Nouvelle Restaurant

While staying at the Page House Inn, the owner recommended this restaurant. She described it as a hole in the wall restaurant with excellent food. She was absolutely right.
They have an extensive wine list for a teeny tiny restaurant. They have a counter with stools so you can eat your meal and watch the behind the scenes of meal creation or sit at tables.
I am not a broccoli fan so I skipped the soup du jour broccoli soup with coconut milk. Other guests seemed to like it.
I started off with the house salad: baby greens, pecans, strawberries, & apples with a wonderful fruity vinaigrette. I took the server’s advise and had the special: shrimp crab and mussels over fresh fettuccine with a homemade tomato sauce. I had to leave sauce on my plate … I would have so dunked bread in it. YUM
HIGHLY RECOMMEND … only downsides they don’t take American Express and with the intimate setting regulars at the counter heckling the chef took away from the overall experience.
Ample parking next to the building.

10’s!!!
Porkchop was unrealllll!
I had a special with crab and jumbo shrimp in succotash! It was sooo good!
The basil smash was one of the best drinks ive ever had!
All their drinks look amazing. Cant wait to come back.

A small hole in the wall restaurant that could seat about 15 to 20 people. The food was excellent! One of the best seafood pastas I’ve had. The duck confit and risotto were cooked properly and bursting with flavor.
The only complaint I have is the service. We went around 7pm on a Friday evening. The place wasn’t packed yet but it took over 15 minutes for the waiter to take our orders. We didn’t get a refill on our drinks while he poured himself a coke with some kind of liquor for himself. Sitting at the bar/​counter, we can see everything. A friend’s $ 10 glass of wine was only filled ¹⁄₃ way. And it took too long to receive our checks. He just wasn’t attentive to his customers.
I would give this place 5 stars if it wasn’t for the service.

Always a treat to come here. Today they had not one but TWO soft shell crab specials for lunch! Old school sandwich with fries, which looked great — but I opted for the low-​carb version, and it was PERFECT:
1 very very fresh soft shell, *barely* battered, over asparagus, puréed sweet
potato, and roasted grape tomatoes. I nearly licked the plate.
Bonus points for accommodating my non-​sweet potato eating friend’s request and doubling down on the asparagus and tomatoes :)
Rina & Luke rock!

A wonderful art-​adorned restaurant that has a well-​balanced menu with enough to please all palettes. Cocktails are flavorful, well-​priced and, most importantly, staunch. We ordered the Black and Blue as well as the Texas Margarita. Both had us ordering more rounds. The entrees ordered were the bouillabaisse and the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ Cheeseburger. The seafood is fresh and robust, and it will leave you satisfied. The burger was honestly one of the best I’ve had, largely due to the fact it was a delicious blend of lamb and beef. When cooked to a perfect medium temperature, the juiciness is not compromised when met with the grilled flavor. I recommend this restaurant to any foodie who appreciates the small nuances that make a dish wonderful.

Popping in for lunch during the week. I sat at the bar (super cute). I enjoyed a glass of wine, the Nouvelle Wrap and the bread pudding. Very nice portion for a great price. The wrap was out of this world and I found the cherry vinaigrette addicting. The bread pudding was how you would expect a yummy desert bread. It wasn’t like a typical bread pudding with little chunks of break that make up the pudding. It was topped with a warm salted caramel sauce (WOW).
The place is small (6 seats or so at the bar, a couple high tops and a couple tables in the back) and it was great to see the chef working her magic. The staff was extremely friendly (Chef, server and 1 additional person). I can’t wait to go back!

We came to this lovely little spot as part 1 of our moving-​out-​of-​Virginia-​give-​me-​all-​the-​good-​food food crawl.
Atmosphere: We sat at the bar of the small restaurant, which led to great conversation with the staff/​owners, light shed on inside jokes, and great food and drink suggestions.
Service: The people that work here really love and respect food and for a wannabe foodie, it makes the whole experience amazing start to finish. There was laughter, stories and good conversation throughout service without simple details missed (if you read my reviews then you know how I feel about empty water glasses… sometimes a pivotal factor in the service perspective). I left full, hydrated and slightly buzzed (with a responsible DD of course!)
Food: I had the Ahi Tuna, coconut chili, Asian slaw (it had a pretty Philipino name that I can’t remember). So good! Definitely the perfect pick to get the day started; filling enough to leave me satisfied but light enough to allow for the gluttony scheduled to take place the rest of the day. Husband had the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burger; half lamb, half beef, half a pound. I may or may not have been stealing little bits and pieces of his burgers and ate a handful or so of his handcut fries! While I was completely satisfied with and loved my food, that burger made me jealous of my husbands plate. After the meals had been devoured, we were served ginger crème brûlée and butterscotch bread pudding. The bread pudding was good for sure, but that ginger crème brûlée was amazing! Awesome food from great people… I couldn’t have left happier.

I apologize for the lack of specific details in this post. We ate at Nouvelle a few days before Valentines Day, and they don’t have a website with all of their offerings to jog my memory. Luckily I took a few photos of parts of the menu.
Anyways, we ordered cocktails, but since I didn’t take a photo of that, and since their menu isn’t available online, I can’t remember exactly what I ordered… Pretty sure the first one was a margarita, and the second one was bourbon and basil.
We couldn’t decide on one appetizer, so we chose two. We had the pork belly (heritage pork from Leaping Waters Farm, braised with miso & ginger, served with Brothers Farm greens, strawberries and a balsamic glaze) & the Kinilaw; a Filipino style ceviche (fresh Ahi tuna marinated in ginger, coconut milk, soy, & chili peppers; served on top of Asian slaw). Both were amazing, but the pork belly was definitely the favorite. The saltiness of the meat with the sweetness of the strawberries was absolutely delicious.
For our entrees, I went with my standby: scallops. These scallops were served with sauteed local, seasonal apples, grilled bok choy and farrotto (farro risotto). This dish was wonderful and substantial. I would have never thought of serving apples with scallops, but this is something I definitely want to recreate at home. G had the pork chop, and while it was delicious, he said that the pork chops I make are better. Not going to lie, I love it when he says that…:)
They were only offering one dessert the night we went, bread pudding, so we went with that. It was delicious.
I’ve read a lot of positive press about Nouvelle, and it definitely lived up to the hype. I can’t wait to go back and try some other things from the menu. And someone else needs to go and try their famous ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burger. I’ll never order it, since I don’t eat lamb, but I’ve heard it’s amazing.

This is one of those places where I had high hopes for and probably get way too hyped to go to. And it just falls a little bit flat. Probably a solid 3.5 stars in my book.
This is a place you NEED to make reservations for on a Friday/​Saturday night dinner. It’s a very small place, with only 2 high tables in the front, about 7 seats at the bar facing the kitchen, and a couple of tables in the back. There’s a small parking lot in the back, but we couldn’t find parking there, so we just parked in the visitors parking of the Chrysler Museum and walked over to it. Like other Unilocalers have said, it looks like a hole in the wall from the outside with a diner sign outside. But the place smells fantastic when you first walk in.
We were 10 minutes early for our reservations but we got seated right away. It wasn’t too busy, but there are only 2 waiters, one who also bartends. The cooks and I believe the owner were fun and singing along to the songs. It was light and fun atmosphere. My boyfriend got an Old Fashion, and I got the strawberry martini. The drinks were okay, they did use Grey Goose, probably the reason for the $ 11 price tag. After we got our drinks, we ordered appetizers, and it took a while for the waiter to get back to us to get our entrée orders.
We got the pork belly and the ahi tuna appetizer. The pork belly was phenomenal. The flavors were great, and it actually worked really well with the strawberries and greens. The ahi tuna had an Asian slaw that had a kick to it neither of us were expecting. The slaw was good, but just overall it was a little bland. All I could taste was the spiciness, and that’s about it.
We waited more than average for our entrees. He got the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ Burger, and I got the Duck Confit. The duck confit was a little too salty for me, the risotto it came with heavy on the salt too, which just made it a little unpleasant for me. He liked the burger but thought the pork belly was much better.
This place is a little pricey for what they serve you. I wasn’t too impressed. The owner/​chef is a very friendly lady who seems to work hard. She pretty much cooks everything and you can tell she’s passionate.
The service was a little slow. It took more than 20 minutes for us to finally get our checks. I probably wouldn’t make the 40 minute trip from Newport News to come here again. Definitely make reservations if you plan on checking this place out. A lot of people had to put their names in even though there were some empty seats. They were all reserved. And you can make reservations on Unilocal!It doesn’t get more convenient then that!

This place is GREAT! I ordered the chicken Provençal with garlic mash, bacon gravy and brothers farm greens. It would make a puppy pull a freight train!!! The staff were so friendly. And don’t tell Mema but this is the only place that has rivaled her fried chicken.
I also ordered the Texas margarita and couldn’t be happier!

Love this place! Super friendly team, never had a bad experience or sub-​par food. We can vouch for the Moules Frites (big enough for a meal), the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ Burger, Chicken Provencal, and whatever bread pudding they have going… just get it.
Really like being able to watch the cooking. Fine Dining in a Short Order set up…
We recommended Nouvelle almost every time we’re asked for a place to go in Norfolk.
I need some bread pudding.

Umm this place place is insane. Looks like a hole in the hole from the outside but in reality, not so much. So delicious and such nice staff!!! What a nice evening spent in Norfolk!!!

Headed in for lunch today based on the Unilocal reviews. Very surprising little spot. It”s small, so I would imagine reservations would be recommended for dinner. Today, however, there was no wait and we were seated right away. The lunch menu is limited, but had several interesting items.
We went for the burgers, cooked medium. Hubby wasn’t sure about smoked Gouda (he’s an American cheese kinda guy, but I still love him!), but was feeling adventurous. We both got bacon on our burgers and the garlic aioli on the side, because I’ve found places either make it really well or they don’t and you don’t want that to ruin the whole thing if it’s the latter case. We were pleasantly surprised! The Gouda works amazingly well with the bacon and the aioli was fantastic (even yummy enough to dip the fries in!) — the smokey flavors really complimented each other! They lost a star because both burgers were under (more rare to mid at best) and the bacon was under as well.
Service was fantastic! Our server was attentive (without being intrusive) and had a fantastic personality! All in all the cuisine is probably a bit ambitious for Hubby, but I’d like to try it again for dinner.

Don’t let the exterior (or interior for that matter) fool you; this is a restaurant where the chefs truly care about the food they serve. There’s only about 20 or so seats, and the atmosphere gives you more of a pizza joint vibe than authentic French restaurant, but the chefs are friendly and the service top notch. Our server told us they were about to get in some new tables — this is clearly a work in progress, but a promising one indeed.
We started off the evening with mussels. My oh my, the mussels. Do yourself a favor and get an order as soon as you walk in the door! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such large mussels before, and they were cooked expertly. For dinner, we all had the boeuf Bourguignon. A very tasty meal with a generous helping of beef and lots of delicious veggies, although we all wished there had been a little more sauce to help moisten up the dish.
Definitely a great addition to the Norfolk NEON District. We are looking forward to our next meal there!

Decent food
Small restaurant
Decent staff
Variety was slim
Clean
Would like if it had more variety and we didn’t sit next to a loud crowd.
Bill was a bit high for the amount of food, but it’s Virginia.

Really enjoyed this little restaurant. Found it on Unilocal (as we do all the new fun places we try!) looking for a pre-​theater dinner spot. This little place doesn’t look like much from the outside but the food choices are quite unique.
I was impressed with the simple yet hardy menu that offered something for everyone, even vegetarians. Hubby had the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burger which he enjoyed. Definitely recommend going medium well as the medium was a bit too rare with the lamb mix. Hubby had to ask them to cook it a bit more once the outer edges were gone. The fries were soft and could have done with better cooking. The house made ketchup was fantastic!
I had the beef burgundy which was a simple dish but done very well. The sauce was thick and had a nice taste and the vegetables were cooked very well. The beef was also cooked well. I really enjoyed the potatoes it came atop also; together it made for a very filling comforting plate. Dish could have easily been shared.
Staff was nice and helpful, friendly and accommodating. Parking was not fantastic and I definitely recommend making a reservation on a weekend or whenever there’s a show at the Opera house.

Tucked away in a little corner behind some other buildings around the area. This quaint little spot is nothing short of amazing! From the time we stepped foot in, till the last bite of bread pudding, lots of «mmmm» and «so good» lip smacking sounds could be heard from us. There’s a very limited amount of seating available, but they do take reservation if you plan on bringing your whole crew. Otherwise, expect to wait a few minutes for a table to clear out during their busier nights (typically the weekends). They do have a bar area where you can enjoy watching all the magical food making happen. The owner/​chef is typically front and center ready to entertain. The first night that we came here, we weren’t as impressed with the hospitality of the staff, but it was understood since it was super busy. Plus their food and cocktail drinks made up for it.
So far we’ve had the chance to sample their scallop with apples and the fried chicken in mash. Both amazing dishes! If you’re feeling really hungry, go with the chicken; the food portion is massive. The scallops though, oh the scallops! How they melt in your mouth with each bite. Paired well with the sweet and acidic apple slices, it was like a tug of war party in my mouth. And the bread pudding was the perfect end cap to such a great meal.
Overall, a very intimate small setting with delicious food that will leave you grinning with glee. We will definitely return for the filipino kinilaw and drinks!
Had to knock off a star for the lack of non-​beef options available. But I heard they rotate their menu often, so hopefully more options would make the cut.

This is one of those «little engine that could» type of restaurants. As per the chef, it has 23 seats. There are a handful of seats at the counter (behind which the chefs cook), a couple of two-​tops up front, and a few more tables in the back. It’s not fancy, but it’s cozy. I took a seat at the counter, because it’s fun to interact with chefs and watch them cook.
Frankly, it’s amazing what they can do given the food truck-​esque kitchen set-​up. Portable burners, a flat-​top, a small oven… they really get the most out of what they’ve got. It’s a friendly environment, and service was a combination of servers coming by and the chefs simply handing me things, either of which was fine by me. One server was training, and he made a couple of rookie mistakes – trying to tell me the specials before I had even gotten my coat off and then taking my completed credit card receipt while I was still sitting there (wait until I’m gone!) – but by and large service was attentive and solid.
I had two courses, and you can see the potential here. I began with a Filippino-​style ceviche, which was a generous portion of ahi over an «Asian slaw» and combined sweetness from coconut milk with a hint of chili. I was quite pleased with it. For my main, I had a daily special, which was shrimp and scallops over grits with goat cheese. The seafood was cooked well, and while cheese and seafood are usually a bit of a no-​no, the cheese went well with the grits and the whole thing was quite flavorful. Both dishes had a hint of green, herbs clipped from the chef’s miniature counter-​top garden. The only thing that kept the food from being excellent was my final bite of scallop: I got a major mouthful of shell or grit (not grits!) that had me picking little pieces out of my mouth for the next couple of minutes. Bummer, because I was probably headed to five stars until that final bite.
I decided to pass on dessert – there were a couple of types of bread pudding, which just didn’t grab me. A little too carb-​laden for someone who keeps an eye on his blood sugar. Still, all in all, even if I couldn’t love Nouvelle, I still liked them very much and would return if I’m back in Norfolk at some point.

The Nouvelle Restaurant is becoming one of my new favorite local eateries. It is conveniently located about a 20 minute walk away from my Ghent apartment and situated on the right hand side of Grace Street, between Duke and Boush Street, as you are coming from the Chrysler Museum.
I have dined here three times during the past week, once for dinner and twice for lunch. My first visit was for dinner this past Monday evening. Although they were out of some of their menu items, I was still able to enjoy two fine dishes still available.
Listed under the Starters and Small Plates section, I first ordered the following dish, with its description quoted on their menu:
HERITAGE FARM PORK BELLY: «Heritage Pork from Leaping Waters Farm braised with Miso and Ginger served with Brothers Farm Greens, Strawberries, and Balsamic Glaze.»
An array of delicious pork belly slices was presented beautifully on a bed of greens, combined with the miso and ginger to form a very nice taste combination. The strawberries and balsamic glaze provided additional background flavors which were very pleasant and nicely proportioned without being overwhelming.
From the Main Course section of their menu, I ordered the following:
CHICKEN PROVENCAL: «Marinated in Herb de Provence, Garlic and Buttermilk, fried crispy and moist, served with Roasted Garlic Mash with Bacon Gravy and Brothers Farm Greens.»
For the short version, one word will suffice: Awesome! This dish totally blew me away. The chicken was crispy, moist, and delicious. All of the other ingredients combined together beautifully, forming an exquite composition that sang with a rising symphony of flavors with each bite.
I was only able to eat about half of it before becoming full. Accordingly, the chef described this as their «heaviest» dish, which he attributed mostly to the bacon gravy. I took the rest home and enjoyed it the next morning for breakfast.
With their recently established cocktail program, I enjoyed a couple of drinks during my meal. First, I enjoyed a plain Hendricks Gin martini, which was very pleasant.
Next, I ordered a shot of their CRAGGANMORE 12 YEAR, SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKEY, as listed on their Spirits menu. It was profoundly smooth and immensely flavorful. I highly recommend this for anybody who is an aficionado of single malt scotch whiskey.
I do have one suggestion for their bar program. Although their bar shelf is small, it appears to have room for one more bottle. As it now stands, their only brand of gin is Hendrick’s. In contrast, they stock two brands of vodka, namely Grey Goose and Ketel One.
My suggestion would be to add one more brand of gin to even out the imbalance. One idea would be to go with a more traditional London dry brand of gin for those who do not like the cucumber notes of Hendrick’s. To this end, one can hardly go wrong with Beefeater’s.
Perhaps a better idea might be to go with a brand that is more compatible with the French influences of their cuisine. One that comes to mind is Citadelle, a fine French gin which has been produced since 1998.
Shifting to my lunch visits, I especially enjoyed the following special one day this past week, as described on their Facebook page:
3 LITTLE PIGS: Gochujang Pulled Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Pork Belly, And Applewood Smoked Bacon, Topped With Asian Slaw, Sandwiched In A Brioche Bun, Served With Hand Cut Fries,
Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste, made with red chilis, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. I love this stuff and was raised on fermented tofu during my childhood. The Gochujang added some exhilarating zest to this scrumptious sandwich.
For my second lunch visit, I enjoyed their ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ LAMB AND BEEF BURGER, a dish that is normally featured on their dinner menu, but which is frequently offered on their Saturday lunch menu, as it was yesterday.
The taste combination of the beef and lamb was divine. My only reservation about the lunch specials i enjoyed is that I prefer my fries with a little more crisp and crunch, which I know can be a difficult effect to achieve during the lunch time rush.
It is my sense that Nouvelle is a hidden gem of a restaurant, one that is trending upward and peaking toward greater culinary heights. The chefs and servers who work here truly keep it real and are very passionate about their cuisine.
For my future visits, I am looking forward to trying their Kinilaw, which is a Filipino style cerviche, and their Crispy Adoba Quail, both of which are currently listed on their Starters and Small Plates dinner menu.
On their Main Course menu, I am looking particularly forward to their Duck Confit, and hopefully one or more of their fresh catch fish specials, such as the tautog, salmon, and grouper specials featured in some of their recent photos on Facebook and elsewhere.
Bön Appetit!

My son and I tried this spot for lunch because I wanted to try some French Cuisine. I had my eye on two dishes before we came. Yes, I studied the menu! lol We found that the two dishes were unavailable. :(There was a very nice Filipina lady who mentioned there were some dishes with our cultural influence. I think it’s great and I would love to try but, was really in the mood to try a Bouillabaisse and/​or Chicken Provençal which is the entire reason I chose this spot. At this point, I was confused where the angle of the restaurant was taking me. French/​Asian/​American/​Fusion! That’s it! We started with an Asian ahi tuna app, a scallop salad w/​strawberries, and a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ beef & lamb burger. Our favs was the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ Burger. Delicious!!! Forgot to mention the tea… Lavender tea! First time I’ve ever had lavender tea! It was yummy!
Food was great and I’d love to try again when/​if they have the French cuisine available. Overall, regardless of cuisine theme, service was acceptable, food was good & burger, succulent!