VOLTA(Charcoal grill & wine bar) Kitashinchi — Restaurant in Osaka

I heard that this is a gastropub run by a wine professional, so I went there with friends for the first time. After we sat down and chose a wine, the server, a handsome guy, recommended "30 kinds of wine all-you-can-drink on weekdays for 60 minutes only for JPY980 (equiv. USD6 !).” If this is a gastropub that sells wine, how can we drink all we want for the price of a glass of wine? I wondered, but I figured that since it was 30 kinds of wine selected by a wine professional, they wouldn't serve anything strange, so I ordered as he recommended. For food, I ordered the “Signature appetizer platter," which was also recommended by him, as well as a few other dishes. I started with sparkling wine, and had Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon. All were above average. The Zinfandel in particular was not from the famous California, but “Primitivo” from Italy, which was delicious. It was full-bodied, with firm tannins, typical of Zinfandel, and had a dark cherry-like aroma that I liked. The appetizer platter was also impressive. Although the food lineup is mainly Italian, they also incorporate Japanese tastes, such as using mackerel as a topping for the bruschetta, so it feels like an Italian restaurant in Japan. I would like to take my friends who come to Osaka to this gastropub. I will definitely be there...

The service was excellent, and the atmosphere had a great vibe. We also really enjoyed the wine. Unfortunately, the pizza was a big letdown — it tasted more like cardboard than an actual pizza. I’m not being a fussy Italian here; it genuinely didn’t resemble pizza in taste or texture and felt more like flatbread. A disappointing experience on the food front, but the staff and setting...

We found Volta while exploring, and were lucky. The place is just the right size, not too large, and the food excellent. To drink, we had red and white sangria, both perfect. We then shared the apetizer plate and the grilled meat plate, and were absolutely delighted. The total cost was 5,160 yen, which is just US$35. The same food in the USA would have cost three...