Let me start by saying, we ate here a of couple years ago and it was great! I remember it being pricey but worth it because the food and the service were on point. We live in Fort Lauderdale where there are too many excellent Italian restaurants to count. We came tonight to Novello in Boca for a double birthday celebration. We were excited for some great food. It was a little awkward when we arrived. I did not feel very welcomed by the man who seemed to be the owner. I mention this because if you're going to charge the prices that they do, you should be very sweet to your customers. Our server was a woman who very obviously was annoyed when we told her that we weren't drinking alcohol. When we ordered appetizers for the table, she kept trying to tell us what to order. She was a bit pushy and her attitude made us feel very uncomfortable. We know what we like. I was not impressed with the caprese salad, not a lot of flavor (and no basil??) and the Cesar salad was fine but for $28 (serves 2), it should have been memorable. I ordered one of the specials. It was absolutely delicious, but make sure you ask what the prices are.... I was the birthday girl so didn't ask the price. It was $100. That's on me though, I didn't ask. My husband, the birthday boy, ordered an extra side of penne with red sauce and it was $20!! We had a baby with us and they charged him $20 for his pasta (with only olive oil) too. That's just rude. The service was definitely lacking tonight. I felt like I spent a lot of time looking for our server. She was also tending the bar. Seemed like it was too much for her. The food is tasty. Some things are better than others like any restaurant but between the very high prices and the inconsistent service, we won't be coming back. I would like to add that the man pouring water and taking the plates was great and very attentive. read more

Overall good experience. The service was good and fast -- Elizabeth was our server. The Chicken Marsala was incredible. My friend enjoyed her fresh pasta with bolognese; however, her soup was overly salty. There is valet parking right outside the restaurant and a self-park lot across the street. I will definitely be back to try other dishes. read more

Sadly, I have to take away one star based on recent visits. Beginning with the fact that they are now charging $10 for valet parking and have a huge open lot where you used to be able to self park. Then, two times we went and told them it was a birthday and unlike most places, they didn't even put a candle or write on the plate or acknowledge in an appropriate way. Food and service are still very good but with all the competition out there at this high price point ,I feel they're falling a little behind. read more

Truly amazing and would expect nothing less. Ordered the tiger prawn with no regret! Every bite was absolutely delicious, with the lemon infused risotto. Bravo!!!! read more

For many years we've been going to Novello on all special occasions and whenever we felt like enjoying a better dining experience. Sadly things have changed, and not for the better. The last time we were there, we found the prices went up, but the service, portion size, food quality, and food preparation seriously deteriorated. In the past I've posted 5 star reviews after dining there and recommended it to others. Based on our most recent experience, giving it 2 stars is being generous. If you're looking forward to enjoying a well prepared meal with good service at a fair price, this is no longer the place to go. read more

Can't wait to return. Everything was exceptional in this restaurant. Party of three greeted by owner who after actually sent a lovely note of thanks. I had bronzino, others loved their pasta ( freshly made) and chicken Parmesan. Little appetizers were delicious. Bread could ruin dinner by choosing to eat too much of the freshly baked warm slices. Marvelous restaurant! read more

That food is amazing. The bread basket and complimentary tomato bruschetta were very tasty. Two of us enjoyed the homemade ravioli. I will definitely order it again. There is a nice wine selection. Our service was good. There is very comfortable seating both indoors and on the patio. I highly recommend Novello Restaurant. read more

Excellent, tasty food. Great menu options, and incredible specials. Service was fabulous and the ambiance was okay as we were sat in patio and had a table with a very loud gentleman whose voice was overbearing. Not a restaurant issue, just inconsiderate patron. We had lasagna, excellent oven baked dish, and risotto with calamari, with a shared octopus salad that was incredible. read more

Novello Restaurant & Bar - Charred Spanish Octopus - Italian Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

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Looks like I don't come here often enough ! Last night they were firing on 12 cylinders. Food was excellent, service was great for our large party. Drinks were well made. Selected a wine and owner suggested a reasonably priced magnum that was quite good. Carpaccio was tender and beautiful, mussels in a red sauce were quickly devoured and the broccoli rabe and sausage was good, but there is never enough garlic. The veal Milanese special (should have fed 4 of me) and the arugula salad in top was perfectly dressed. Whole filleted branzino was flavorful, flaky and moist. Everyone was very pleased with their respective meals. A little Noisy, but we had a table tucked in the back and the 8 of us could all hear each other. Well done Novello. Put this one on the rotation. read more

I will start this review on a positive note. The food and service was very good. However the restaurant cuts to many corners for what they charge. The tables are too crammed together which killed the ambience. The glass of wine I received had the smallest pour I think I have ever seen. My serving of Salmon was very small as well. Also I dont like pulling into a parking lot and being charged for parking. I only say these things because this place is pretty pricey which I don't mind but when you provide smallish servings, pours, and pretty bad ambience I won't be coming back. read more

Owner is a rude nasty piece of shit person. Food was not good. He got mad when we returned a dish. That was horrible. This guy will not last with his attitude, his own staff and workers said to us that he's nasty to all clients. This man is a fraud to the restaurant biz. Below he mention outside beverage. He's reverting to the topic. Your such an idiot read more

Nothing tasted good. I ordered linguine white clam sauce it was not good. What else should I say

These guys always do a great job. Food quality and service is always top notch! We both had the veal and it was perfectly prepared with a lovely presentation. Unfortunately, we are in the process of relocating so this may have been our last trip read more

We went on Thanksgiving with our family. This was our first time at this place. They had set menu $70.00 per person. Could not order anything else. When making my reservation I did not know that was all we could picked from. We asked the waitress for an order of ravioli for the kids. At first the waitress said no. I told the waitress I was not going to pay 70.00 per child!, so they agree to make one order of ravioli dish to share. We were charged $20 each for 3 pieces of ravioli for my 2 year old and 8 year old ($40 total for 6 pieces of ravioli). The waitress initially told me that she'd split 1 dish for the kids so I thought it was a mistake when I checked our bill, and asked for the manager. The manager looked annoyed with our inquiry, he was not too keen to justify or make us feel better. I let the manger know we would never return. Looks like they are desperate, they thought they could slip in an extra charge. We would have been happy to pay their pricy menu, just unhappy to be taken advantage of. WARNING, CHECK YOUR BILL Another thing the restaurant was almost empty and there were available parking spaces. Mandatory valet parking, charge $3.00 per car. The area is sketchy, could be due to problems. read more

Main meal served was not as ordered. Head waiter and owner blamed me for half the problem, when all guests said i was crystal clear regarding the main dish. They refused to delete the charge and left me the meal wrapped to go. Extremely insulting nd the food for my 5 friends was vaerage at best with no meal finished and noone to request a to go bag. And after reading a ew reviews, I am not the first to advise that the owner left much to be desired. read more

The food, the service and ambiance is a 5 plus They are so welcoming , they make you feel comfortable. They NEVER rush you. There deserts are fabulous Brenda is the best waitress read more

Maybe only 2+ stars. Not up to what we have experienced in the past (see previous reviews). Last nite (Saturday evening) Novello somehow lost its allure. Our party of seven was seated in the large side room which is devoid of charm. Our waiter kept pushing for us to order additional drinks and side dishes. He seems annoyed when we asked the prices of the specials (some of which exceeded $60). He came across as trying to "up" the final tab. This is a pricey venue to start with. Pasta dishes hover around $30 or a bit more. It took 55 minutes from the time we placed our orders for the food to arrive and my pasta was only lukewarm. They did fill up the bread basket 3X while we were waiting. Last night as not special. The experience was not fine dining. I suspect we might have been happier dining outdoors or in the small dining room where the piano is located. If we return we will require one of those seatings. read more

After our first time here, and having a great time, we met with friends the following weekend and the experience was just as good. Both times we sat at the bar and Sarah was our bartender/ server. She is energetic, friendly and attentive. She recommended a Super Tuscan wine that we loved and got a bottle of it the second time there. Another plus of sitting at the bar, or inside, is that you get to enjoy the beautiful live piano music. Not too loud, still allowing conversation, but adding to the intimate and somewhat romantic atmosphere. As of now I have not tried their pasta but must recommend the Burrata Salad! Fresh, delicious and filling. I've had it twice already and honestly might order it again. Great spot for date night! read more

Novello Restaurant & Bar - Burrata Salad - Italian Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

I do not often write reviews, and when I do, they are generally extremely positive, HOWEVER not this time. My last two experiences were awful. The first bad experience involved food prices, and hidden charges. The second involved the owner's behavior. What is even more telling about the establishment is the way the owner responds to posts. The responses speak volumes. My grandfather in our family owned business taught me as a young boy that "the customer is always right." Too bad this owner's grandfather didn't teach him that lesson. read more

Lol, If I didn't say anything, how can you possibly remember how much I consumed? A restaurant shouldn't need feed back about food---that's their business. We aren't talking about customer service here. If the chicken parm was good, I would not be wasting my time reviewing. I simply want to inform my community so they can make informed decisions about where to spend their hard-earned money. Too many restaurants take advantage of customers, and that shouldn't be tolerated. read more

Excellent food. Some of the best prepared seafood I've had locally. I had the pistachio crusted snapper and it was fantastic. Service is very old school Italian, so classy. Great live piano music too and at a perfect volume. Not a trendy place, more of a classic, excellent Italian joint for a special meal. read more

Best fine Italian dining in all of Bocca- great attention to detail on each dish!! Tks great experience great wine recommendation atmosphere and service we will be back read more

Whenever we are in the area Novello was one of our favorite places. Unfortunately, last night was the last time we will be going there. We ordered the mussels as an appetizer and they were excellent. The explains pasta dish was ok but very overpriced. The snapper was dry and had very little flavor. Order wine by the bottle because I never had such a small glass of wine for 15.00. We were looking so forward to returning and left disappointed. The restaurant was not crowded and we felt very rushed. Maybe we just went on an off night but will not be returning read more

We love eating here. We stopped by last night for dessert and cappuccinos only. We sat at the car. As usual, they didn't disappoint!!!

Out on the North Boca Italian Trail. I may have had the best Veal Parm of my culinary journey. Entering Novello your are greeted with a lovely atmosphere old Italian fair. Our server was Salem, who provided superb service on our visit. The fresh Bruschetta was delicious to start. We started off with a Veal meatball and some grilled octopus which were both beautifully cooked and seasoned. Followed by our mains. The Veal Parm was crispy, tender not overly sauced, never got soggy, and had the perfect amount of cheese. The sauce was savory, with a perfect amount of basil. You really can't go wrong. Everyone with me couldn't stop raving about their dishes. Go check out Novello read more

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Beware of the business practices at this restaurant. We've been loyal customers of the restaurant and brought several family members and friends there. We were given a gift card to Novello, complete with their gift card envelope and gift card receipt showing the amount of the gift card and the number of the actual gift card on the receipt. When we went to use the card, they told us it had a zero balance. We thought it was strange since we hadn't used the card, but didn't want to make a scene at the restaurant, as it was crowded and we were treating another guest. We paid our bill and left. When I inquired the next day about when the gift card had been used (since we had not used it), the restaurant claimed that they never showed it was paid for, which is why they claimed there was a zero balance. Has anyone ever got a gift card and receipt for the gift card without actually paying for it??? I very much doubt it. The restaurant said they will not honor the gift card unless I can produce the receipt showing it was paid for. Since it was a gift, I clearly don't have the receipt and will not ask the person who gave it to us for a receipt! I've checked with other restaurant owners who said it is virtually impossible to provide a gift card and gift card receipt without it being paid for on their systems. Clearly, we will not be returning to Novello. PS - The food is generally good there, but we were there with a party of 6 one night and 4 of the 6 ordered a special that evening - Sea Bass. All 4 of them were very disappointed with the meal and didn't actually think it was Sea Bass. read more

Another great meal as hot as it has been in the middle of May we still sat outside. I have a broader tolerance level for the temperature than my wife has, but she was fine in the shade. I enjoyed the veal piccata my wife loved the grouper Francese. Marco attentive as always. I have friends from Boyton planing to visit soon. Wanted to go with them but heading North for a bit. read more

Still amazing Restaurant, have been coming here for years. Exceptional service and food just awesome. read more

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I had an amazing dinner at Novello last evening! They greeted me arm And arm As I arrived solo. The food and drinks were spectacular- The piano added a touch of romance. Perfect date option. read more

On my second trip to Novello in one month, I brought my foodie family along who are all first timers here. We were promptly escorted to our table to begin our dining experience. We began with the beef carpaccio and shrimp and polenta appetizers, Bruno was our very attentive server. For dinner we all chose different dishes. Each one was deliciously prepared, not a dud in the group. I enjoyed the frutti di mare risotto, it was fabulous. As part of my "Boca North Italian Trail" series, Novello is now my #1 choice. read more

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Owner was overbearing and harassed us when we pointed out that the kitchen made a mistake. He even followed us out to the parking lot to continue his argument. Also a bit too touchy feely with the women. read more

Food was excellent, we had the octopus salad appetizer, Chicken Farm, and Penne Norma (an eggplant pasta dish). All were great. Service was very attentive. We sat outside and someone was smoking on other side of the planter, it appeared to be someone from the kitchen staff, so - 1 star. If smoking doesn't bother you, then five stars. read more

I'm not sure how this restaurant does not have five stars at all times. It's excellent in one of our family favorites some of the reviews I see I don't understand how people would even come to the conclusion of food being bland or the ambiance not being living up to the hype because that's the exact opposite of the novello in Boca that we go to which I think is the only novello around. It's just not cool for people to see things that are not true when we go here all the time and it's absolutely wonderful the staff is wonderful the food is wonderful everything is wonderful we love it it should have five stars at all times . read more

Booked an early table on Friday 15th March. Was greeted by the owner and directed to our table but decided to eat at the bar instead. Fantastic food, drink and service all round. We were so full after the meal that we needed a quick stop back at our hotel after the meal to recover. Some of the best food we've eaten in Florida and we'll be back for sure! Marco, thanks for everything. read more

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Outstanding food, drink and service as always ! Every time we have guests in town Novello is top of our list! And always requested again and again by our friends And family when they visit! Fresh seafood, awesome chops snd delicious Italian dishes! You can't go wrong and you will not leave hungry!! Caution .., the fresh hot bread is incredible... don't get carried away... save room for all the delicious courses!!! Randy and Cathy Cocoa Beach Florida read more

Wonderful family dinner tonight with amazing food and drinks and espectacular service by Alesha with her menu knowledge I order the special of the night which was ossobuco that was out of this world !! I high recommend you to join the party with live lofi music with an amazing piano and the owners are wonderful hands and ears on everything! And to end it with a detail they have the best blue cheese olives in boca raton that go with any martini! read more

We dined outside on a nice night. The atmosphere is elegant, but one does not feel out of place here dressed casually. My fettucine bolognese was outstanding. I like that a nice helping of garlic bread and bruschetta are brought to the table complimentary. My companion is a regular here and knows the owner, who made the dinner very enjoyable for us. read more

Definitely not what it used to be. Feed you and turn you over. Cesar's salad just lettuce no taste of cheese. Left the main dish

The food and service was superb. Brenda our server recommended an excellent pasta dish and a beautiful veal chop a must try. read more

Novello Restaurant & Bar - Novelloos bar - Italian Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

Stay very far from this restaurant unless you'd want to be overcharged. Food was ok, they were not bad but we were charged $20 each for 3 pieces of ravioli for my 2 year old and 8 year old ($40 total for 6 pieces of ravioli). The waitress initially told me that she'd split 1 dish for the kids so I thought it was a mistake when I checked our bill, and asked for the manager. The manager looked annoyed with our inquiry, he was not too keen to justify or make us feel better and walked away; they lost an opportunity to gain a customer. It was disappointing because again, the food was not bad, we did like the waitress and the live music was excellent. We would have been happy to pay their pricy menu, just unhappy to be taken an advantage of. Another thing we thought weird was even though the restaurant was not too busy and there were available parking spaces, we had to valet our cars. Seemed unnecessary, but glad the valet person made money. read more