Have been here a couple of times for dessert and had the chocolate fondante plus the gelato. Both very average for an Italian restaurant – the service is very good tho.

This restaurant has a lovely ambiance and great service. It was one of the best meals I have had in a long time; great flavours and perfect portion sizes. Try the walnut and blue cheese bruschetta – delish as a starter.

Had dinner here on a Monday night. The staff were so friendly and we had excellent service from all 3 waitresses. The food was delicious – all of our meals including entrees were fabulous! We thoroughly enjoy this restaurant and have only ever had great food and service from here…..one of our favourites in Tauranga

have to say his is one of the best i have eaten in, service was wonderful with friendly staff, and the food was Devinne.
Highly recommend

This is possibly the best italian in the North Island. The atmosphere is always buzzing the service is exceptional with the owners always making themselves knowen also. The food is second to none and the chefs are very accomodating to special requests. The menu is diverse authentic and the specials board also means there are new surprises instore if you require. We have been many times as couples, friends and large groups and every time we have walked away exceptionally happy. Highly recommended!

Some friends and I recently had the pleasure of dining at Volare. From the minute we stepped off the Strand into the warm ambience of Volare we were impressed. The staff were well presented, polite and efficient. After a drink at the bar we were lead up the stairs to the beautifully lit dining area where we all enjoyed meals of the highest quality. Cooked and presented to perfection. One of our group who dines out frequently in Tauranga and Mt. Maunganui commented it was “The best meal he has had, ever”. I thoroughly recommend Volare and am looking forward to many more experiences in our very own little slice of Italy here in Tauranga.

I loved this restaurant, the food is fantastic, it really uses the natural flavour of the ingredients. Last time we went I had the duck and our five year old loved my dish so much she had half of mine as well as her pasta, licking her fingers to get every last tasty morsel.Thank you for the amazing food and the friendly attentive service. Staff gives the best service on the Strand.

Absolutely amazing food and service. Volare has reignited my passion for Italian food! The pasta was truly authentic and full of flavour. My partner and I were very impressed and would definitely recommend this restaurant.

After reading the reviews I thought I would add my opinion- I have had two fabulous meals in the past at Volare but in December 2010 we went back and were very disappointed also.
Our bruschetta was terrible (soggy stale toast and bland tomatoes), and we were pressured by the waitress to order before a large group so we would get our food before the kitchen got swamped with their orders- we did so at her recommendation and still ended up getting served well after the large table.
We also ordered a double serve cheese board to share between five people, and it was predominantly fruit and came with three tiny pieces of bread.

I really want to defend the reviewer that said they complained and got comp wine- the owner made a comment that they should have said something- they did, hence the comp wine.

We also complained more than once to both the waitress who referred us to the manager. He ended up not charging us for the cheeseboard or the bruschetta.
At the time we thought perhaps it was the Christmas rush that had caused the problems, but after reading the other reviews I think that things have been declining for some time. That coupled with the increase in prices was very disappointing as we had been looking forward to the meal for a long time.

I have dined at Lo Spuntino and enjoyed it (owned by same people I think?) and am going to give it another try tonight, but it will take some spectacular reviews of Volare to be convinced that things have returned to its former standard.

Well this wasn’t as expected having relied on the current reviews. I phoned Volare to book Sunday just past and was welcomed with a blunt “Hello”. I had to ask and confirm it was in fact Volare. On arrival I checked to confirm the Sunday special on their website; $27 for lunch & $33 for dinner. I had tried to do it over the phone when booking but their phone was on the blink & they hung up. The female waitress replied it was only lunches & they don’t have a dinner special. Ok, that’s fine, no big deal. She went away after we ordered our Entrée & drinks. A male waiter then approached when we were ready to order our Main. I asked for my steak to be “medium well done”. The same way I have asked in many countries for quite some time. He replied “medium well”. I thought he was a little confused & I again replied “medium well done” to which he promptly replied it’s “medium well”. I then realized to my dismay he was correcting me? Even if I had been wrong that’s not very good etiquette for a waiter. Our Entrée arrived, Antipasto Volare. It was placed on our table then he just walked away, assuming we wanted to use our hands. Strangely he asked the next 2 customers if they would like tooth picks or forks. To finish it off the steak was delivered well done, not even the slightest bit juicy. This was the first time I had taken my partner out to dinner for over 6 months due to our first child arriving & I was really quite disappointed.

We have the pleasure of dining at volare throughout the year and always enjoy our meals .The staff treat us like family and the food is always terrific. A great atmosphere in both summer and winter.
Thanks guys
Al

Total rip off. Have eaten here well over 20 times. Last night had a goats cheese souffle $18 which was appalling – 1cm high and the sauce around it had to be peeled off the plate and inside tasted of raw garlic, hence I sent it back. The cannoli dessert was again seriously overpriced at $19 and gave 3 tiny 2 inch cannoli’s that tasted like they were made a couple of days ago – was tempted to send that back also. The water and wine didn’t get checked until near the end of the meal. Volare / Luigi – you would need to seriously improve for us to go back again. Such a shame given it used to be the best restaurant in Tauranga.

Wow, Where do I start. White table cloth and great wine.This was the best restaurant that we ate at during our 4 wk stay in NZ. The food and presentation were both delicious and appealing. The waitress was friendly and had an amazing attitude.Our table was looking out to the ocean. Owners Luigi & Ian you guys got it together.We were treated like royalty.I’d recommend this as a must do when in Tauranga………….I have copied your pear and blue cheese appitizer and it’s a great hit. Thanks

Mary Lou & Jim
Canada.

Having heard a number of positive things about Volare, my partner and I went to Volare as a special, romantic new year’s treat to ourselves. Sadly, it was a real disappointment.

The atmosphere was non-existent and lifeless, despite a good number of customers. The service was poor – order not taken for over 10 minutes only to be told (15 minutes later) that two of the tapas we’d ordered were sold out, waitress brought the wrong food to the table, no one bothered to see how our meal was and there was an overall sense of apathy.

On to the food – the Bruschetta Classica was basically 6 pieces of thinly sliced, stale toast with oil and seasoning. The tapas were mediocre at best – the chicken pate featured the same stale toast as the bruschetta, as did the breaded chicken (which came out as 5 tiny pieces of chicken and two slices of tomato on stale toast). While a couple of the other tapas were tasty, portions were small (even for tapas) and did not represent value for money.

To give credit where it is due however, the manager did comp us our wine when my partner told him how disappointed we were.

Overall, we were left with the impression that Volare is tired and inconsistent but has some potential to return to it’s former glory. We really wanted to like this place and hope that our criticism can help breathe some new life into the place.

The menu at Volare is fabulous! Have been to Italy twice now and have come home to enjoy gorgeous italian food here that I experienced there! Small friendly restaurant that always seems busy, quick service and great price for a satisfied tummy!

Adore. Went to Volare for an anniversary dinner and loved every bit. The staff were very friendly and informed. We never had to wait more than 20 minutes for any of a courses either. The food was also divine. I had the spinach gnocchi and although I typically don’t like blue vein cheese, the dish made me slow down to savour every piece. The asparagus side was also good, as were desserts. Meals are on the small side but the whole dinner is reasonably priced and the atmosphere is great. Definitely recommend!

We had a family birthday celebration night, and had had Volare mentioned to us several times as a great restaurant. We had a great time, the food was good, the service was awesome. However, I do want to warn those who are gluten free. I requested the seafood pasta with GF pasta. It tasted like cardboard with lemon juice sprinkled on it. Undersalted, dry, tasteless and extremely disappointing. For the price I paid for the dish it was a big let down. So choose carefully.

I requested a banquet for 8 and they were extremely generous with the food included in the price. The selection of flavours & textures was exquisite, I chose the dishes & some were not particuarly my choice, but chosen for others dining – but I tried everything and it was absolutely the most delicious night out!! I have been there for lunch as well, just perfect. The location is fantastic.

Was highly recommended by two separate sources. I checked out on Internet (this site) to find average and varied responses. Thought twice but when I checked with friends who’ve visited Volare frequently they raved about the place and said it was great.
I took my wife for a special occasion and wasn’t disappointed whatsoever. They met my hopes and surpassed them.
I tried everything I could and my eye fillet was as good as it gets, EXACTLY how I asked, (I don’t know how they do it to be honest), the entree (mixed breads) took my breath away! WOW! I tried the tomato ones first and was astounded! What flavour! The blue cheese with the honey, again, wow! Even ordered the chocolate fondeau and it was absolutely perfect. Service prompt, food prompt, and waitresses very approachable and polite. A fantastic dining experience. Can’t recommend them enough.

Have eaten at Volare many times and can be wonderful. However, the last time we dined there it was decidedly average, service ok but the meal overpriced and really bland. The Veal came out with basically a few slices of warm dry veal on a plate with a hardly noticable sauce visually or taste wise very dissapointing for the price. Seems the restaurant lacks consistancy. Not confident about trying again.

The best Italian we had in a long time – beats all of the Italian restaurants we have tried in Auckland (and we have tried most). Three nights in a row over the Easter weekend we had nothing but superb food and friendly yet unobtrusive service in a great rustic ambience with sea view. Highly recommended!

Tragic Ambiance,tragic Food and Tragic Service………
I dined with number of friends when we visited Tauranga,I ordered for a glass of wine with my meal,the menu says it is 180ml but it was barely 140ml in the glass.
I ordered Medium Rare Eye Fillet steak but on my plate it was almost Medium Well steak and the eye fillet was smelly and not tender at all.
No one came to clear our table after our first course and when we asked the service staff to do so they were rude and not friendly at all.
No one filled our water glasses till we asked for it.
After years of experience in hospitality I was very much disappointed with food and service in this restaurant and please if you are planning to eat there please think twice.

me and my partner were there on 9/2/10. both meals were really salty, the fish and beef were cooked too much. my veges were not cooked, my parnter had a crook stomach after, salad was drowned in balsamic vinegar. the meals took a while to come out when there were only a couple of tables in the place. we were not impressed, we had heard good things but this was the worst We’ve eaten in tga.

Have always had a great experience at Volare whether with a large group or as an intimate dinner for two. The food is consistently good and the menu has seasonal changes that keep things interesting. It’s often busy but the service is good and the food makes up for any inefficiencies.

My family and I went here one Saturday and it was fairly busy, but we got a good seat. The meals were all delicious – no complaints – and they had some lovely variety from pastas to salads. The only thing I could note would be that the lighting was very dim and it wsa a bit difficult to read the menus/see our food.
However, that isn’t a big deal. Lovely authentic Italian restaurant.

After having Volare recommended to us we unfortunately were disappointed with our dining experience there.

The wait staff were not welcoming and did not engage with us at all.

Whilst the Seafood Chowder had a beautiful flavour, it lacked any selection of seafood and seemed to only have fish with one mussel as a garnish. The Veal main was flavoursome but could have been hotter in temperature.

Overall we didn’t feel as though we had a special dining experience at Volare and would not return.

Great food, great atmosphere, the best service. Luigi takes great pride in making sure everything is perfect for you! My favorite restaurant that never disappoints.

I have dinner and lunch here. Wonderful food, great staff and I will be back. Well Done