Volare Ristorante & Apertivo Bar

A beautiful Italian eatery with an even more impressive story, Volare Ristorante is the brainchild of one Italian family who wanted to bring the unbridled joy of sumptuous Mediterranean food and aperitives to Tauranga.

Now a dreamy, whimsical eatery overlooking Tauranga's stunning coastline, Volare wasn't always the high-end establishment it is today. It all began with a neglected building on The Strand that they renovated to mirror their vision of a warm, happy place with a distinctly rustic, Italian feel and all the luxury of endless evenings with an aperitive in one hand and a forkful of spaghetti in the other. Put simply, this restaurant is a ray of Italian sunshine in one of NZ's most beautiful locations.

Most importantly, nothing is rushed. Take your time with some gorgeous antipasti that will keep your tastebuds tingling for more. Fresh oysters are anointed with a shallot mignonette, fried eggplant is layered into a tomatoey parmigiana and the delicate carpaccio di manzo is a small taste of opulence that packs a flavoursome punch.

The main event features pasta plates as you've never experienced before. This humble ingredient is transformed into the stuff of dreams with the pumpkin ravioli with a light Gorgonzola sauce, pappardelle ornated with a rich duck ragu and squid ink linguine with all kinds of delicious seafood in the mix. And when it comes to meat, you can trust the Italians to take a premium beef eye fillet or roasted pork belly to new heights. Think perfectly herbed vegetables, decadent sauces and that kiss-the-air perfection. And with that, buon appetito!