The act of cooking simple food well in a very cosmopolitan city requires years of training and experience, and a self confidence that must be based on previous successful enterprises.
Spanning from such path is the new brave restaurant Volta. Could any carioca’s intentions for dinner sound more timeless and deliciously grown up? Just say the word “Volta” and you think about “Voltar no Tempo” or to go back in time, which is exactly the manifesto behind this new restaurant’s concept. A dance into the past, a mythic combination of old farm props, crockery and tableware with grandmotherly cuisine.
Tucked away in an unremarkable space on Rua Visconde de Carandai, at Jardim Botanico, a street that doesn’t attract a lot of foot traffic, Volta has nonetheless become a crowded neighborhood favorite since its opening in late 2013.
The walls are decorated with a collage of traditional recipes such as Bombocado , Mãe Benta and Queijadinha.
The chandeliers are a creative design of cups and pans stacked together with the purpuse of lighting.
The china and earthenware takes me back to the farm I used to visit when I was a child.
There is a first rate cocktail list, prepared by Thiago Politi,
who likes to create his own drink recipes and infusions. Beautiful bottles showcased upfront at the bar calls your attention to small details.
There are accents and furnishings, including an antique armoire bought in Petropolis (on the mountain regions of Rio) and naked chairs that complement the style.
And there is aptly pampering service, including dishes like Fish of the Day, Chicken with an Okra Ravioli, and Roast Beef Gradma Style.
The Chef, Ermelino Verissimo is with the company for more than 2 years, and brings considerable experience to the task. Volta, from the same group that brought Venga to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, has been meticulously focusing on perfecting the execution of its dishes.
A tender coxinha appetizer is beautifully presented and delicious on the stomach.
The Bolinho de Bacalhau com Espinafre was among my favorites. The Roast Beef is a sublime hunk of glorious meat, the kind you dream about hours later.
If you are lucky enough to have room for dessert, don’t forget to try Manjar de Côco com Ameixa (Coconut Flan with a Plum Compote),
or Pavê de Brigadeiro (Brazilian Style Tiramisu).
For anyone seeking to go back in time, Volta is a great choice. It reminds me of that movie, Volver, by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and his actress muse Penelope Cruz—an incredible and sensitive drama. It also makes me think of Venga, the group’s first enterprise, a Spanish restaurant with appetizers meant to be shared.
This restaurant, this movie, this conversation, makes me think, yet, of another movie, also with Penelope Cruz called Woman on Top. I have its soundtrack, full of bossa nova and Brazilian melodies. It’s the kind of music I think about when I close my eyes and think of the foods I ate at Volta, the movies that marked my life, and the people I met along the way. Makes me want to “voltar”.