The tile floor at Volta reinforces the brasserie’s Scandinavian vibe

Volta, which opened in December of 2015, is the newest restaurant from Umberto Gibin and chef Staffan Terje, proprietors of San Francisco’s Perbacco and barbacco. They bill Volta as a modern bistro, leaning on French cuisine but with influences from Scandinavia and other European countries. It’s located 868 Mission Street, directly across the street from the 5th & Mission garage.

I bought myself dinner at Volta in early September. I enjoyed the experience. The decor is elegant, but comfortable. It definitely has a modern and clean, but not stark, Nordic feel. There’s a long, attractive bar area, but I went straight to the table.

Volta has a full bar and an extensive offering of Acquavit, mostly domestic but some imported.

The menu changes very frequently, so the dishes I had may not be available when you go, but the quality and style is probably representative. The wine list is well rounded, offering both domestic and imported wines. Included are 22 wines by the glass and another seven by the glass with Coravin. There’s also an extensive Acquavit list.

Dinner at Volta begins with complimentary radishes and herb- anchovy butter.

Rich and flavorful Duck Onion Soup

To begin the meal, Volta serves the radishes pictured above, which are served with a creamed and flavored butter. They also provide epi bread. For my starter, I chose the Duck Onion Soup ($13). It’s a rich soup, made from heavily reduced duck stock and demi-glace with caramelized onions. The surface was scattered with finely chopped chive and truffle.

A hearty Brown Butter Roasted Sturgeon main course

My main course was Brown Butter Roasted Sturgeon ($33). The dense, earthy fish, was perfectly cooked and rested on a bed of lightly sautéed spinach. There were also large chunks of lobster mushroom in a velvety roasted prawn sauce. The earthiness of the mushrooms and fish worked well together. A very light vinegar on the spinach added lift and acidity.

To accompany both dishes, I had a glass of 2013 Francois Carrillon Chassagne-Montrachet. The wine was delivered via Coravin and priced at $25. The Coravin list included five French wines, two from California. Prices range from $20 to $45.

The standard by-the-glass list includes three sparkling, two rosé, eight white and eight red wines. Prices start at $10 for a Perrin Cinsault/Syrah rosé from the Rhone Valley and go up to $25 for non-vintage Philipe Gonet Brut Champagne. The sparkling wines are all French, the reds an even split between France and California. The whites are half French, plus two California, a German Riesling and an Austrian Grüner Veltliner.

In place of dessert, I opted for a glass of the house Aquavit. I’m not an expert on that spirt, but it was good with distinct, but not overwhelming, caraway flavor accented by subtle spice.

Dinner at Volta was capped with a small, complimentary sweet.

Service throughout the evening was cordial, helpful and efficient. Timing of the courses was good. The noise level was quiet, but there were few other diners, so I can’t testify to what it might be like at a busier hour.

One visit isn’t enough to make any broad judgements. However, I enjoyed my experience at Volta and will happily go back.

Copyright Fred Swan 2016. All rights reserved.