Al Volo Restaurant — Restaurant in England

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I recently had the pleasure of dining at Al Volo Rufforth Italian Restaurant to celebrate my husband's birthday, and I can confidently say it was an unforgettable experience! From the moment we walked in, the warm atmosphere and attentive service set the stage for an exceptional meal.

First , we indulged in the Frito misto, a beautiful medley of perfectly fried seafood that was crispy, light, and utterly delicious. Each bite was a testament to the chef's skill.

Let's dive into the food—the highlight of the evening! We started with the Argentinian prawn pasta, a dish that was nothing short of divine. The prawns were cooked to perfection, and the pasta was fresh and flavorful, creating a symphony of tastes on our palates. The sharing meat platters were equally impressive, offering a delightful selection of meats and Sardinian sausages all cooked to perfection with side dishes of roasted potatoes and the most delicious peppercorn sauce that we ever tasted , and accompaniments that perfectly complemented each other.

And then came the desserts—oh my! The pistachio cheesecake was a creamy dream, with a rich flavor that left us swooning. The limoncello tartufo was the perfect way to end our meal, refreshing and indulgent at the same time.

A special mention is due to Maximo, the head chef and co-owner, whose hospitality truly elevated our dining experience. His passion for food and commitment to excellence shone through in every dish and interaction. It's clear that Al Volo is a labor of love.

In summary, I wholeheartedly recommend Al Volo Rufforth to anyone looking for exceptional Italian cuisine paired with top-notch service. We can’t wait to return for more delicious memories in the future! Thank you for making my husband's birthday...

I can't believe I haven't stumbled across this lovely Italian restaurant since it opened a little over 4 years ago on June 11th. I wanted to go somewhere different for lunch and I wanted to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Al Volo in Rufforth overlooks a working airfield; although nothing was happening when we were there, and is in a warehouse type barn building. You can dine indoors or outside on the terrace, which is what I decided to do as it was a very warm day. In the evening, the lights twinkle making this even more special.

Parking is easy but finding the restaurant was a little more difficult even using Google Maps. I first drove down a private dirt track and had to turn back. I ended up having to ask a lady walking her pooch and her directions were fabulous and, fortunately, we saw the sign on the way back.

I had booked ahead and we received a warm welcome. Staff were friendly and we were made to feel welcome immediately.

The menu is wonderful! There is something for everyone. They make their own dough and pasta so that's a big tick for me. If they care enough to do that then it's indicative of a dining experience where they care what they serve to their customers and value them. And we were not disappointed. Our pizza was gorgeous as you can see!

A couple of really really minor negatives is that sharper knives would have been preferable and some freshly cracked black pepper as opposed to a shaker. As I say, though, really minor points.

I felt it was exceptional value at under £23 for two non alcoholic drinks and a pizza. I've already recommended this to my family and if one thing is for certain, it's that I will definitely be going back to try some of the exciting options they have...

My experience at Al Volo was quite interesting and mixed. When we were arriving, the road was very difficult to drive on with a poor surface and the directions were also hard to follow. The atmosphere however was very good with nice music in the background and very busy with happy diners.

However, when we ordered simple starter of bread and olives it took 35 minutes to arrive which is really quite long for a starter which should take minutes to prepare. We ordered our main course at the same time as our starters and it took a frankly ridiculous time of over 1 hour and 20 minutes to arrive. When it did, one of my family members received the wrong dish which meant everyone else had already made their way through their dishes by the time her's had arrived.

My food was mediocre. The chicken was well cooked but the dish overall really lacked flavour and certainly wasn't worth the tiresome waiting time. The salad ,which came with the dish, was really poor, with it just being some limp oily leaves again being bland. Though, a relative who had the Fritto Misto thoroughly enjoyed it.

The staff were nice but there definitely weren't enough to serve the amount of people dining.

I understand that Saturday nights are often hard due to the high amounts of reservations and diners but surely there should be some regulation over bookings with less people on the night.

Overall, while there was potential, I was all in all rather disappointed with...