Haven't spent downtime in Bangor for a while so we decided to enjoy a night dining out here, 11 Central was full so we decided to go to Novios. One of the worst restaurants I have ever been to. The restaurant is dark, no music, drinks are small & pricy, not to mention the food was fair at best. Not worth the $$$ and now I feel sick. My husband ordered steak he got three slices, three carrots, three slices of roasted potato, I got risotto that tasted like creamed corn. read more

Went to Novios Bistro with my family. If I could give no stars I would. The appetizers were really quite bad. The crab cake was mostly filler. The fried goat cheese was fair but the fried oyster salad was awful. The oysters were rank. The entrees were no better. The lamb was cooked poorly, and very was fatty. All the entrees were cold even though the place was not busy. We mentioned our issues with the lamb and did not even get an apology. Save your money...it's way over priced. read more

I'm from New Jersey and up here fishing with some buddy's and we ended up here kinda by accident. Our good fortune! I hope the fishing is as good tomorrow. The Chowder was off the charts, oysters with burata exceptional. I had the scallops for my main course. Perfectly prepared with wonderful accompaniments. Staff are warm and friendly with the owners on site to insure everything is perfect. If you are in the area it is a don't miss. read more

It doesn't have a fancy storefront but once you enter, you will be gratefully surprised. The bourbon, Rye and single malts assorted is impressive. Then, the lobster chowder is THE lobster Chowder. We also had the Veal Ribs and Scallops and they were cooked perfectly. We ate at the bar and the bartender was very pleasing. A gem in Bangor! read more

Amazing. Chowder and lobster mac-and-cheese were delicious and rich and perfect. The pork porterhouse was huge but cooked perfectly. Lovely atmosphere and nice wine list. Will definitely be back! read more

One of the best. If You are looking for taste, it is unlikely that you'll find a better option. Great kitchen and great staff. The real deal. read more

Fantastic food, great atmosphere, large groups should reserve ahead of time! Chowder is great and I would highly recommend it!

Such a wonderful restaurant - we were in town for one night, and I'm so happy we chose to eat here! The staff were so kind, and the food was amazing. read more

What a great find in Bangor! Superb service and food. The watermelon caprese and gazpacho were particularly good. Prices are quite low, given the quality, with entrees mostly $20 or less. read more

I had dinner with children and adult grandchildren just after Christmas. It was my first visit and with one minor caveat the food was excellent. The difference between 4 stars and 5 was that the food was not as hot as it should have been. It wasn't cold. They use heavy white plates that were cold and it sucked the heat from the delicious scallops. If they could keep the plates warm, it would be a 5 star. The others did not complain at all. The lobster stew was the best I have ever had. We shared 2 dozen Oysters and they were really good, best I have had. The drinks were all perfectly done. The service was perfect. The place was full but quiet enough to have six people able to have a conversation easily. It was comfortable and my new favorite restaurant read more

I love industrial design and as soon as I walked in I was taken by Novio's. The bar area looked so inviting we thought we may eat at the bar. BUT, just in the first minutes the "cute" industrial~look bar stools showed to be the most uncomfortable stool I have ever sat in. I am not a large person, in fact just the opposite. The seat was small, hard and proved to be horribly uncomfortable. We escaped to a table for 2 in the corner and were much happier! PLEASE get different stools!!! Dinner was very nice with the exception of the brussel sprouts that had been "roasted" but without any oils or seasoning and actually uncooked to the the point of being very hard to chew. I should have said so at the time so they could exchange or correct the unfortunate sprouts and be able to give them a higher rating but instead I suffered through it, my bad. I'd love to try it again but absolutely avoiding the bar stools! Thank you Robert for your response, we will certainly be back at Novios and think it will be one of Bangors most romantic restaurants ((())) read more

Our second trip earned the 5 stars. The braised ribs are prepared perfectly and i plan to have every item on the well thought out menu. The wait staff now matches the expertise of the preparatoon. Support this fine establishment read more

Loved this restaurant! The food was such great quality, unique, huge portions even for appetizers! The black cod soup is incredible. The lobster pasta was out of this world and they give a generous portion of lobster. This pricing is affordable. It is a must try!!! Very talented chef read more

Probably the best looking plates of food in the area, but that's where it ends. There are better places to go in Bangor for your money. The $9 french onion soup was a disappointment. They bring out a 2" x 2" chunk of cooked onions with a piece of cheese in a large bowl then pour the broth in the bowl. Great presentation, but lacking on taste and size. Not lacking on price. Signature cocktails were very good and worth $10. Wine by the glass at $9 was a standard 5 oz pour and quite a markup at about 400-500%. Plates coming out looked impressive but not hearty. My blueberry BBQ pork chop was very tender and tasty. Steak lovers beware !! My wife asked for her tenderloin cooked medium only to be told that "the chef prefers to cook it medium rare". The request was made for medium, but never the less came out medium rare to rare and a pre-sliced 4-5 oz portion. Unable to eat the bloody slabs, I traded my chop for her steak as I like it that way. Since when are steaks not cooked to order?? Want a great, hearty steak cooked your way? Walk 75 feet further down the street to Brahma Grill - 5 stars. Also look at 11 Central - 5 stars and 2 blocks away; or Timber - 5 stars and a mile away. All 3 are better choices for your money and size portions. read more

Superior service, delicious food, and a charming atmosphere make Novio's a top choice for an evening out.

Best Lobster Chowder I have ever had-- so why the 2-Star review? Here's why: the two of us tried Novio's for the first time in mid-September and it was seriously one of the best meals we have had anywhere-- and we went again tonight yet had a completely disappointing experience. On our first visit, they were at capacity, but that did not take away from a great experience. Both the food and service were outstanding and the staff were extremely accommodating. The guy who seated us was very underdressed in shorts and untucked shirt, and he was slightly abrupt when I asked him a question which we both found off-putting- and we soon realized he was the owner. Aside from that- the service was great- and the food was so good we looked forward to returning-- and we did tonight-- and it was subpar at best compared to our first visit. At 6:15pm on a Saturday evening they was only half full. The menu (which changes weekly) was not as inviting as the one in September-- and I was disappointed they removed the Lobster Angel Hair Pasta. They did though have risotto- and you could add lobster to it for an additional $8.00. I decided to order the Seared Scallops with Fettucine and asked to add the lobster-- and the server said she had to check with the chef which confused us. I was surprised when she returned and said the chef would not allow a substitutions-- but how is "adding" lobster that's offered on the menu and paying extra for it a substitution? I did not understand the issue but let it go as it was apparent they were not willing to accommodate my request-- which we both found odd. The Scallop Fettucine came with a lemon/dill/caper sauce-- basically a traditional Piccatta sauce which I love-- and when the dish arrived-- the scallops were sauced on the side inside instead of on top of the pasta which was fine-- but there was no sauce at all on the pasta. I asked our server if I could have some sauce on the side as there was none on the pasta, and again she said she needed to check with the chef- and again she returned to say the chef could not accommodate my request because the sauce is "made to order" with the dish. I explained again there was no sauce at all on the pasta-- it was totally dry- which of course was disputed by both the server and the owner who came to the table. My companion took a forkful of my fettucine and confirmed there was no sauce on it-- yet they both insisted there was sauce on my pasta. I decided just to not eat it-- but then the owner came back to our table and said he went into the kitchen and talked to the chef who agreed to make me some "extra" sauce-- but it would take a "little while." He finally brought out some sauce after I had my entree for about 15 minutes-- but my pasta was already cold. The owner then tried to explain to me how they make everything to order-- and I kept quiet because I did not want to argue with him-- but my response should have been "well the chef should have made sure he put sauce on my fettucine like the menu describes." (Chefs are supposed to taste entrees before they send them out) Again- both my companion & I found the owner's demeanor a little abrupt-- and that may just be his way-- but it's off-putting when you pay $150 for a meal for two. My companion had the duck which was a little underdone-- but presented nicely-- and the Lobster Chowder and Krispy Kale Salad was beyond delicious-but we were so put-off by the sauce issue- and the failure to accommodate my request to pay for the additional of lobster- that the entire experience left a "bad taste" in our mouths. (Excuse my pun) If we both could offer some constructive criticism to the owner (who was again dressed extremely casually- this time in jeans and an untucked shirt) it would be the following: 1) As the owner-- take pride in your appearance and dress for success. 2) Do everything you can to accommodate a guest's request if possible-- and if lobster is offered as an add-on for risotto-- go the extra mile and add it to pasta if the custom asks. 3) If your customer tells you there is no sauce on the pasta-- just fix the dish without making her wait or you are going to lose a customer. 4) It would be a nice touch to serve some bread or at least a crostini with a soup or salad dish. Novio's is a new restaurant in Bangor-- and we love to dine out-- but there are many choices such as; Fiddlehead, 11 Central, and Evenrood's to name just a few. For us to justify paying $150 for a meal for two- we need consistency- good food- and good service-- ALL the time. We may give Novio's another try-- but the jury is still out for us. read more