Volta

For a while, had got get my swedish meatball fix at Plaje, but this is as good or better. Tasty meatballs with fantastic mashed potatoes. Other dishes are good too (tried the duck and pork), as is dessert (rum baba excellent). It’ can get loud, but Sunday night is quieter. Service friendly, though somewhat inefficient and a bit plastic, but suffices.

Dinner review.
Escargot — ⁵⁄₅ — 7×7
Mussel Lardon chowder — ³⁄₅
Canard et cassoulet — ⁵⁄₅ — Some was average. Cherry duck sausage was great.
Boeuf bourguignon — ⁴⁄₅
Fries with bernaise — ⁴⁄₅
Éclair — ³⁄₅
Baba — ⁵⁄₅
Crispy Custard cake — ²⁄₅
Overall, «as good as it gets.»

Very very underwhelming. All the dishes we had from appetizer to mains to dessert were mediocre at best. The only dish that stood out was the steak main. (My friend got it «rare» and I had a bite and it was surprisingly good and very well seasoned.)
I had high expectations given the reviews were quite good but was utterly disappointed.
They had a solid wine selection though and the ambiance is nice for dates.

My husband made a dinner reservation for us here before a 6:30pm show at the Golden Gate Theater (~7 min walk away), and it was the perfect pre-​show meal. The staff was so accommodating and we really appreciated that they got us in and out in time for our show without making us feel rushed.
Volta is in a great location (on Mission behind Westfield, right across from the 5^th and Mission Garage), and the space is bright and modern yet comfortable. They have a full bar, extensive wine list, and great specialty cocktails.
Everything we ordered was delicious, but also plated so artfully. We got the gravad lax and jambon to start, and finished with the gnocchi and the duck cassoulet, which were both surprisingly light. The food was all as tasty as it was beautiful.
I was sad that we weren’t able to really linger over our meals because we had to scoot to the theater, so I’d like to come back another time when I’m not so rushed to order, as the dishes deserve to be slowly savored. I think this would be a great meal for a group because so many of the plates are shareable and you would be able to explore more of the menu. We will definitely be back!

A beautiful, classy addition to the Union Square area. I came here with a group of 6 and had excellent service and food. I love the concept of combining French and Scandinavian food! This is a nice restaurant if you’re looking for a combination of something a little different with rich, familiar food.
We share several appetizers to start and each got a main. My favorites were the herring platter, where they prepared it 5 different ways, and the foie. I split the flat iron steak and what my fiancé termed the «Ikea platter» (Swedish meatballs, potato purée, lingonberry jam) and both of those were delicious. The meatballs in particular were really flavorful — probably because I’m used to the ones from Ikea — and I always love a well-​prepared steak.
In addition to the good food, the décor was really cool (think modern, lots of black/​white, classy) and the service was very pleasant. I’ll be back!

4.5 for interior
4.5 for service
4.25 for food
Volta is a nice new addition to SF’s restaurant scene, especially since there aren’t many unique cuisines out here. I hadn’t tried Scandinavian food before (except for at Ikea: P) and so I wasn’t sure of what to expect. If I had to guess, I figured it would be kind of salty and heavy, since Volta is also categorized as a French brasserie.
To my surprise, it was actually very fresh and light. Portions were decently sized too.
We ordered the following:
— Halibut
— Pork chops
— Herring sampler
— Pâté
— Princess cake (dessert)
If I return, I’ll definitely be ordering the pork chops. The pâté was also a winner. The herring sampler was presented like sashimi, but I prefer the Japanese way. Princess cake was a deconstructed dessert, which was light and fluffy, but not particularly memorable. We didn’t order any drinks, so I’d be interested in returning to eat at the bar. FYI, the bar looked way sexier than the dining area.

Had dinner here on Friday, April 29^th for a girlfriend’s birthday. She made a reservation about a week ahead of time for 8:45pm for a party of 12. We ended up adding more people last minute. They were accommodating and squeezed in our party of 13 – 14.
*TERRINE DE FOIE GRAS: pain de mie toasts — lemon confit ($ 22) x3
*STEAK TARTARE: avec garniture — shallots — capers — beets — cornichon — quail egg ($ 17) x3
*ESCARGOT: simmered in pastis — potato — herb-​garlic butter — pastis-​veal jus ($ 14) x3
*CÔTE DE BOEUF: 28 oz ribeye steak, roasted on the bone — bone marrow — onion marmelade potato gratin — watercress — red wine jus — sauce béarnaise ($ 88) x2
These were the plates we ordered for the table to share. I liked the foie terrine. It was creamy with good foie flavor. The steak was beautiful! I had a small piece which was cooked perfectly. This is a must order with a big group. They also gave us an amuse bouche of raw turnips (?) with some kind of herb butter which I thought was a little odd. I didn’t try it though.
*MOULES VERTS: mussels poached with spring garlic and cream — leeks — white wine — fines herbs — frites ($ 21)
*CANARD ET CASSOULET: dry aged duck breast — duck thigh — braised greens — coco beans cassoulet — foie gras jus ($ 31) x4
*ALASKAN HALIBUT: scallop-​prawn mousseline — seasonal squash — new potatoes — lemon shellfish nage ($ 32) x3
*BROWN BUTTER ROASTED PORK CHOP: savoy cabbage and rhubarb «choucroute» confit potatoes — puffed buckwheat ($ 29)
*KÖTTBULLAR: swedish beef and pork meatballs — pan sauce potato purée — lingon berries — pressed cucumber ($ 24) x2
*BOEUF «BOURGUIGNON»: braised beef — ox tail crepinette — lardons — mushrooms — pearl onions carrots — red wine — potato purée ($ 29)
*BRUSSELS SPROUTS: bacon — shallots ($ 8) x2
*SAUTEED YOUNG CARROTS: leeks — dill butter ($ 8)
I got the mussels which I thought were okay. They weren’t plump and juicy like I like. I also tried the duck which I loved. Crispy skin and the duck was nice and tender. The rest of our party seemed to enjoy their dishes. I didn’t really try much else other than the fish. The halibut was nice and silky, but just a touch overcooked for my taste.
*2012 Smith-​Madrone cabernet sauvignon, spring mountain ($ 75 bottle) x2
*2014 Turley «duatre» zinfandel, contra costa county ($ 72 bottle)
*2013 Peay les titans syrah, sonoma coast ($ 90 bottle)
*Hendricks: up ($ 10)
What’s dinner without some drinks?! I had had a couple drinks before we got here, so we just got some wine to pair with dinner. A friend picked the cab and our waiter suggested the other two bottles. We liked the cab the best, so we ordered a second bottle of that.
*Water sparkling ($ 8 large) x3
*Water natural ($ 8 large) x4
*Fernet branca ($ 7 glass) x2
*Double espresso ($ 4) x2
*Coffee ($ 3)
We had brought a cake, so they charged the table a cake cutting fee of $ 35. I’m not sure if they told us they were giving us bottled water, but I’m glad I didn’t drink a lot of water like I normally do as that could have added up. Coffee was a good way to end the meal, though some preferred fernet instead.
Nice place to have a bday dinner. I think we actually closed out Volta that night. Food was great and we had a good time. They were also awesome in accommodating our big group. Can’t ask for more than that.

Solid Scandinavian style restaurant. It feels elegant and upscale while modern. I’d recommend a table further inside as the restaurant itself is well designed but booths near the window just look out at a parking garage and the streets.
Skagen (⁴⁄₅) — probably the best if not only skagen I can find in SF. Even in Sweden though it could hold its chin up proud. It’s a more elegant rendition of shrimp on a toast than I had seen before in Scandinavia
Jambon (⁴⁄₅) — very interesting charcuterie. Combination with the apricots was also tasty
Pork rillete (¹⁄₅) — I found this a bit inedible. Too fatty with a weird finish/​aftertaste for me. Could only take one bite
Pot Au feu with «bone marrow» (⁵⁄₅) — amazing vegetarian friendly option! It’s supposed to be beef stew but they totally reimagine it as a beautiful dish with complex flavors. The bone is potato carved out!
Mussels (⁴⁄₅) — tasty though typical. What pushes it so high is how much mussels and fries you get!
Service was excellent — fast, on point and friendly.

I really wanted to like this place more, the menu looked creative and innovative, which doesn’t happen as often as I’d like lately. The location is not great, it’s right near the mall, so the view is of the Metreon parking lot. The inside is modern and nice.
The service was a bit slow, it took a while to order our drinks, and even longer to order our food. When my husband tried to move the table, the legs buckled and the glass of wine spilled all over me. Good think I’m already his:) The manager came by to offer his card and for me to send the dry cleaning bill, it would have been much more effective to pay for our drinks or appetizers. No one wants to email dry cleaning receipts, and he knows it.
The food:
The herring 5 ways was very yummy, a bit on the sweet side for flavors for me, I would have liked some variety and maybe a bit of Eastern European flavors but overall a great dish
The sweetbreads: not as tender as I would have liked, and bland. The sauce was thick and not tasty as expected, the carrot purée did not break up the texture of flavors.
The beef bourguinon was yummy, nothing else to say, it was perfect.
The young carrots and snap peas were bland.
I think the chef has to get his footing and decide on what inspires him.

Great steak frites! For veggies, the sunchoke is fantastic, but the dish is also covered in melted cheese. Anything that gooey is always good by default.
The pickled herring, on the other hand, leaves more to be desired. I prefer Pläj in Hayes Valley for this Scandinavian specialty.

I met up with a friend for an early dinner at Volta. The waiter was pleasant and explained to us that the restaurant is Swedish and French, not fusion, and some dishes are Swedish while others are distinctly French. I’m trying to cut down on drinking (why are first dates always «hey, let’s grab a drink»?) so we just had water.
We started with the Herring appetizer. It was so beautifully presented that we had to snap several pics before digging in. Each of the five «ways» had its unique flavor and the dish was clearly Swedish.
My friend ordered the Sea Bass entrée and I had the pleasure of trying it as well. The skin of the fish was so crispy and delicious and the dish was light and enjoyable.
I settled on the Boeuf Bourguignon. The beef was incredibly tender and full of flavor.
I love the clean décor of the restaurant and it is conveniently located near Market, BART, and me.

Volta is a French Scandinavian spot (I know weird) right behind the Westfield Shopping Center and right in front of the 5^th St. Parking Garage on Mission St. Giving the modern take on French and Scandinavian Food, although well plated and flavors present, it failed to impress to match the price tag.
Arriving at 6:15pm on a Monday, you would think it would be easy to find parking, nope! GDC was in town so I’m sure it was an added amount of craziness. I had placed a reservation the day before as we were thwarted from the place we wanted to eat at. It was easy to get to, just accept you’ll park at the 5^th St. garage for the convenience.
There were three people at the front. I didn’t know who to talk to and they all just stared at me, so I just started to say we had a reservation. They sat us in the middle of the first floor which felt like a main thorough way of walking for the servers. We were served radishes with herb butter and a mini dinner loaf after ordering our food. I wish they gave you more bread.
We ordered the followig:
SKAGEN — $ 16: North Atlantic shrimp — dill and horseradish sauce — toasted brioche — white fish roe — radish
A lighter appetizer, but nothing amazing in terms of flavor.
ESCARGOT — $ 14: simmered in pastis — potato — herb-​garlic butter — pastis-​veal jus
Although super popular, I wasn’t amazed with this dish. The escargot was well made and if you want to try escargot, it’s something to try, but I kind of miss the de-​shelling activity which is fun.
HERRING X 5 — $ 19: tasting of five preparations: pan fried and pickled — mustard-​dill — curry-​apple — matjes herring — herring-​beet salad — crisp bread — butter — västerbotten cheese
We weren’t going to get this, but glad we did. I enjoyed every different version of the herring except for the beet salad. But be wary, if you’re not a fan of strong fish tastes or vinegar, you’re not going to like this.
SEA BASS — $ 31: lightly smoked and seared — savoy cabbage — leeks poached shrimp — paddlefish roe — sauce de crevettes
Larger portion than I was anticipated. The slight smokey taste was a delight.
KÖTTBULLAR — $ 24: Swedish beef and pork meatballs — pan sauce potato purée — lingon berries — pressed cucumber
Oh gosh, just avoid this at all costs. It’s not worth it as I’m sure it’s high quality, it just felt like I was eating a plate of meatballs from Ikea.
PRINCESS CAKE — $ 11: tom vanilla-​almond cake — raspberry confiture — vanilla custard — chantilly — grated marzipan
Although very pretty, I wish this was an actual cake. It was light but wish there were more cake, marzipan… heck I wish I had more of everything especially for $ 11.
The service was good except felt inconsistent of «high end» places. Generally between courses they would clear up the utensils and provide new utensils or use the crumb cleaner. But I guess it’s not THAT fancy. They only cleaned up the table after entrees. Our water was filled often though which is a plus.
With the exception of the herring, all the other dishes were good, but not great. It felt it was trying too hard to be different with the whole scandinavian/​french food, but I wish they did more with complex flavors. I’ll unlikely be back.

I think I’m among the minority who was not blown away by Volta, sadly.
We dropped by after a conference for some pre-​dinner drinks & appetizers, just to see what all the fuss was about, but it was a bit more of a comical event than anything. There were some shining moments, though…
THE OVERVIEW.
+ Fantastic service — we had one of the nicest, friendliest waiters possible who was very understanding about any requests we had
+ Trendy, gorgeous interior (big props to the designer)
— Very expensive for what you get (i.e. $ 18 for a plate of mediocre meatballs w/​potato purée that IKEA could put to shame)
— Mediocre cocktails (although the presentation and serving-​ware is lovely)
~ Their princess cake was also a bit expensive and lacking for the cost ($ 11), although visually very interesting
I’m rather glad we didn’t come for a full meal — 2 drinks, an app and dessert tallied up to a pretty penny for very little, anyways. I feel like for the prices they charge, the food/​drink quality doesn’t quite merit it.

Coming to Volta was kind of unexpected and spontaneous. I came here around 6ish on a Saturday evening. Place was very convenient, located where wich craft used to be. There’s a parking garage right across and Bloomingdales, Westfield right next to it.
The service here is excellent. The ladies who host the tables by the front door were very welcoming and polite. I got seated upstairs and my server was very informational on their menu and got some great suggestions on a few dishes that we have picked. He was walking around and making sure if we and other tables he was helping was doing OK. He give us bread and butter promptly since I said that I was hungry. Their butter is specially made and got some herbs taste in it, I liked it a lot. Price here is $$$-$$$$ depending on what you order.
I’ll definitely recommend coming to this restaurant if you enjoy good food in a dimmed light atmosphere.
+get their seabass (: that was my favorite.

I actually don’t go out to fancy restaurants as much as I used to, partly due to laziness. I feel like with more upscale restaurants, there is a degree of pretentiousness from myself where I have to analyze the crap out of my food during the conversation with my dinner companions. It’s almost like when I’m wine tasting, and the sommelier waxes poetical about my wine and in my pedestrian mind, all I can think is «yeah this shit tastes good.» Too much analysis can be exhausting, but here goes…
My friends and I ordered some appetizers and entrees to share as tapas. Started off with the Brussel sprouts which were boringly good, herring served in five different ways, roasted beets, steak tartare, and gravad lax. The appetizers were delicious especially the tartare and gravad lax. The herring was delicious too especially if you’re into salty fish a la anchovies. I didn’t care for Roquefort cheese it came with — I find Trader Joes has better Roquefort.
Our entrees consisted of dry age duck, white asparagus, and Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam and potato purée. A total fan of dry age since I do it at home with beef. However, the sides to the entrees are lackluster. The duck came with some collard greens vegetables which I would expect to eat with fried chicken not dry age duck. Swedish meatballs… you’re thinking of IKEA, right? Don’t worry, it’s way better and a slightly gamier since it’s a combo of beef and pork.
We ended it with Baba desert — a creative take on rum cake with apricot and custard.
The four stars represent the dinner experience overall — five stars for service, presentation, drinks but the food is more like 3.5 stars. It was solid but I was expecting a little more creativity coming from the owners of Barbacco and Perbacco. Volta is facing stiff culinary competition in SF and perhaps it will evolve more into a fusion of Scandinavian and French flavors rather than dishes that separate the cuisines. Food is solid but I’d like Volta to step it up a bit more so it could flourish to be an SF staple restaurant.

I would give this 10 stars if I could! From the host, to the server, to the food was perfect. Volta opened few months ago and I must say, it’s one of the best places I’ve tried and would definitely recommend. Everything I ordered from appetizers to main entrée was on point forsure. Their cocktails are pretty good too and creative. I tried the Volta that has linie aquavit — carrot juice — honey syrup — lemon. (sooo good and refreshing)
As for appetizers:
— STEAK TARTARE with avec garniture, shallots, capers, beets, cornichon, quail egg
— ROASTED BEETS with haricots verts, roquefort cheese, walnuts
— GRAVAD LAX with dill and white pepper cured salmon, mustard-​dill sauce
As for entrees:
— GNOCCHI «PARISIENNE“with pan fried herb gnocchi, wild mushrooms, asparagus, tarragon butter
— DRY AGED DUCK MAGRET with seville orange panade, roasted turnips and mandarin, sauce orange

Valentine’s Day turned out to be a convenient excuse to try Volta, a new posh spot at the Westfield Centre, as Jamie W. and I were in the mood for something a bit fancier. OK, I was looking for something a bit fancier since Jamie is usually satisfied with a Chipotle burrito bowl even on such a momentous holiday. Its credentials are solid as owner Umberto Gibin and executive chef Staffan Terje are from Perbacco and Barbacco, two of my favorite Italian spots in the city since they’re conveniently located close to each other on California in the FiDi. This time, Terje goes back to his roots with a partial Scandinavian menu blended with more familiar French cuisine choices. Somehow it works.
The restaurant is almost totally unrecognizable as the former ‘wichcraft space and just confirms what a waste it was under that guise. We were seated in the back amid more amorous couples who were apparently looking to get lucky later in the evening, at least the males were. I don’t think I’ve had true Scandinavian dishes since I tried Pläj nearly three years back, but we decided to go Nordic with our appetizers. First up were the $ 14 Poached Prawns with Sauce Rose. There were four large ones served on a bed of shaved ice and decorated with caper berries (photo:
). Deliciously fresh and frankly hardly in need of the thousand-​island-​like dipping sauce that came with it.
Next came the $ 17 Gravad Lax, thin slices of dill and white pepper-​cured salmon with mustard-​dill sauce, endive and sliced radishes (photo:
). It was like eating the toppings off a bagel at Russ & Daughters Appetizers. Again it was quite tasty in a seaworthy way. Radishes appear to be a common snack up north, especially smeared with herb butter (photo:
). Our entrees brought us back to France in a hearty, carnivorous way. Jamie ordered the $ 29 Boeuf ‘Bourguignon’, braised beef prepared in a buttery tender way with ox tail crepinette, lardons, shiitake mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, and red wine with a side of potato purée (photo:
). A very traditional Gallic dish executed with flair and satisfying flavor.
I decided to get the $ 40 Steak Frites with Herb Butter where they prepared a generous cut of ribeye in classic brasserie entrecôte style. The meat was tender and slathered liberally with the melted butter, and the fries were lightly crisped with accompanying watercress providing some balance for the decadence (photo:
). A hefty price but worth it. We ended our meal with the $ 11 Éclair, which combined milk caramel, vanilla diplomat cream, pecan butter and bittersweet chocolate into a filling into a choux pastry covered in caramelized pecans (photo:
). It was appropriately small but packed with sweet indulgence. Combining Swedish and French delicacies may sound like a bedroom farce about stewardesses, but Volta reflects a winning blend of culinary pleasures.
FOOD — 4 stars… fresh Swedish appetizers and hearty French entrees make for quite a European palate of pleasures
AMBIANCE — 4.5 stars… so beautifully renovated that you won’t believe you’re in SoMa
SERVICE — 4 stars… a tad unctuous but quite attentive, still a bit new to judge too harshly
TOTAL — 4 stars… a nice addition to the ever-​evolving SoMa dining scene

I’m really disappointed about this place and I cannot understand the many good ratings. The food was mediocre at max and overpriced for the quality. We had potato/​salmon/​mussel salad (flavorless), Gnocchi and dry aged duck. They try to present the food in a high quality way, but the taste can hardly match the presentation.
Also the service was a little weird and felt a little intrusive. If a water glass is still nearly full and untouched there is no need to keep pouring more into it every three minutes.
Oh and the popular house cocktail is in my opinion best to be described as «interesting» but far from good.
This whole place feels like a tourist trap that only wants to benefit from the obviously good location near the Moscone center.
There is way better food in SF. I’d say you should save your time and money on this one.

One day noticed the Witchcraft sandwich place (which I never actually tried) was closed, next day saw that Volta was opened. Never had French-​Scandinavian food so decided to give it a try. We ordered 3 appetiziers, the herring, skagen shrimp and escargot. The escargot was just OK but really liked the skagen. The herring was interesting. I probably wouldn’t order it again because it’s just so different, but glad we tried it and would recommend it for first timers. I had the meatballs because I wanted to see how they compare to IKEA meatballs while my friend had the duck. I liked the meatballs (better than IKEA). The duck was pretty good, but it was just too much of it (large portion) so I probably wouldn’t recommend the duck unless you just want a lot of meat. Forgot what we had for sides but was also pretty good. Overall we enjoyed and would recommend.

Hosted dinner for 40 people. Interior is open and modern. Food was amazing. Service was perfect. Awesome vegan options. OK wine selection. Super accommodating. Food price was good. I would definitely go back.

Good portion! Duck and Boeuf Bourguignon both very yummy. We shared gnocchi as appetizer which was so delicious. The space is lit oddly bright (turn down LED perhaps? May save energy too). Lots of tourists and convention crowds, so the vibe is slightly off. But still a great place to eat and have a cocktail.

While this place is geared solidly at the business expense and tourist crowd and the prices reflect it, the food is truly good here. They were still working out FOH kinks when we went but the food was fully developed and delicious.
Volta is billed as a French brasserie but it is not and that’s ok. A brasserie is casual, Volta is not, a brasserie has simple classic dishes, Volta does not. What Volta is doing is high end Scandinavian and French inspire modern dishes and they do them very very well. The food isn’t so modern or experimental that more conservative palates would be put off but this is not food you find in a real French brasserie or a bistro in Sweden.
The dishes we had were the Skagen ($ 18), Veal Sweetbreads ($ 18), Escargot ($ 14) Sea Bass ($ 31) and the gnocchi «parisienne» ($ 21).
The standout was the gnocchi «parisienne», which traditionally is made with choux pastry served with Béchamel sauce, this one had a lighter sauce and a beurre de sapin and it was extremely addictive especially with the plentiful wild mushrooms in it. The portion was quite generous and would be good as a shared pasta course.
All of the dishes were excellent in terms of taste, the escargot was served on potatoes and had the earthiness that good escargot has, the veal sweetbreads weren’t overcooked and the truffle jus complimented the richness rather than overpower it, but both were a smaller portion than expected for the price. We got the skagen mainly because I ate so much of it the last time I was Sweden and for nostalgia. It’s probably the most expensive skagen I’ve ever had especially considering in many fine dining place there it’s served as a gratis amuse at the beginning of meal or family style dinner. It was fine but not something I would order again.
The dessert was another favorite of mine, cassis sorbet with brown butter merengue
($ 8). I love cassis. I used to drink litres of Hero cassis as a student in the Netherlands and have been irked ever since by not finding cassis or black currant soda or desserts in North America. The tartness and richness of blackcurrant is so perfect in a sorbet.
Service: Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu but unfortunately misordered our entrée, the mistake was handled beautiful with the correct dish coming out in less than 5 minutes and the French spouse’s dish was also re-​fired. They also comped us our dessert. The other FOH support folks need some more training with dishes brought out while empty plates from earlier course sat unremoved on our table, bussers reaching over the table to get things and water glasses not being refilled.
The space has had a total redesign sadly they didn’t consider sound proofing in the design and the tables are quite close together.
All in all it’s was very delicious if quite expensive meal and I would go again even with the high cost.

I was quite disappointed in the food here. I would have expected better considering the price I paid. I came here during lunch and ordered the Swedish meatballs with potato purée, cucumbers, and linden berries. The potatoes weren’t very creamy and the meatballs were quite dry. I had to keep drenching them in gravy to attempt to salvage them.
The atmosphere and plating was lovely. I just wish my foot tasted as good as it looked.
The staff if not as attentive as they could be. It took us forever to get our check even though the place wasn’t busy.
This place is only a block from my work but I wouldn’t bother coming here again.

Our lunch at Volta was simply amazing!
Their entire team was very attentive during service and made sure our experience was enjoyable. The atmosphere was quiet, perfect for a relaxing lunch.
We ordered:
— The Volta Burger ($ 15)
— The Sole meuniere ($ 22)
— The meatballs ($ 18)
— The Princess cake ($ 11)
The food was delicious and served quickly, you could tell the kitchen paid attention to every single detail.
Did not try it for dinner, yet!

The vibe is a little more conservative and seemed to attract a slightly older demographic. Great service though! And it’s in a surprisingly large space.
The cocktails were pretty unique. My friend got the Volta!, which had carrot juice in it but actually tasted really good. We split the escargot, steak tartare, sweetbread, and duck magret, all of which were solid choices. The duck was cooked medium rare and was super tender and flavorful. And, the bill ended up being less than I expected (pleasant surprise)!
I’d personally opt for a slightly less conservative ambience, but the food and service were great.

Our dinner at Volta was absolutely delightful from walking in the door to leftovers the next day!
Service: It was warm, friendly, and impeccable. Our table was available when we walked in. We ask to switch to a corner banquet and the host didn’t even bat an eye. Our server was fantastic. He would magically appear when we needed something, but never hovered. The sommelier gave us perfect pairings. Also, the restaurant itself is beautiful. Modern without being overly so and the noise level was great. We could easily carry on a conversation at a normal speaking level which isn’t the case many restaurants.
Sweetbreads and escargot were new visions of traditional dishes that elevate them beyond your expectations. I have had sweetbreads and escargot dozens of times, but these two versions were easily the best I have ever tasted.
The anchovie and potato gratin was an eye opener. It brought those traditional Scandinavian flavors in a deliciously approachable dish.
Magret duck was off the charts. The duck by itself was perfectly cook, tender, and delicious. But when you take a bite with the orange sauce and the unique bread pudding-​type side it takes on a whole new level. The depth of flavors perfectly highlight the duck.
Swedish meatballs. What can I say, this isn’t Ikea. The rich brown sauce, buttery mashed potatoes, and flavorful tiny meatballs make this dish a must order.
As an example of how wonderful the service was and portion size, I was taking home most of the meatballs, but somehow most of those mashed potatoes had gotten eaten by my dining companion. When I opened my doggie bag the next day, I was blown away to find that the kitchen had given me a whole new portion of mashed potatoes!
If you aren’t worried about your budget, the wines by the glass that use the Corvin storage system are amazing. I had the Chassagne-​Montrachet with the sweetbreads and the Châteauneuf-​du-​Pape with the Swedish meatballs.
Almost forgot, the cocktails were wonderful. Light and flavorful. I’m going to hit the bar and have sweetbreads and escargot soon.

Very good. Started with escargot and then had beef. Much more french then Scandinavian. Owner was there standing by front door greeting guests and also checking on bar patrons which I really appreciated.
Overall very solid service and food, very nice experience. Food was very well executed but I wouldn’t say it was creative. Found the interior to be a bit «cold» in design but that was just me. Worth checking out. Lot of people at the bar/​few bar tables just having drinks and apps. Makes a reservation.

Excellent experience overall. The food was great, the staff is very friendly and helpful, and the place is very nicely decorated.
I highly recommend the sea bass. It is very flavorful and the skin is crisped just right. The beef oxtail was equally flavorful, just a little on the saltier side though.

Admittedly, I had low expectation when I heard this place was French and Scandinavian. I love French cuisine, but I’m pretty meh on Scandinavian food — the one time I ate dinner at Plaj, when the $ 200 per person bill came out I was sure that Ashton Kutcher was going to come out and announce that he started the a non-​celebrity version of Punk’d. Anyhoo, I was pleased with our first dinner at Volta.
It seems that the menu is not a fusion of French and Scandinavian but rather a combo of modern dishes from both styles. My boyfriend and I had the Escargot and Skagen for apps and the Moules and Steak Frites for entrees. All of our food was delish! Instead of the usual drowned in butter Escargot, Volta’s was served on a potato wedges with micro-​greens. The taste and texture was a great start. Our server, Henry was astute enough to space our apps since the flavors were so different. And both of our entrees were tasty.
We had ordered one of the Sancerres. The sommelier came over and informed us that the Sancerre that we ordered was not traditional and more oaky. This was much appreciated by us since we do NOT like oaky wines.
The atmosphere might be slightly lacking, but I’m about 5 years away from being a curmudgeonly old lady, so I was thankful that I could hear what my dinner companion was saying and that the space was large and roomy. I’m sick of having to excuse my (almost non-​existent Asian) butt to the adjacent table when I have to get up to go to the bathroom (emm, like Delfina).
I’m looking forward to going to Volta again.

The food was great, but it was really missing something and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
The service was great– very professional, but really not personal. Almost stiff and awkward.
The restaurant is beautiful and big so you don’t feel cramped and you can actually have a good conversation with your table on a Friday night. Big plus!
Let’s dive into the food because each dish was delicious, but not memorable so here’s why:
— Escargot: great presentation, tender and good flavors. It met our expectations for escargot, but that’s all I have to say about it.
— Veal sweetbreads: it didn’t necessarily taste like sweetbreads. It could have been any other meat, fried in small pieces. It was good, but not incredible. Not sure if I would recommend this dish.
— Toast: yum! Best appetizer we had! It had great and unique flavors. Definitely order this one.
— Gnocchi: I’ve been on a gnocchi kick this month and this was good. It had interesting flavors and the gnocchi was soft and light. It didn’t blow my socks off though.
— Meatballs: yum! They were good, but almost exactly what you would expect from a Swedish meatball dish– just prettier.
— Chicken: very tender and juicy with a soft flavor. Nothing extraordinary though.
— Duck: best dish from dinner! Really interesting flavors that worked well together.
Overall: I would come back if my party wanted to eat here or if I had a party of 4+ to take to dinner. This wouldn’t be my first choice for a nice dinner in SF though.

Once I saw a photo of a young woman holding a sign that says «Seeking a love affair of a lifetime.» The image stuck with me for years. Since then I often wondered what the love affair of my lifetime would be, is it food? And if so, what kind of food? Until Volta came along, my question unanswered, and my quest unsuccessful.
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Two devotees of Scandinavian cuisine meet for lunch: one lived in Scandinavia, the other a frequent visitor to it, with a summer home in France. Both left handed. So they squeeze in on the same side of the bench to eat together while trying to hold hands.
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Volta is easy to get to on foot and via public transportation. Umberto, the proprietor, stood in front, greeting guests in his impeccable suit. On the menu, it had herrings. In Sweden, herrings are never just about the herring. It’s about the sauce and preparation. Of course, one cannot eat it without Wasa bread and hard cheese. The meatball dish is elegantly served on a bed of mash, like a bed of snow, decorated with shaved pickled cucumber in the shape of flower pedals. Those two things pay homage to its Scandinavian lineage. From there, it traveled down south, passing Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany before finally entering France.
French country cooking is known for its pates, terrines and rillettes. Terrines and rillettes to most Americans are just different iterations of pates. Terrines and rillettes are often found in jars and served as a spreadable. Bouchon, the other other (French Laundry and Per Se of course) Thomas Keller restaurant in Yountville, in its early days, and now as a Michelin star restaurant, first offered terrine and rillettes in a jar many years ago, when it was still a bit of a novelty to the Bay Area patrons. Since then, these every day French dishes have been popping up everywhere. Rillettes is done well here with a plum compote. Plum is one of the most used, and in my opinion, most clever and classic ingredient in French cuisine. Its sweet and tartness go well with pork. Rillette should not be missed here.
And if the French leaning cuisine is not that obvious to you at first, you would become keenly aware of it: the moment you sit down they put in front of you A small dish of radish and herbed butter, just like they do in France.
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Service is meticulous. White table linen. Excellent décor. On that day she was delighted to see him before he had to go again. He whispered the three words to her. It was clear that he loved the food, which she ordered for him, and he loved his company. They talked about France and the East Coast. They made their plans. They caught up on the mundane. They reluctantly exchanged goodbyes. As he smiled and waved at her, while mouthing those three words, she realized how lucky she’s been: unlike the girl in the picture, she never had to hold up that sign. She never asked for any of it. Yet she’s been living that life, ever since he re-​entered in her life.
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Is Volta shooting for the star? As a long time patron of Perbacco, I hope so. One can easily be charmed and seduced by its sophisticated French execution, and at the same time, be impressed and delighted by its modern Scandinavian technique.
Volta, being a three week old restaurant, and just appeared on the top 15 hottest new restaurants in the country by Zagat as the only Northern Cal representative, is quite developed for its French side of the menu. As a result, the restaurant deserves multiple revisits: from north to south, it starts with Normandy, down to Burgundy, then to central Lyonnaise, finally, arrive at the French Riviera: Nicoise. To get to know French food, you must sample different regional representations and get a feel as to how the sauce is prepared and the meat is cooked. The Scandinavian side of the menu is just enough of a teaser, and I hope that as the clienteles’ taste becomes more sophisticated, the menu will expand to cover more unusual seasonal dishes like dehydrated cod, fish stew, and lutefisk
You take something from the old world, mix it up with contemporary aesthetics, and you end up with an unlikely match made in heaven. Volta brings two of my personal favorite cuisines into one. It has been happening a lot in Scandinavia and France. They call it «modern European» there. This is the first of its kind in San Francisco… And a possible love affair of my lifetime…

5 stars all the way! This place was amazing — From the service to the atmosphere and food. The bisque, sea bass, Brussel sprouts, and mushrooms were incredible. But my absolute favorite were the bisque and the Brussel sprouts … Well worth it! To be honest, this is now probably my favorite restaurant in San Francisco.

A solid new addition to SOMA and glad this has opened in the old Witchcraft space! Since it only opened 3 weeks ago, we were impressed that within 20 minutes of sitting down for our 6:15PM Saturday evening reservation, Volta was nearly at capacity!
They start you off with Herbed Butter and raw turnips. They do not offer bread up front, but on their menu, it does point out that bread’s available upon request. Ask for it– it’s on the house and goes well with their butter.
I’ve never had «authentic» Scandinavian food so we jumped at the Herring ($ 19) and Swedish Meatballs ($ 24). We also ordered the Parisian Gnocchi to share ($ 21) and finished with the Princess Cake ($ 11) for dessert.
I really liked the Herring– so flavorful. If you like sardines or fishy sushi — this is good for you! If you aren’t into that though — you may want to opt out as these preparations of Herring are really flavorful but I loved the unique touches to each prep (with crème fraîche, with apples/​curry, etc).
We ordered three cocktails and a glass of wine to share among the 2 of us– I really really like their cocktails. I would easily come back here after work for a drink/​snack at the bar.
The ambiance here is modern but also bright/​spacious and inviting. This is a great venue for events, work outings, date night, or with a group!

Went for dinner last night on NYE. We ordered the bone marrow, escargot, and gnocchi for dinner. Gnocchi was my favorite. It was very yummy — with mushrooms, delicious oily sauce.
The table comes with bread. There was nothing special about the bread but the herb butter was fantastic!
For dessert, we ordered the raisin ice cream and the princess cake. Just friendly FYI, the princess cake is a deconstructed version of a princess cake. They were both good.
I had a great fine dining experience. The ambience was nice, food was good, service was friendly, so I’d go back again :)

3.5 STARS
Someone once told me that girls don’t get all dolled up to impress guys – they get all dolled up to impress… other girls.
She’s right. Well, kind of.
Have you ever heard of a [straight] guy say, «Dayam, her smoky eyes are on point!»?! I think as long as you don’t look like a crayola box exploded in your face, you’re all good. Besides do guys really pay attention to those set of «eyes»?
When a guy tries to impress a girl – what does he do? Find one of the new hottest restaurants to woo her at.
Enter Volta.
It’s new. It’s trendy. The menu is French and Scandinavian. The cocktails are stiff. *wink wink*
My friend and I went to Volta’s soft opening over the weekend for dinner. Coming from the folks of Perbacco and Barbacco, I had high hopes. The staff was wonderful but the food was a bit underwhelming for the both of us. Don’t get me wrong it was good and the presentation was amazing but we thought the food looked better than it tasted. With a seasoned staff, I’m sure they’ll work out these kinks.
~ * ~ D R I N K S /​F O O D ~ * ~
*Volta!: Linie aquavit, carrot juice, honey syrup, lemon ($ 12) — 4 STARS
If you like carrot juice, you will enjoy this «healthy» cocktail. It’s just like spiked carrot juice.
*Vesper: Vodka, gin, lillet, lemon ($ 12) — 4.5 STARS
One of the best Vesper’s I’ve had. Really stiff but smooth and fragrant.
*Amuse Bouche — Raw turnip w/​herb butter
Raw veggies and butter is an odd pairing – we would have preferred bread. Other tables received it but we didn’t.
*Herring x 5: Traditional pickled, mustard-​dill, curry-​apple, matjes, herring-​beet salad, västerbotten cheese ($ 19) — 3.5 STARS
I enjoyed all the herrings except the matjes which was really pungent and sweet; it almost had a fermented taste to it because it was so strong. The herb butter made another appearance which seemed out of place.
*Toast w/​chanterelles a la crème, egg, celery root, fines herb ($ 14) — 2 STARS
Sounded great on paper but the bread couldn’t hold up to the heavy cream mushroom sauce and the egg so it ended up being a very overwhelmingly rich and soggy dish.
*Escargot w/​potato, herb-​garlic butter, red wine jus ($ 14) — 3 STARS
The potatoes (firm) were blanketed with the herb-​garlic butter but the escargot was not; the dirt flavor was really apparent.
*Bone Marrow Crème w/​caviar, croutons, beef jus, parsley purée ($ 15) — 3.5 STARS
A beautiful play on the traditional roasted bone marrow, the crème had a silky smooth custard texture but there wasn’t much bone marrow flavor. My friend thought this was more of a caviar dish (great burst of fresh oceany saltiness from the caviar). As a rich app, this needed some toast points as a canvas.
*Côte de Boeuf: 28 oz bone-​in ribeye, bone marrow, glazed shallots, hasselback potatoes, watercress, wine jus, béarnaise ($ 88) — 4 STARS
Hello, steak porn! The presentation is stunning and would give any carniwhore blue balls if they didn’t get a taste. Spread the bone marrow and glazed shallows over the steak and you have a perfect rich, savory umami bite. The béarnaise was overkill and I didn’t care for the potatoes which were hard around the edges.
*Princess Cake: Torn vanilla almond cake, raspberry conifture, vanilla custard chantilly, grated marzipan ($ 11) — 4 STARS
A deconstructed princess cake, this dessert was elegant and really light. If you’re a fan of light and fluffy Asian cakes, than you’ll like this dessert. I wish there was more than 4 bites of it though.
*Baba: Rum soaked savarin, poached pears, dried pluots, candied walnuts, chantilly ($ 11) — 3 STARS
Whoa, this was one boozy dessert! I had one bite of the savarin and I started to feel the room spin (in a good way). Too boozy for me but my friend really enjoyed this dessert.
~ * ~ S E R V I C E ~ * ~
The staff was fantastic. Everyone was really warm and welcoming, and our waiter was attentive without being intrusive. My water glass never went empty (and I drink like a camel). The owner even came by to say, «hi» and apologize for not having seared foie gras on the menu which I thought was a nice touch.
~ * ~ A M B I A N C E /​D E C O R ~ * ~
Housed in the former ‘wichcraft space, Volta is huge boosting over 100 seats and 2 levels. Great for large groups and for a romantic date; the acoustics was pretty good and we could easily have a conversation without screaming across the table like most new places. While the dining room was really trendy with clean lines, I think the bathroom was forgotten. I know this is being nitpicky but it felt like we left this beautiful space and walked into a restroom at Safeway. It was clean but felt very sterile.
~ * ~ P A R K I N G ~ * ~
No valet but the yerba buena garage is right across the street. $ 1.50/hr after 6 pm.

We wandered in here on Christmas Eve, since there was nothing open and we were coming out of the theaters across the street.
The drink menu is pretty interesting and has some unique concoctions. The waitstaff is also really attentive and pays attention to detail. After finishing my first drink, I heard our server tell someone else behind the bar to ask me if I wanted to try another one she overheard me mentioning. I think that’s awesome. Additionally, my friend dropped her napkin on the floor, and someone promptly came by to offer her a new one. Classy joint. :)
We weren’t super hungry, so we shared the mussels. With the bread (and some extra pieces for good measure), it was more than enough for two people. We left both full and happy.

I came here for dinner with my brother to catch up over a nice meal. I’ve passed by this spot many times on my way to visit friends, so I was very excited to find out that they officially opened yesterday.
We ordered the herring x 5, pot de feu, Côte de beouf, Swedish punsch and raisin ice cream, and baba rum cakes. Everything was perfectly cooked and incredibly flavorful! The pot de feu was one of the best vegetarian dishes I’ve had, and my brother’s steak was so delicious. The bone marrow had these wonderful salt flakes on top that really brought out the flavor.
The desserts were also great. The baba was delectably boozy (we were warned ahead of time) but the Swedish punsch ice cream and dream cookies was our favorite. It reminded me of ice wine, which I love.
The service was impeccable and our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable. I know that this restaurant is about to get very busy very soon, so I’m glad that I had a chance to try it early. It was a wonderful dining experience, and since I live so close by, I’m definitely going to be back! :)