better chefs.<br/><br/>Pizza was worse than Pizza Hut but several times the price. It was crisp on the outside but undercooked dough in the middle. It was smothered in raw onions which overpowered any other flavours. The meat quality was very poor, small in quantity with a bad texture and taste, akin to processed deli meat.<br/><br/>Fish of the day was overcooked, leaving it very dry. It was also very fishy smelling (in other words not fresh at all) and tasting like it was a week old. The accompaniments and sauce tasted really good, but when the main ingredient (that's the fish!) tastes so bad that matters little. It was also a small portion size considering the price and I was left hungry and wanting to go elsewhere for a more satisfying (and fresh!) meal.<br/><br/>This place has potential, but they need to learn to make acceptable food considering the prices they charge. You'd be better off staying at home and cooking yourself.

I have lived in the area for 6 years and never knew about this place and I'm disappointed in myself! From the moment we walked in, the smell of fresh garlic and chorizo was amazing. We had such a tough time choose from then menu and immediately wanted everything on the menu. I got the prawn and chorizo dish with a tomato based sauce and it was delish. The garlic pizza loaf was also great, nice and garlicy just like I like it. Also, all the staff were amazing, great with the kids. Very child friendly owners. Check out the photos and go there.

Just came from this place, good ambience, goof food<br/>As soon as you enter, u get a good vibe and the owner has made sure that it has Italy taste to its ambience<br/>You can see godfather movies pictures and poster all around<br/>When i asked the owner is he a fan of godfather movie, he said 'thats who we are'<br/>The food is amazing, its a proper Italian restaurant. The music is good too. The reason why i deducted half a rating was slow service. I know it was fully packed but thats something they can work on. Tome to get food was appox 20 min<br/><br/><br/>Must try: garlic bread and volare penne pasta<br/> <br/>

Took my partner here as it was his birthday. We didn't have a booking but there were tables avalible. The setting is very nice and clean. You are able to see into the kitchen as the chef's cook.<br/><br/>We ordered garlic bread to start. I was very happy with portion we got for just two. Then the mains; fettuccine cabornara and spaghetti marinara. We have ordered these dishes before and both agreed we enjoyed them better at La Padella. I felt that size of the seafood in the marinara were smaller than at La Padella. My partner said that his cabornara was alot creamier. <br/><br/>

Great food and friendly service. Everything is well presented, waiting staff are attentive and professional, and owner is a warm and delightful character.

Garlic bread is a 10/10! For $7 it is GREAT value for money and it tastes amazing. I got the Fettuccine Pollo and it was good however the chicken was quite dry and would of been better if there were more mushrooms. My partner really enjoyed his spaghetti carbonara and said if they put more big seafood in instead of shrimps and pipis then he would give the dish a 10/10. <br/>Overall dinner was pleasant and the service was amazing.

Once again , had a beautiful meal with my kids, service great and food delicious, presentation of meals great, one of my favourite restaurants.

my husband and I went to Volaries 2 years ago for a special occasion and it was brilliant ,we  returned last week for our 10th wedding anniversary and we were disappointed, the food was average ,it was like it had lost its shine, It is an expensive night out for a lot of people so one would expect good service and food

Used Volare for a recent 20 person function. Staff were great to deal with and their set menu options for groups were good value. Guests were universally impressed and particularly complimentary of standard of food, friendliness of staff and punctuality of service. The restaurant has a convent upstairs room that can be used for groups at no additional charge. This is a cosy little neighbourhood restaurant with cheerful proprietors that we have visited previously and wouldn't hesitate to recommend. They'll be seeing us again.

10yrs ago my husband, myself and our 2boys arrived in NZ. Volare was the 1st restaurant we dined at several times in the 1st yr. We moved out the area and only returned to this restaurant tonight. It was a fantastic night, dinner was devine and atmosphere spectacular. We were with a party of 14 for a friends 50th birthday, everyones food arrived within minutes of each other and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Even the staff were very accomodating with us bringing our cake and balloons. Cant believe not been here in sooo long,wont leave it as long next time. Food was devine, slightly overpriced compared with other restaurants we have dined at, but didnt mind as it was a great night.

Volare is a local classic amongst The Gardens area, and despite living nearby, I've never been interested in trying it until recently for a friend's birthday. The service was really good- the waitress who served us was so kind, helpful, and attentive throughout the night. The menu consists mainly of pizza and pasta as one would expect from a typical Italian restaurant at reasonable prices too as the portion sizes are on the larger side. The pizza was loaded with toppings yes, but tasted like something you could prepare at home, and definitely not very Italian-like. Pasta wasn't very silky or smooth either (I question if it's handmade?). The sides were VERY standard- Baked Vegetables where only the potatoes were baked and everything else was boiled/ steamed did not impress me as it had no seasoning at all (not even salt/ pepper), and the Beetroot salad had barely any dressing. The food wasn't bad per se, but it was very average at best.<br/><br/>Sarah Reynolds #challenge

I finally went to try<br/>Volare Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, as many have recommended this restaurant. The atmosphere was typical of Italian - loud  but because I was placed up stairs<br/>it was very, very, very noisy as there was a Pre-Xmas function downstairs so<br/>the whole bottom was booked.  I really couldn't hear myself 'think'. Going up the stairs the carpet was rather shabby. No toilet upstairs. Bruschetta was very, very disappointing.<br/>It was nothing like I have had in Italy. I have<br/>never had antipasto where ALL the olives had pips and who ever cut the cheese<br/>was not consistent. Some thick and some thins slices. Not good presentation.<br/>The Capesante were definitely not pan fried. The were<br/>under cooked. Not tasty at all. My main - Eye<br/>Fillet was Okay. Due to the noise I just couldn't stand it any longer. It was a very<br/>disappointing first time experience of that restaurant and NO I won't go back<br/>again and NO I will not recommend it either.

This wee restaurant in the heart of 'The Gardens' is absolutely amazing. I love Italian food and would have to say it's one of the best I've tried in Auckland!<br/>Their pasta dishes are beautiful, and their pizzas are good too. My favorite dish would have to be the salmon pasta absolutely amazing! <br/><br/>Every time we go here and no matter what all of us order all the dishes are super. I find that it's one of those restaurants where you can be brave enough to order whatever you desire and it won't disappoint. Beautiful environment and the staff are very hospitable. <br/><br/>If you haven't tried this place out, definitely do. It has not disappointed me to date. My go-to for a good time restaurant.

A great little local secret, Volare is a semi-regular haunt of ours for when we are craving good Italian food. Tucked away in a set of shops in suburbia, Volare provides a fantastic dining experience for a good price. My most recent visit was with a relatively large group of women for a child-free dinner; I certainly think that the restaurant is more suited to dining with other adults or older children, especially with the mezzanine seating area.<br/><br/>The wait-staff are quite competent and used to serving large groups, with most food arriving out at the table in quick succession. They are knowledgable and friendly, swapping out ingredients where possible for the pregnant women at our table. I enjoyed a glass of Stratum Pinot Gris which was very nice for the price. The Penne Volare is a little menu gem, deliciously assembled with few ingredients but great taste. I do feel that they missed out on some opportunities to really shine - they could have offered the first members of our party the opportunity to order some light starters while the rest of us arrived and could have indicated that one of the desserts was not available when bringing us the menus as opposed to when they arrived to take the order.<br/><br/>Enjoy relaxed dining and great food at Volare restaurant - great for those casual nights out with friends.

A lovely family environment. Been here a few times and never fails to impress. Great gluten free options. Portions not huge but so so tasty! Lovely staff, very attentive service. We had garlic bread, entrees, and mains, and the birthday cake we supplied they brought out and served happily at the table. Lovely food, lovely staff, and lovely environment.

You wouldn't think to find this beautifully designed restaurant in the block of shops it's built in. Had the special braised lamb and i gotta say it was like a knife through butter truly soft and tender accompanied by what was boiled potatoes in a not so flavoursome sauce, only let down of the night. Otherwise wine selection is fabulous and who I believe may have been the owner was delightful and vary caring of his customers. Will definitely visit again!

Dined at Volare and had a fantastic night. Could not fault the place. The staff were efficient, meals great - I actually got my steak how I like it - medium rare. Kids loved the pizzas too.<br/>My cousins partner described the place as the best Italian he has had outside of his home country - Italy.<br/><br/>Thanks Volare, I will be back.

Great meals at Volare! Service was excellent and we all throughly enjoyed the food. Staff were very attentive and meals served quickly. Pizza was awesome, really enjoyed the Deano's, bacon &amp; eggs on a pizza! Cool....I will be sure to become a regular at Volare and look forward to my next visit. Fantastic to have a great Italian restaurant in the suburbs, thanks again to the team at Volare, recommend to all.

The worst pizzas ever. That's a big call because I have had some horrendous pizzas in my lifetime but this is the absolute truth from my experience. The worst pizzas in NZ. No issues with service etc. Nice people but Italians that make pizzas that bad is a disgrace...MI DISPIACE.

Had our Xmas party dinner here. We all had great food not too expensive and a great atmosphere. We will all be back.

Great staff, happy friendly people to deal with.<br/>Awesome food. Its always busy there which is always a good sign when you have never been to a restaurant before.<br/>Reasonably priced for the quality of food you receive.

Went to Volare's last night for a birthday celebration and were overwhelmed by the wonderful hospitality shown to us by Joseph, Eddie and the staff. The food was the best we have had for a long time and we eat out at least once per week. The service was first class and the number of people in the restaurant for a mid-week night shows just how popular Volare's is. Why go into the CBD when we have the best place to eat right here in Manukau City. Thanks to the team at Volare's for making our night very special. We will be back and so will our friends.<br/>Jocelyn

Food was good however I think we got there during their 'perfect storm'. It was hot, they were busy. We were seated upstairs which had no breeze. The long island ice tea tasted weak and stale. My wife's pasta came with spaghetti instead of fettuccine, I ordered a nero pasta scallop meal and got a tomato marinara... and then when we went to pay the eftpos terminal wasn't working. Considering the city prices and the service it'll be a long while before I go back. I imagine on a not so busy night it would be different.

We have eaten at this restaurant on several occasions, we usually go on special occasions as it is not cheap to eat here but the food is outstanding and great variety. On our last visit we tried the tiramisu it was the best I have ever had and would go back just for that the staff are always wonderfully helpful and the pepper grinder in itself is worth the visit.

We visited for the first time on Friday night 19 October. We were hanging out for a good italian restaurant and found this on the internet. It had mixed reviews so thought we would check it out for ourselves. It was quite busy so I would recommend booking although we just turned up and were seated immediatley. the food was very good, the service friendly and efficient, the desserts were excellent. The bill was a little pricey but we felt was worth it - 1: for the entire experience and 2: for not having to travel far for italian food. (cost $93 for 1 glass of wine, 2 mains and 2 desserts) I would recommend this restaurant and we will definately be returning

Nice cosy suburban restaurant. Good food, good service. Even a takeaway menu now!<br/><br/>I've eaten here several times and most times I have enjoyed the experience. Just once I was less than impressed, but maybe they were having a bad day.<br/><br/>The hosts are warm and friendly, willing to have a chat. The service is good - your requirements attended to without any hovering.<br/><br/>The menu is varied enough - not too few, not too many choices.<br/>And the food is delicious! <br/><br/>A reasonable wine list.

Went here on the spur of the moment as I was hanging out for good Italian, this was definitely not the case with restaurant. <br/>I had the Veal Marsala it was tuff and the sauce was over cooked and separated I also ordered a Rocket salad, I got mesculin instead which was only slightly appetising. <br/>The service was patchy and not attentive at all and to top it off they then charge like a wounded bull for a very poor copy of an Italian restaurant. <br/>I went with an older friend of mine and I felt we were hidden up stairs as we did not fit in with the image, this I also note by the fact the only the people up there were an older man who was there with a younger woman was also sent up there even though there were several tables free down stairs.<br/>I am writing this as I have just found out how much it cost to go prior to that I would just not gone back but the price incensed me that it was bad and expensive. I eat out regularly at least twice a week

Four of us had dinner on Saturday night to celebrate a 40th Wedding Anniversary.<br/>It was a fantastic experience. The entrees and mains were all extremely good ( we eat out a lot and are quite discerning).<br/>We phoned beforehand to see if we could take our own cake in for dessert and this was fine with the management who joined in the secrecy at dessert time. Wait staff were very attentive and the service was excellent. This was the second time my husband and I have been to Volare this year and we will definitely be back.<br/>The 40th Anniversary celebrants go to Volare regularly and have always found it to be top notch.<br/>Many thanks!!!

Have just visited this restaurant with a group of friends and could not fault it for service, atmosphere and quality of food. The wait staff were excellent and anticipated your needs prior to you!<br/><br/>Food was fantastic and there was not one grumble amongst our group, some of whom are fussy eaters. <br/><br/>Sadly it was not BYO and naturally prices were reflected in the bill total.. All in all a very enjoyable evening was had by all. Wouldn't hesitate to return on another occasion.

Attentive service even though we had been turned away initially as they were not able to seat us at our booked time of 7... and asked to come back later<br/>Overall 2 out of 4 meals returned to the kitchen as the food was cold... The eye fillet was as tough as a boot and obviously poor quality... But after already returning 2 meals it seemed pointless to return the 3rd...<br/>Entrees alright again just cheap ingredients...and to much garlic even for us that like garlic!<br/>Just a poor experience all around really food wise... <br/>On the plus side the service was excellent...

Waitress asked people in our group how they would like their Chicken and Pork cooked. Two orders turned up incorrect another didn’t turn up at all. My vegetables were cold and par cooked and my $30+ steak would have been 50grams at best and was no better a cut than you would buy at a supermarket for less than $5. Very disappointing, even for a local South Auckland restaurant.

Read The reviews &amp; heard a few things so we went to see for ourselves. Party of four, just very good friends out<br/>for a bit of a celebration.<br/>Great Food, Great service so will definitely be back

We wanted to go out somewhere 'nice' for dinner and found this restaurant on the internet. It is a real diamond in the rough (there are very few restaurants we have enjoyed in South Auckland). Service was superb, if not better it was definitely equal to any of the fine dining restaurants we have been to in the past. Staff were attentive and friendly. The meal was delicious and the portion sizes were just right. Definitely won't be taking that long drive into the city with this restaurant so close to home.

We've lived close by for a while now, but had never eaten here before tonight because of the reviews. <br/>We had a fantastic experience - everything met our expectations and the staff were very friendly and attentive. Thanks for the lovely meal!

We went to Volare earlier this year, and had a great experience. The waiter and staff were great and the food was amazing! We have been craving the pasta ever since and look forward to returning very soon with friends and family

I generally tend to find that the reviews on menumania are pretty accurate, although sometimes they look a little like the owner's friends have been trying to pump them up.<br/><br/>Our reasons for going to Volare were 2-fold:<br/>1. Because customers to our own restaurant often compare the two. These are people who like familiar, suburban, friendly dining.<br/>2. Because Peter Calder (The NZ Herald's head reviewer) gave them a very bad review, despite the feedback we have received in point #1.<br/><br/>Our verdict was that this is a very nice, unpretentious, friendly venue. We went on a Wednesday night and the restaurant was almost full.<br/><br/>Calder's comments were on the whole totally unfounded in our experience. The restaurant staff were friendly &amp; attentive, without being overbearing or familiar.<br/><br/>The garlic pizza bread &amp; calamari we shared to start were just as good as we anticipated. We are suckers for fettucine al pollo, and for $18 per portion this was good value for money &amp; decent sized portions.<br/><br/>All in all we wanted to write this review to point out that newspaper reviews can be damaging or complimentary, but you need to try venues out yourself to make a decision.<br/><br/>Our sister-in-law babysat for us, and when she heard of our destination said "why don't you go somewhere nice", her opinion purely based on the Herald. On this occasion, Calder has definitely meant that some diners will miss out on a very nice night out.<br/><br/>Volare is a great destination &amp; we suggest you try it.

To sum up: good food, appalling service.<br/><br/>We arrived for our 7pm reservation and had our table pointed out to us - nobody bothered to take us there. Someone brought over some water a short time later, but we had no menus. The waitresses kept rushing past our table, eventually serving food to people who had arrived after us. We would have left but it was a special occasion and there's nowhere else to go nearby. After 35 minutes of no service and glaring at the waitresses and manager, we finally managed to physically catch one of the waitresses and ask for menus. After that things went back to a semi-normal pace, but our drinks did take about 10-15 minutes to arrive. The food was tasty but the vege portions were a bit mean. The standard of service was highlighted when after our dessert was served, the waitress came back to dump a pile of spoons in the centre of the table. When we left they were quick to take our money, but offered no apology or discount.

Thoroughly enjoyable evening, we were seated about 6:30 so not too busy but it picked up to be a full house. Great waiting staff, attentive enough without being overbearing, even when it got busier, lovely meals, scallop entree superb, steak and fish of the day (dory) beautifully cooked. Will definitely return, and lots of locals there too.

I ordered the tortallini and really looking forward to it only to be presented with a plate straight out of a "heat and eat" Frescarini packet from the supermarket!!!! Definately a bit cheeky to call itself an Italian restaurant! Dissapointed! And the red headed waiter walks around like hes gods gift to the earth! Not enjoyable!

A lovely place - Sadly had their dish with "crisp bacon" - turned out to be something else, definitely not crisp bacon - cheap ingredients aren't a good idea ever!! Will stick to pizzas and not pastas in future

Service was a little slow, but it was a Saturday and we were a large group. Very hot when seated upstairs. Food not bad, portions were a little small.

I live locally for a few years and have only just visited this restaurant - I wish someone had told me about it earlier.<br/><br/>I went in May 2009 on a cold night and they greeted our table warmly and even had a gas heater going. It wasn't a busy night and there was only the front man (owner?) and one waitress - we didn't feel neglected, the service was very good.<br/><br/>The menu was waiting on the table for us and after about 5 mins the waitress came to get our drinks order. They do a gorgeous Italian red wine for $30 - all other wines are around $35-39.<br/><br/>After being there about 10 mins our food order was taken, after the waitress told us the mains were quite big. When they arrived they were above average but not huge. We shared garlic bread (big pizza, generous garlic) to start and then went straight to the mains, skipping the starters (not many vegetarian starters).<br/><br/>Mains: Chicken Fettuccine $19, Seafood Spaghetti $19, Yummy (even for a meat eater) Vegetarian Cannelloni $19, Creamy Mushroom Chicken $26, and a really nice Trio of Seafood: fish, king prawns and calamari $32.<br/><br/>Deserts: approx $12 - Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, Lemon Tart, Icecream.<br/><br/>Overall: Good service, Good sized portions, Good food, Good prices, Good wine, Good atmosphere

We have just shifted to Auckland from Blenheim, and love Italian food.<br/>Edwardo, the owner and his staff are just a pleasure to be served by.<br/>The chef's are Italian...the food is Italian....the atmosphere is Italian.<br/>Our 11yr old daughter just enjoyed the experience, of being treated like a lady and a young adult.<br/>Good food,excellent value,great host.<br/>Regards Dave

Food was ok, place is rather small