06/14/09

Disappointing.

by contributor639

The first time I went to Cafe Nuovo it was great. The second time was on a Waterfire night and it was awful. We made a reservation to sit outside a month in advance. We got to the restaraunt and had to wait 20 minutes to be seated. Our waitress was unfriendly and probably overworked. Our salads were great and came out fast. The main course took over an hour to come after the salads. The chicken oscar was not great. The chicken was dry and the cut of meat was disappointing. It was thin fillets - not what you would expect for $25. The dish supposedly came with lump crab meat but they hardly gave any crab. The potatoes were really good. My husband's veal was also overcooked but his risotto was good. The chocolate lava cake was $9 and we assumed it would be big enough to split. However it was very small and disappointing - I've had better at cheaper restaraunts. They also added $17 to our bill for drinks we never ordered, but they did take that off. I think this restaraunt booked too many tables for Waterfire and they couldn't handle it. I wouldn't be so upset if this restaraunt wasn't so expensive. I expected more from them considering our first experience with them was so good. The staff pretty much ignored the problems of the night.

• Pros: Location.
• Cons: They overbook Saturday nights.

06/14/09

Expected better

by stephie101

Would have had a better experience if we had gone on a night that wasn't waterfire. The food and service were ok, not what you would expect for such an expensive restaraunt.

• Pros: None.
• Cons: Don't go on a Waterfire Night

06/14/09

Good experience.

by smablanch

Went on a Friday night last year and everything was great. The staff was friendly and excellent. The meals were fabulous.

• Pros: Good location and food.

05/24/08

Threw out my reservation, and rude about it

by BPL1985

I made a reservation at Nuovo three weeks before my graduation for a nice dinner on the river with my family on the night before Commencement. I made an outdoor reservation, because I expected it to be so nice and the location is good (right next to the river), though they warned me that if it rained they couldn't honor it. The night came and it was 70 degrees out and clear skies, so I figured it was no problem. Wrong! When I got there, a man whose body language said he didn't care told me they told me they weren't seating outside because it was too cold. It was 70 degrees! And they didn't call me to warn me (I had given them my number), either. Overall, they were very rude about it, even laughing at me as I left with my parents and brother.

I won't even try to eat at Cafe Nuovo again. There are so many good restaurants in the area -- we went to Napa Valley Grille at the mall, and the food was delicious and the service was excellent.

10/21/07

best value

by daveofri

this is the best value in providence. excellent food, clean, great service, great presentation. the portions are very adequate. always consistent. for a simple reason.. dimitri , the owner, is there all the time and makes sure everything is right for everyone.

07/31/07

Excellent in some areas, lacking in others.

by aaronmc

I had initially heard of Cafe Nuovo because of the desserts. Later, I would hear other things. After finally going a few times, pretty much everything I heard was confirmed. Nuovo is a notorious haunt for Waterfire-zombies and businessmen getting blasted. While I didn't witness any zombies on my trips, the business crowd was in full force. Unfortunately for Nuovo, the drunken business crowd causes a lot of noise during peak hours that undoubtedly annoy other patrons. It certainly annoyed me. The restaurant's ambiance is very nice. I loved the high-backed chairs. The lighting is romantic. And tables are perfectly dressed. It had a casual trendiness that wasn't overpowering, just... chic. Service is beyond fast. Wait staff is a well-oiled machine with few hiccups. The wine list is very good, but expensive for no reason. Some barely adequate vintages carried insane prices. The menu is good. I liked the play of certain styles and ingredients, but the success of that play is spotty. Some Asian-influenced dishes, such as the Szechuan Surf & Turf, are so heavy on the salt as to nearly overpower the dish. Prices are odd. The adequate crab cake costs an eye-popping $13, but the filet is a very reasonable $31. Food presentation is glorious from beginning to end, though. Everything was beautiful. Still, for me, it all led up the desserts. Stunning presentation and inventiveness give you art when you expected creme brulee. And at $9 each, an absolute bargain. Believe me, go for the Baked Alaska. My cappuccino was the largest I've ever gotten and pretty good. Sugar comes in the form of a jar of flavored rock candy. And that's a good analogy for all of Nuovo. Food that takes a back seat to style. Not too much of a back seat, but noticeable. Even the desserts, presented wonderfully, are all rather basic in inception. Nuovo makes an attempt, but Al Forno still has the best desserts in town. Nuovo succeeds, surely, but more as an exercise in style over substance.

• Pros: Desserts, presentation is wonderful, service is fast, fast, fast.
• Cons: Style over substance permeates the menu. Wine list over-priced.

12/01/06

Unbelievable!!

by sdasilva0306

This place is amazing. My husband and I went to Providence for a romantic evening away and Cafe Nuovo made it an amazing experience. The food was indescribable. The only word that comes to my mind is AMAZING!! Our waiter was so kind and curtious. We had the escargote for an appetizer. It was our first time trying it ever, and what an experience it was. They cooked them in a butter, garlic,parmesan sauce. It was so good we were dipping our bread in the leftover sauce. I had the lamb and my husband had the lobster ravioli. They were both to die for. My lamb came with portabello and goat cheese mashed potatoes that were like nothing I had ever tasted before. The lobster ravioli was so big and full of lobster. I highly recomend the bananas napoleon for dessert....YUMMY!! All in all, the prices were very resonible for the high class cuisine you experience. I wish I could go everynight!! Believe me, you won't be dissapointed when you go.

• Pros: Ambience, cuisine choices, view

11/26/06

Excellent Restaurant!!!

by steve9835

This is the 1st time we went to Cafe Nuovo. Went on a Saturday night for 6:30 pm. It is right near the Amtrak train station acroos from Capital Grille. Plenty of parking outside with valet. There was no one there at 6:05 pm. We sat at the bar and had a drink. Very attentive bar staff. At 6:30 pm when we went to be seated, it was really starting to fill up. By 7 pm the place was packed with people at the door waiting to get a table.

The bar is very small (about 10 chairs), so get there early if you want to sit or even stand in the bar area.

The atmosphere is subdued lighting with some areas off the main floor that are romantic. Has great views of the city from most areas within the restaurant.

The menu is vast & diverse to say the least! It has something to please everyone. The Mushoo duck appetizer was excellent. It had 2 large wraps. The main meals, we had NY strip and the risotto with sea scallops, were both excellent! The NY strip was very thick and large. Did not expect such a large cut of beef. The desserts are truly works of art. We hated to eat them, but our dining guests on the side (who had just arrived to start their meal) said they would eat them for us! The meal for 2 with appetizers, cocktails, main meals and desserts was $175. Some may think that's sorta' high, but from the packed crowd eating and drinking nobody seem to mind.

Oh yeah, Rodney Harrison from the NE Patriots was sitting at the bar!

We will definitely go again!

• Pros: Parking, Menu diversity, Romantic, Can handle business dinners
• Cons: Small bar (waiting area), need reservations, a little pricey

05/09/06

Great views of waterfire

by geraldfun16

The food here is so good. The atmophere is romantic...a great date spot. Outside seating in the summer is perfect. Service is friendly and attentive.

03/02/05

Cafe Nuovo is spectacular!

by mrsmarissa

My husband and I try to make it over for dinner at Nuovo once a week. We absolutely LOVE this restaurant. So much so, that my husband proposed marriage one lovely Friday evening. The ambiance is so romantic, sometimes the bar area gets a little loud. Friday nights are great, Saturday nights are very busy and it's hard to get a table. Make a reservation. The food and desserts are out of this world!