Volare Ristorante Italiano

A bit fake on the Italian staff, but the food was great. The mixed grill appetizer was very good. Portions were good size.

We stopped in late on a Saturday night. We were able to choose our table and were served right away. The server really knew the menu and had many suggestions. We each had a half portion of the kale salad, recommended by the server. It was absolutely delicious. I had the black spaghetti with scallops, crab, and shrimp. Also delicious. I was very happy with my meal.

I absolutely loved this restaurant. The wait staff is the nicest you will ever come across. Silvana was our waitress and she was the sweetest! The food is spectacular. Such a nice restaurant for a nice evening out and especially if you’re in the mood for italian!

We always enjoy coming to this place and our last visit (December 22) was no exception. Our server (Refaat) was fantastic! He was one of the best servers we’ve had at any restaurant in Chicago (including those that cost double or triple a meal here). We brought our two girls (ages 6 and 3) with us and he was incredibly kind and thoughtful with them.
The portions are massive. My wife loves their risotto and has it every time we visit, even though it usually looks like she didn’t touch it once she’s done. This time, I tried the Fusilloni al Ragu di Vitello and it was incredible! The girls had the pizza (I tried a piece and it was quite good too).
We had a nice bottle of Barbaresco with the meal. Their wine list is decent and there are some good values to be found in the Italian section, but prices are a bit steep for some bottles. They also tend to substitute vintages, so check the bottle carefully when it’s brought to your table if that matters to you.
Overall, one of the best Italian places in Chicago. It’s always crowded for dinner, so make a reservation, even on «slow» days.

I came here for dinner. We came at a perfect time around 6:30, so that we were seated almost immediately. However, if were to have come an hour later, there would have been a considerable wait to be seated. The service here was excellent. I really liked our waiter taking the time to explain the specials and the individual dishes. The menu had so many options to choose from that it was almost overwhelming. For appetizers, I got the grilled calamari, shrimp, and scallops. I really enjoyed the tenderness and texture of the seafoods. For the main course, I had to get their gnocchi and sausage. The gnocchi was absolutely amazing. It immediately melted in my mouth and cooked perfectly. The sausage was also excellent. I would most definitely come back here and recommend it for anyone interested in good Italian food.

I’m finding it hard to reconcile my visit with Norm J’s 4-​star review. The food was dismal.
It’s a quaint little classic Italian style joint in the same way that all the Greektown restaurants (which I avoid like the plague) are quaint little classic Greek style joints. There is nothing wrong with keeping things traditional and old school… IF you do those things right. And Volare, like Greektown, just doesn’t do ‘em right.
The dishes are large and sound and look appealing enough as they’re plated nicely. But they’re basically tasteless. Carpaccio Manzo ($ 10) was meh. Go get Devon Seafood’s brilliant beef carpaccio at their happy hour. My Salmone Al Forno ($ 23) and her Vitello Limone (that’s veal, $ 24) were tasteless. Her veal cutlets were these scraggly little pounded down things with maybe a dousing of flour and a tasteless sauce. Perhaps that’s karma for ordering a baby cow taken away from its mommy in its sad short life.
Drinks and dessert were okay with the tiramisu standing out… it must be outsourced from somewheres (I’m talking like an Italian now) that cares about food. The limoncello martini done fuq’d me up too, which was necessary to endure this $ 115-​before-​tax-​and-​tip disaster.
The cappuccino was lame. If they served this in Boston’s North End, a little Italian grandma would chase them out with a broom.
Server was an awesome, fairly fresh off the boat, Italian guy, didn’t know these still existed. Refreshing. And menu prices were whole dollar amounts, not my HATED $XX.95 or $XX.99 crap that does not befit a restaurant of a certain caliber.
At the risk of being «Trendy Boy,» take your money to RPM Italian or some newer, more innovative Italian joint ’round town. And don’t ever go to Greektown while you’re at it!

The food is not good. Don’t waste your money.
We only came here because it was close to the hotel we were staying at and wanted a quick bite before flying out. First, the atmosphere at the restaurant is pretentious, and we were looked down at by the waiters who were hovering over us and clearing our tables while we were eating. A half eaten pizza does not look like an empty plate to me. Additionally, I was taking a bite out of my meal and the waiter pulled the plate from under me. It was clear we were not welcome and were not wanted there.
Secondly, the food tastes sub-​par. At best, it tastes like food court Italian food when you take your lunch break while working a retail job. Even then, it’s better quality there than this restaurant.
I don’t know who gives this restaurant good reviews, but I visit New York and Italy often where Italian food is genuine.
Again, don’t waste your money. I regret that this is the last restaurant we dined at before leaving Chicago.

We went here for lunch and it was a nice, cozy hideaway from a blustery, cold day. The service was on point, the wine was good, and the food was tasty. I especially loved their arancini. The atmosphere is old school Italian, complete with old school Italian dudes enjoying their meals. I’m only holding back a star because I didn’t have any «oh my GAWD» moments food-​wise. As I said, it was all very good though. I would definitely go back.
We went for lunch on a weekday and had no issues getting a table.

I’ve been to Volare numerous times and I have never been disappointed with the food. Everything I’ve had here has always been delicious and left my stomach throughly pleased. While the location isn’t the best for a downtown restaurant, the fact that they are always packed speaks volumes about the quality and taste of their food. The only reason why I’m not giving Volare 5 stars is because the space can be a little tight up in there.
Food to definitely try:
*Nodino Di Vitello Parmigiana– my favorite dish here. The veal is a must try.
*Fusilloni al Ragu Di Vitello — another veal dish is definitely worth a try as well.
*Rigatoni all’Arrabbiata — is really good, but indeed spicy.

This is old-​school Italian, not the type of modern, dainty Italian we Chicagoans have been introduced to with all the new Italian places popping up in the city. Portions are huge and flavors unapologetic, frantic action and loud dining rooms. We started with the calamari, which was just mediocre — it was greasy, stringy and the coating struggled to stay on the calamari. The sauces that accompanied it were forgettable.
For entrees we got the seafood pasta and bolognese with spinach linguini. Upon seeing the dishes we realized we should’ve all gotten appetizer portions as these were humongous. The flavors of the seafood pasta were decent, with a generous supply of crab meat in the sauce and shrimps & scallops. But it was so rich I had to finish it in 3 meals. Consider yourself warned.

I’m in love with this place. It’s the BEST!
I’m a big fan of Italian food and I’m also a big fan of old-​school Italian restaurants that do things the right way. Volare checks all the boxes and scratches me, right where I itch!
Their calamari is fantastic. Their house-​made pastas are amazing, as are the sauces with which they’re paired. The desserts are wonderful and they have an excellent selection of wines, beers and cocktails.
The service is absolutely stellar. Everyone from the bartenders and waitstaff, to the cooks and bussers are helpful, friendly and work together like a well-​oiled machine.
I make it a point to eat at Volare at least one time, every time I visit Chicago.

came here because I felt like some Italian and it’s pretty close to my hotel. it also had really good reviews so win win.
we sat at the bar because the game was on. I prefer the bar at restaurants anyways. it makes me feel like a more relaxing setting instead of formal.
— squid ink seafood — it came with shrimp and scallops. the flavoring was good but the noodles were a little bit hard. I wish they cooked it a bit more
— linguini Alfredo with chicken — again, the noodles were a bit hard. the Alfredo wasn’t that great. the chicken was good.
* the fact that the noodles were a bit harder than it should be made both the dishes not good.
— eggplant Parmesan — the only thing I liked here. they wrapped the eggplant in some cheese and had marinara sauce and Parmesan poured over it. very good. highly recommended!
I liked the fact that they did half or full orders. full orders are way too big and you won’t be able to try different pastas unless you go in a huge group.
overall, this place was okay

After a late morning stroll at the navy pier, my husband and I decided to treat ourselves to an Italian treat.
There were at least a dozen of lunch options I would had been more than happy to order. But squid ink pasta in seafood rose sauce? I couldn’t resist!
Hands down the best authentic pasta probably of my life! My squid ink pasta was cooked to perfection. The rose sauce was folded with real crab meat. Loaded with giant scallop, shrimp, and squid! Portion was beyond generous! I couldn’t believe this dish was only $ 15!
Meat Lasagna — Rich, decadent classic! Straight from the oven with layers of melted, gooey, yummy cheese. The tomato sauce added the perfect acidity. Another winning choice!
Overall — hands down one of the best classics ever. The reason I’m craving Italians all the time!

Ya know what makes this place special? Though it’s my first time here I feel like I’ve been here a million times. Service is excellent. Food is impeccable. We made a reservation and it was honored promptly. We had a large group and the way they took care of us, you knew they were pros here. Just excellent experience all the way around. Highly recommend
Food: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Venue: ⁵⁄₅

I found this place through Unilocal,made a reservation, and brought my mom here. From the moment we walked in the door, we could see this place was hoppin! There were waiters running here and there with delicious looking dishes… We could tell they weren’t messing around!
We were seated just a couple minutes after we showed up and served bread immediately. Our waitress had a large table near us and wasn’t able to take our drink orders for almost 10 minutes, booo.
We each ordered and appetizer and shared a main course. It was more than enough food for the two of us. For our entrée, we split one of the daily specials, the sea bass which we later found out was $ 39… Wow!
We really enjoyed our food. The atmosphere was a bit loud, and the service was a tad spotty to begin with, but I am sure I will be back to try one of their signature pasta dishes in the future!

3 stars for dessert…5 star for food!
Outdoor heated seating is nice & romantic.
Desserts range from $ 3.50-$ 5, not that great. i can get better tasting dessert at whole foods down the street.
Tirumisu ($ 6) — eh, i have had better tirumisu… i have made better tirumisu…
Lemon tart ($ 3.50) — my friend had this and was not impressed.
Customer service was not great this time around. I think it depends on who your waiter is…
I would still go back here for pasta, but not for drinks & dessert!

buenisimo

Been here 4 times. The one item that I keep ordering every single item is the Neri Al Pesce. The black pasta, scallops, crab, cheese and whatever else it, makes it amazing.
Also tried the calamari (mmm yummy squid), bruschetta (good portions given for this). The Pollo Parmigiana is decent. Go for the Pollo Arrosto, it’s good. The waiter might say that it takes 40min to make it, but trust me, everything here takes 30min to prepare (during dinner time). So might as well go for the good one.
The drinks were brilliant. Got the Bloody Margarita: it’s sweet with a good alcohol flavor, and the Esthymere Flower (forgot the name): this one has a «sweet odor» and with a strong alcohol whiff.
The ambiance is nice. Their bread. oh their bread… so warm and soft. They give you 2 types of bread: plain and tomato bread. I always end up getting 3 baskets each time and finish half a bottle of Olive Oil hah.
Excellent Italian restaurant overall. Will be back for a 5^th time!

Came here on a Thursday evening it was pretty busy but was seated shortly after ordering a drink at the bar.
For appetizer order the Salsiccia e Pepperoni, Basically sausage and peppers and it was probably the best sausage I’ve ever tasted had such great flavor and the peppers gave it an extra kick. Really enjoyed them.
Main course I had a Ravioli di Ricotta and a side of meatballs. The ravioli weren’t as filled with Ricotta as I would’ve liked but still had great flavor. And the Meatballs were too die for.
The waiter was friendly ensured my drink was constantly refilled. Will def come again soon.

I wish Unilocal allowed half stars because this warrants a solid 2.5 but anyhow, here it goes.
After a Unilocal Elite event nearby, my friend and I wanted a full blown, let’s get bloated and stuff our face with carbs type of meal. We chose Volare due to the great rating.
When we approached the restaurant we saw two tables open on the outside patio. We walked inside and told the hostess we wanted an outside table. She said it would be a 15 minute wait for outside and an immediate sit down if we chose inside. My friend and I both looked around and then looked at each other in a confused dismay. There was no one waiting for a table. Dafaq? I told the hostess that and she said, «let me see what I can do». We were magically sat within a minute. I’m not sure why in the world she didn’t want to sit us outside but her pushing inside tables on us was rude. As patrons, we want to sit where we want — understand that — and don’t give us sh*t for our choices.
After being seated, it took us about 5 minutes to get menus and be greeted by our server — Rhonda. She noticed we were still wearing Unilocal name tags and mentioned to me that she knows all about the app and the review system. I had forgotten to take off the name tag after the event so I did so immediately upon her telling me. Rhonda made recommendations accordingly.
We ordered bruschetta as an app which I most certainly recommend that you order. The bread was soft and fresh and the tomatoes were delicious.
For the main, I ordered the black squid pasta with seafood. My friend ordered the daily special of spinach and cheese stuffed ravioli. Both meals were amazing. Seriously, I’ve never been to Italy but I really do believe it may be as authentic as possible. The BEST Italian I’ve had in Chicago, hands down.
We ordered the tiramisu and pistachio gelato as well. Both were tasty as well but I’d choose the gelato over the tiramisu here which is weird for me.
Now, why the 2.5 stars, you ask? RHONDA, where in the world did you go? Frankly, the service here sucked! She disappeared throughout 90% of our meal, and it took 15 minutes for her to bring us the check. FIFTEEN minutes! She knew we were Unilocalers and had even asked me at one point if we were going to review her! Is this how you earn a good rating, Rhonda? Showing your Houdini skills by disappearing for the duration of our meal (and desserts) isn’t impressive at all, in fact, it’s quite disappointing and infuriating!
The food here is phenomenal. The people working here: not so much. I may go again one day but I will choose to sit at the bar to order where all eyes will be on me. But to sit at a table? NAH!
I’m torn with Volare. You be the judge.

I celebrated my birthday dinner at Volare last night and it was an awesome experience.
Be sure to make reservations if you plan on coming to Volare because this place is packed… there was quite a wait when we arrived and when we left an hour and a half later! The good news is with our reservation we didn’t have to wait long at all for our table to be ready.
We were seated in the front dining room and I loved the ambiance. It’s a touch crowded but in the best possible way, eating at Volare has that classic Italian restaurant feel where everyone around you seems to be laughing and having fun while enjoying their meal. In addition to the great ambiance I also enjoyed our server. She admitted she was new but if she hadn’t said that we never would’ve known. She was attentive, helpful, and did a great job describing the specials.
They have a wide beer, wine, and cocktail selection here (but no draft beer). My boyfriend went with a Two Brothers and I had the delicious Tex Mex cocktail. If you’re a tequila or vodka fan don’t leave Volare without ordering one of those, they’re to die for!
When it came to our meal we opted to share because the menu had so much to offer. We started with a half order of baked clams and I have to say they were the best I’ve ever had. The sauce was delicious and they were perfectly done. For entrees we split the special, a brown butter sage sauce over stuffed with ricotta and steak filled tortellini and the Rigatoni all’ Arrabbiata. Both were delicious and filling. It’s hard to say which one was better but I’d have to give it to the special, neither of us had ever tried anything like it before and loved every last bite!
Volare was an awesome dining experience and there were no complaints from us!

Por recomendaciones de Unilocal entre a este restaurante durante un viaje de negocios a Chicago. IMPERDIBLE!!! Vayan con hambre porque las porciones son mas que abundantes. La pasta estaba aldente y la salsa perfecta. El staff súper amable, el bartender muy simpático y servicial. Volví dos veces durante mi estadía. Excelente

leider kein lunch mehr bei volare, nach jahren mit lunch und dinner menu, gibt es nun nur noch dinner. karte sah aber sehr verlockend aus.