Volare — Restaurant in London

If there was a restaurant I wanted to give 5* this would be it. Locally run by 2 sisters, they have been through ups and down with burglary, covid etc. Have fantastic rating on google.

I had been doing a 48 fast. It was all set up for me loving ANYTHING I ate

The décor is really nice, it feels like you are in the Mediterranean. I really liked the fact they provided a jug of water and didn’t push us into buying bottled water. BTW they also don’t add service charge which I really like because you can add your own tip. TBH they don’t even as you if you want to add a service charge.

We ordered a variety of things from the tapas and pizza menu

Mediterranean salad (Fresh and nice dressing)

King prawn tapas

Croquette Jamon

Pardon Peppers

Meatballs

The Salad was fresh , ripe and the dressing was perfect. What I liked is they put the dressing on the side so we can put it on taste.

The King prawns  was probably the best thing we ate in the restaurant. They were plump, fresh and cooked it a really good oil based sauce. I think they cooked it at a really high heat so there was a bit of crisp of the spices while preserving the succulents of the prawns.

The Croquettes  were fresh and tasty. Pardon peppers really well cooked and flavoured. The meatballs were ok , I felt the meat itself could have had a bit more flavouring or seasoning. The tomato sauce was fresh and didn’t over power the meatballs.

Oh it all came with some bread which was really too dense and chewy for the tapas

So off a good start

Now the main reason I am writing this review is the pizza. I ordered the Infierno, Margarita and Capriccioso for the last pizza we chose Gluten Free Base and Vegan cheese.

The plus points. The gluten free base was fantastic, I would say better then the normal base. It was light and crispy

But the biggest issue I found with all the pizzas were that they felt a bit undercooked. The Margarita pizza cheese was a bit tough and chewy. The vegan cheese hadn’t totally melted.  And probably the worst part was the the Infierno pizza was full of water. I know that sounds crazy, but when I cut away one slice, the plate flailed with a mixture of water. Now I have to preface that I asked them to replace the mozzarella with buffalo mozzarella, and that does have more moisture, but I felt the pizzas were coming out without any quality control, which was strange because I was being served by one of the owners.  Anyway I had to take 2 napkins and dry my plate. But unfortunately it ruined the whole experience because there was too much moisture on the pizza. I think they just needed to leave the pizza in the oven for a bit longer.  They person manning the oven look quite young , but probably not a key reason.

For some reason, I don’t know why, but I didn’t raise it with the owner. Which is very unusual because I am never usually shy about raising issues at restaurants. It could have been because I felt one of the owners took a dislike to me. Nothing she said but I raised my hand to get the menu again and order desert, and there was a sort of dismissive air to her. Which I was very surprised about because of their backstory and all the reviews. She could have just had a bad day. But for 2 adults and one kid we were ordering more then the average equivalent group. So I maybe didn’t feel comfortable to raise my concern about the pizza.

Finally I ordered the Tiramisu, like everything all homemade and it tasted good but I think they could have made the cream lighter, it was very dense.

BTW, there was another waitress shorter and stockier, who was fantastic, always smiling and really wanted to help

I would recommend people to go any try it,  4.8 is a great score on google and it is good. I have a feeling it was just a isolated ok experience.  I think a good pizza experience. Actually being told about their specials and a friendlier service would have...

I want to formally complain about the terrible experience I had at the restaurant on Volare Bowes Road. First and foremost, the meal I had at your restaurant caused me severe food poisoning, and I’m still dealing with the aftereffects of it. This is not just an inconvenience—it’s a serious health issue. I’m extremely concerned about the hygiene and food safety standards at the restaurant, and I find it hard to believe that something like this could happen in a professional establishment. After that, I went back to collect a pizza I had ordered, and when I opened the box, I was horrified to find hair on the pizza. This is completely unacceptable. Not only is it disgusting, but it’s also incredibly worrying to think that food is being prepared in such unhygienic conditions. Something as simple as basic food safety seems to be entirely overlooked. I am absolutely appalled that something like this could happen, and it makes me question the overall cleanliness of the kitchen and food preparation process at the restaurant. To make matters worse, I had a very unpleasant interaction with one of your staff members—a slender foreign woman—who, despite having no apparent authority or role in managing the restaurant, acted as though she was in charge. This individual verbally attacked me for no reason, became physically aggressive, and even threatened me. I was completely shocked by her behavior. There was no provocation on my part, and to be treated in such a rude and hostile manner is unacceptable in any setting, especially one where I was a paying customer. Not only was this behavior unprofessional, but it also made me feel unsafe and disrespected. This woman’s actions go far beyond bad customer service; they were completely inappropriate, aggressive, and even bordering on harassment. Given all of these issues—food poisoning, poor hygiene, and this appalling staff behavior—it is clear that the restaurant is not upholding even the most basic standards of service or safety. The fact that I was treated so poorly, both in terms of the quality of the food and the way I was treated by staff, means I will never be returning to this establishment. I strongly advise others to avoid this place, as it seems clear that the restaurant doesn’t prioritize customer health, safety, or even basic courtesy. This experience has been deeply frustrating, disappointing, and, frankly, upsetting. If I could give this place zero stars, I absolutely would, but since the system only allows me to give one, I’ll leave that as the lowest rating possible. I can only hope that serious changes are made so that no one else has to go through the...

Volare is a family business serving wood fired oven pizzas and a delicious selection of Spanish tapas for starters. This reflects the dual heritage of Spain and their grandfather's Italian cuisine. After emigrating to Argentina he opened a pizza restaurant. Here, in a busy service, you can enjoy what can reasonably be described as some of the best pizza in London. Many will be sceptical about any such grandiose claims. If so, all I can suggest is pay Volare a visit and let your taste buds decide. For starters, try the chorizo in chilli oil and don't miss the melt in the mouth home made meatballs. Fresh and beautifully cooked king prawns and garlic bread should keep hunger at bay till it's pizza time. And, if you are to do justice to the large pizzas starve yourself first. Those with smaller appetites can share an even larger pizza. There is a wide range of toppings including Italian sausage, chorizo, aubergine and artichoke. Choose from the menu or add toppings to suit your taste. The pizza is classic Italian, thin crust and just seared at the edge. Those who enjoy wine can savour the Montepulciano - soft, fruity and complements the rich mozzarella and tomatoes. If you can't finish the lot, then take your remaining slices home for an easy dinner on another day. What else can convince? The prices for such lovely food? Very easy on the pocket and great value for money. All in all, if like real pizza, then Volare is...