8/15 Eight of us - four Sicilian Americans from Brooklyn- The marinated chicken special- very light on mushrooms; shrimp scampi- too heavy on garlic and pepper; ravioli perfect; lasagna perfect; linguine- too heavy with butter; tiramisu wonderful; chocolate cake very fine; cannoli great; spumoni fine; [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance fine but not NYC Sicilian;[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service- no complaints- Votes: seven 4's, one 3. Tab: $500 - - similar to Brooklyn with half as much food in Brooklyn. read more

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4 of us came in for dinner last night. I absolutely love chicken Parmesan and to me It's the benchmark of an Italian restaurant much like pad Thai is to a Thai restaurant. I did order chicken Parmesan and it was good but not great. The red sauce was good, but I guess my preference is getting this dish at other establishments. Not the end of the world or a low blow - it just did not wow me especially when you're spending over $200 without alcohol. The fried calamari was good, but there was no complementing sauce for dipping or typical condiments with it. My son ordered chicken Florentine in a white sauce that was very good. My wife had scallops which were very good and my mother-in-law shrimp scampi. Cannolis were for dessert. Busy, service was great and I would definitely go back but try something else. I would go back. read more

Casa Novello - Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Westbrook, Maine

I was so happy to find that Casa Novello has so many options for someone who is gluten free like myself. They can make any of their pastas with gluten free penne and they also can make their pizzas gluten free, aswell as the flatbread appetizer! It tasted amazing and i will definitely be coming back! read more

Well I gave Casa Novello another try and it still was disappointing. I ordered the scallops with mashed potatoes. My appetizer was a house salad. I was surprised when my food came out and the mashed potatoes were in a tiny bowl and obviously microwaved. The scallops were tiny and overcooked. I was still hungry at the end of dinner. read more

Most appetizers ranged mid to high teens. Mussels were not on the menu however bacon wrapped scallops were a special that day. My fault for not asking price. More than surprised that it was $28 on our bill. That was the same price as the chicken meal. Onion soup was a big disappointment- too salty, lukewarm and lacking in the amount of cheese on top. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The food and atmosphere was outstanding![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We have found a gem in Westbrook and are excited to return! Only downside was that our dinner has not come out by the time our neighboring table had ordered(they came in after us), had their meal and dessert and had left. It was a tad annoying. The waitress commented that the kitchen was busy, but my suspicion is that the kitchen had a mistake on the order. At the end of the day, the food was so good, that we will be back, and we will just chalk it up to an unexplained error. read more

Without question ....THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD IN MAINE !!! Moved from New Jersey 10 years ago. I almost cried when I tasted the ravioli ....It was like we were home again ! Food = 10 plus Service = 10 plus [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance 10 plus[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This is the REAL THING. We have been back 3 times in the past month...Ravioli , Mediterranean Shrimp , Veal Parm , Meat Lovers pizza and CARROT CAKE (do not miss ) . Hope leads an incredibly well run team of friendly professionals. It is without question , the best in the state. Gets packed , all LOCALS , so make a reservation on line and ENJOY !!! read more

I visited Casa Novella this evening, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]I was so totally impressed starting with the atmosphere the tables had white tablecloths and fresh flowers.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]].. the staff was amazing, friendly, informative, and on task... now about the food thumbs up I would give this place a 10 !! I had ribeye Marcella.. tender lean and the sauce was Devine... I will be back for sure.. read more

Food was fantastic! I had lasagna and a salad, with a delicious glass of wine. The staff were the nicest I've ever come across. And very attentive. Will come back every time I'm in Maine. read more

This place is awesome!! Friendly staff, great food! Had a simple Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken and it was phenomenal. It's the simple dishes that show a great restaurant off. Thanks for a great meal. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Dinner at Casa Novello was a delicious and comfortable experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was expertly prepared and the eggplant Parmesan presentation was notable. Wine choices were very good and the extremely large piece of carrot cake was excellent. Definitely merits a return visit. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Attractive and homey, easy access location.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Hostess sat us quickly and the waitress was at table asking about a drink order before we had a minute to look at anything, save a drink menu. That was the theme of the night, our res was at 6 and we were in the car at 7:03. Food was good, solid. Loved the in house blue cheese dressing. The calamari was fair, lightly breaded but it was more wet than crisp. Entrees arrived, good portion. Alla Vodka was tasty, def found the smokiness of prosciutto and zing of pepper. Penne was a bit overdone. I'm a stickler for hot food and my dish had definitely been sitting, my partner's dish was hotter. We tried a cannoli, superb shell and tiramisu, very homey and good. We will go back, possibly on a night during the week. For my taste the meal was rushed and that made the experience a bit less desirable. I could bump easily to 4 stars with a-bit more finesse around service and minding temp of food. The flavors are there! read more

Great food! Attentive service! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Comfortable atmosphere![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would be happy to eat there quite a lot.

Upscale Italian dining restaurant in Westbrook. We have not been here in years, but tried it for my mother's birthday. The place was packed on a Thursday night, so definitely recommend reservations. We were seated fairly quickly and service continued to move fast throughout the evening. We were never waiting long for our next course to come out. We started with calamari, which was good, but I was surprised that there was no sauce either a remoulade or red sauce to dip it in. This would've made this dish outstanding. I had the baked scallops with a side of Alfredo penne. The scallops were big and there was a good size portion. The Alfredo sauce was definitely homemade and had a great texture. It was not goopy at all but so creamy. My son had the chicken Florentine, which also had that same Alfredo sauce. My husband thought the chicken Parmesan was OK. I would definitely go back and eat here again for a special occasion. read more

Amazing food!! Was in Portland for the weekend and wanted italian and found this place driving around. Food and service was great. The pasta i had was great and meatballs were too. If a italian place cant make a meatball then I'll give thumbs dumb and never come back but this place was great. read more

Atmosphere food and service. You'll need a reservation as there is limited seating and hours of operation

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great food, cocktails, desserts and nice atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Always a great meal here. Friendly staff as well. read more

Casa Novello - Cherry martini special and glass of rose - Italian Near Me - Westbrook, Maine

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If you're looking for an old-school Italian place that won't break the bank, I'd check out Casa Novello. Nothing new or earthshattering, just good Italian food done well, read more

Last night we met with some dear old friends arrived at 4:15 ish we were 3 min late however our party was at table. We felt we were rushed from the time we sat down until we finally left We had our meal and then we were offered the dessert menu which only had a few of the items so we got a couple of the chocolate cake and ice creams for the table to share and three Glasses of wine for dessert As the dessert showed up they dropped the check..tacky move..Next and even more awkward the next reservation were told by the owner that our table was where they were sitting and it shouldn't be long Some Elvira look alike decided that hovering around the table and staring into our eyes would speed the process up..In my 30 years of professional traveling and entertaining , I have never in my life witnessed this type of incompetence The food was at best decent, the wine was mediocre and didn't use red wine glasses , the entire evening was rushed and tipping another client on the exact table they would be dining at was careless..Elvira is socially challenged.. This woman was not stable as she stared at my wife and I and our guests as we exited the restaurant..Classless move .. Perhaps you should list a time limit on your website as a normal spread is between 1.5 to 2 hours to turn a table Setting expectations would make it more enjoyable and less of a drag. Thjrty years ago this restaurant was a place that had larger portions and better service..I know things have changed and I rarely send reviews , however last night was a complete disaster Good luck..We won't be back read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Very intimate atmosphere[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], service was great but the food was outstanding. The prices were very reasonable, this place has it all. read more

Our meals were delicious but no sides included. Bread knots with cheese were an extra $10, side salad was about $8. with 5 of us it was way overpriced. The service was excellent and prompt. Donald was excellent. He even ran outside to give me my to-go container that I left on the table! Love the food and atmosphere but will not go often because of the expense. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Wonderful atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Waitress was attentive, friendly, helpful and really made us feel welcome. Got an amazing bottle of wine from Portugal. Dinner was excellent... from the Caesar salad to the Veal piccata and ended with a scrumptious caramel cheesecake. Highly recommend! read more

Casa Novello is a great local spot in Westbrook. There is plenty of street parking and is within walking distance to a ton of places as it is on Main Street. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Casa Novello is a cozy but upscale Italian restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I was able to make a reservation online the day before. We were seated immediately upon arrival. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Tables were all pre set up with plates, silverware, and menus.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were greeted quickly by our server who was friendly and attentive. Bar drinks took the longest to come out but were delicious. The espresso martini was perfect. Our food came out super quickly - like so fast. Everything was amazing and so delicious. We got the hot honey ricotta dip with house made focaccia. It was smooth, creamy, and perfect. The house made focaccia was utterly delicious. Peppery crust and soft inside. For entrees, we got the chicken piccata with penne and the linguine with meatballs. The chicken piccata was lemony, creamy, and fresh. The linguine with meatballs was awesome and the sauce was very tasty. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was pretty noisy in the restaurant as tables as close to each other. We did have to speak up to be able to hear each other.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were in and out within an hour with the speedy service. I almost wished our food took a little longer to come out to space out the appetizer and entrees. Overall, it's a wonderful restaurant with delicious food, great service, and an authentic Italian feel. I would definitely recommend Casa Novello! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is very inviting and clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was excellent. I pasta Milano without chicken but with spinach. I expected the spinach to be sautéed but it was not. The chicken was dry since it had not been pounded but cubed and sautéed. The garlic sundried tomatoe sauce was tasty but very few sun-dried tomatoes. I think when one pays 30.00 for a chicken dish you shouldn't be looking for the ingredients. Yes prices have gone up but that doesn't mean we should get less as we pay more. Inflation. Everyone wants to Get more. read more

What a bummer. Mom's been dying to try this place so we brought her for her birthday. The place is so stinkin' cute. Little lights and bud vases with fresh flowers, hardwood floors - adorable! There's plenty to choose from on the menu, not all strictly Italian, either. We started with the fried calamari which was tasteless except for the pool of balsamic it sat in, leaving the crispy bits sopping wet. There were two plates of chicken parm which were decent - the chicken was a delight - the sauce itself tasted like mainly paste. Mom got the ravioli, which were light and pillowy - but again covered in thick tomato paste. I ordered the chicken piccata, the flavor was great - chicken was tough, and the sauce itself was thick like an American Alfredo. It's a shame, because the service was great - friendly, very attentive and eager to make for a great experience. The bread was outstanding, honestly. Flavorful and soft with a crisp crust - highly recommend. We're glad we marked this spot off the list, but we won't be back. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]This place was fine. A little cramped.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The server seemed a little annoyed we were there for more than 15 minutes and when we ordered dessert asked if we wanted it to go which we didnt mention? Very Random. The food was perfectly fine, although I found the pasta to be exceedingly forgettable. The cocktails were good and [[HIGHLIGHT]]it was a cute enough neighborhood place I wouldn't be opposed to go back to.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Food is so good, my favorite one is the fish chowder. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I really enjoy the environment, people are nice and friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The price is decent in comparison to the food and service one can get. Highly recommended this local restaurant! read more

Casa Novello - Fish chowder - Italian Near Me - Westbrook, Maine

BEWARE OF EXTRA CHARGES!! This review is based off of two experiences, one dine-in and one takeout. Let's begin with the dine-in. It was just myself and my 6 year old. We ordered mozzerella moons for an app, a kids pizza, a calzone and two drinks. After tax, tip and all of the extra charges (I'll talk about this next) it came to $75!! First, my son asked if they had strawberry or raspberry lemondade. Instead of saying no, they made a mocktail and charged me $6. I would have had him just pick a fountain drink if I had known. Next up was the kids 6 inch cheese pizza, listed on the menu at $9. If you look at the receipt I uploaded you'll see I was charged $11. There was an extra $2 tacked on for cheese, which I assumed was because he asked for parmesan cheese to sprinkle on. Although I thought it would be weird to charge for that because literally every Italian restaurant in America usually has a shaker sitting on the table OR grinds fresh cheese for no extra charge, I didn't question it. When I got my calzone, which I had alfredo on the inside, I asked for a side to dip the calzone into it. Again, in my experience that's a pretty customary included side when ordering a calzone. Nope, here it'll cost you an extra $3. Lastly, the bill. I had a $100 gift card to pay with. Look closely and you'll find a 1.2% fee tacked on for paying with a card. This wasn't a debit or credit card that had processing fees! It's a gift card that was purchased in-house, and if I had to guess, the person who bought it may have used their card to pay for it, already being charged the 1.2% charge. Ridiculous! Due to having $25 left after my dine in experience, I decided to use it up by getting takeout. I figured there was no way I'd get stuck with surprise charges if I simply ordered what was on the menu, picked it up and left. Boy was I wrong! I ordered two 12 inch chicken/broccoli/ Alfredo pizzas. The base price for a pizza was $12. I knew the additional toppings and the sauce substitution were $2 each. I expected each pizza to be $18. When I picked up, the total was $44. Although not crazy off the mark, it seemed high so I asked for an itemized bill. Sure enough the $2 cheese charge for each pizza appeared again. I explained to the hostess that I didn't order extra cheese or a speciality cheese so that shouldn't have been on there. To my surprise, she looked at me with an embarassed and understanding look on her face and said "Yeah, they charge for cheese on the pizza here, as it's a topping". WHAT?! I knew it wasn't her decision making that brought us here but I couldn't help but comment with "The definition of a pizza is a 3 ingredient dish that includes dough, sauce and cheese. Sounds like they need to state on the menu that for $12 you are really only getting dough and sauce, not pizza. " So even something as simple as getting two pizzas as takeout, is going to result in surprise charges. Oh, don't forget about the CC surcharge fee that she actually put on before even knowing how I was going to pay. So again, an additional $5.20 besides what I knew I'd be paying for. If you look at my Yelp reviews, I've been to many, many restaurants where prices are high but the food is bomb. Prices don't keep me from going back if the food, service and overall experience is worth it. I've been a going to Casa Novello for years, since it originally opened. I will not go back. Disappointed is an understatement. Be transparent with your customers. Stop being sneaky. Up your prices on your menu to honestly reflect what the final total will be. read more

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My family and I had the pleasure of trying this restaurant last evening. This was our first time here. My family is VERY picky about Italian food so I make sure to do a lot of research before picking a place. The reviews of this restaurant looked great so we decided to try it. Let me tell you- the reviews were right. We started off by getting the Mike's hot honey ricotta dip. It was served with focaccia bread and was light and so flavorful. My dad got the chicken parm, my mom got the veal marsala, and I got the chicken florentine. Each of us agreed that our dishes were cooked perfectly and were full of flavor. The portions are very generous as well- you get what you pay for. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was also wonderful- a quaint restaurant with the perfect amount of lighting- not too dim, not too bright.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our waitress was also very attentive and polite. We are so happy we found this place and will definitely be back! read more

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We had a lovely dinner. The appetizer of ricotta with hot honey and focaccia was quite good and a little unique. I had amazing scallop marsala, and my husband had his old standby, Veal Parmesan. Both dishes were well prepared and quite tasty. We would go back. Our server was delightful. Everyone was very friendly. The food was delicious. The Crème Brûlée was perfect. read more

Casa Novello - Veal Parmesan with Angel Hair Pasta - Italian Near Me - Westbrook, Maine

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Quant Italian restaurant nestled in the heart of Westbrook. The food is incredible. A fantastic selection of classic Italian dishes and daily specials. The atmosphere is trendy and romantic. I highly recommend trying this spot. The service is friendly. I am looking forward to the next visit. read more

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Westbrook has many, lots, more than a few, pizza places. This one is more than that and pasta dishes are priced reasonably. We dined there on a Weds night (summer) and no table was empty. Service was prompt and pleasant and [[HIGHLIGHT]]atmosphere was very charming (small lights reflecting in wall length mirror).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Food is pretty decent. Huge portions. Service is a little weird, the sense of urgency is through the roof and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the tables are packed in. It makes it hard to relax and have a nice dinner.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

A wonderful restaurant for a baby shower. The food is delicious. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This Italian restaurant is quaint and cozy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The servers were friendly and helpful. Thank you Casa Novella for letting us sit back and enjoy the shower. Meg Green read more

Years ago, and i'm talking 20 years ago, we used to head to Casa Novello on the regular. We even hosted a few family celebrations there. The food and atmosphere were great and everyone loved it! Two weeks ago, my husband and I realized we hadn't been to CN in at least 10 years. They were closed for a period during covid and when we saw that they had reopened seemingly better than ever, we HAD to check it out. We came on a Friday and had made a reservation, TG, because once we got there it was so busy, there would have been NO WAY we would have been able to get a table without the res. Even with the reservation, we still waited 25 minutes or so for our table. We ended up in a cozy window spot. The bread and dipping oil came pretty quickly which was great since by that point we were starving. Our server was excellent and super efficient, covering probably more tables than usual. My husband ordered the shrimp scampi and I got a delicious sauteed chicken in lemon sauce over spinach. I asked to sub in spinach instead of pasta and they accommodated that immediately. Thanks Casa Novello! Our dinners were pretty generous, something that has really gone by at restaurants right now. We both left with food to take home. Overall quality was excellent. We will definitely be back! read more

I don't usually like going to Italian restaurants. Coming from an Italian family, I always preferred cooking it myself. My mother talked me into going here and I'm so glad she did. The staff was super friendly and the food was great. Tip: try the butternut squash ravioli (pic below) You're welcome. read more

Casa Novello - Butternut squash ravioli with cinnamon cream sauce and caramelized onions! Superb! - Italian Near Me - Westbrook, Maine

Once one of our favorite restaurants, Casa Novello has gone steadily downhill to the point where last night's visit will be our last. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Despite our making a reservation a week in advance, they seated us in the very loud back room.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We mentioned we were looking for a more romantic quieter dining experience for our anniversary meal and the waitress was sympathetic but the hostess was not. "It's just as loud in the main room," she shouted coarsely in our direction and then stormed off without making eye contact or checking in with us again. My chicken parm and pasta meal consisted of two chicken tenders and about 14 pieces of penne. I'm not a huge eater, but it was quickly eaten and I will still hungry afterwards. Once, this place was a treasure of Westbrook. Too many other worthy restaurants in Westbrook have opened in the past ten years, while it has lost its luster. We don't plan to return. read more

I always say when an Italian restaurant has Aglio e Olio on the menu you know you are in good company and a true, authentic, Italian restaurant! Great service, wonderful food, and the ambiance was super romantic and authentic! Thankful to have found this place! We will be back! read more

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The service was excellent, and the food came out much quicker than I expected. Unfortunately, out of three dishes I tried, three of them were overcooked, bland, or both. I got the baked haddock, the potatoes, and the calamari. I will say, everyone at my table who got a pasta dish was very pleased, so perhaps go that route. But as for my food... definitely could have been better. I would go back again, but definitely try a different dish-- despite how pricey they can be. read more

The best Italian food in the Greater Portland area by far. We visited with my son and daughter-in-law with each of us ordering a different entree and raving about our dish. We also ordered 3 appetizers to share and all were delicious. It's wise to call ahead to check availability or make reservations because it's very popular with the locals. read more