I try out the all new Volaré at Peddlars & Co

So Peddlars on the Bend has recently undergone a fresh, new revamp and is now known as Peddlars & Co.

Along with their new look & feel, they’ve also added some new dining options which is set to elevate this well-known pub to a whole different level.

They haven’t done away with their popular pub however, so long standing fans do not have to worry.  The Local (as it’s called now) is still that friendly local pub where you can meet up with friends and enjoy some great beer along with some tasty pub grub.  If you’re in the mood for some alfresco dining, The Oak Terrace is where you want to be.  Serving light meals in a casual outdoor setting, this is a great spot for these long, lazy summer days.

Oh and then there’s also an exciting new eatery which will be launching in the next month or two.  They’re going to be serving tapas/sharing style food and I’m told its going to have a very unique feel, completely separate to the rest of the Peddlars offering.  So do keep an eye out for that one…

But I was there for Volaré, Chef Brad Ball’s new Italian restaurant serving as he calls it “contemporary Italian cuisine”.  Brad told us that his goal with the restaurant was to serve up Italian food in a fresh, new way but in keeping with old Italian traditions.  Some might know Chef Brad Ball from Bistro Sixteen82 (Steenberg), but he joined the Peddlars team towards the end of last year to bring his signature style to their new selection of eateries.

Volaré has a relaxed, warm and friendly feel.  It’s elegant without being intimidating and the menu will leave you completely torn (well I know it had that effect on me – I wanted to try so many things).  Luckily I had D, my trusty dining-partner-in-crime, with me so we could order different things and then sample each others dishes as well.

But before we get into the food, let me give you a quick tour of the place:

You’re encouraged to go all out and enjoy a 4 course meal, selecting a dish each from the Antipasti, Primi, Secondi & Dolce sections.  D and I settled on a 3 course each with a shared pasta, mainly because we simply couldn’t deal with the massive fear of missing out, but we were still concerned about our waistbands not coping…

Our first & second courses consisted of:

Then mains:

And dessert:

The verdict:  That mushroom risotto was easily one of the best I’ve ever had.  The pork belly definitely lived up to the hype on Twitter.  The tuna carpaccio was a beautifully fresh dish and a great way to kick off your meal if you’re looking for something light.  The pasta was creamy, yet not too heavy, and both desserts were absolute perfection. (Definitely don’t skip dessert here folks.  It will be a huge mistake…)  Our only complaint was the lamb dish.  Although the other flavours were good, the meat itself tasted a bit dry and bland.  So that was the only slight disappointment among some really great dishes.

Other notable things:  The service was friendly and professional, the setting was warm and welcoming, and the pricing I felt was comparative to other restaurants of its caliber (antipasti dishes from R58 – R68, primi from R60 to R65 for half & R98 to R118 for full, secondi from R110 to R170 & dolce from R64 to R74).

For all these reasons, I’m going to give Volaré the following score on the Miss K Kiss-o-Meter scale:

If you’ve been craving some good Italian with quite a bit of flair, I would say Volaré is definitely a must try.  They are open Tue – Sun for lunch & dinner.  For bookings, you can call them on 021 794 7747 (or you can use their online booking system on their website), and for those who haven’t been to Peddlars before, they’re on the Spaanschemat River Road in Constantia, right next door to The Last Word.

I have to finish off by saying a big thank you to Chef Brad Ball and the amazing Peddlars/Volaré team for making us feel so welcome on Friday evening.  We really had such a lovely evening with you guys, hopefully I’ll make my way back there again soon.

xxx