Volare in Southport is celebrating winning the title of the UK’s Best Restaurant

Southport restaurant Volare win huge award crowning them the UK’s Best Restaurant! 

The warm and welcoming family-run venue, which specialises in delicious home-cooked Italian food, won the honour at The UK SBA Small Business Awards in London. 

It adds to a growing number of awards for Volare, which also collected the People’s Choice Restaurant of the Year title at the Your Southport Stars Awards for the past two years running. 

The UK Small Business Awards takes place every year to honour the remarkable achievements of businesses and entrepreneurs across the UK. 

Volare owner Onofrio Maimone said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the title of the best restaurant in the whole of the UK! 

“This is a huge honour for us. We are growing our collection of trophies in the restaurant! 

“We will add this one to our two Southport Restaurant Of The Year trophies we won at the last two Your Southport Stars Awards. 

“It feels very humbling for all of us to win this. 

“We didn’t even go to the awards! We missed it! The ceremony took place on a Saturday in London – Saturday nights at Volare are so busy, we just couldn’t get away. 

“I thought we had no chance of winning. We were up against some fantastic restaurants from across the country. 

“To win – it was just outstanding. I couldn’t believe it when they contacted me to let me know.” 

To the many customers who have enjoyed dining at Volare over the years, this accolade will come as absolutely no surprise. It’s no wonder why the judges were so impressed. 

Volare was opened in 2007 by Onofrio Maimone and his wife Cinzia Lopalco, with son Jason Maimone operating as Head Chef. 

Due to its growing success, Volare expanded into the neighbouring building in 2023, creating what it is today – modern but classic, bigger but still keeping its cosy family atmosphere.

At the start of this season they announced a successful partnership with Southport Football Club, where they provide hospitality on matchdays. 

Volare has always been a huge supporter of the local community and local initiatives in a variety of ways. 

Onofrio Maimone said: 

“The judges came to Southport and spent some time in our restaurant, asking lots of questions about what we’re all about, and how we operate. 

“Volare is very much a family-run restaurant serving authentic Italian food which we cook with passion. 

“We course the very best ingredients we can. We import many of them directly from Italy – others are locally sourced, for example from the fish market in Fleetwood. 

“We are very proud of our wine selection too with some fantastic Italian wines to savour. 

“I grew up and spent my first 25 years in Sicily, and enjoy bringing the very best of authentic Italian cooking to Southport.  

“The Italian Government recently honoured us for championing authentic Italian cooking in the UK. 

“Working in the hospitality industry is tough, and the margins are getting tighter. 

“We survive because we are so passionate about what we do, and because any profits we make we re-invest back into developing the business.

“We believe in growth. We are always looking at what can we improve? What can we make even better? How can we improve our offering? 

“It’s all about the quality of the experience for our customers, both in terms of the quality of the food and the quality of the service. It’s about looking after every customer and making sure that they really enjoy the time they spend here with us.  

“It is about hard work; commitment; and really believing in what we do. 

“Hard work always pays off! 

“Three years ago we bought and redeveloped the unit next door to us and expanded. 

“The move has really paid off – diners love our new-look, and we are so busy. 

“Now we have grown again. We’re very proud to be working with Southport Football Club on their hospitality offering at the club every home match. 

“Our family are all big Southport FC supporters! The club are making many positive changes off the pitch, which we hope will translate into even more positive results on the pitch. 

“The bigger and the more successful the club can become, the more that everyone in our town, including all the local businesses, will benefit. 

“We are optimistic about the future. 

“With the right support from supporters and local businesses, they can really thrive. 

“Hopefully Volare and Southport FC can continue to bring home more trophies in the years ahead!” 

The Small Business Awards Restaurant of the Year Awards Top 10: 

1. Volare
2. JJ Cakes 
3. Gio’s Italian Deli 
4. The Old White Horse Inn 
5. The Hengist Restaurant 
6. The Spice Circuit Kitchen 
7. Basilico 
8. Trancio Ltd 
9. Angelo’s Trattoria (East Rainton)
10. Fermento Contemporary Pizzeria

You can book a table at Volare here.

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