Novo Restaurant Lounge

Novo Restaurant Lounge, San Luis Obispo, California, United States of America

Novo Restaurant Lounge, San Luis Obispo, California, United States of America

My wife and I were taking a walking tour of downtown San Luis Obispo and decided it was time for lunch.  We had no idea of where to eat so we walked into an upscale clothing store and asked one of the sales ladies where a good place to eat for lunch.  She recommended Novo and told us where it was located.  We thanked her for her recommendation and once out of their shop I looked the restaurant up on my cell phone and the restaurant indeed had a very impressive consumers collective  score.

Novo-Restaurant
Front of restaurant, street view. There are two doors on either side of the front window. You can enter either door.

When we arrived at this place, we found two similar doors on either side of the front.  We could not figure out which door to use.  Both open into the bar.   Once inside you find yourself in a dark illuminated bar with some dining tables in front of the bar.

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This is what you will see when you first enter the restaurant from the street. (There is a second entrance from the creek side). When we first arrived the front of the restaurant was quite dark, which is why I described the bar as being dark.

If you want to eat on the patio, take the long hallway back past the bar, the restrooms and kitchen until you come out of the building again on to their patio.  It was slightly interesting to find waiters and waitresses standing along both sides of the wall between the kitchen door and the back patio.

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This is the narrow hallway that links the front bar area to the back patio. Along this hallway are the restrooms and kitchen. This image was greatly brightened. It is normally quite dark. (This shot actually is taken from the patio side looking toward the bar).

Once out of the main building, walk up to the hostess station in front of you and they will seat you.

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As you end your walk down the long dark hallway to the patio, you come upon a raised deck where the host station is. Check in here to be seated. Note the chairs along both sides of this deck for people to sit and wait their turn to be seated.

 

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This view of the patio dining at the back of the restaurant is taken from a rather high bridge which links both sides of a narrow creek, behind the restaurant.

What we liked:

  • This restaurant has a large back patio which we enjoyed.  They put up large umbrellas because the day was hot.  I noticed that they have rows of heaters along the creek.  One umbrella was slightly burned probably being placed too close to the heaters.
  • Service was good.
  • The salmon bisque was very good.  This one dish, for me is the reason to go here.  It was full of seafood and vegetables.
  • The sandwiches were good.

What we did not like:

  • The table napkins were too small and light.  I would really like to see much larger napkins with a heavier weight to them.

Location: 726 Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Phone 805.543.3986
Web site: http://www.novorestaurant.com/