Volta, Didsbury

We visited Volta as it was approaching the end of January, eager to take advantage of the January 50% off food promotion. Volta is based on the former site of Rhubarb on Burton Road, which is packed with a range of good eateries.

The menu is quite short with a range of small and larger plates. We like the idea of small plates, as it gives us a chance to try more dishes. We started with smoked feta, beetroot, hazelnuts and dill, a vibrant plate with the beetroot puree, nice textures however we couldn’t quite taste the smoky notes from the feta.

Sea bass, fine beans and olive tapenade is a safe combination yet tasty dish. However the sea bass didn't seem the freshest as it was rather fishy.

We have never tried haggis before but we loved this, big deep fried patties of haggis which were packed with flavour. We thoroughly enjoyed this dish and the mash accompaniment. 

The smell of lemon on the lamb chops along with the spices filled the air, Mrs Nom couldn’t wait to tuck into the meaty and fatty lamb chops, and they delivered in taste and were well cooked.

Negroni cured salmon, fennel and orange salad with the sprinkle of pumpkin seeds. It was quite a chunky piece of fish but the salmon was slightly bland.

The dish of the night was undoubtedly the Dexter rib on the bone. A fantastic piece of steak, perfectly cooked medium rare and the chips were great and fluffy in the middle.

We also ordered the bone marrow dish from the specials board but unfortunately one of the two marrow bones was rather large and wasn't roasted through to melt the marrow. The staff handled this well and took it off the bill. 

By now we were full to the brim but desserts were calling. We ordered the chocolate pot and brandy and raisin ice cream served with an expresso shot for pouring over the ice cream. Perhaps we should of picked some lighter desserts but they were a good sweet ending to the meal.

The venue quickly filled and the bar was packed to the rafters when we left with plently of people waiting for tables for food. We like Volta for trying to be new with some great ideas and dishes, whilst others need tweaking but the steak is a must try at a shade under £20. Its better than steaks at some specialised 'Grill' restaurants at a more wallet friendly price.