Nova — Restaurant in Ourense

One Michelin star comes with high expectations — and Nova delivers on many fronts. ⭐

I recently visited Nova in the heart of Ourense, and while the overall flavor of each dish was excellent, I’m being a bit stricter in this review, as I believe Michelin-level restaurants should be held to a higher standard.

• The soup of cucumber and tonic soup was refreshing, with a distinct cucumber taste and just a hint of tonic (without the fizz). It felt more like a palate cleanser or a drink between courses rather than a true starter — perhaps better placed between the fish and meat dishes. • The parsnip purée with quail egg and duck slices was well-balanced and flavorful. However, the presentation could have used a more creative touch. (Special mention: the gluten-free bread made with buckwheat and rice flour was fantastic.) • The salad — with fish, quinoa, tomato, onion, soy, turnip … it was the highlight: beautiful, fresh, and each ingredient distinct. One of the best dishes of the meal. • Carrot purée with cock and (another) egg was underwhelming. I expected a bit more creativity in this combination. • The lacón with vegetables had perfect seasoning — perhaps a bit too overpowered the vegetables accompanying it. • The rice dish, as a big fan of rice, was a bit of a mixed experience: spot-on in texture, with nice touches of pork and a scallop (which is not mentioned in the dish presentation…) that balanced the plate. However, the flavor enhancer was too noticeable, and I struggled with the thin yet chewy pork fat. Big plus for the fresh peas, though! • The hake with green beans was my second favorite dish. Perfectly cooked, flaky, and flavorful — the vegetables added a nice earthy contrast. As my kids said - yours doesn’t taste like this… 😒 • The beef with eggplant had excellent flavor and balance. However, once “blended” or minced, the meat lost its texture, which was a pity. Still, as a Galician, I appreciate a good cut, and this was definitely a miss in this dish.

🍨 Desserts & Pairings

I’m admittedly biased when it comes to dessert — I love them all. That said, in nearly 40ºC heat, the ice cream was the clear winner thanks to its refreshing touch when it’s almost 40 degrees outside… The brownie, however, could use improvement: I prefer the moist version rather than dry.

The wine pairings were a highlight. I discovered a 2011 sweet Godello — what a treat! And the Albariño sparkling wine served with the starters was unlike any other Galician espumoso I’ve tried. Very unique.

🔚 Final Thoughts

Nova is a solid representation of modern Galician cuisine and wine pairing, and absolutely worth trying. Would I return? Possibly — though next time, I might prefer to explore other flavor combinations and...

This place was a little jewel in Ourense and was a pleasant surprise! We enjoyed a six course meal and requested the chef to arrange a vegetarian meal for us which included eggs. The chef did not disappoint! Every course was fabulous, well planned and the flavours were integrated to perfection. The courses are tiny, beautifully presented, but plenty. You can't eat more even if you want to. Their in-house freshly baked breads were just yum! Don't miss visiting this restaurant. The food is simply outstanding and the restaurant has most definitely has earned the Michelin star it has. Probably deserves another! Kudos to the Chef! The only problem is that the restaurant opens its doors at 9 pm which for us was late, but this seems to be a custom around here. It was well worth the wait. Don't miss this gourmet...

Mi comentario se refiere a lo que nos ocurrió cuando intentamos comer en este restaurante. Confío en que Vd., lector, no sufra la misma vejación. Esta es la historia muy resumida. Reservamos en Nova con 3 meses de antelación. Nos desplazamos a Orense. Reservamos hotel. Fuimos a Nova el día y hora fijados por ellos y cuando llegamos nos dijeron que teníamos que comer en la barra (según ellos la mejor, “la mesa del chef”), de 4 metros de largo, dos personas mayores con las espaldas bastante deterioradas, subidos en unos taburetes, de espaldas a la sala y la gente y mirando a la pared. Apelando a nuestra reserva de 3 meses, no aceptamos lo que nos pareció una vejación y pedimos una mesa libre que había a la entrada. Se produjo una tensa discusión con uno de los dueños, que se negó a darnos la mesa libre “porque era para 3” (como si no cupiesen 3 en la barra de 4 metros y esos 3 no quisiesen tener el “honor” de comer en la "mesa del chef"), cuando delante de nosotros teníamos una mesa de 5/6 ocupada con 2 personas y con 2 servicios (los comensales estaban ya comiendo y no había más platos puestos en la mesa, así que no esperaban a nadie). Como no entendíamos la humillación gratuita y nos pareció que la tensión se extendía a las personas del comedor, aprovechamos unas torpes disculpas del dueño, seguidas de un “les llamaremos cuando quede una mesa libre” para cerrar el asunto e irnos. Un ultraje que quiebra la confianza que los clientes depositan en un restaurante cuando hacen una reserva. Después nos cruzamos varios correos y les acepté unas disculpas impostadas, pero el mal trago, la experiencia horrible, la situación violenta y humillante la pasamos nosotros. Sin olvidar los gastos. Intenté publicar un comentario casi idéntico a este en TripAdvisor en Julio, cuando ocurrió, pero lo tuvieron congelado (sólo lo podía ver yo) más de un mes sin publicarlo y después lo quitaron sin enviarme ningún correo, ninguna explicación. Yo opino que este comentario puede ayudar a otras personas que pretendan reservar en ese restaurante y creo que no es ofensivo. Es un relato breve y fidedigno de lo que realmente nos ocurrió. Y, desde luego, con actuaciones como esta, no se entiende que tengan una...