Holy cow beer lists of beer lists. Great atmosphere for a bar. Basement Bar with great food faire. The bartenders are great at making the rounds and giving flavor tasting. We enjoyed a couple pints. Samuel Smith Winter Welcome and Naiad Boline Black Farmhouse Ale. read more

See all

Novare Res is a convenient and inviting space to get beers with friends while out in Portland. I always enjoy my time drinking at Novare. The menu is expansive and inclusive, but ovewhelming and the food that I've had the few times I've ventured that far has not been as good as I was anticipating. I have heard good things about their food from other people though, so I guess I'll just have to keep trying! read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Really chill spot for us to escape the surprisingly strong Portland sun! Bartenders are chill asf. Had a couple pints and a pretzel (SAVED ME) as well as a beautiful lil cheese board. Our waiter gave great recs for pairings and we played cards and had a great time read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

It's almost like a speakeasy! We first noticed the inviting windows as we walked past the alleyway. "What is that?" Well it's a super cosy, welcoming bar with a huge draft beer selection, a large canned beer collection and a local vibe. The staff is very knowledgeable about the alcohol options and friendly. Completing this is a cosy fireplaces room tucked in back. Definitely worth a visit. read more

See all

Novare is a straight up vibe and I'm sad I didn't make it earlier in the summer to enjoy their patio. While they're known for their beer selection, I was in the mood for a margarita. When I say that this is the best frozen margarita I've ever had I wholeheartedly mean it. The drink tastes like they squeezed entire fresh slime on top which was the perfect tartness. Though not pictured, they're also known for the cookie skillet. This takes about 20-30 minutes but is so worth the wait, it comes out hot and melted with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It's very rich so a good thing to split:) read more

See all

We arrived around 7:30pm on a Monday and it wasn't busy. We walked over from our hotel and the entrance was a little tricky to find because it's in the back of Middle Street. You have to enter on Canal Plaza. There was only one waitress serving everyone so it was a bit slow to get our order, but she was super friendly. The music was subtle, not loud. There was a band practicing in one of the rooms, which added to the ambience. You seat yourself either inside or outside. It was a bit chilly and I didn't see any heat outdoors, so we sat inside. There aren't that many options for vegetarians. We chose to split the pretzel and black bean burger w/ salad. The black bean burger was good! The bread was soft and toasted, the sauce was flavorful. The side salad came with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The pretzel was soft. The mustard dip was soooo strong; I coated my pretzel piece in the mustard and it was as if I had eaten a teaspoon of wasabi! My brain melted. read more

See all

No trip to Portland is complete without a whiskey from Novare Res. We both had a Green Spot Irish whiskey. We love this place. Beer and spirits and laid back atmosphere. We scored seats at the bar. Our bartender was the best. I wanted the purchase a tee shirt with the keg logo and friar/monk (I think) on the back. He took the time to bring out three different ones in my size and I got one in purple. I will wear it proudly! read more

We loved stopping in here for snacks and a few drinks before we left Portland. As always, the crab Rangoon grilled cheese and the charcuterie stole the show. We also ate the frites and deviled eggs and had a few beers and tried their frozen drinks. they had a lot of food options which was great since we didn't want to do a full dinner. All the food was yummy and I'd recommend going and eating anything they have! I only knocked it down 1 star because I felt like there was only one waiter or waitress working for everyone in the whole place on a Tuesday night and that meant things were a little slow from first drinks to food and then to getting the check. Overall, we had a great time though! read more

See all

Great place for a big selection of beers, ciders, wine, food, and more. I ordered two different beers and stuck with a fruitier tasting one (I wish I remembered the name). I also ordered the house jerky as a snack and it definitely enjoyed it. Service was quick and our server was sweet and attentive. Loved the ambiance, I felt like I was in an underground cave. The prices were also amazing! read more

This is a place for the discriminating craft beers including drinker. The place has a great vibe with young and eclectic staff serving beer and chatting about beer styles. That have an extensive selection of beers from around the world that are on tap or in bottles and cans. No Bud Lite on tap here. Beers are often served in the correct glass style for a wheat, pils, or other styles, but not always with the beer and glass from the same brewer. Prices are reasonable given rare varieties of quality beers on offer. read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Great selection of craft beers. - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

I've been living in the Old Port all winter, I could hit this place with a rock from my door and walk my dog past it every night, but went in for the first time tonight in a long time. It's a great space for certain and if you're a beer nerd, this is your scene. I'm more of a cocktail-highball kind of dude and if I drink beer, I'm outside at a brewery, so this isn't my scene. Still, they do what they do right, read more

World class beer bar. Over two dozen drafts. All are top notch options. Sections focus on Belgian styles, New England styles, and more sessionable ones. Easily one of the best draft lists that I can recall. Huge bottle list as well. Service was quick and attentive. Gendered restrooms. Tons of fun beer memorabilia around including glasses and signs. Definitely a worthwhile pilgrimage for any craft beer enjoyer. read more

Really enjoyed checking this spot out. The bar staff were friendly and made great recommendations. Didn't try the food yet but the bartender introduced me to my new favorite cider (pictured). The bar area feels very cozy and I appreciate the variety in glassware. My husband and I are excited to try out the patio this summer! read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Bar area - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Honestly one of the greatest pub experiences I've ever had. Beer selection is insane--ranging from imported brews from Europe and abroad, to local bangers and fresh craft. Something for everyone. 20+ taps. Every style imaginable. And the food is amazing as well, to pair with your beer. Staff is friendly, and fast. Willing to chat with you about your brew and your day. The pub itself is in a lit stone basement style. Feels like an old pub out of Europe. Plenty of vintage beer posters and decor. Highly recommend Novare Res the next time you're in Portland! read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Celebrator - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Great variety of beverages, friendly staff, unique space. Had been recommended by bartender at other establishment. Glad we could find the tucked away place & enjoy some beverages. We support the revolution! read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Awesome outdoor area - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

If you are into beer - and I mean REALLY into beer - you absolutely have to get yourself here. A bit tucked away, but you will find it! Lots of outdoor seating and indoor pub seating. Like most pubs, food is overshadowed by the beer and this is no exception. With 33+ beers on tap and more than 170 bottles of beer, there is more than enough variety for any beer lover. If you are local, you can also get "the list" and try to work your way through the whole selection, but this could certainly take several years, unless you are independently wealthy and don't have to drive lol! read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Crab Rangoon Grilled Cheese. A bit too bready, but then you don't go to Novare Res for the food! - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Pretty cool food menu, different than the regular bar food you're used to seeing. Extensive menu of Belgian beers, both on tap and in the bottle. Loved it. Friendly service. Hole-in-the-wall vibe. Definitely worth a visit. read more

I always forget about this place in Portland. It's hidden and little hard to find but it's right in the old port. It's a little hidden gem with a large deck outside and its cute inside as well. They have lots of beer on tap and different interesting beer and wines. I got a blueberry wine and it was really great. I have never tried any of their food but it looks like good bar food. The service was quick and friendly. I will have to try to keep this at the top of my list! read more

See all

This is a fun place and the has interesting decor. They had a couple cafeteria style tables and the bar to sit at. The night we came in was kind of busy. Nonetheless, our server was attentive and personable. I didn't have beer but everyone in my group enjoyed theirs and they had a selection. I just wanted something to eat. I got the crab Rangoon grilled cheese. It was interesting, I've never really had a crab Rangoon. The bread was nice and toasted without being greasy and the inner bread was still pillowy. The filling was subtle, which is what I imagine crab Rangoon to be like. The sauce it was served with complemented the sandwich. It was a little sweet and tangy. read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Crab Rangoon grilled cheese - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Great drink selection, however no seltzers for a seltzer fan like me. Service was quick, fast, and attentive. There was a lot of seating outdoors and plenty inside as well! Will come back in the future! read more

Best beer selection, excellent service, A+ ambiance, I love this place!! If you are visiting Portland and love beer, put this place on the top of your list. Visit Portland Beer Hub as well. read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Trillium Sour - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

I came here back in 2022 and thought it was amazing. I recommended it to friends who went to Portland on a trip and they loved it too. Then, I found out my work was having another meeting and all I could think about was coming back here for the outdoor area to have a beer and some of the chips and onion dip. I was so happy to find it just as I remembered! Service was great, the beer list was perfect, and the snacks were delicious. If you enjoy beer/cider/snacks, do yourself a favor and come here. read more

What an adorable hidden gem. Yes I literally mean hidden. We walked and followed the gps to an alleyway where we found the cutest spot. We sat on the deck as it was nice out. It was very colorful and a joy to sit at. If you like craft beer you will love it here. They have so many , it's hard to choose just one. If beer is not your jam , they have other options. I had a blueberry fizzy drink that was delicious. They have a nice snack menu , and I enjoyed a pretzel with cheese. Our beer tender was great , made recommendations and took good care of us. If you are in the area def stop for a brew and snack ! read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Awesome beer hall. Really great beer selection and when the nitro I selected was tapped our waiter was able to give me a very similar alternative recommendation which was really nice! Would like to try the outdoor seating when nicer out! read more

In the area for work and several people recommended this place to me and it was an incredible find! The have rotating beers from all over the globe that other patrons had said you can rarely find in the states. What an awesome concept!! This will be a definite visit every time I come back read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Stiegl - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

It can be difficult to get a good pulse on places when you're on vacation. Often, you hit a restaurant or bar once and walk away with a single experience to review it on. That's not the case with Novare Res Bier Café as this spectacular spot was visited by my fiancée and I three times on our recent Portland trip. I mean after one night here, you might figure things out as to why it's so worthy of returning. Well, first you have to find the place. Novare is somewhat hidden which is a big part of its appeal. Acting like a speakeasy biergarten just makes things that much more fun. Okay, so it's not a "knock on the door three times" or "what's the password" kind of spot, but if you don't realize the pathway off of Exchange Street (they do put out a small sign to find them), you'll end up on a little adventure through an outdoor plaza and down a flight of stairs before you locate the brick building with a nestled outdoor patio right next to it. That first night we ventured here, the air conditioning brought us inside (it was as humid as an oven). We were fine with it as the beer hall feel and tin signs along the wall made for a relatively comfortable setup. The laidback employees who were informative and helpful in choosing out drinks can't go unstated either. When we returned the next night (on a slightly less scorcher of an evening), we sat in the outdoor patio area and had the same casual, attentive (by the staff) and just enjoyable experience (chill music was a nice backdrop too). It's that moment when things just click at a place like Novare that makes you wish it was in your own backyard. Yeah, I will say those first two trips were midweek and when we came on a Friday night for our third and final visit it was louder and bustling, but it still didn't take away from the enjoyment of the place. Now I love a good ambiance, but something I haven't mentioned yet (which is rather important) would be beer. Oh the beer! Novare has a great menu of non-local and local brews on tap. The Orono Totally Tubular IPA I had the first night and the Oxbow Black & Blau farmhouse ale from night two were some of the best beers I had while in Portland (shout out to Mast Landing's Gunner's Daughter and Maine Beer Company's Post Ride Snack also). Though the greatest piece of info comes from the fact that Novare serves their draft beers from glasses that match the brewery. Maybe this means nothing to you, but I can't stand drinking one brewery's beer out of someone else's brewery glass. This attention to detail just makes Novare that much more amazing. What also shouldn't be forgotten were the drinks beyond the beer. My fiancée was able to get a good wine recommendation from a staff member, had a tart yet tasty blueberry cider, and was able to sample some mead from a local Portland meadery we had visited and she loved. Yeah "bier" might be in the name, but Novare is about much more than that. Overall, Novare Res Bier Café is just wonderful. I honestly miss the feeling of going there and hanging out almost every night before we headed back to our hotel. There was such a casually cool vibe that came off the place while delivering an outstanding beer (and liquor) selection. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I'll return to Novare in a heartbeat if/when I find myself in Portland again. And I'll bet that if you find yourself here, you'll be coming back more than just once as well. read more

See all

It's such a cute spot! Didn't love the food, but mostly it was great! The people were cool, great vibes! Overall, fun spot, will come back.

Cosy pub on the interior of a square. The approach is from a parking lot behind the buildings and you might miss it if you're not looking carefully. The host briefs you on the pandemic procedure--mask and hand sanitizer use required. Then you are escorted to a designated cloistered area to dine and drink with more sanitizer on the table and an air purifier! Partitions have been built to limit air exchange between tables. The host also explains that the server will bring and place your items some distance from you to retrieve. The beer on tap is excellent, snacks are yummy. read more

See all

We loved Novare Res Bier Cafe! Their COVID protocols were fantastic to make us feel incredibly safe with the staff and with other patrons. I was so pleased with how friendly everyone was and how great the service was. The deck was only about half full when we arrived, but it started to see more tables as the afternoon went on. We were all spaced well and the service stayed on point. We had a few beers and ordered the chips and dip. Tasty snack, great beers. Very pleased with our first stop in Portland. If I find myself back in the city, I'll also be sure to find myself back on the Bier Cafe's deck! read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Great selection of beers and nice staff! I enjoyed the pretzel with cheese as a snack and the cider was good.

World class beer bar. Fantastic selection. Decent bar fare. Really laid back atmosphere. Highly recommend if craft beer your thing

This review is mostly in regards to just the beer available here. The small amount of food I have tried here have been great but haven't tried enough to say more than that. Besides that though, if you are a craft beer fan and you are in the area, you NEED to stop here. Arguably the best taplist and bottle list of the whole state with a great friendly and inviting atmosphere. With a wide range of local Maine brews to beers from all over the country and world, they have tons of options. They also often host special tap takeovers and events for specific breweries and/or styles. Including IPAs for the hop heads, stouts/porters for the dark beer fans, easy drinking lagers, world class sours, and rare bottles to share with a group. During the weekend this place will probably be quite busy but during warm times they have a large outdoor patio to make you not feel as stuffed. Friendly and helpful bartenders can help with any questions and give recommendations while your eyes glaze over all the available options. Coming to Portland for a beercation, this is a must stop! read more

Cozy little bar off the beaten path, has a good variety of beers. Heard it's a good bar with locals. The service was not great... We were standing by the bar, and the bartender wasn't very attentive and passed us a couple times before she attended to us. She kind of was rude about our order and because we were standing at the bar, she kept saying we could sit down and get waited on but we just wanted one beer to share and then leave and close out. When we said we're gonna close out, then she said "oh ok" and then gave us our beer. read more

loved this hidden gem...but it wasn't easy to find! tons of beers from which to choose and a server who told us all about all of them! a wonderful evening. read more

We stopped in twice when we visited Portland and we are so happy we did. The staff is gracious and helpful and the relaxing vibe is just what we needed after wandering the shops in Portland. The beer list is extensive and everything came at a perfect beer temp. The snacks are wonderful - loved the charcuterie plates and all their accompaniments. We can't thank you enough for the gracious welcome and delicious visit. read more

I came here on a Friday with several friends and honestly was a little let down by the expectations that I had for this place. We were able to get a table right away for four people on a Friday at 6 pm, which I was grateful for and the host/hostess upon arrival was very pleasant, but after we were seated, the waitress that we had just irked me. She wasn't very friendly, was pretty short and curt with the questions that I had. And FYI, if you're not a beer and/or wine person, this place might not be for you. I'm generally someone who orders cocktails and/or some sort of liquor based alcohol when I go out, so when I asked the waitress if there was any sort of cocktails that they offered, she just responded very matter of factly, "we don't serve cocktails here." They have a pretty extensive menu of beers and some food items if you get hungry. We ended up ordering a couple of pretzels, beers, and I ordered the nonino amaro. The pretzels were tasty, but at $8, I thought they would be slightly bigger than they were. A little pricey for the pretzels, if you ask me. My Nonino Amaro was quite good, but I'm not sure if I can say the same about the beers. While I didn't try any of the beers, one of my friend's beers came out 40% foam. How unfortunate. The liquor was served with a large ice cube to prevent it from melting too quickly. While we were still drinking our drinks, the waiters kept coming up to ask us if we wanted to order additional items, and seemed to try to be urging us to leave. Since we were all working on our drinks, I thought it was kinda rude to keep pestering us. Customer service could be improved at this place. Not sure if I would visit this place again. P.S. They do a good job of keeping COVID-19 at bay. Outdoor/patio seating is available. Masks are required to be worn when not seated at the table, drinks and food are served at a small barrel at the end of your table so that the waitress/waiters are able to keep their distance from your table and not reaching all over the place when serving and collecting orders. They also have hand sanitizer and ask you to sanitize your hands right when you get to the place. read more

I have been to Novare a few times with some of my "chalice" friends. This place serves so many delicious beers from local craft beers to delicious beers from around the world. It can be intimidating but thankfully my friends can help me navigate the list. If you are new to the area, don't hesitate to ask the staff for assistance, but please be prepared to know what type of beers you like or don't like. Not a place you should order a macro beer because you will get some stink eyes :) This place has top quality beer and they also have a small food menu, and from what I have seen my friends order, like pork shank, it is top quality food. Inside can get a little crowded, but it's worth the wait and I don't mind standing around if I have a delicious beverage in my hand. When the weather is nice, they have a wonderful patio area with a ton of tables. If you like a wonderful variety of beer with a laid back atmosphere with beer aficionados (not snobs) you should come here. Love the people and the staff here. read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Wonderful selections especially on Stout night :) - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

This was our second visit to Novare Res. Both have been fantastic. We have sat outside both times. The inside is simply too loud for old people like us. So I will restrict my comments to the outdoor experience. That experience is a craft beer lover's dream. Their list is large and includes a number of top-end meads and ciders. The variety is excellent - this is NOT a place where 80% of the offerings are hazy IPAs. Plenty of malty beers, sours, big beers, small beers, the whole 9 yards. The beers rotate quickly, so nothing is left on tap too long. I know from talking to the staff that lines are cleaned regularly. Speaking of that staff, everyone we've dealt with has been friendly and efficient and DEEPLY knowledgeable about the offerings. Go ahead and ask detailed questions. Either your server will know the answer or he'll know who does. These are people committed to their work. The snacks are tasty. The outdoor area is clean and quiet enough for conversation. The prices reflect the quality but are not astronomic. Any craft beer lover who comes through Portland absolutely needs to budget time for a visit here. read more

Great food, beer, staff, and atmosphere! Enough space to gather outside comfortably and move about. Kid friendly outside. Highly recommend a stop in. read more

I've heard great things about this place so I came to check it out with some friends after work. Super hip place with cute and colorful picnic tables on the deck. They are being super good about their COVID precautions. There is a barrel at the end of each table separating you from the waiter/waitress and all food and drinks are placed on the barrel when brought to the table or picked up from the table. I thought this was a cool way of making the process contactless and I appreciated their initiatives! The beer and crab Rangoon app were delicious!! The spicy duck sauce it came with was amazing. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a cute place to get drinks in portland! read more

Novare Res Bier Cafe - Crab Rangoon grilled cheese - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine