Novo Coffee — Restaurant in Denver

I live in the neighborhood and have seen this location go through many iterations over the years. Now that it’s Novo Coffee, I was curious to see how the space had evolved, so I stopped in on Saturday, October 4th, around 4:30 PM.

The staff member who served me was pleasant, though I got the sense he thought I wasn’t quite following his logic. I ordered a medium decaf Americano, and he explained that Novo uses the same number of espresso shots for both the medium and large sizes—the only difference being that the larger size has more hot water.

That stopped me for a moment. If both sizes contain the same number of espresso shots, then by definition, the larger drink is more diluted. How does that align with the idea of consistency in flavor and quality? If anything, the larger size should include an additional shot to maintain the same coffee-to-water ratio. Otherwise, the strength and flavor profile shift dramatically between sizes.

It’s like ordering a large latte but being told it has the same amount of espresso as the small — just more milk. You end up with a drink that’s physically bigger but noticeably weaker in taste. Or, to put it another way, it’s like ordering a large fountain drink at a fast-food restaurant, but instead of giving you more syrup, they pour a medium into a larger cup and top it off with soda water. The volume increases, but the flavor doesn’t match across sizes.

It’s not about wanting “more caffeine” — it’s about expecting flavor consistency and transparency in how beverages are made.

I also didn’t notice any signage or menu notes explaining that this is Novo’s standard practice. If that’s the case, customers should at least be aware of it when choosing their drink size. It would help manage expectations and demonstrate attention to detail.

As for the overall experience — the atmosphere was cute and clean, but it didn’t quite pull me in. The pastry selection seemed limited, anemic, and not especially enticing. I noticed that a few of the baked goods were sourced from Spruce Bakery, which is interesting since Spruce has four bakery-café locations of its own that also serve coffee drinks. Novo, meanwhile, operates three cafés but doesn’t bake its own pastries. From a business standpoint, perhaps Novo could explore doing the reverse of Spruce’s model — developing an in-house baking program to complement its coffee identity. With multiple locations, the return on investment could justify the setup costs while giving Novo a more distinctive edge and a fully integrated customer experience.

I appreciate the effort Novo puts into coffee quality and presentation, but the approach to drink sizing and the somewhat generic food options left me underwhelmed. A few small adjustments could easily elevate the...

I was excited for this place to reopen under the Novo brand, mainly because the Congress Park neighborhood is well served by a coffee shop in this location.

Positives:

The interior design is very modern and seems as if it was transplanted from a more culturally relevant place like Brooklyn or Amsterdam - love it. Completely different design than Novo's location on 6th (or at least as it was the last time I was there several years ago) and much improved.

The service was ok and the coffee was good.

Negatives:

The bacon breakfast burrito was severely disappointing. It tasted like a frozen supermarket burrito made in a factory in Illinois by a company whose leadership only wears clothes bought from a Lands End catalogue. My son's cinnamon roll was more flaky and dry than moist and gooey. My wife didn't enjoy her veggie burrito and only took a couple of bites. While the interior may say New York chic, the food says North Dakota Walmart.

Conclusion:

This is the perfect place to meet for a coffee with an important professional acquaintance or old friend on a Tuesday afternoon if you want to look cool and hip.

But if you have had a hard week and are looking to turn things around by treating yourself to a satisfying breakfast burrito and the associated dopamine hit, look elsewhere, since it will only deepen your despair by reminding you that Denver's most prominent culinary landmark is still the Purina...

I had previously asked if I could bring my dog inside while ordering a coffee to go (I walk her daily), and I was told it would be okay. Today, when I came in with my dog, I ordered my drink and was then told that since my dog isn’t a service dog, I needed to wait outside which I completely understand and was fine with. I was assured that my coffee would be brought outside to me since she is not allowed inside.

However, the employee who told me this left shortly after (possibly ending her shift) and I waited outside for about 10 minutes while watching everyone who ordered after me receive their drinks. No one ever brought mine out. I eventually had to go back inside after 10 minutes waiting to pick up my water down coffee myself.

I love supporting local coffee shops, but this experience was frustrating and felt a bit disorganized, especially after being told something different before. Clear communication and follow-through would’ve made this situation...