Love love love Volpis! Always a great meal to be had anytime you pass through. The soups and salads start you off on the right pace, and the entrees can't be beat. Great spot to grab a glass of wine and catch up with an old friend - no fuss and no rush. Love the family style (large) meals here... a definite win!
Review Source:Came here for dinner. Upon entering there was a weird smell that I commented on instantly to my buddy. The decor has a lot of old posters, wine, and so forth. I personally did not like it as I thought it looked too clunky.
I went to the bathroom and there is a huge mirror right in front of the toilet... So yes you're basically watching yourself do your business .. Which was odd.
I ordered the fettuccine con pomadora.. The pasta was fresh but there wasn't enough in my dish. When I finished eating there was enough sauce left over that could of been used for another dish. My buddy got the eggplant parm-something.. Which came with veggies and polenta. The polenta was decent.
We waited 15 minutes for our check but our waitress never checked up on us so we just asked the busser for the check.
I don't live in petaluma, but if I did I wouldn't come back. Sorry.
I wish I was able to give Volpi's negative stars because giving even 1 star is being too generous.
Hostess- She seem to think "what do you guys want!" is the proper greeting.
Service- Slow & not attentive at all!
Food- I guess it's edible but too expensive for something that doesn't taste good. For the price of "family style" you might as well go to Cucina Paradiso (it's not family style but it's Italian food done right.). Or go anywhere else. Heck, even Olive Garden, fake Italian food taste better and is half the cost.
When my BF and I were dining there, it seemed like everyone was screaming for no reason. Overall very lackluster in ambience, service, food and too pricy for food that wasn't even worth bragging about.
All we could think about was the 7-11 that we drove by with the poster saying "49cent Slurpee". We skipped the desert and coffee that comes with the family style dinner. We didn't want them to screw ice cream and coffee up for us so we paid and drove to 7-11 for 49 cent Slurpee AND taquitos. On top of the 49 cent Slurpees we were greeted properly, and they threw in a smile!
First impression. The house is packed. This is a popular place. I like the history surrounding the walls. It took about 10 mins to get a drink, during which time however the service was good. Keep in mind this was 7pm on a Saturday night. The waitress was conscientious, on it. My uncle and I tried the Prawns and Scallop fettuccine special. It was nicely textured, with a lemony tinge. It was a well-sized dish, so much we boxed the rest. Incredible taste. The overall flavor of the meal left us with a pheromone high. It took a bit to get the check, (repeat, they were packed) Otherwise, I liked the traditional family atmosphere, and you could see the crew cooking. Now, If you're a nitpicker and complain about things like "dust" or have allergy problems or whatever, go to New York. Really? I highly recommend this joint, and will be returning. Excellent, diverse menu and good service.
Review Source:Can I leave a negative star?
A completely lack-luster and
bizarre dining experience.
Do yourself a favor and make
reservations...somewhere else.
The dining area has the warmth of a bingo hall
and the acoustics of a racket ball court.
The food like the service was  eh - medio
but the real kicker was being charged $40
for a bottle of  "house red" that they
only charge $7.50 a glass for. Huh?
(5.3 glasses per bottle? A 4.5 oz pour?)
Thinking, as perhaps you are, that this was
a simple mistake I brought it to the attention
of the "manager" (also the owners daughter)
who said, and I quote:
"That's just how we do things here...and as a
consumer it's your responsibility to know that."
At which point I informed her that "As a
consumer" I would be disputing the charges
with my credit card company and got up to leave.
That's when the screaming began. "We weren't
going anywhere, she was calling the cops, Â she
was having arrested" etc. etc. When this failed
to dissuade us from leaving she began yelling
for her father (the owner - John?) to come out
of the back and stop us, which he did (with all
the machismo and subtle menace of your
favorite t.v. goomba)
After the flexing and posturing subsided I was
able to explain to John? what had transpired.
Confused and apparently a little disappointed
that a good head bashing was not in order he
told me to "Get the hell out of his restaurant"
which I pointed out was, eh - what I was trying
to do in the first place.
Perhaps still trying to figure a way to exact
punishment on me for his lack of basic math
skills John? and four ill-kempt regulars followed
me out into the street as I left but with lack of
purpose and direction they soon retired
back inside.
The whole scene was disheartening.
I left feeling embarrassed for them and
by them. My sense of Italian fraternity
weakened by the entire exchange.
Thanks Volpi's
First time at Volpi's tonight very impressed. Â There were 5 of us and all enjoyed our experience. Â The staff was great. Â They were slammed our waitress Jen made us feel like we were the only ones in the restaurant. Â The food was on spot and plentiful. Â There is another full meal for each of us in my fridge. Â The seafood cook to perfection. Â Two kind of soup that were both little bowls of delight. Â Volpi's is our new celebration spot for our family. Â No more driving to SF. Â I recommend ordering family style good value. Â The only con was it was loud in the big room. Â We went late so by the time our entree was served it quieted down. Â Thanks Volpi's for making Grandma and Grandpa's anniversary special.
Review Source:If you go here get seated in the first room by the entrance, not the back 'spill over room'. We went there and they seated  a big table, right next to us. We couldn't hear ourselves from across the table. I've eaten there several times before and it was great. But it was that first room. Maybe I'm obsessing too much about the seating, and maybe the service was slow and not very attentive, maybe because of that big party. Like I said in the past, it was really good. Old Italian Family style restaurant.  Good pasta and chicken parmesans. Good house wine too. Ok maybe the room thing was an exception. But really why take a chance. Get seated in the first room and have a nice meal. I'm just saying.
Review Source:Ive been to Volpis in the past. Â Decided to take out of town guests there. Â We went early. Â Plenty of seating available. Â They turned us down because we didnt have a reservtion. Â Ive never had to have a reservation in the past. Â Thanks for the home town hospitality (not). Â Many of the family style courses are always the same so if youve had it before, it will be a bit booring. Â I dont think I will be back any time soon atfer this last experience.
Review Source:Best Restaurant in Petaluma by far. My waitress Jamie was the most amazing, wonderful, adorable person I have ever met. She delivers fast service with a smile! If you get her, be sure to leave a huge tip. If you don't get Jamie, you should hope for Jen. Her winning personality, awesome smile and great looks add to her amazing waitressing and customer service skills. She deserves a big tip too! Â Next time your in Petaluma make the trip to Volpi's for lunch or dinner, you wont regret it.
Review Source:I've been eating.here.for.15+ years and have had a wide variety of experiences.  Over the past year.I have been impressed with the changes in the dining room.service and attitude.  Plus now they've made  some.real updates& uprades to the food.  The salad was wonderful with the addition.of green beans and.chunks of.carrot & the minestrone had somehow changed also improved.  I had the chicken Marsala OMG!  YUMMY which came plated with decadently.creamy polenta and.a generous serving.of.fresh sauteed veggies.  My friend had the veal shank which was off the chain as well. Then of course we had to finish off with spumoni. We did doggie bag so we.could.eat dessert.  Great meal.  Prices have gone up a tad but its overall a good.value. We did bring our own wine. Doing.so helps keep.dining out a bit more.affordable.
Plus I just love the history of the place and that John.Volpi continues to play the accordian in.the bar.
This is one of the best places to go for food and be part of an old school family run restaurant!
Can not count how many times I have been there, but never disappointed. Last time we went there we took the entire family..there was an engagement party (good luck) but the hostess said, "I have a table,it is next to the bar, so if you don't mind swearing I can seat you now"...best spot in the restaurant! and who the HELL cares if you hear a few everyday words.
Never disappointed!
Giving it 3.5.
It's a nice family style Italian restaurant. Â The waitresses were friendly and attentive. Â Our waitress forgot to bring a glass of wine we ordered but, we reminded her and she brought a glass filled to the brim. Â
We ordered a calamari appetizer which was awesome and enough for 3 people. Â We all got the family style option which included soup, salad, macaroni, entree, ice cream and coffee. Â It's was a enormous amount of food and everyone was full by the time the entree came. Â
Lamb shanks was the best entree. Â Huge portion and nicely cooked and the polenta was tasty. Â Spaghetti and meatballs was just OK. Â Spaghetti was under cooked. Â I like al dente but this needed about another 30 seconds of boiling. Â Meatballs were good. Â We decided to order the veal parm with an Alfredo sauce which was a bad call by us. Â It would have been much better with the marinara sauce.
It's a nice place for large groups and families to come for a friendly environment and good service. Â The food is good and plentiful.
I had not been to Volpi's in years. Â Last time I went it was only so so.
BUT, I got a wild hair and decided to try it again. Â I went on a Saturday night, made reservations for 4. Â We were seated promptly and I ordered a lemon drop martini which the waitress made herself. Â Perhaps she should be a bartender because that lemon drop was better than some I have had at really nice bars!
I ordered the salmon dinner and it was really really good. Â Fresh and cooked perfectly with the lemon butter on the side and really fresh side vegetables. Â My hubby had the raviolis which he said was very tasty and he is a picky pasta eater! Â For desert I chose the Tiramisu. Â That was the best tiramisu that I have had in a long time. Â I almost managed to finish it all!
Don't know what changed or when but I'll be back again with friends!
It makes me sad to see quibblers go on and on about dust on a vent fixture or a lack of aprons while totally ignoring the history, style and food quality of a very old, locally owned establishment like this.
Volpi's occupies two parts to an original old town building, and used to be various entities, shops and a grocery. Â During prohibition, there was a speakeasy bar in the back that, incredibly, has been in operation ever since! Â A quick word on the bar - very funky, old animal trophy heads hanging on walls, ancient dollar bills stuck to the ceiling and the sense that you could've walked in here 80 years ago and had pretty much the same impression (and see some of the same people). Â Call me earthy or 'dirty' but I love the weird glossy green paint, the oddball accouterments and aging decor.
The food at the restaurant is above average good. Â I think I gained 10 pounds from the appetizer alone, a buttery-on-butter-on-cream pasta shell plate, which I promptly followed with more artery-demolishing fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken. Â Wow, it was quite good, and hugely portioned. Â I think we brought home another 15 lbs. of leftovers. They also keep the bread coming, and the salad was fresh.
The service was a little casual, sure, and the lighting in the main room was bright, which I tend to dislike in a restaurant, but the fascination with how old the joint was and what all it must have been like in the 20's, 50's, etc. overrode that. Â There's even the old counter and freezers in the smaller dining room, and you walk back to the Speakeasy for your nightcap past more cool old architecture and stuff that makes you feel like you've really stepped into the past.
All in all, really fun, very good eats, not cheap when you opt for the soup-salad-appetizer combo. Solid four stars - and by all means, do disregard the weird complaints and downright disrespectful comments about 'old farts' written by younger transplant 'locals' who clearly do not know from good historic joints like this.
Any place with an older gentleman playing accordion in the bar gets at least two stars up in my book.
When it comes to a Petaluma tradition, it starts with Volpi's. Excellent family style Italian food and a "wild, wild West" feel make this place absolutely perfect. Not to mention the real speakeasy in the back with dollar bills older than you on the ceiling and Petaluma-brewed Lagunitas IPA on tap.
All the pastas are made from scratch that morning so you're getting the real deal if you choose a pasta dish. I recommend the lobster ravioli or the spaghetti and meatballs. You also have to get the garlic bread, some of the best I've ever had. Wash it down with a nice red wine from their huge selection. I've never had room for dessert so I can't speak to it but the homemade apple pie with vanilla ice cream looked really good last time I was there.
Probably 3.5, service brought it down a touch.
First time visit, really good food and cute Italian restaurant decor. Got a quick peek at the back bar on the way out...think I will start there with cocktails next time, just for the experience. Family style meal with lots of leftovers for lunches this week.
Went to lunch here today with a friend.
The food is sort of no frills, American-Italian food. Â The food was good and the ingredients fresh.
I got the Cappelini alla Carbonara - $12 and my friend got a Grilled Chicken Sandwich - $12, each dish came with a side salad or soup. Â The side salads were pretty big and came before the main dishes (like they should). Â The main course portions were huge. Â I probably ate about half of my capellini.
There was bread at the table, a full bar, red and white checkered table clothes, and overall the ambiance was nice.
A nice little low key spot. Â Probably a good option for families that won't break the bank.
This place might be alright for ambiance on a date with your loved one...but for a family, not so good.
We had 2 adults and 3 teenagers with us. Â From the moment we had been seated, we were kinda given the impression that our service was gonna be mediocre. Â The waitress and other employees weren't very friendly and seemed to be hurrying us.
FYI, there is a minimum cost per person ($12.95) and there's no sharing entrees. Â I was under the impression that we could order a couple "family style" entrees and some starters and call it a meal...but apparently family style just means that the entree comes with salad, soup and dessert. Â standard prices for family style are around $20 per person. Â A la carte runs between $13 to $20.
The prices per person, and the minimum cost per person, don't make this a family-friendly and budget-friendly restaurant.
The food was good and fresh but not really anything worth the price paid. Â I had a spaghetti and meatballs plate that was good but nothing out of the ordinary. Â my wife had chicken parmesan which was very delicious. Â She left the restaurant, however, feeling sick to her stomach after eating it.
The atmosphere is great, and I really wish the employee's attitudes and food pricing were different so I could give this the 5 stars that I hoped it would be worth.
For years I have gone to Volpis. Â It is one of the first places I used to recommend for folks to go for dinner....but lately it has missed the mark. Â Tonight I went there for dinner and it was BEYOND bad. Â
For starters, we caught serious attitude from the hostess when we came for dinner with out reservations. Â The place was empty but she "found us a dark table tucked in a corner where we could be ignored for the rest of the nite. Â Our waitress was the fat one with the attitude that was annoyed that we were not ready to order when our butt cheeks first hit the chair. Â It took her a while (in the empty restaurant) to find us again to take our order. Â
Our food came. Â I had the steak and my partner had the Carbanata. Â My steak was chewy, a ton or fat and over cooked. Â My partners pasta was worse than glue. Â It was so over cooked that the pasta had broken down to a gluten mess. Â
Our not so patient waitress asked us how our meal was as I was taking my first bite. Â I had to take the big chunk of fat out of my mouth to tell her "I am not sure yet..that was just a piece of fat". Â
We did not see her again until we waited for an eternity and asked the bus boy to go get her so we could leave. Â When she did come to drop the check she asked again how things tasted and I told her my partners pasta was horrible. Â *YA think the entire plate was still sitting there). Â She had the NERVE to argue with me and asked why we didn't mention it the first (the only) time she came around. Â I politely told her she had just set down the plates and had she come to check on us within the last 40 minutes she would have been informed that it was not good. Â She gave us MAJOR attitude.
End of story, she took that one dish off our bill....but we had to chase someone down for the next 15 minutes just to finish the transaction. Â POOR POOR service and POOR POOR food.
Went to dinner at Volpi's on 4/4/2009. Â We had a great table in the front window. Â The waitress came to take our order and I asked her over and over again about a non-dairy sauce for my pasta dish (I can't breathe with dairy and my throat swells up). Â I settled on a scampi sauce. Â That was the last we saw of our waitress. Â The busboy brought out all of our dishes and NOT ONCE did the waitress check on us. Â My dish was brought out with a lemon cream sauce. Â I could not eat it. Â I could not get anyone's attention to come over. Â
I did not get to eat while everyone else did. Â That was a great 30 bucks to spend. Â We had to ask our bus boy at the end for the check b/c the waitress was too busy talking for 15 minutes to the other staff. Â The place was not that busy either. Â
She finally came over and got our credit cards and did not ask us how our meal was. Â
I was here a few times before years ago and am disappointed at the service and lack of attention that we received. Â And don't serve someone dairy if they tell you they are allergic to it! Â Since when does scampi have cream in it? Â
So 30 bucks for a bowl of soup and a piece of bread.....family style.
Good old Volpi's! Â This place is solid good. Â Need some comfortable, checkered-tablecloth Italian grub? Â Look no further, friends. Â No imported olive oil for your bread, fancy pants. Â Bread comes with butter.
Food is good, hits the spot, big portions.  Get it ala carte or "Family Style" (comes with soup, salad, pasta snack, entree platter, ice cream and coffee) for a few bucks extra, worth it if  you're starving or sharing.  Paid less for a stuffed-to-the-brink dinner here than for many a nice lunch, and I think you should get over there and try it out.
Volpi's may be considered a Petaluma tradition but the hostess/owner made us feel unwanted. We turned up there (without a reservation) at about 5:30 on a Sunday with our two young (2 and 5 year old) daughters. The place had many empty tables and we asked if we could have dinner. The hostess refused us outright. But after a moment she said she'd seat us if ONLY we could be done in 40 minutes. If you have young children you know you have no control over the speed at which they eat/or don't. But worse for us was the idea that we had rush though dinner to please the owner, who was very unfriendly. We left and will never go back. I guess Volpi's is just too successful.
Review Source:Each time I come here, I am reminded  about the reasons why I had vowed to never return.  I tend to forget how truly bad this restaurant is, and find myself back every couple of years for a painful reminder.
The decor could be considered "charming" by some, and might work if the food could back it up, but I consider it a shoddy attempt to get by without much effort.
The wait staff is decent, but I can't that say very young women dressed in skimpy shorts and tight shirts is appropriate for a "family restaurant". Â It is as if management thinks their food is so good that none of the rest will be noticed.
Now for the worst; the food. Â You will first notice that the menu contains far more choices than can be successfully delivered. Â It would be impossible to deliver fresh, cooked to order food from that menu. Â
During my recent visit, my steak was 30% fat, with an uninspired "whiskey peppercorn" sauce. Â the vegetables probably spent about 2 hours too long in the steamer and more resembled baby food than any thing edible. Â My wife's fettuccine was over-sauced and turned to a rigid pile of yuck within about 5 minutes. Â I would be far too kind if I were to say that the minestrone soup looked like it came straight out of a can.
I understand that a family is trying to make a living from this business, and wish I could write a more positive review. Â The truth is that little effort is made to bring this restaurant to anything approaching edible.
It doesn't get more authentic than this. Â Make sure you have reservations even if its early, cause since Ricci's closed (man I miss that place) this is the real (and only true) deal in Petaluma/ Sonoma for the best Italian home style cooking you can hope to ever have.
The bar in back is oldschool and fun, you can pop in and grab a drink while you are waiting for your table. Â Once you get sat - make sure to order your meal family style, and bring your appetite. You get not only Soup, Salad, Bread, Entree, Dessert & Coffee / Tea. Â
If you like Chicken or Veal Picatta this is a good place to have it. Â I am a huge sucker for the Chicken Diavola. I've had the Oso Bucco a time or two when they've had it as a special and it's really really really good. Â I can never say no to their polenta either.
Their pastas are amazing, but honestly, their meat entrees are so fabulous, I hardly ever get around to ordering the pastas. Â If you can find several friends to come and try different things with, and all share - that is a great way to go, cause everything here is spectacular.
If you are looking for a pretentious snobby place to dine, don't go here, but if you want truly good food, that's amazingly prepared with many fresh, local ingredients the old fashion 'slow cooked' way - this is the spot for you. Â
... and if you decide to go with a crafe of the house wine, cause it seems to just fit so nicely with the atmosphere, I won't tell - but they do have a great wine list and full bar to boot.
pps - If I didn't stress it enough.. RESERVATIONS ARE A MUST - don't miss out cause you were being lazy and thought you could just sneak in and grab a table. Â Sitting there waiting for a table, smelling the delightful food, is almost too much to bear.
Volpi's is listed on YELP twice under slightly different titles. Â The place has a minimally stocked deli that also sells sandwiches during lunch time. Â It's a minor part of the business, the money maker is the giant size dinners.
Here's my dinner review from the other Volpi listing.:
Petaluma Landmark since the early 20th century. Decor & housekeeping are still stuck in 1918. Â Gets NORCAL award for ugliest liquor bar. Peeling lime-green walls covered with dusty old animal heads and katty-wampus dirty-greasy framed photos of local sports teams.
Big tables with red checkered cloths. Funky chairs. Crappy porcelain & glassware. A little old lady plays the accordion (poorly) for the old Italian farts.
Restaurant is 3 rooms. Â You want to sit in the front dining room. Â We ate in the "alcove" next to the bar. It should be renamed "The Hovel", NOT recommended.
The food: BIG portions of fresh vegetables, fish, meats, and pasta. This is Italian-Californian 1920's style cooking at its best. Â Drink the cheap house jug Burgundy with your meal, it is the best match for the hearty, good tasting food. Â Prices are not cheap. The full family style rib eye steak dinner is $35, the Filet Mignon is $42. Â But it is so much food you will burst if you eat it all. Smaller portions than Buca de Beppo but the quality is 900% better.
It is essential to make dinner reservations,  as the place  is always crowded."
It used to be called "Mary's" by us locals because Mary Volpi was THE patron saint of Petaluma.  I remember when she died; we all went to her funeral and we all cried because she was a nice lady everyone in town could depend on to be nice and cordial and proper and well received and  ... well, just 'Mary'.
So, I grew up with the Volpi Family. Â They're a decent lot. Â I became quite close with one of the granddaughters. Â She got mad at me (in high school) for dating her ex-boyfriend, who eventually asked me to marry him (between cheating on me with anyone else in a skirt). Â Why would you get mad at me for THAT???
Anyway, the food is authentic family style Petaluma fare. Â Good portions. Â Decent and striking peeps is what the Volpi family is made up of (and I'm talkin' absolute beauty; refined bone structure, stunning coloring and amazing grace of movement). Â True [beautiful] Italians.
I forgive you, D Girl, for the ex thingy.
... and that's what it was .... a thingy. Â A stupid, little kid ... thingy.
***Oh! Â And for ever and a day there has been this shitty little bar behind the deli (which used to be a grocery store, back in the day) where all Petaluma's dairymen gather to 'get it off their chest'. Â I always thought it was eerie and cold, until I grew up and realized it was a safe haven for the real working men of my town.
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