Went to Novel for an early dinner with some amazing friends, and wow--this place truly delivers! We started with the bread service, Brussels sprout salad, and fried cauliflower, and every dish was packed with flavor. For dinner, we had the rigatoni, campanelle, and ricotta ravioli--everything was absolutely delicious. The pasta is made in-house and cooked to perfection, which really makes a difference. And then dessert... the pistachio pie and pineapple upside-down cake. OMG--the pistachio pie was the star! So creamy, rich, and incredibly delicious. The service was great, and the restaurant itself is so cute and cozy--such a perfect spot to relax and enjoy a meal. This place is definitely a must-try! read more

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Stopped in to say hello near close this week. So happy to purchase (another) loaf of Chef Ryan's amazing SOURDOUGH. As always, this delicious crunchy-crusted goodness was a huge hit at home! I added a dear photo of a former chef surprise visited by her big sister! When you dine at Novel be sure to order COFFEES & DESSERTS! read more

Novel Restaurant - Four Fab Friends Feasting! Heirloom Tomato Salad, Pork Toast, amazing house made breads/pastas. - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Stopped in for dinner again the other day and it was another delicious, beautiful experience. read more

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I asked a friend who had been to KC before for suggestions and the first place he said was Novel and to get the bread. I didn't have a reservation and was worried I wouldn't be able to be seated but I was by myself so I decided to risk it. The location stands out because well, there's not much else around, a parking lot across the street and not much else. I was offered seating outside and took it, not wanting to wait and where was my table but out front. I was worried that since I was the lone diner that I might get overlooked but my server managed to come check on me while heading inside to check his other tables while I got to enjoy the quiet and watch the sun set and while I had a fantastic meal. The top of the menu has their bread service, which I got and I ordered the tartare, and at the suggestion of the server the chilled corn soup. After having had KC style barbecue the past few days I wanted something a little lighter and was recommended the scallops. I'll start in reverse order here and describe my main. I've made the mistake of ordering seafood in landlocked states and paid for that error. I will wholeheartedly endorse ordering the scallops here, they had that fresh springiness, that light brine and I don't even like sweet potato but it just enhanced the star of the show. The chilled corn soup was also perfect-not overly sweet. I just got the taster but man it was so effortlessly good. A little meatiness from the crab, a bit of aromatics from the cardamom and a surprisingly brief sweet heat from the jalapeno. I love tartare and I loved how it was presented here with a wasabi tofu paste which gave it a little kick and yuba skin instead of bread was a nice touch. So, while we're on the subject, that bread. Oh man, that bread maybe I should fly into KC just for that. My friend was not wrong. On top of that I had their Polychronic cocktail which was like a tropical twist on a Manhattan which was terrific. Definitely the best meal I had in KC. read more

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I finally tried novel and this time I did didn't just sit at their bar and order a drink! Their menu is so eclectic and different and offers a lot of different flavor profiles. I started with the bread service which had a nice hummus spread and house made cultured butter to pair with. For the appetizer, I did the fried egg which was completely different than anything I would have expected. The consume from the birria balanced the egg and polenta very well and gave a nice broth to add to the egg. For my main, I did the scallops which had a wonderful sweet potato sauce at the bottom and balanced the saltiness of the scallops to add a nice sweet taste. Our waitress was very attentive and happy to give great recommendations for food snd wine pairings. I would absolutely come back here for a meal in the future! read more

Novel Restaurant - Scallops - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

I know I know this is a bit of a late post.. but we visited Novel on Valentine's Day this yr and had such a great experience, I had to share it with you all!! I went with the regular dinner menu they had, while my husband tried their Valentine's Day special which was around $50 for 1 appetizer, main course and a desert. On the day, the place was packed, but we were lucky to get a 6pm reservation and we're so glad we did. The vibe inside felt warm and inviting..The decor had a perfect balance with lots of beautiful wooden touches .. it was not overly fancy, not too plain - it felt cozy and stylish. We were greeted warmly and seated quickly. Our server was friendly and took time to explain both menus, which was really helpful. We started with drinks .. just a Diet Coke for me, and my husband went for the Old Drum cocktail, which he loved. For appetizers, we tried the sweet and savory bread with butter, the crispy farm egg (so unique and perfectly prepared), butter bush squash wontons (great sweet salty dish), one oyster (it was a part of the valentines menu before you wonder why did we order 1 oyster :p) and fried cauliflower (fresh and crispy). Everything was packed with flavor. For the mains, he had the strip steak and I had the roasted chicken with wild mushrooms and both were cooked well. We finished with a tiny portion of mousse cake for dessert topped with sweet cream and brownie crumbles - A perfect sweet ending. Every dish showed off the chef's creativity and skills especially the crispy egg, I never had anything like it. Service was kind and attentive throughout our meal. Overall, a memorable night I would cherish forever and a place I would recommend to everyone without hesitation. read more

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Novel has long been on my list, and I'm so happy I was finally able to stop in. Located in the Crossroads, the restaurant has a simple yet cozy vibe to it- it's fine dining that feels relaxed without being overly stuffy. Nice selection of seasonal cocktails as well as excellent wine menu. I don't think you can go wrong with ordering anything on the menu. We started with the bread plate, which I definitely recommend. We also shared the tartare, heirloom tomatoes and ravioli for appetizers. All the main dishes were delicious, the halibut was cooked to perfection. I think the winner was the rigatoni. Overall excellent meal and will definitely be back! Final review: 5/5 stars. Bonus- their coffee shop, Penrose Espresso Bar is outstanding! read more

Novel Restaurant - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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We kicked off our four-day staycation with dinner at Novel, revisiting it for the first time since it moved from the West Side to the Crossroads nearly six years ago. Our return was made even more memorable thanks to Nic, our outstanding server, who--small world--used to live with the same server we had on our last visit. Nic's timing, knowledge of the menu, and easygoing presence made the meal feel special from start to finish. We began with the Heirloom Tomatoes--sweet, vibrant, and bursting with summer flavor--and I couldn't resist a cup of the Chilled Corn Soup, still as velvety and rich as I remembered. The Ricotta Cavatelli was our pasta course pick and a perfect balance of delicate pasta and deep flavor. For our entrée, we split the Grilled Lamb Chop and Sausage, beautifully seared and plated with finesse. Dessert? We went big and ordered two: the Pineapple Upside-Down Carrot Cake and the Lemon Poppyseed Cotton Cheesecake. Both were decadent and creative takes on classics, delivering a sweet ending to a perfect evening. read more

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I celebrated my 40th Birthday here and didn't regret it! It was the perfect night out as the food, service and atmosphere was a A+. if you're looking for an elevated vibe here in KC this is one of your options! read more

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We recently tried Novel because we've heard good things and have not tried it yet. Overall, it was a good experience. The breakdown is below. Food - I had the lamb chops and lamp sausage. The chops were good, but the sausage stole the show for me. Great balance of flavors that I could've eaten more of. My wife had the pork chop. She was disappointed in the amount of fat in the chop but was pleased with the flavor. It was a very big portion as well. We shared the bread service that is served with a side of hummus and salted butter. The rye bread we had was delicious. We also shared the fried cauliflower. This was our favorite dish of the night. Not one piece remained. Overall food experience 4 Service - We were seated in a booth adjacent to the bar, so our server was one of the bartenders. He was very friendly. After finding out it was our first visit, he quickly walked us through the menu, suggested the bread service, and left us to decide on drinks. The cocktails were unique and delicious, and our service was spectacular. After dinner, we were offered a fresh brewed cup of coffee, which they roasted in house. Great finish to dinner. The dessert looked good, but we were too stuffed. Overall Service Experience - 5 Atmosphere - The atmosphere is intimate in a small space. The art and design are minimalist. We enjoyed the restaurant. The only minor drawback for us was the closeness of the tables. We were seated at a two person table with a wall bench for seating on one side. The table next to us was close enough that it was difficult to exit our table and not interrupt the patrons seated next to us. We were close enough too that the couple next to us heard our conversation and commented . Not terrible, but a little less comfortable than I like for a higher end dinner. Overall Atmosphere Experience - 3 I enjoyed Novel and expect to visit again. If you haven't heen here, i recommend you give it a try. read more

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Food is still amazing. This is hands down my favorite place I've been to since moving to KC. Service is great and the ambiance is so intimate, vibrant and classy. Would come here a million times over. read more

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Sat at the bar since we had no reservations for a Saturday night. Super cute and aesthetic decor, great for a girls night or date night! Staff were kind and attentive. Ordered the octopus app, lobster ravioli, and scallops. They were all good but wished the portions were a bit larger. The octopus had a few pieces of meat but it was mostly potatoes, and not much lobster in the ravioli. Scallops were my favorite part and they were perfectly cooked. For dessert we got the pistachio pie and pineapple upsidedown carrot cake. These both were amazing and a great way to end the meal! I thought the pie would feel heavy but it was very light. Same for the carrot cake - the cream cheese sherbet was a wonderful tart and refreshing contrast to the sweet cake. Personally I would totally come back for just the dessert! read more

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Walked in on a Saturday at 5:30 PM. Found a couple seats at the bar and had dinner. The bartenders were great. Had a lot to say about the local area and some good suggestions. I will see everything here take it great from the bread to the main entrée. I would skip the pork chop as it's really just the pork chop but everything else like the pasta are really good cause you could taste how different it is from other things. For the appetizers are favorite. It was the steak tartar. The Hamachi Crudo look beautiful could've used a little bit more salt. Regardless the restaurant here Was five stars. read more

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Drinks: My wife had the "soda" mocktail. She greatly enjoyed it, not overly sweet nor strong taste, slight flavor of soda. I unfortunately didn't take a picture of the drink menu, but they charge the selections very frequently. I had a beer, decent pour, but I'd hope for that anywhere outside a baseball game. Appetizer: We had the beef tartare. Normally I'm not a big fan of tartare -- maybe I'm uncultured but I like my beef cooked, not basted in a bit of acidic lemon and topped with diced onions -- this was not that at all. It was a very high quality sirloin, finely cubed and then served on a creamy mild horseradish sauce, which complemented each other -- it was really good, surprisingly so. MY ONE CRITIQUE is that the think crisps that were included were inadequate. You get basically 4 broken think chips, and you need about twice that amount -- this had to be the cheapest item. I ended up eating most of the tartare with a fork. Meals: My wife had the Agnolotti, which is duck breast ravolli. They were very good. The duck flavor comes through; my wife is a large fan of roasted duck and makes an excellent one (cantonese style) and she enjoyed it. The sauce complemented but did not overpower it. We shared the dish, but it was barely enough for one person. I had the grilled lamb chop and sausage. Again good. The two small lamb chops were served a proper rare/medium rare and flavorful. These are nice fatty cuts, hence the flavor. The cardamom schug was good and added a unique flavor. Again, these are small dishes. And we shared but this might have been adequate for a single adult with a small appetite but no more. Desserts: We had the pitashio cream pie and the pineapple upside down cake. The desserts are large, especially the pineapple upside down cake. The pie was excellent, creamy with a mild pitashio flavor and light thinly sliced almonds on top that didn't overpower the texture. Amongst the best if not the best I can recall ever having. The pineapple upside down cake was dried out. I was not a fan. It was served with a sherbet. It might have gone better with a full cream /ice cream, to cover the dryness of the cake. But, I assume the cake was simply old or overcooked. I would not get this again. Seating: We visited at 5pm on a Saturday. We were the first in the restaurant and had it to ourselves for about 20 min. By 6pm, every table was full. Because the tables are close together I would suggest arriving earlier if you want some degree of privacy -- we had about 2' of space to the next 2 person table on one side, and only a think hanging curtain between us and the immediately adjacent table. If you don't have reservations, plan to arrive by opening and/or sit at the bar. Past 6:30, you may wait to sit at the bar. Overall: I would come here again. If we didn't live in a "grade inflated world" I would give the restaurant 4 stars for "very good food, but could be improved." However, I gave it 5 because anything less than 5 stars has become a blight-full rating indicating serious problems. My critical points were the issues with the one dessert, the very small size of the pasta dish, and limited amount of chips with the tartare (for perspective, we are not large eaters and don't like to be stuff, these were simply very small servings). However, the prices were very reasonable for a fine-dining restaurant. Our bill came out to about $170 with tips. Considering that it's tough to take our family with kids to Culvers for less than $90 these days, thats not bad for a better/artisan restaurant including cocktails. I've paid similar amounts (or more ) for just myself in DC/NYC for similar quality food. I hope to see this establishment to continue to succeed and will return in a few months. read more

Novel Restaurant - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Great place for date night. Ordered lobster ravioli, salmon, and arancini? Food is based on quality not quantity read more

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First, the space is lovely and welcoming. Love a good 360ish bar with seating. The food is special and prepared with care. Our favorites this go around were the beef tartare and scallops! The butter!! The desserts were a tad underwhelming but the cocktails hit the spot. Novel is a popular place for good reason. When all the reservations were snagged weeks in advance of restaurant week 2025, I knew I had to keep an eye on cancellations. Luckily we got one and added Novel to our RW tour. Glad we did! read more

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What a lovely experience!!! My wife and I dined here early on a Wednesday at 5 pm. Nate, our server was excellent. The restaurant has a lovely modern bistro ambiance. Loved it! The tile work is special. We started with the honey butter squash soup, which was divine. The heirloom tomato salad with watermelon was just lovely. The ramen dish was interesting. A little small for the price, but nice. My wife had the Alaskan Halibut with a smoked cream sauce that was magical! My pork chop was charred and just perfect. It was accompanied by spetzel and spicy pork belly. Just wonderful! We were too full for dessert. We will absolutely be back!! 5 stars!! read more

Novel Restaurant - Front door. - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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I can't believe I'd never been here before Saturday night. We were looking for a nice place to eat before the symphony. I had heard of Novel but had obviously never been before. We booked a table with two friends. Everything was great. Our waitress was very attentive and got us drinks quickly, which were fabulous! We are accustomed to sharing plate and this place didn't disappoint. We all ordered the crudo and the beef tar tar to share to start. They have a wasabi tofu sauce with the beef that is out of this world! Perfect amount of heat, and delicious flavor! And the crudo plate was awesome. It also had a zip but an entirely different kind. Next was the pasta course and we split the mushroom ravioli and duck. The duck was good but the mushroom ravioli was great! Finally, we moved on to the main. My wife and I split the lamb plate and our friends the pork chop. The lamb chops were perfect and the house made pickles were a perfect compliment to the lamb sausage. Our friends said the pork chop was perfectly cooked and everything was very flavorful. The only down side was sometimes the kitchen ran slow, as we were there for at least an hour and 45 mins. But we had great time and would definitely return!! read more

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Scallops were decent. Vibe of the restaurant was good, but none of the food was spectacular. The best thing we had (not pictured) was the fried cauliflower, which was very yummy! read more

Novel Restaurant - scallops - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Service is always great. Friendly hostess. Knowledgeable, helpful and fun waitstaff. Food is absolutely delicious with interesting flavors and fresh ingredients. Desserts are consistently yummy and creative. Their walk up coffee shop has great drinks, amazing pastries and a super nice and talented barista. I love this place read more

Novel Restaurant - Zucchini lime cake - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Great service. Great food. Good location for date night dinner. Parking is plentiful. read more

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Wow. What an amazing meal and total experience my husband and I had at this restaurant. We were in town for a few days and this place came highly recommended. Set in a sort of modern industrial type, it's a lovely aesthetic. Our meal was fantastic and our server was pretty great. Everything about the night was wonderful! I ordered a mocktail along with a tomato and peach salad to start. The salad was zesty and light and refreshing and the non alcoholic drink was just as delectable. The chef sent us crab shooters and that was like drinking a savory shot and was delicious! Even my husband, who isn't super fond of seafood enjoyed it. I ordered the scallops and my husband ordered a braised beef and pasta dish and the chocolate mousse cake with mint n chip ice cream for dessert. We were lucky to have the chef invite us to sit at the chefs table for our dessert course. What an amazing experience at this restaurant. Highly recommend if you are in the area. read more

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Excellent service and cozy, elegant ambiance. We had the sockeye salmon, rock shrimp ramen, 7-layer salad, and artisanal bread service. The food was good, especially the salmon, which was perfectly prepared. Some of the flavor combinations like the pickled vegetables with the salmon and sweetness of the ramen weren't appealing to us, but might be fine for others. read more

Novel Restaurant - Salmon, 7-layer salad, rock shrimp ramen, and artisanal bread service. - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

I was planning on meeting with a friend I hadn't seen in years. I came on Yelp to find a new place we could both try out. Making a reservation on their website was fast and easy. We were seated immediately when we got to the door. Servers were attentive and checked up to make sure everything was okay, although one of them I could tell was a bit uppity. I was not dressed up and couldn't properly pronounce some of the menu items and some people will judge you based on that. I ordered down the menu and purchased one of each item for each category. My portion of the total ended up being $100+ for the evening. Food was plated esthetically, but taste-wise was just mediocre at best. I appreciated the ambiance and that the restaurant wasn't super loud and I was able to have a conversation with my friend and catch up. read more

excellent restaurant and good value! we enjoyed the breaded egg, the crispy cauliflower, the shisitos, the bread with two spreads, the halibut, and the duck agnolotti! Also the vodka martinis! read more

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PENROSE COFFEE COUNTER There's not a yelp account for Novel's new little coffee counter so I'm leaving one here. Cute little walk up coffee place with delicate little pastries and classic espresso/coffee drinks. Nice outside seating area for a little treat! read more

Novel Restaurant - Cappuccino - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

We had an absolutely lovely experience at Novel! The service is awesome! Our server was so helpful and knowledgeable with recommendations. Our meal was perfectly paced. We were celebrating our anniversary, and they gave us a card signed by the chef and our server! What a lovely touch. I can't say enough about how wonderful the service was! The drink menu is superb. They have tons of wine and cocktail options, and even a good mocktail list! The food was stunning. This is a great place to share several small plates and small pasta dishes if you're not into stunt meat entrees. The crispy egg appetizer was so intriguing (savory boba!!) and made me excited to come back for more. I am devastated that the pasta of the moment from our weekend won't be around for ever -- tender ricotta gnocchi with Green Dirt Farm cheese and lamb sausage. It was perfection! The duck agnolotti was also very sweet and savory and comforting. 2 appetizers, 2 pastas, and 2 desserts was a great big meal for 2. They have a small parking lot next to the restaurant, and it's very conveniently located by the Crossroads streetcar stop. It's also a relatively quiet part of crossroads if you need to search for street parking. This is a great date night spot! and a great fancy spot to share small plates with friends and family! read more

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Yelp sucks but this place is top notch. You're missing out if you pass up this fine establishment. Top tier food accomlkned by amazing wine and cocktails. The staff is knowledgeable and eager to give you a good experience. The menu changes and everything we had tonight was legitimately phenomenal including service. Crudo, Tartare, All the pastas, don't pass up on the ramen even if it "doesn't seem traditional" slurp those noodles they want/deserve it. The Chef team does an amazing job through and through. props to chef Ryan and team, as well as our seever Trey for the night, for taking care of us. Top notch experience from top to bottom. Don't Skip over this Gem. read more

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excellent restaurant and good value! we enjoyed the breaded egg, the crispy cauliflower, the shisitos, the bread with two spreads, the halibut and the duck agnolotti! Also the vodka martinis! read more

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Cozy atmosphere with great attentive servers. We sat at the bar and ordered 2 drinks both of which were amazing. For entrees we ordered bread service, fried cauliflower, duck agnolotti, beef tartare. My favorite was the beef tartare although my fiancé really enjoyed the duck. For dessert the cheesecake hit the spot with blueberry ice cream. Highly recommend and we will be coming back for more! read more

My friend and I stumbled upon this restaurant by mistake and we were glad we did. They were completely booked but allowed bar seating. So we sat at the bar. Great friendly service. Attentive servers/bartenders. Cute little place. GREAT cocktails AND even better mocktails. And good food. I'd definitely go back to try more items. read more

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It's KC Restaurant Week 2024 and my husband and I spent opening night at Novel! We have NO notes! It's been one year since we've been at Novel and it's just as perfect as the last time we dined there. All of their dining reservations for restaurant week are booked but you can still walk-in and grab a seat at their beautiful bar. The restaurant itself is stunning - designed by local architecture firm El Dorado. I love the woodland animals hidden in the design throughout (fox, owl, rabbit, etc.). The host was kind (even though we were a couple minutes late), sat us and took our coats to hang up for us in the front. Our waitor immediately came over to welcome us and give a quick overview of the menu and where to find everything. A few minutes later we decided on cocktails - he had the Open to Discussion and I had the Pearfecta, which I was nervous about because it had absinthe in it but it was pearfectly balanced and delicious. We put in our full order so that they could course it property. Bread was served first - one sourdough and one multigrain for each of us with salted butter and hummus. The hummus wasn't for me, but I liked the creativity there. Next, our appetizers. I had the lobster ravioli which was truly incredible - the lobster was so fresh, the sauce was so creamy and delicioius, and it was garnished with the cutest, tiniest popcorn I've ever seen! He dared to try beef tartare for the first time and it was the best I've ever had. The flavors were addiciting and made you want to dive in for more! Then, our entrees! He had the perfectly cooked scallops and I had the perfectly cooked salmon and mushroom risotto. Lastly, our desserts. He had the pineapple carrot cake with a delicious cream cheese frosting on top. I had the pistachio pie bar which we both were obsessed with. And, of course, I had to get a cappuccino to go with it. The service is just incredible. Everyone is calm, kind. They don't overbook the restaurant so it doesn't get too loud or chaotic. They course the food so well. Staff is attentive enough that you feel taken perfectly taken care of but not too attentive to where you're like ok leave me alone if you know what I mean! Would love to take my parents here the next time they are in town. Highly reccomend to anyone who appreciates fine dining. read more

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After our first visit to Novel, it really stuck with me as one of my very favorite KC restaurant experiences and for months I had been looking forward to returning. Once again, I was thoroughly impressed. They put effort into their mocktails which are quite nice and the food here is well prepared and full of flavor. I particularly enjoyed the crab ravioli and the ramen. The ramen doesn't have as much broth as one may expect, but the flavor is outstanding and the dish is cooked perfectly. On top of all that, service is truly excellent and we were well attended to. The atmosphere is quite relaxed and great for a romantic date. Looks like we'll continue to return! read more

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My partner and I really enjoyed our experience at Novel. We had the Blue Crab Tortellini, Agnolotti, Beef Tartare, Scallops and Halibut. The pastas dishes really stood out with some truly mouth watering flavors, especially the blue crab tortellini. The food was excellent I will say I was a bit disappointed in the halibut, I didn't think the flavors all came together for me personally but it was cooked to perfection in terms of doneness. Our waiter Nathan was super personable and had really great understanding of each dish and their components and what to expect from them. The ambiance was very nice, the decor is interesting and the kitchen visible, which I personally enjoy as you get to see the talented chefs and staff in their space. It did get quite a bit loud as the evening went on, so it may not be the best location for all get togethers. Can't wait to go back soon! read more

We had a great anniversary dinner at Novel. We started with the bread service and the fried cauliflower. I enjoyed both and would get the cauliflower again. Following that, we got the blue crab ravioli and loved it. It was very flavorful and I enjoyed the sauce. For our mains we got the wild Alaskan halibut and the seared Diver Scallops. Although I enjoyed both, I found the halibut to be my favorite. For dessert, we shared the chocolate mousse cake. I would absolutely get this dessert again. Our server was amazing and gave great recommendations. he made sure to check in on us throughout our meal. We plan on returning! read more

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How have I not reviewed this place?!?! First off if you are taking a date out to eat... GO HERE! Food - The options are seasonal and devine. I have eaten a number of their dishes (tasted even more) and have yet to find anything that I would not order again! Everything seems to fit my taste, even when I thought it wouldn't at first. Drinks - Customized cocktails at this location really bring the meal together. If you are a wine person; the staff can make amazing recommendations to keep you happy as well. The Service - Classic feel with knowledgeable wait staff that can guide you through the menu based on what they like; and Yes they have tried all of it and aren't just reading off some sheet that says it tastes "essence of ocean, with spring hints of leather and baking spices" which no one knows what it means. The Site - one of these times I will sit outside and eat... but inside is drastically interesting to look at! The open kitchen provides constant movement and a ever changing background with comfortable yet upscale decor. The Price - This one can be a little heavy on the wallet. But the value is there and you are paying for extremely good food (locally and responsibly sourced), Hand made cocktails, exemplary services, a staff in the know, and an experience that you will treasure. Unlike most of my reviews where I tell you to say "Hi" if you see me... here I am likely on a date... so just give a nod and enjoy! read more

Been meaning to try this restaurant for almost a year, finally was in the area and decided to go! Called a few minutes prior, and staff were very hospitable. Throughout our dinner, the manager continued to check in on us which we thought was very commendable. Food was...novel...to say the least LOL! Definitely recommend the Hamachi Crudo, was a symphony of pleasure on my taste buds. Open kitchen concept is always appreciated, and we could see how intentional the chefs were with preparing the dishes. read more

Novel Restaurant - New American Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Great atmosphere and drinks. Bartender Margot was friendly and made excellent cocktails. Food was delicious, particularly the Ramen, cold corn soup with the bread service was a nice way to start. Would definitely recommend Novel when in KC. read more

Okay, Novel is EXPENSIVE. Haha, it's probably overpriced for what it is. But, I will say that I had a really good experience. Here's what I ordered ($59 before tax+tip): 1. Bread Service (chocolate cherry bread with cultured butter) -- I love bread in general, but I was actually more impressed with the cultured butter. If I was splurging, I would order this again. 2. Spanish Octopus (w/ black bean aioli) -- This was super tasty! The octopus was cooked PERFECTLY, and you guys, that's hard to do! 3. Lobster Ravioli -- I was pretty underwhelmed at first. The sorghum (some might mistake it for tiny popcorn) seemed too hard for the overall texture of the dish. The more I ate it, the more it grew on me. It was definitely a more subtle dish, because once you took your time with the sauce and sorghum, all the flavors complemented each other. Would I order it again? Hm... For $26, I'm not sure. 4. Pistachio Cream Pie -- I'd never had pistachio cream pie before, but this definitely reminded me of the artificial pistachio flavor you'd find in ice cream. It was quite nostalgic somehow, so I'm not saying the flavor was a bad thing. I thought it was actually pretty good. Would I order it again? Hm... I'd probably try a different dessert next time just to try out their other options, but I would eat it if it was ordered by the table to share. What was most outstanding was not the food, but the service. The waitstaff we had were phenomenal! Professional, kind, personable, and attentive. They honestly made this review go from a 4-star review to a 5-star review. Quick tips: Make a reservation! For parking, they do have a tiny, off-street lot, but you'll most likely have to find street parking. Portions are smaller than your typical chain-restaurant, but typical for fine-dining. read more

Novel came highly regarded by friends and was good but just didn't feel worth the hype or value. The vibe is clean, bright, simple, standard expensive American. The service was great. Friendly, engaged, was willing to explain everything on the menu, frequently checking on us. Overall great service. The appetizers started off strong. The brussel sprout salad, fried sunchokes and crispy egg. The flavors were really flavorful, unique and balanced. Then we got the rest the ramen which Eaters insisted you needed to get if available and the gnocchetta. The server did say that the flavor was mild and changed recipe recently but honestly it was disappointing with how flavorless it was. The gnocchetta was good but nothing to write home about. The pistachio pie was good. Overall it was a bit lack luster for the price which is disappointing considering the friends and reviews. read more

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