Novare Res Bier Café

Novare Res Bier CaféNovare Res Bier Café
Novare Res Bier CaféNovare Res Bier Café
Bar, Eatery

4 Canal Plaza
Suite 1
Portland, Maine, 04101
United States

(207) 761-2437 | map
novareresbiercafe.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.48
Reviews:
144
Ratings:
295
pDev:
10.04%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tendermorsel:
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Reviewed by tendermorsel from Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
I finally had a chance to check out this place on a recent trip to Portland for the Gargamel release. I had high hopes for this place as I knew Eric the owner from his Moan and Dove days. It exceeded all my expections.

First off the location is near perfect. Right in the middle of downtown Portland in the middle of all the action. Perfect scores for atomsphere. Tons of beer decarations. Gorgous wood panneling on the bar and classic tables and furnature. Appearently this was all hand made by Eric and his family. The best looking bar I have been to in a long time.

Great tap and bottle list. We were there for Belgian weeks so the taps were mostly Belgian. I had a Mad Bitch. My buddy had a Cantillon Iris. There were about 15-20 taps and all were high quality.

The service was great. I ran into Eric at Allagash earlier in the day and he offered to call his staff have and have them open an hour early just so we could check the place out and avoid a later drive to Boston. The staff was great. Quick to talk about beer and very knowlegable too. I liked the fact that they were doing a mug club there just like the Moan and Dove.

The food was OK.. One of my friends ordered a small meat plate which looked good. I didn't come here for the food however.

Overall I would highly reccomend this place. I plan on going back again soon. I would be a regular here if I lived aroud here. I wish I could have stayed for more than one beer.
Jun 03, 2009
More User Ratings:
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Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4.54/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
Visited in Apr 2023 during a road trip to attend NERAX... Did someone in Boston suggest this bar to me or did I find it on BA? No clue... I remember parking being a bit problematic... Basement, billiards hall type of vibe. Low ceilings, dim lighting. Brick walls, flecked with tin ads... I sat at the bar end near the left corner... I may have previewed the menu before arrival, but I was still impressed by the variety in beer and food... looking back through my reviews, I drank Oxbow Dulcette, Rodenbach Grand Cru, and Oxbow Arboreal (I think in that order) and ate 'a board of speck, goat cheese, honeyed craisins and Marconi almonds, etc'. Sounds good. I do recall the tap list being all over the place, in a good way. Tough to make quick decisions... Service was serviceable. I remember chatting a bit with a group next to me. Pleasant time all around... This was my kind of bar, for the most part. Tucked away, dungeon feel, but warm energy. I could get down with this being a regular haunt.
Feb 23, 2024
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Reviewed by Kgoldsbe from Colorado

4.48/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Excellent beer list, friendly staff, knowledgeable clientele, and tasty food. The only knock on this place is that it can be hard to find for first time visitors. In the long run is this really a negative?
Dec 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.69 by not2quick from Missouri

Oct 31, 2023
 
Rated: 4.3 by cratez from Canada (ON)

Sep 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.68 by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

Sep 05, 2023
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Reviewed by Sheppard from Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
Novare is one of the best beer bars in the country and that's certainly something that they've earned and have proven time and again why that is the case. The vibe is kind of on the random Belgian/European bar side, it's better at events and when the outside patio is open. Even those events still seem to have a chill, friendly atmosphere. Service can vary and I don't remember if I've had food here beyond a special event. Regardless, a place I visit every time I'm in Portland.
Feb 07, 2023
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Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.25/5  rDev -5.1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
Visited on a Sunday before Memorial Day, one of the few places still open. Inside is quiet, patio is packed. Good selection of Belgian taps intermingled with local craft. Great service. Very laid back vibe. Food available.
Nov 29, 2022
 
Rated: 4.55 by IdrinkGas from Pennsylvania

Oct 10, 2022
 
Rated: 4.31 by Mikexw from New York

Jul 17, 2022
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Rated by jseidl from New Jersey

4.89/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Super chill vibe, great outdoor space, awesome selection of beers. a "must visit" if you are in/near Portland and a beer fan.
Sep 27, 2021
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Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
cool beer bar and restaurant tucked back an alley in downtown Portland. We sat outside since it was during COVID times, they have a sizable deck. Great taplist of about 2 dozen beers, mix of New England craft beers and European classic imports. Service was good. We didn't eat, we only came for drinks after dinner.
Sep 05, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by acurtis from New Jersey

Aug 31, 2020
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Reviewed by socon67 from New York

4.83/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Easily one of the best beer stores I've ever been in. Place does look like it belongs in Belgium; very rustic and chill vibe. Their selection is heavily influenced by imports, but I jumped at the chance to get a crowler and some bottles of Maine locals I'll not see back home. Service was incredible, and while I didn't have food it was evident that the small plates they offered were high quality. So glad to be able to stop by.
Jul 29, 2020
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Reviewed by tjcarbone from New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Visited spring and fall of 2017. Welcoming, cozy tavern. A very impressive selection. A must visit for any beer lover. Seasonal seating outside available.
Mar 29, 2020
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Reviewed by Jgitelman from Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I could only give this place 5's across the board because it really was that perfect. Wide, eclectic list of draught and bottled beers. I had a great local Maine sour and my buddy had a Weisse beer in his favorite glass that brought him back to Europe. Ourr server, Jasmine, knew her stuff. Surprisingly the pork taco special is the thing that still stands out in my mind - what flavor! Cannot wait to go back to Novares Res and explore more. A happy place.
Nov 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.54 by REVZEB from Illinois

Oct 10, 2019
 
Rated: 4.41 by A_Rad from Wisconsin

Aug 09, 2019
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Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

4.35/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5
I FINALLY got to tick Novare Res off my bucket list last trip to Portland. I almost couldn't find the place because the building it's in didn't look like a bar at all, and at first I didn't notice the stylized letters running down the wall. But once inside, it's a truly genuine Belgian bar vibe. This is probably the only bar in the US that I've been to other than Monk's that really gives me that authentic feeling that I experienced in the bars I visited in Belgium, albeit with an obvious American twist. When I went there was an event going on, I forget what, maybe an anniversary or something. All I know is I got a relatively inexpensive pour of Hommage, and there was also a rare Black Albert variant on tap, as well as a bunch of other stuff. Despite the event, the place wasn't too crowded and service was fine. I did not sample the food or even look at the menu. If I wasn't pressed for time, I could've spent the whole day there, and hopefully one day I will get back.
Jul 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.23 by Griffith from Connecticut

Mar 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.19 by thegink from New York

Feb 18, 2019
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Rated by ajemianj from Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +8.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
This is the best beer bar in Portland. Can’t believe it hasn’t been rated more.
Dec 11, 2018
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Rated by spolgrean from New York

4.54/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5
Great place for Belgian beers, always have unique beers on draft, and a bottle list that is out of this world.
Sep 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.03 by PhillyStyle from Georgia

May 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.27 by Budlum from Maryland

May 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.23 by Beersilio from Massachusetts

May 06, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by Tmappin from Canada (NS)

Mar 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4.05 by xtonytx from Connecticut

Nov 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.41 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Oct 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.68 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Oct 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.33 by Montanabeerz from Montana

Aug 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.32 by Uconnelmo from Connecticut

Aug 05, 2017
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Rated by Harrypotter7 from New Hampshire

1/5  rDev -77.7%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1 | food: 1
Not great.
Jun 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.21 by dfecteau from Massachusetts

May 09, 2017
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Reviewed by ManapuaMan from Massachusetts

4.54/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75
Popped in midday Sunday so there were only handful of folks whom were all at the bar. Looked to be ~ 20 or so taps with a great representation from ME and New England in general. Bottle list is unreal - long, wide-reaching, comprehensive and exotic. Lots of those hard-to-find but oft-heard-of lambics. The vibe is the best part of the place - laid back, comfy but with an air of deep knowledge; like if a beer geek ran a bar: low on fluff, deep on content. These folks know their stuff. Highly recommended.
Oct 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.39 by coombski from Maine

Oct 22, 2016
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Reviewed by KEEPonPOURING from Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
First time dropping in at open on a Wednesday. Big place, had it all to ourselves but felt cozy. The bartender was very knowledgeable about the taps and the bottle list, which was INSANE (in an awesome way)! Attentive and welcoming at all times were the staff. Had my first ME lobster roll there. Couldn't beat $12. Best beer bar I've ever been to. I will absolutely be back.
Oct 10, 2016
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Reviewed by Tommyboy555 from Maine

4.87/5  rDev +8.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5
Been here many, many times. A must-stop whenever in Portland. Unfailingly good service and the staff knows their stuff. Beer selection is off the charts with an emphasis on foreign and difficult to find beers. Best times are when it's quiet or slow and you can chat with the super-knowledgable staff about beer. Several times after chatting, they have recommended a beer I had never tried -- and it has always been a winner! Schlenkerla Marzen smoked beer on tap? Great recommendation. Now it's one of my favorites. Novare is just wonderful.
Oct 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.93 by chiefbender from Georgia

Sep 20, 2016
 
Rated: 4.23 by Nomis from Massachusetts

Jul 24, 2016
Novare Res Bier Café in Portland, ME
Place rating: 4.48 out of 5 with 295 ratings