Inauguration of the Volfoni restaurant in Lyon, 28 May 2024
A trip to the heart of Italy, typical and artful dishes, we take you to experience the inauguration of the first Volfoni restaurant in Lyon.
It is into an immersive universe, in the colors of the typical Italian trattoria from the 1950s, that we enter and discover this quite impressive place. It’s only a preview tonight and people are already flocking outside the restaurant to ask if it’s open. Inside, the structure has remained the same. A few months ago it was Pizza Pino, an emblematic Lyon restaurant, due to its ideal location and its age, having existed for more than thirty years. Born in 2012 in Boulogne Billancourt, the Italian restaurant chain Volfoni has evolved over the years, and tonight it is the city of Lyon’s turn to host the chain’s twenty-third restaurant.
White, red, traditional colors of the Italian trattoria, the restaurant immerses the visitor in the Italy of the 50s. Two large arches stand out in this almost unbelievable interior, the colored glasses of the countless bottles line the walls, and let’s guess the restaurant. /bar area at the back. The top floor of the establishment maintains the same decorative fiber, with a breathtaking view of Place Bellecour and very pleasant lighting, even early in the evening! “We wanted a place full of Italy, completely immersed in 1950s Italy”, explains Vincent Berthet, head of the channel. On the program aranchini, fried ravioli with truffle and mortadella.
A place to live for all residents of Lyon
“We wanted to create a real place to live. We focused on aperitifs, after work, Happy Hours. The most important thing for us is to offer a quality service to every Lyonnais who wants to enjoy a moment with friends, family, around a board or a cocktail!”, continues Vincent Berthet, who would like to speak on behalf of his entire team.
For the menu, the chain insists it wants to be respectful of seasonality, offering products according to the seasons through suppliers who work directly with Italian producers. Louana Belmondo, originally from Rome, has been working in the Volfoni team for two years now, supporting the chain in developing recipes. “I found quality at Volfoni, it was really important to me. I could never have worked with a restaurant where I did not recognize the Italy I know, the real Italy”.
In Lyon, many Italian restaurants have opened their doors in recent years, “What bothers me is that when you go to an Italian restaurant, you either pay a lot or it’s not very good”, she laments. Four times a year there is a menu, depending on the highlights (Christmas, February, June and September), “my role is to accompany them with characteristic dishes and desserts four times a year”.
Vofloni is 400 m2 including 267 m2 reserved for the catering department, 183 indoor seats and a terrace that can accommodate 40 more. The restaurant is open seven days a week until midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and until 01.00 Fridays and Saturdays. In terms of price, depending on the time of day, prices are around 25 euros and you can enjoy one of the ten cocktails on offer for just five euros during Happy Hours, every day from 18:00 to 20:00!
