Saturday 22 February 2020

Volare, Caerphilly Italian restaurant review


On a dreary Saturday night in January, Volare feels like the beating heart of Caerphilly town centre.

Alive with chatter, warmth and light, it’s the kind of place which could have been around for decades, especially considering Italy’s intimate ties with the south Wales valleys.

However, Volare has a much more recent history having only opened in 2017 by a pair of friends from Calabria who moved to Wales in 2008 to learn English.


The menu is very much classic Italian pizza-pasta fare with hearty portions and good prices. Prawn cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, meatballs, carbonara and lasagne all put in an appearance.

A Volare fish board (£7.95) is a fine fritto misto. Generous in portion, crisp of crumb and batter, and grease-free it features whitebait, tender calamari and a quintet of sweet king prawns served with a pot of enjoyably garlicky mayo. It’s let down slightly by a serviceable selection of mixed leaves. 

 
It’s the same with a whopper of a beautifully creamy liquid-centred burrata (£6.50) which is accompanied by a pedestrian selection of chopped iceberg, cherry tomatoes and a dusting of oregano. 


A linguini bolognese (£10.50) is a hearty winter warmer - the meaty mix of beef and pork mince is nicely seasoned and deep in flavour, the pasta beautifully al dente and topped with a good scattering of savoury parmesan. 


My pan fried pork fillet in breadcrumbs (£13.95) is quite average in comparison. The flattened pork fillet is a touch dry and its crisp-crumb lacking in seasoning. Accompanying linguine in a light and fruity tomato sauce is delicious. 

 
Desserts get things back on track.

A trio of dinky cannoli (£5.95) are reassuringly crunchy and filled with a smooth and citrusy sweetened cream cheese. 

 
A chocolate cheesecake (£4.75) is light, smooth and delicately tangy with a crisp buttery biscuit base. Fragrant mango coulis and a warm white chocolate sauce add even more interest. 


Overall we had a really fun evening at Volare. The buzzing atmosphere, brisk service and hearty cooking mean that despite a few glitches, it’s a place I’d happily return if I’m ever in Caerphilly.

The Details:

Address - Volare, 87 Cardiff Rd, Caerphilly CF83 1FQ
Telephone - 029 2132 2077

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