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Volo Restaurant Wine Bar
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Nightlife Bars Wine Bars Restaurants American (Traditional) American (New), Wine Bars, American (Traditional) [Edit]
2008 W Roscoe St(between Damen Ave & Seeley Ave)
Chicago, IL 60618
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
(773) 348-4600
- Nearest Transit:
-
Addison-Brown (Brown Line)
Paulina (Brown Line)
- Hours:
Tue-Wed 5 pm - 10 pm
Thu 5 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
228 reviews for Volo Restaurant Wine Bar
Review Highlights
"Nice cheese plate and wide variety of small plates."
(in 41 reviews)
"The mussels were to die for as was the steak tartare."
(in 23 reviews)
"cozy, good wine flights, great cheese."
(in 55 reviews)
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228 reviews in English
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Review from Zach M.
Chicago, IL
1/28/2012
Though a small restaurant, I had a great experience with friends looking for good food, wine and a unique atmosphere. I do want to point out that I am not a wine connoisseur by any means, and that was not an issue at Volo. Our group decided to each order a different flight of the various wines the restaurant offered. We also started out with cheese and bread plates to go along with the wine.
Food wise, we decided to get an assortment of several small plates to share. The entrees ranged everything from mussels, beef tenderloin, roasted beets, marrow bones, ahi tuna, duck confit and many more. All really complimented the wine really well. (I don't feel I have the expertise the say that, but it was really good!)
Overall, it was a neat experience. It was a small, dark wood atmosphere with great food and drinks. Recommend to all who want to take a trip to Roscoe Village for a night out. -
Review from Tyson T.
Chicago, IL
1/29/2012
I tried this place back in 2008 with my wife/parents and it was below average then. I'm not sure why I thought it would be any better 4 years later, but it actually was worse. The bartender was piss drunk, which was actually quite ridiculous. He was so wasted that he didn't even greet us with a hello or drink offering. It was more of a glassy eyed get the hell out of here followed by him running off to the bathroom. I'm not sure if he was a mute, overly drunk or sick from the disgusting wine, but this behavior was completely unacceptable.
After the drunk wandered off, a waitress actually had to serve us at the bar and she seemed quite frustrated with the events as well. To make matters worse, she said the kitchen was closed (not her fault) and they did not have oysters or cheese available. If we showed up at 1AM, I could understand, but it was 10PM!!! We were not given a reason why it was closed, and to be honest, I'm glad we didn't ask. I knew we should have just left then, but we proceeded to order a glass of wine each from a very poor selection of reds. Big mistake as the wine tasted like vinegar and was served warmer than room temperature. This may be the reason the bartender was unable to speak and likely vomiting in the bathroom.
I'd rather go to Binny's and drink a bottle outside in a brown paper bag before ever setting foot in this joint again. Shame on me for giving them a second chance. -
Review from Alex B.
Chicago, IL
1/6/2012
Being a big fan of wine and tapas, I was eager to try Volo on a Friday night with my fiancee. The place was small but rowdy, with tables in close proximity to each other and most sharing one long padded bench on one side. No big deal, we tend to get pretty boistrous with some wine in the gut so that wasn't an issue.
Got a white flight, and the three options were tasty and the glasses were about half full, which I can live with. Would have preferred 2/3 but whatever, nitpicking. We also got a bottle of a tangy red and dove right into the food. I tried the bone marrow, the steamed mussels, and my fiance got the tuna. We also got a cheese, which was very solid. The mussels and tuna was awesome, but the marrow was almost nonexistant. Mostly bone and dried out marrow, with barely anything inside. Meh.
If I could give it 3.5 that would be most accurate but the service, wine, and tuna made me round up. Give this place a shot. -
Review from Todd P.
Chicago, IL
1/31/2012 Seated via OpenTable
It was ok. Everyone was sitting along the booth on one side of the restaurant despite the fact that there were open tables elsewhere. I didn't like sitting inches from people on either side of me. The bar location seemed neat and I would have preferred to sit there, that is until we noticed the guy with the huge laptop browsing the internet and sitting there being weird.
Our waitress was awful and rude. Maybe it was because I showed up 5 minutes early for our open table reservation? Not like the place was full, though they certainly packed us in to one side. Could've been that we just ordered a few wine flights and a cheese plate.
Spanish red wine flight was pretty good, I'd order the '05 in a bottle for sure. I wish I could remember the name. Perhaps if we had been able to keep a drink menu after we ordered.
Spanish white flight was so so. Nothing worth noting. -
Review from Adrienne G.
Chicago, IL
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
My friend had her wedding here on a Friday night and shut the entire restaurant down. The food was mostly appetizers and having a cold I showed up late but seriously, Volo did a bang-up job!
Beautiful patio space that has cabana-like tables allowed guests to sit and enjoy outside space, with a little bit of an intimate feel while still feeling like part of the festivities. There's a back room behind the outdoor patio that was set up to include a polaroid photo booth and had additional tasty hors d'oeuvres. The food was yummy and the wine was just delicious.
Also, my friend didn't have a dj but rather a playlist for the intimate soiree The audio was throughout the space and the staff was really attentive without being at the center of anything.
I will definitely be back here to check it out for a wine night with some friends or family, or I know that I could also host an event here too!Listed in: I'm Thirsty!
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Review from Foodie C.
Chicago, IL
1/12/2012
As a consummate foodie, the food was worse than the trash that goes down my garbage disposal. The staff were unfriendly, unprofessional and insulting. The waitress was extremely rude to my date and tried to make it an unpleasant experience. I ordered the BMT Flatbread and it tasted like shoe leather. The wine selection was very poor and the staff had very little working knowledge of even the most basics aspect of wine.
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Review from Lauren V.
I've been to Volo twice now for different events, a baby shower and a wedding, and I have to admit I'm a little torn on how I feel about them.
The space and the service are both great and the wine is fab, but the food fell a little flat on both occasions. Not to say that I didn't like it, because I definitely put down some of their fancy schmancy apps, but it just failed to really satisfy. Maybe it was the fact that they were events, but the food that was supposed to be hot wasn't hot and the food that was supposed to be cold wasn't cold. For one of the events we had lamb for a main course and while tasty, it was a little overcooked and just didn't really do it for me.
I think they did a great job handling both of the events and had a great presentation, but the food could use a little fine tuning. -
Review from Georgia K.
Chicago, IL
9/10/2011
Yay for discovering Volo!
Volo has a great atmosphere, and I was especially enamored with the back patio. Very romantic-- prime date territory. The wine selection is solid and reasonably priced. We tried the summer whites and spanish reds flights, and they were quite good. The vino serving size was much more generous than some other wine bars.
We loved the manchego, montchevre, and grana padano cheeses and the roasted beet salad was really tasty.
Volo has definitely made my short-list of favorite wine bars in Chi. -
Review from Kristin R.
Chicago, IL
6/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Volo has been pretty consistent in my book. Whenever I have gone, the service has been very friendly and efficient. As a wine bar, they obviously have a wide selection of wines from which to choose. I typically go with a glass, although I have tried their flights which introduce you a variety a wines from different parts of the world.
The food that I've tried has also been quite good, although I mainly stick to the flatbread goat cheese, mushroom and bacon pizza thing. I'm kind of a finicky eater, and I do not eat many meats, so their menu is not the most tantalizing for me. I've always liked the flatbread, but the rest of the items don't ever seem that appealing to me because they are too meat-centric. There is not a whole lot from which to choose, especially if you have a particular palate, or prefer not to eat meat.
The outdoor patio in the back is amazing. Lots of little nooks to sit in, which is why I think this would make a great date spot.
Volo is in my hood, and on all the times I have patronized this business, I have definitely been pleased. -
Review from Chris C.
Chicago, IL
11/9/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This place is really chill I like the music they play it gives. Off a lounge vibe. the wine is hood and I love the shrimp and octopus ceviche. The area is really cool the only difference is that its really dark inside but the wine selection is good. I would say try it would not hurt.
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Review from Morgan M.
Chicago, IL
10/31/2011 Seated via OpenTable
We had dinner here last night for the first time. My mother in law and brother in law were here visiting and we made a 9:45 Rez. They had an Eco friendly wine option and we did the $23 prix fixe menu. We were very hungry so added the octopus ceviche and fried chicken small plates and we were SO glad we did! They were both great! In fact everything was awesome. They were out of the chocolate panna cotta so we lucked out and got the brownie with cinnamon ice cream. This place rocks! It was warm and cozy but not too cramped. We are new to this neighborhood but we will be back!
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Review from C A.
Chicago, IL
9/8/2011
We were considering having our wedding reception here so we wanted to check it out first. We went on a Thursday night and were able to get a table right away in the back garden area. One thing that was a problem was actually having the food that we ordered. We wanted to try several of the cheeses they had and each one we picked was out. The cheeses they substituted were good and they gave us an extra one which was nice. Overall the food didn't stand out as fabulous, but I would have gone back. That is until what happened when we tried to book it for our reception.
We had an appointment that Saturday with Kathleen to meet about planning our reception. We went over everything we were looking for and what options we had for decorations, music, food, liquor, dates, etc... Everything seemed to go well. When we left, Kathleen was going to put together some menu options for us and get back to us on Monday or Tuesday.
Tuesday came and went with no word. My fiance emailed her a couple of times and no response. We have both repeatedly called her and left voice mails but she never answers or returns our calls.
Last Friday I called the restaurant directly and asked for her. They told me she was out but would be back at 6:30. I called back around 7:30 and they said she was there, asked for my name and went to go get her. When they came back, they said she was unavailable and couldn't take my call.
It has now been almost two weeks since we met with her and she has not responded to any of our emails or phone calls. For some reason she is purposely ignoring us and we don't know why.
Apparently they don't want our business. And for that reason, I will never go back to this place again. -
Review from Kate W.
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Strange service. Our waitress was inconsistently around when we needed her - sometimes over our shoulder and sometimes invisible.
However, the food was truly fantastic!!! We tried a ton of stuff and loved it ALL except the flatbread (boring).
The wine is equally fantastic and not terribly priced.
This is a really great cute tiny hideaway. Awesome date or small group place. I'll definitely be back!! Don't forget to a make a reservation! -
Review from Marissa G.
Chicago, IL
I've added another .5 star, for a full 4 star rating.
I went back tonight to use my expired Groupon, essentially spending the $20 I already put down on the place.
I ordered: "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou..." and it was wonderful. The service is friendly, the oysters briny, and the atmosphere romantic.
Only one complaint-- the slate table tops and the wine glasses rubbing together makes an awful nails against the chalkboard sound which is NOT romantic over dinner. An unfortunate and probably unintended consequence of those good lookin' tables.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/12/2011
3.5 stars
I love the feel of this place. Casual and hip, with a great indoor and outdoor seating… Read more »
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Review from Christine D.
Chicago, IL
9/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love coming here in the winter for a wine flight and cheese. The atmosphere is romantic and cozy. I love the wine choices that they have.
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Review from Samson P.
Chicago, IL
6/19/2011
My girlfriend and I got a groupon for this restaurant so one random night we gave it a try. The menu looked like it had small plates and good wine.
When we waited for a seat in the back, we ordered some Manchego cheese and some Riesling. The cheese was very smooth and complimented the wine nicely. The front of the restaurant looked like a typical bar/restaurant.
We were taken to the back, an unexpected beautiful outdoor lounge/patio area with very nice decor. Definitely a nice place to take a girl on a date.
We ordered the
STEAMED BLACK MUSSELS - nice balance of white wine and garlic.
WAGU STEAK TARTARE - If you are feeling adventurous, this high quality raw beef goes well with the sesame cracker.
SCALLOPS - succulent but we didn't get enough.
Verdict: My girlfriend was impressed with the ambience/decor in the romantic getaway patio area. We enjoyed the food although we wished the portions were bigger. So you might need to order 2-3 plates per person. -
Review from Alex R.
Chicago, IL
7/17/2011
My vegetarian friend and I went late one evening to get a little nugget to eat. This is a meat-centric menu, so our options were VERY limited. We ended up ordering the sweet pea flat bread, which definitely tickled our fancy. Still, it would be near impossible to bring a Veg here for an actual dinner.
Neither of us were planning on drinking, but the wine list was simply too tantalizing. We ended up enjoying our wines so much that we ordered more. And more. And more. So kudos to Volo for changing our minds and getting us drunk.
We sat on the back patio, which was breathtaking. This is definitely a place to take a date on a lovely summer evening. Service was good, but never overbearing. Our server was very accommodating and happy to offer us a table inside when the patio closed. I will definitely be back. -
Review from Janna O.
Chicago, IL
10/31/2011
Thank you Volo! For your amazing food, fabulous staff and for making our wedding absolutely perfect. We couldn't be more thrilled.
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Review from Jordyn F.
Chicago, IL
2/13/2011
Knowing I love wine and cheese, my super sweet boyfriend made reservations for us to eat dinner at Volo as our Valentines Day date. A few things factor into my rating of Volo and that is 1. that we rarely go out for a nice dinner so when we do we expect good service and good food and 2. we've both worked in the food industry and know what great service looks like.
Volo fails in both the good food and great service categories. A reservation was made for 9:15 and when we arrived, the hostess told us "it would be a few minutes." Two minutes later a couple walks in behind us, walks up to the hostess, and is immediately led and seated at a back, corner table. 10 minutes later, when we're still standing by the door with 3 couples who also had reservations waiting behind us, the hostess comes to us with some BS story about how "I'm so sorry, someone just snuck into our only free table and stole it, so it's going to be awhile still, we'll get you some free wine." Right - like we didn't just see you seat the couple at the table they supposedly stole.
Finally, at 9:45, we were seated. The wine flights were great, the cheese plates were great, the main course was so so. We got the pork roll and the lamb pot pie. The pork roll was nothing special while the lamb needed some serious salt.
Our "free wine" came in the form of two glasses of port to finish off our meal - a nice gesture to indicate they realized they had screwed us on our reservation.
Bottom line - hostess, if you do not seat people at their reserved time, give them a glass of wine immediately and do not make up some story about customers stealing tables. Be honest with your customers, that goes much further than a lie to cover your ass. Diners - Grab yourself some wine and cheese and move on to another place for your main meal. -
Review from Heather D.
Cook, IL
3/6/2011
Although Roscoe Village isn't that far away, I wish Volo was closer because I surely go there more often. I actually went because I had a Groupon to use and regret not using it sooner. This place is fantastic for date night. The small space is designed in dark, warm colors and the tables are intimate (although a little too close together).
They have a small selection of wine and offer flights as well. My friend and I went with the bubbly flight which we both enjoyed. They had a menu of small plates and we really weren't that hungry. The server was kind enough to advise us that the 'small plates' where actually entree sized portions so she saved us from ordering too much.
I started with some oysters which were fresh and came with a delicious cocktail sauce. I then followed up with the muscles which really hit the spot. I could have easily picked up my bowl and drank the broth, but I held back. -
Review from Julie Z.
3/24/2011
The outside of this restaurant is beautiful and perfect for a summer evening.
My boyfriend and I ordered a few apps and drank wine while sitting outside underneath a cabana....can't beat it. -
Review from Erica K.
Chicago, IL
6/5/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I stopped in here on a Saturday night not expecting a whole lot of luck with seating, but we got a seat at the bar immediately.
The bartender was very friendly and knowledgable of all the wine on the menu, and based on how crowded it was I was pleasantly surprised at how attentive he was. My boyfriend prides himself on his wine knowledge but was pleased when I asked the bartender what he recommends because based on our food order he gave us some things not listed on the menu to try.
Their cheese plate and roasted beet salad were a fresh and delicious way to start the meal. We also shared the shrimp fritters which were crunchy delicious and had a nice spice. We finished everything off with the beef tenderloin which melted in your mouth, and had me savoring every bite.
Overall the food, wine, and service were excellent and well worth a second trip back. -
Review from Mike F.
Chicago, IL
11/21/2010
Advice to all industry folks: when someone is in the middle of a meal, under no circumstances do you ask them to move tables.
Half way through our bottle of wine and cheese plate, the server told us she didn't mean to seat us at the corner booth (which fits four) and politely asked us to move to a two-person table. Even though that's bs, I said yes -- and she thanked us and promised a couple glasses of wine on the house. As soon as I got up I felt like an idiot for saying yes. We weren't going to be there for three hours...couldn't these people wait...?
...here is where it gets really bad.
After 20 minutes, I glance down to the corner booth we vacated -- and low and behold -- there are TWO people sitting there. They looked as comfortable as we did.
So, that's it. I'm pissed - you don't ask someone to move - especially if you just want to give your friends or whoever a better table.
I asked for the check - she brought it - nothing on the house; full price -- but the good news is the two people in our original booth were having a really good time.
We called the server out asking why she asked us to move (I made a mistake, I'm sorry) and why she didn't compensate us as she offered (I made a mistake, I'm sorry).
Yeah, me too. -
Review from Shawn D.
Aurora, IL
5/1/2011
Reliable and fun to visit in the summer, if only to sit outside. I think they need to rework their menu as it doesn't seem to be well thought-out. It's basically a wine bar trying to be a restaurant, much like the drawing room is a lounge trying to be a restaurant.
Will keep trying to see if they expand their wine and food selection. Will bump this up if they improve. -
Review from Imrickjamesbc h.
Chicago, IL
9/18/2011
Nice wine bar find! Wife and I stopped in here yesterday during the oyster street fair going on outside. She had a very enjoyable flight of sparkling wine, and I had the Pinot flight that was ideal. We shared 10 oysters, and an incredibly good goat cheese/mushroom flat bread that curled my toes: We will be back again for date night. We sat at the bar which was a quieter and more enjoyable atmosphere for us than the cabanas out back.
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Review from jen f.
Oak Park, IL
12/5/2011
Wow!! Loved this place. I felt as though I got a history, geography, and wine education from our waiter. He was so attentive and informative. I had the flight of Spanish wines and my fiance had th french holiday flight. All of the wines we tasted were excellent!! We had the BMG flat bread and it was most definitely OMG!!! W ealso did a cheese flight where we chose the cheeses, yum yum. The atmosphere was so great. It made us pledge to come to this area more often. We will definitely be returning to Volo
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Review from Natalie F.
IL
3/2/2011
I finally went tonight and used our groupon. What a shame I haven't been prior to tonight. wow on all fronts! The best service and the food.......oh the food. I made my friend Mike suffer by him showing up early and sitting with a glass of wine and having to sit in the middle of the amazing aroma's coming out of that kitchen!
The wine was fantastic, I wish I would have kept the cork from the bottle. Our waitress knew what she was talking about. The best glass of wine I have had in a very long time.
We had the Veal Marrow, flat bread, cheese platter, seared beef, and tuna. Fantastic! oh and lets not forget the olive oil with garlic in it. omg.....the bread comes to you very hot and its just fantastic.
Your a fraud of a foodie if you don't make a stop here, and get the profiteroles! The best I have ever had! -
Review from Nicole M.
Chicago, IL
4/7/2011
Admittedly, I rarely find myself in Roscoe Village, but I had a friend in town who would be staying in the area. I wanted to enjoy cocktails and dinner with him, so after seeing Volo's reviews on Yelp, I decided we should met there. Volo was such a pleasant surprise!
The decor was perfect, and very much my preferred aesthetic. Dark, warm, and extremely comfortable with candlelight on each table and contemporary, but quiet, background music.
Our server was extremely pleasant and attentive, and when I didn't want to detract from my visit with my friend by perusing the wine menu for ten minutes, I asked her to bring me a glass of her favorite cabernet sauvingon. What I received was one of the best California cabs that I have ever tasted, and next time that I am there, I'll be sure to bring a bottle home.
I ordered the sirloin which was seasoned and cooked perfectly. As it was one of the best steaks I've had in this city, I cleared my plate entirely, but somehow still had room for dessert. Thanks to our server's suggestion, my date and I shared a cheesecake ice cream sandwich drizzled in fresh strawberry sauce that was remarkable. My dessert beverage was a chocolate martini that was, again, the best I've ever tasted.
We paid our check but stayed for another hour or so, and our server still periodically checked to make sure we weren't in need of anything and kept our water refreshed. When we finally left, I rolled out of my seat carrying a generously-sized food baby and profusely thanked our server for such a wonderful experience. I will surely be returning to Roscoe Village sooner rather than later, if only to again dine at this lovely gem of a restaurant. -
Review from Julie O.
2/7/2011
Went to Volo for a private party before the holidays. Found the staff to be quite attentive. The wines were good. My fave foods were the steak tar tare, bacon wrapped dates and hummus.
I want to go back in summer when the patio is open. -
Review from Laurie C.
Chicago, IL
10/18/2010
We had our wedding at Volo in September 2010. The service, ambience and food was great. But I want to caution anyone getting married here that if you plan to use your own iPod playlist as the music, you may encounter problems with the sound system.
We found that the music wasn't loud enough to support a dance party in the barn during the reception. This was a major bummer because I (the bride) love to dance.
I had asked the staff about this prior to the wedding and was told that no one had encountered problems using a playlist other than sometimes the sound levels of songs varied from one to the other but that if you had someone there to adjust the levels, we'd be fine.
That wasn't the case. We had a friend designated to making sure the music was adjusted but when we kept asking for her to turn it up, the message I got back was that a staff member had said "If she wanted it louder, she should have hired a DJ."
When we moved the dance party to the front of the restaurant, the sound levels were better, although not ideal. When I wrote to the owner after the wedding to raise the issue, he was apologetic, but said no one else had ever had this problem with a playlist.
I was surprised to hear this, so maybe it was a problem on our end, although my brother, who created the playlist, is very tech savvy and turned on the "soundcheck" feature and took other precautions to make sure the music was party-ready. (The playlist sounds great on my iPod!)
Anyway, for anyone who loves to dance and wants to have their wedding at Volo, I would recommend looking into this. -
Review from Kristin J.
Boston, MA
3/23/2011
Torn between a 3 and a 4.
I love their: oysters, the wagu beef steak tartare, their cheese selections, and their 1/2 price bottles on Mondays.
The oysters are always delicious, their steak tartare is served on little sesame crackers and is prepared with sesame seeds and a sweet-spicy saucy. The tartare is a little chewy, as the pieces are a tad large, but its raw beef, and its delicious. And they always have something on their cheese list that I love.
However, their other dishes are so-so. I've been sorely disappointed by some over-cooked seafood dishes (really, really bad octopus and shrimp that was labeled a "ceviche" but was certainly not), and by some dry and rather flavor-flat flatbreads (try sauce! or even just olive oil!).
I've always found something on their wine list that I like, but sometimes I wish the servers were a little bit more knowledgeable about wine. -
Review from Adrianna Z.
Evanston, IL
3/19/2011
A friend gave us a nearly-expired groupon to Volo's for dinner on a Wednesday night. Although we were a little annoyed by the hostess, we were very pleasantly surprised by the food and the service from the waiter.
The steak tartare, bacon flatbread, and fresh home-made bread were incredible. We asked for a second loaf of bread because it was sooo good, and the waiter gladly gave it to us (contrary to what people said on yelp).
The mussels were not bad. The cheese platter was really good but a little pricey imo.
The least impressive thing about our meal was probably the wine. We ordered a Port and the Bubbly Flight. The Port was ok, while the Bubble Flight wasn't that great.
All in all, we had a GREAT meal and would go back to Volos = ) -
Review from Meredith B.
Pittsburgh, PA
7/27/2010
The boy and I had a Groupon to this place, one last Chicago Groupon to spend before our move out-of-state! We came here on a beautiful, warm Monday, hoping for a seat on their back patio. The inside of the restaurant was almost empty, definitely making us wonder "where is everyone...? is this place any good?" When we stepped onto the patio, we learned "They are outside" and "Yes, yes, it is very good!"
Out back, the place is decorated like a garden, with flowers and Japanese lanterns. There are several "regular" tables, and also a few....I guess I'd described them as "cabanas." That's where we sat - on a cushioned bench with pillows, a low table in front of us, and white curtains hanging to the side. Very romantic!
Since we had a Groupon, we couldn't get their 1/2-off bottles of wine special - you can't combine special offers, but I guess I don't blame them for that. Instead, I got their "Summer Whites" wine flight, which was lovely - they did have to make a substitution on one of the whites, but the replacement was lovely as well.
We started with their bread and oil - the oil has two fat garlic cloves chilling in it, and their flavor deliciously pervades the flavor. The bread was a warm mini-baguette served in white paper, like at French bistros. We began with some oysters, which do come pre-dressed with cocktail sauce. I did take a bit of it off - I like to really taste the oyster more than anything! But they were delicious, and well-priced.
We also got some cheese - the waitress warned us the portions were small and that we ought to get the "pick three for $10" deal, but actually one portion of cheese was enough for us. We got a blue from Spain called Covadonga, and it was sublime. We savored it for the rest of the meal, eating it slowly. The boy didn't even want to eat it with the bread, since he liked the pure flavor of the cheese so much. And it was a good-sized portion for two people!
We also had the steak tartare, which was very good. It was one of the boy's favorites. He loved how the meat had been roughly chopped instead of minced (I did too), and it was mixed with wonderful seasonings. We also enjoyed the roasted beet and goat cheese salad - okay, he enjoyed it, I LOVED it. It wasn't wildly creative, but I'm just a sucker for roasted beets, cheese, and balsamic drizzle. nom. Finally, we had the prosciutto rocket, which is hard to describe. It's basically arugula salad with gorgonzola and a pine nut dressing, but the salad is wrapped up into a roll of prosciutto. Hard to eat, but tasty, it wasn't my favorite dish, but it was still very good.
That was plenty of food for us. Too full for dessert, we rolled ourselves home. I'm disappointed we're moving, I think this would have been a great restaurant to visit more regularly, and taste the different seasonal offerings. Make a reservation and come on a weekday, and I bet you can get a seat outside! -
Review from a s.
Chicago, IL
9/1/2011
I couldn't be more pleased with the service at Volo. Wait staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and most importantly, non-judgmental in our ignorance of wines! And the patio is one of the most pleasant spots to dine in the city.
However, I should point out that I was here on a slow Wednesday night, so I can't exactly speak for a busy weekend night.
The food was generally pretty good, maybe not worth the high price, but I was happy to pay for the good wine and unique ambiance. I look forward to coming back here often. -
Review from Scott R.
Chicago, IL
9/8/2010
Like others, I wanted to really like this place - but once you get past the really cool patio seating and unique cheese/wine menu, the place is all show and way overpriced. Service on the three-four times we have gone has been fair to poor and the place could be so much more, but unfortunately it isn't.
I don't give poor reviews easily - but there are better choices in the 'hood. -
Review from Sandra G.
Chicago, IL
8/25/2010
I really, really wanted to like this place, oddly enough, reading some of the other reviews now, we should have done our homework before buying the Groupon.
Since we had a Groupon to burn (actually 2) and Volo was listed as one of the best Al Fresco dining experiences in TOC, we decided to give this place a try.
Upon arriving, it appeared as though the Al Fresco was nothing other than the normal by-the-street-on-the-sidewalk type of seating. So we chose to bow out on the al-fresco and bow into the al-dentro and headed into the restaurant to get a seat inside. After a pleasant introduction by Simone, we needed a minute to peruse the wine menu, one minute though, turned into nothing less than ten. After seeing someone signal their group to the back, the light bulb went on the bf remembered the al-fresco was at the rear of the restaurant. So after a kind request for seating outside, we left the smell of the grill inside and headed out to one of the best treasures of Chicago.
Since cheese goes well with wine and Pinot Noir was my drink of choice for the evening, we ordered a plate of 3 cheeses, though recognizing they took a little longer than a bit to get them to us, they brought us a plate of 5 cheeses. Manchego, Wisco bleu cheese, parmigiano reggiano, and a couple of others that still reside on the outer side of my left cheek.
The ambiance was perfect, the night was sultry, and the drink was delightful. The outside dining experience is one of the best we've experienced in the city, with delightful nooks for parties of four or less, lighting that would make even the worst of dates look sexy, and an intimacy that you'd want to have for that ever-so-needed date night with your love interest à-le-moment.
I ordered up the halibut entrée, and although a high quality portion of poisson, and very well prepared, it really lacked the pizzazz, the olé, le manifique, or just the overall flavorful experience that makes you say "wow" under your breath after each enticing bite. Just to make sure the vino tinto hadn't otherwise inhibited my taste buds, I asked le bf to try and he arrived at the very same conclusion.
Le bf's entrée of popcorn encrusted scallops on a bed of sweet corn with a Tabasco-infused gastrique sounded absolutely inspiring when we were grill-side inside of Volo, but take note of the keyword here fellow yelpers: sounded. After the arrival of the much anticipated creative dish that was one of the evening specials, we expected fireworks to go off and the popcorn to provide, well, that "pop" to this dish. Let's just say the cliché-y "pop" wasn't popping. I believe that innovative dishes with uncommon elements should ADD to the dish, and it saddens me to say that in this case, it completely detracted from the very-well prepared scallops and delicious gastrique.
This will not be our last visit to Volo, namely due to the 2nd Groupon we have waiting to be used, but even if we were sans Groupon, we'd be more than willing to give Volo a second dining "first impression". -
Review from Becky S.
Chicago, IL
11/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
I like Volo a lot but like others, I have had some mixed experiences. I always enjoy my wine (but I'm not a wine connoisseur) and some of my food had been really tasty. The pea flatbread was awesome, the duck dish was decent, the charcuterie type plate with pate was very good, and I had a delicious ice cream sandwich type dessert once that was awesome.
The cons- the service. Last time by boyfriend and I went, we swore our waiter was high. He didn't seem to understand anything we said and he had a full grasp of the English language and he kept forgetting things. He even forgot our to-go bag and left it sitting on the bar. Luckily, I was staring him down and saw him leave it there.
The other con is the temperature outside. I looove the look of the patio but it gets stifling back there. Some fans would be a nice addition.
I live in Roscoe Village so I'll definitely be back but it would be nice to have a little more consistency. -
Review from Matt S.
Chicago, IL
8/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
Oh, Volo! I wanted to badly to like you. You have a charming atmosphere and your marketing is sleek and sexy. As a novice wine fan, I was excited to taste a sampling flight. As a tapas fan (and someone who ate a little before dinner--oops!), I was excited for some small plates. But so sad, so disappointing.
While the service was great, the restaurant itself was even hotter than it was outside. Two words--climate control. Call me spoiled, but I don't like sweating while I'm eating a nice-ish meal. Now I don't like to count things like service and atmosphere when I'm Yelp-ing something, but I did think it was worth bringing up.
On to the wine list. I started out with a fantastic pinot noir ('06 Brightside) that I enjoyed thoroughly. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there--granted, not a spiraling trip to hell, but more a slow descent into mediocrity.
I started with the special heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella salad that was light on both mozzarella and balsamic. While the tomatoes were nice, they were small and rather tart. Ryan had the other appetizer special, a wonderful gazpacho. Where the Brightside was my Brightside, the gazpacho was Ryan's only enjoyment.
Between the two of us, we ordered the split pea flatbread, the BMT flatbread, the shrimp and octopus dish. The flatbreads were so-so, and the shrimp and octopus dish quite good so we netted out at 1-3 on the small plates.
To rewind a little, Ryan started the night off with a French Malbec (is that an oxymoron?), which he liked, but wanted something a little bolder as it was pretty mild. When asking the server for the biggest red on the menu, he responded with "the Malbec." Oy.
Lastly, with our food I had the Spanish wine flight. I won't go into details, but I will steer anyone that does want to try Volo away from this one and towards the bubbles or the pinot noir. All in all, there are so many places to try in Chicago, I'd tell friends to skip this one and try something else. Sorry, Volo! -
Review from Jason T.
Chicago, IL
12/15/2010
This was my first trip to Volo, but certaintly won't be my last.
We had the pleasure of trying nearly everything on the menu, & everything was amazing - perfectly paired with a complementing glass of wine.
My personal favorite was the Steak Tartare, but everything was fantastic.
We sat in the back patio & it was a perfect night for it.
Can't WAIT to go back. Great atmosphere, excellent service. -
Review from Kristin S.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 6/16/2010
Go for the wine!
Avoid the food!
Oh Volo. I used to love you. Was it the Groupon that changed you? Your wine is still as sweet as ever, but your food keeps leaving a literal bad taste in my mouth.
I've been dying to sit on the rumored-to-be-fabulous back patio, but every time we go, it's either too busy (even with a reservation made on Open Table with the patio being requested), or the back patio is reserved for a private party.
I guess I'm not destined to ever make the VIP list here. The wine is fantastic, as always, and the service is fine and pleasant. The food has gone DOWN in quality, though. Every time we come, we order new items, trying to find something good. Every now and then, we get stuff that's "okay" or "not bad", but the pork belly I had on my last visit ended up in my napkin. The beet salad was okay, but was super sharply flavored with raw onion (shallot maybe?) and not much goat cheese. Also, the cheese plate is pretty good, but they've been out of several varieties (they only offer 6, I think) the last couple times we've been there.
We have two more Groupons, so they have an opportunity to redeem themselves. If I ever make it to the elusive back patio, I'll let you know.Listed in: Village Person, Call me Roscoe
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/11/2009
I was pleasantly surprised about how affordable many of the menu items were. The patio was full, so… Read more »
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