Novio's Bistro

Took my wife here on a whim one night wondering what to do for date night. I'm glad we tried it. The food is great and the service is very friendly. I probably wouldn't bring kids because it's a little tight, but a great spot for couples and friends alike.

How this place doesn’t have 5 stars across the board is beyond me! My wife and I have been to Novios for dinner several times now and we both feel that it is not only the best restaurant in Bangor, but one of the best restaurants period. We live in the Boston area and in all honesty there are only a small handful of Boston restaurants that come close.

Every meal has been fantastic, the cocktail menu is creative and always changing, the wine list is terrific. The atmosphere is intimate to the point where we recently joked and chatted with not only our servers and the owner, but two other dining parties.

We’ve tried other places in the area, but again nothing compares. We recommend Novios to any guests who visit the area. It’s much easier to leave a bad review when you have a bad experience but it’s finally time for us to sing the praises of this wonderful spot. We’ll be back again and again!

One of the best meals of my life and the best meal I have had in Maine. Everything about this restaurant is perfect. Attentive friendly staff with an owner presence. My food was cooked perfectly and the wine parings were customized and on par. I have nothing negative to say about this place! It is better than Michelin star restaurants I have been and should have one!

The menu changes frequently so check the website. FYI if you are at the bar you can order à la carte. The dinner menu is not a true prefix in the sense that you have options for each course.

If you enjoy a wonderful meal in a bistro environment you will not be disappointed.

(They also had vegan and allergy friendly items)

Ate here last night and could not have been more pleased with a truly wonderful dinner. The atmosphere is intimate and warm. The service is helpful, informative, and pleasantly casual. As for the food, it was absolutely delicious. Every course each of the four people in our party was served was superb and we savored every morsel. Also impressive were the cocktails which were just perfect. Highly recommend having dinner here.

Courtney is the GOAT! She really brings her A game every night and makes Novio’s an amazing experience.

Bob is an engaged owner who takes time to speak with each of his costumers and makes them feel welcome.

An absolutely stunning anniversary dinner. This 4 course meal was beautiful and absolutely delicious. The handcrafted drinks were high quality, creative and perfect. The place is small and doesn't look like much from the street, but inside is a whole different world....warm and inviting. The bartender was gracious and attentive to anything we needed. Well worth saving your pennies for an exquisite fine dining experience in Bangor, Maine that rivals any big city. We will be back. Thank you!

I have never left a review anywhere in my life but this restaurant deserves it. It delivers on everything I could look for, a quiet and intimate atmosphere, food exquisitely prepared and wonderful but not overwhelming service. This is the only place I have eaten in Maine on par or better, than restaurants in say NYC or Boston. Amazing

Stress free dining with amazing food! My enjoyment of The goat cheese salad cannot be adequately described and the scallops were cooked to absolute perfection. In my opinion, the prices for such an experience are far under what I’d expect. Don’t hesitate to experience this wonderful restaurant.

An absolutely wonderful experience! Highly recommend and will definitely be returning!

Amazing food, amazing staff, inviting environment. Favorite place to eat in Maine. Everyone is friendly, accommodating and kind. Will definitely be back to dine with Novio’s again. The boozy hot chocolate is fantastic.

Wow! 5 star dining right in the heart of downtown Bangor! I don't know how Novio's escaped my radar for this long, but now that we've discovered this gem, we'll definitely be back! Everything from the seasonal, locally sourced menu (the chef actually tends a greenhouse and a flock of chickens!), to the decor, to the soundtrack softly piped into the dining room, our dinner at Novio's was absolutely enjoyable. The cocktails have clever names to accompany the innovative ingredients, and were expertly prepared. They set the stage for our appetizers - fried goat cheese and tuna bruschetta - which were both amazingly delicious. For dinner I chose the duck gnocchi and my husband had the sea bass. Both portions were very generous, and everything was cooked to perfection. Obviously, we couldn't pass up dessert. The pastry chef outdid himself with the lemon macarons with Maine blueberries and chocolate mousse. The after dinner cocktail with a coffee ice cube was just the proverbial icing on the cake. What a perfect evening. I need to go back to try the pumpkin tortellini and risotto with lobster. But it will have to be soon, as the owner told us the menu changes frequently. The choices weren't vast, but everything sounded delicious and everything we ordered was 100% on point. I absolutely recommend visiting Novio's for that next special occasion ...or just because. I wish I could give more than 5 stars.

Update: we had dinner at Novios again. Again, we had a wonderful meal. The service is friendly and we never felt rushed. The oysters were delicious. The rabbit crepe appetizer was so good, I wished I had ordered a secured portion as my dinner! But the pork entree was also wonderful - cooked to perfection and my husband's steak had the most sublime chimichurri on top! We had the chocolate mousse for dessert again, with the Rounding Third dessert drink. What a nice ending to another perfect meal.

Update 7/ 9 Novios re-opened last night after being closed down for several weeks due to Covid. We couldn't wait to go back. They did not disappoint. They offered a four course menu for $55, with 2-4 options for each course. Our choices included rabbit and waffles, oyster sliders, caprese salad, sea bass, duck, and blueberry lemom curd shortcake. All delicious. The ambience, owner's warm reception and stellar service all contributed to a wonderful evening out. Do not miss dining at Novios.

2/13/21 Open for indoor dining again!
We had the most amazing dinner at Novios Bistro tonight. We had the chef testing menu and four-course dinner which included bacon-wrapped scallops, baked oysters, beef carpaccio, winter salad, baby lamb chops, waygu beef wellington, and for dessert Paris brest and a chocolate fondue plate. A bottle of wine made the meal complete. Celebrating Valentines Day and turning in my cookbook in style ♥

Amazing! I don't know how I didn't know about this place until now! The food, service , and atmosphere were all excellent! 👍

Amazing food. Every item was delectable. Best meal I’ve had in a long time and all the staff were so kind and friendly. Is tomorrow too soon to come back?!

Every course was great not a single one disappointed, also the drinks were fantastic, unique and flavorful, the service was great and you couldn’t eat another bite by the end. Overall the restaurant was amazing and worth every penny.

Bangor has limited fine dining restaurants but Novios is certain a must stop. The restaurant is intimate with nice finishes and a bar. I recommend you start the evening with one of their cocktails including a take on a standard Manhattan. This sets the stage for the multi-course menu.

I normally do not always recommend the fixed menu but here I found it to be a worthwhile option because you still are able to choose from the menu. Notable was the lobster crepe. The main course is a challenge to choose, but I selected the beef that melted in your mouth and was cooked just right. The staff were very pleasant and the restaurant reminds me of being in Manhattan.

Easily the best restaurant in Bangor, especially now that Fiddleheads closed. The menu price of $65 is very reasonable for four courses. The atmosphere is great - it's a classy dim basement, in a good way. The only issue is sometimes it's a little chilly in there. The drink menu is also fantastic, the cocktails are always very creative and taste incredible.

Absolutely amazing place to eat, I will be making a reservation again when I’m in Bangor! 10 of 10 for every single aspect of this experience. The staff was friendly & pleasant. The food was spectacular. Thank you

The food... good lord... 4 sections... appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. The menu is small but because of this, so much flavor and presentation can care can go into each dish. My appetizer... ahi tuna. Seared perfectly and encrusted with magic. The salad.. pear salad with an amazing dressing and what tasted like candied nuts. The entrée. Pork porterhouse... a slab of meat cooked so deliciously that I couldn't stop eating it. The sides with the entrée were flavorful as well. And the dessert... bread pudding... haven't had bread pudding in years and now I want to make some at home to satisfy this craving that novios has now given me. The cocktails were well crafted and the atmosphere was very intimate. Fully intend to return before the year is up.

This is a quiet beautiful little gem in downtown Bangor and the food is amazing and the owner makes you really feel important. I recommend this bistro highly it has an amazing wine selection as well as an amazing whiskey selection so if you’re looking for fine dining this is the place to go!

Fantastic atmosphere, food, drink & service.
Idk why anyone would go to a chain joint, when for a few bucks more you could get a real dining experience instead of a meal.