A nice cafe that is packed on weekends so either book or you may have to wait or come back. The food is very fresh and tasty and I can recommend the Nova Katsu burger which comes with fries. Just check the menu and the times they are served as we arrived at 1 pm and thought we could order the lunch but was only given the breakfast menu. It is in a great location on the Octagon, next to the Dunedin Gallery and cinema.
A nice chill vibe, if you want to get away from annoying loud rowdy students then this is the spot. Nice dessert place to end of a nice lovely dinner plus a cinema next to it, how convenient. Nice place to take your date. Quiet, intimate and good food. Customer service is spot on, they seem very nice and actually get to you on time and not leave you waiting for too long. I didnt like that weird sparkling water they served me though. Not for me but still give it a try
Food: 8/10
Customer Service: 8/10
You can never really go wrong with Nova. Some of their food is a bit on the bland side though. Great place for a coffee and a quick bite. You can do better if you're after a full meal.
Set high above the Octagon is Nova, a cafe in Dunedin old city. Very friendly and welcoming, clean busy full and queues forming occasionally at the door. Exquisite porridge. Coffee ok Bacon and eggs etc well executed. Tea raised to a high art. Caring people. Prices a tad over the odds but it’s full. Slainte
I've been here a couple times and have found that I tended to enjoy the entrè and desserts more than I did the mains. This isn't to say the mains were bad, moreso that I tended to find the mains to be slightly underwhelming to my expectations.
The ambience of the place is clean and crisp. Having it connected to the art gallery is also a plus as it gives it an added air of sophistication.
Came here for brunch this morning, great place for a catch up and not too busy so we had great customer service. My partner had the french toast and liked that it came with stewed fruit and lemon mascapone but said it would have been good if there were 3 slices of French toast instead of 4 or more mascapone. I had the haloumi which was yummy I loved the hash it came on so tasty and super crunchy. Tomatoes cooked perfectly not over done at all. Good nice coffee got a double shot but not bitter. Will be back to try more.
Came here for brunch. Busy day at nova as usual. Food came fast and wow I was amazed at the size of the dish.
Huge burger with avocado and mayo sauce. The chicken was tender and flavourful. And half of the plate was all fries!
Needless to say, I was very full after that.
We usually end up at Nova some stage when we visit Dunedin. Great location, nice atmosphere, friendly staff and you can depend on the food and coffee to be good.
We had dinner and went for the chef specials which were great - a lamb dish and a risotto. Beaut. They also have drinks specials so we tried an orange-infused G&T which was beautiful.
This was one of the few restaurants open for breakfast on a Sunday morning. The service is great. My attendant was able to answer all of my queries. The food was pretty good too! We enjoyed the veg croquettes and eggs benedict!
Gruyere is my favorite melty cheese and goodness do they do gruyere in a sandwich. Nova is a cafe with a bathroom and they're in the octagon of shitty Dunedin.
Good food, good service. Delicious donuts, amazing wedges and the drinks were pretty good too. Will definitely return again, especially for donuts
Amazing! Everything from staff to food to coffee is A M A Z I N G :) I work just around the corner so I'm there a fear bit :) oh and the cream filled donuts OMG!!!
Nova is our go to cafe!
Excellent food, a variety of fresh and delicious local produce is always a key element of the dish.
Frequently eat here for dinner with my mother, or for date night with my partner, we are especially fond of the pulled pork and the delicious risotto. The chocolate brownie is TO DIE FOR!
Service is always outstanding! Friendly, attentive staff are always willing to have a chat even when the place is full to the door with customers. Taking the time to treat customers with a certain personal interest sets Nova's staff apart from many other restaurants in the CBD and keeps us coming back. Particularly notable of the wonderful consideration we receive if we arrive at 7pm and need to be out quickly in time for a movie or the theatre at 7.45pm.
Give Nova a go, you will not be disappointed! :D
Nova Cafe has long been a favourite of mine and so after my experience round the corner at another place came to Nova seeking the familiar good food and service. We were not disappointed. Great welcome as always, water as you sit down tasty food presented well. Fantastically presented and tasting drinks. I recommend Otago summer fruits ice tea as a great alternative to fizz for a non alcoholic drink. Then G&T made with Hendricks and added cucumber slices is so refreshing. Another great meal. Thank you
Great place great service. We were there on a Thursday night and didn't arrive until 9pm and the place was still buzzing.
Fantastic place. We went to Nova for lunch. From the minute we walked in the door we were looked after and attended to. Our meal was on the table within 15 minutes and we thoroughly enjoyed the Gumbo and the Angus beef pie.
Was so nice. We were going to order two lots of fries but the waitress informed of the large amount of chips on offer so only one was ordered. She was right, and the plate received was enough to full two and feed more. Its nice to have staff trying to help you have a lovely experience rather than sell, sell, sell. Gumbo was also ordered and well liked. Wish I could give 4 1/2 stars rather than 4. Only reason to mark down was the inability to order fatter fries, and the amount of orange in the water. Good work otherwise Nova!
Extensive menu, something for everyone. good food and service, caters well for all ages, children included. friendly efficient staff and pleasant surroundings. Entry for Chocolate competition for Dunedin Chocolate festival (Cheesecake) was bland but poached pear and Pernod sauce delicious.
Best Eggs Benny around!! Great place for brunc, super friendly staff make such a difference!! Amazing coffee also!
Went there for dinner the other night with some friends. The place has just been done up and looks fantastic. It has a fresh, welcoming and stylish atmosphere and look. The service was the best we have had in Dunedin, the staff were fast, knowledgeable and very friendly. I had the calamari for an entree' it was well presented and amazing. Then the venison special which was amazing! Mouth watering and left me wanting more, but must note it was a good size for the price. Then I tried the white chocolate cone for dessert which was to die for! Over all an excellent place to dine and would recommend it to everyone.
My family and I went here after a trip to the art gallery and it was lovely. We got the small fries (pictured below) and pear and Berry slice if I remember correctly. In terms of gluten free options in the cabinet they had brownies and one other slice, plus the fries were gluten free. Fries were perfectly crunchy and my dad enjoyed the slice. Always a pleasure to go here
Excellent entrees and desserts here. Desserts are the best, containing both classics and creative dishes. I can't justify paying the full price for the mains, as they are underwhelming and somewhat boring. Food and drinks came out very quickly, even though the restaurant was full before a show at the Regent Theatre. Water refills were somewhat slow though. Ideal location in the Octagon
Breakfast was lovely. The eggs were very small, although the pic doesn't reflect that well. Parking was convenient. And the service was very good. I'd give a 4.5 star if it had that option.
A friend introduced me to this fine café, which is adjacent to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. On arrival we ordered coffees and delectable donuts, which one can inject with a filling of their choice. Lingering in the pleasant ambience, we later ordered lunch, which included a very tasty and lofty hamburger. A great café experience.
It was a cozy place and great food for brunch time. Excellent services and good price. I'll be back to try other menus.
Amazing, went there twice, once for dinner and again for lunch.
I had really good burger called a Nova burger, was delicious! Emerson's beer selection is fantastic.
Went back the day after and had an injected donut. Was really good! A really novelty and delicious to boot!
Very recommended. Just make you book first!
Good place to have a good breakfast to start the day. Very friendly staffs and they are helpful. In the afternoon, there are variety choices of cakes for tea time. Good Earl Grey tea served here.
New chef great new menu.
This review was written in 2022. Sadly in 2023 Nova closed. It is sadly missed!
Always my go to cafe. Beautiful kai😊😊
Update: 1st back to Nova Cafe in a long time and still up there in my top 5 in Dunedin. Food and coffee still 💣💥, i had the Nova Bagel special breakfast with beetroot jam, greens, bacon, half an avocado, egg on a bagel bun.
Sooooo goood!! ❤️ ❤️
Went for dinner after the movies. Highly recommended going just to experience the donuts that you get to inject with any flavour you like. Service was very attentive and friendly. Great place.
Went for branch this morning with my friends. got really nice Salad called Buddha Bowl with very fresh veg, nice latte, just strong enough for me as I ordered single shot. very friendly waitress too.
Excellent cafe in central Dunedin. The Snickers Smoothie was very tasty and filling; the Eggs Benedict was cooked perfectly with runny yolks and very tasty baked salmon. Would recommend.
This was by far the best donut I've ever had! They have many flavors but I tried the salted caramel which was amazing. It was also fun to inject the filing into the donut myself. The staff was really nice and helpful. I would definitely go back here when I'm in the area!
Lovely social dinner place. Dessert is the highlight of the night.
Tried to go here for lunch, however is was very busy. Instead went for breakfast the next morning. Food is superb, although maybe on the slightly expensive side. They serve a range of food in the day from french toast through to ramen. Coffee is good, and they provide you with sparkling water when you sit down. This can be changed to still by simply asking
Our meals were absolutely delicious! The lamb was cooked to perfection with beautiful accompanying flavors in the vegetables. Staff were really friendly and the meals came promptly.
The avocado and lime cheese cake was sublime! Everyone in our party was impressed with the whole experience.
Thankyou for a fabulous evening!
Nice cafe in Dunedin.
The donuts are good. You can choose several flavours. $8.9 coffee is also nice i like it.
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