Volare “to soar or fly”
I have always loved Italian cuisine and a recent trip to Italy reaffirmed this love. I am not talking run-of-the-mill pizza and pasta but real authentic Italian food!
Imagine my delight when Grant and I were invited to dine at Volare at Peddlars & Co, in Constantia! Peddlars, a local landmark, has become one of the most recognised and beloved destinations in Constantia.
As one of the more recent additions, Volare became part of the Peddlars & Co family in 2012. The restaurant recently underwent a complete menu revamp, at the hands of talented chef Brad Ball. Brad Ball has been a name synonomous with Bistro 1682 at Steenberg, for the past five years! He recently joined Peddlars & Co to put his stamp on this Cape Town institution and bring it up to date, with the rest of the culinary world. One of Brad’s ideas for Volare was for it to be a dining experience, rather than just another meal out. The menu is anything but ordinary and in my opinion a much-needed addition to the Constantia Valley!
As I mentioned we travelled to Italy recently and one of the main highlights for me, was eating Italian food as it was intended – fresh local produce, simply prepared, with the most heartfelt passion! {and not a Hawaiian pizza in sight!} One glance at the Volare menu and I was transported back to Tuscany.
The main thing to understand as far as Italian dining goes, it is not meant to be “fast food” but rather a feast! A feast which is meant to be enjoyed leisurely, with friends and family, accompanied by a few glasses, or in some cases, bottles of wine.
We started of our evening, sipping on a glass of wonderfully chilled Steenberg Chardonnay MCC, while perusing the mouth-watering menu! It could not really get much better than that!
For our Antipasti course I started off with the Burrata, while Grant decided on the Tuno Crudo. The Burrato was absolutely delicious – the softest Puglia mozarella, with tapenade, baby tomatoes, micro basil and wafer-thin focaccia toast.
The Tuno Crudo was as delicious – yellowfin tuna carpaccio, with capers, lemon, a heady basil emulsion and a shallot dressing.
From the outset I had my eye on the Farfalle Primavera, which I chose for my Primi course and Grant had the Pork Ragu Pappardelle. Both dishes were amazing but if I had to pick a favourite the Farfalle Primavera would win hands down, in fact I would go back to Volare just for that! The combination of peas, leeks, zucchini, parsley oil and pea shoots, in a rich creamy sauce, was definitely the best vegetarian dish I have ever eaten! The Pork Ragu Pappardelle was a flavour packed, hearty dish, of braised pork belly, tomato, fennel seeds, rosemary, topped with a goats cheese fondant.
Admittedly by this stage we were both almost full but this would not deter us from experiencing more of the new menu. My choice for our Secondi course was the Roast Porchetta, which was Oak Valley pork belly, with artichokes, sage, Parma ham crackling and brocollini.
Grant opted for the Controfiletto, a mouth-watering Chalmar sirloin, with the most delicious rosemary potatoes, roast garlic, gremolata and asparagus. The flavour combinations of both dishes were spot on, I just wish I had the space to finish it all!
We were told that we could not leave without trying a desert and it had to be the Chocolate Torta! OMW!!! Nothing short of desert heaven! I don’t have a very sweet tooth but this desert is pure perfection! The sublime combination of Valrhona chocolate, espresso ice cream and chocolate crumble was right up my alley and we scoffed the lot!
I would like to say a big thank you to Brad Ball and all the staff at Volare for a truly magical Italian dining experience! Volare is contemporary Italian cuisine at its best! We will definitely be back soon, to sample more of the amazing dishes from their wonderful new menu.
Contact Details: Opening Times: 11am – 11pm, Telephone: 021 794 7747, Email, Address: 13 Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia, 7800, Cape Town. Directions: From Cape Town, turn into Ladies Mile from the M3 freeway and turn left. Just before the first set of traffic lights, turn left onto Spaanschemat River Road, you will find Peddlars on your right.
Image Source: Images 1,2,3,6 & 9 Coutesy of Claire Gunn Photography
Disclosure Ranking: 4