Novelli Cafe and Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

I really really wanted to like this place, but they failed miserably at the basics. My daughter ordered the chicken tenders / nuggets and fries. I can't recall which name they used for the dish, so I put tenders / nuggets. The chicken was soggy and pink inside. It was not crispy at all. I don't think there any children looking for soggy chicken. My daughter enjoyed no part of that dish. The sprite was the only thing she enjoyed. I ordered the chicken shis kebab because they are typically delicious at other restaurants. This was not the case at all here. With a typical kebab, the meat is meaty and flavorful. That was NOT the case here. This was a grounded up, dried bland abomination of a kebab. They had a white creamy dipping sauce with some red powder that immediately gave me an allergic reaction. The food was all very expensive, and I have zero desire to return. As for the decor, it all looks very nice. Money was spent to make the place visually appealing, but the food misses the mark by miles. I write many reviews on Google, and I give my honest unbiased opinions. The goal is to help bring about needed changes. To be completely fair, a few of the guests that dined with me and my daughter loves their meals. Those dishes were fish based. My oldest daughter had the sliders and she took one bite out of the 3 mini sliders and wanted no more. Hopefully they can make some much needed changes. I must commend the wait staff, as they were on top of everything the moment we walked in. They did everything within their power to make us comfortable, and get our orders out quickly. Unfortunately, they have no control over the quality of the food. For me, the dining experience was terrible as me and my daughter's found our food not fit for consumption. As you can see, only a single bite was taken out of the sliders we brought home, and only a chunk was eaten from one of the...

You truly don’t understand the amount of joy that I have to finally see a beautiful and fine establishment as NOVELLI in my hometown, MY Community!! This place brings warmth to the soul with great class, true comfort and delicious eats plus don’t get me started on the amazingly engaging hospitality you receive from entry to departure honestly from the WHOLE team to QUEEN Sabina the owner herself EVERYONE truly makes you feel right at home as if they’ve been a staple on this corner for years!

I had their delicious Grilled salmon fillet served with creamy quinoa, sautéed asparagus, and a smooth lemon cream sauce. I then had the Aleppo Kebab Bide which is a Spiced lamb kebab with grilled salsa and biwas on a traditional bide base. My last entree and also my new found favorite dish was the Branzino Fritto which is a Crispy whole branzino served with steamed rice and house-made tangy carrot pickles. For dessert because I could not stop lol I had the Tiramisu made with Phyllo Dough it had Mascarpone cream layered with espresso-soaked phyllo dough, topped with cinnamon, crushed pistachios, and syrup and I also enjoyed the grilled fruit plate which was a tasty grilled skewered pineapple topped with toffee sauce and served with vanilla ice cream.

Having Novelli in the heart of the neighborhood is a dream come true and I know the community truly loves and appreciates it from the esthetic to the hilarious and amazing beings like Saint and Bing and PLEASE don’t get me started on Justin the bartender whom has THE BESTEST skills behind the shakers no other around and the sweetest the hostess Logan and her inviting smile — two years in the making and it honestly was worth the wait !! see ya’ll soon...

The OWNER OF NOVELLI CALLED THE POLICE ON MY SISTER AND I --two Black women--in the heart of Flatbush, a historically Black neighborhood. Why? Because we calmly offered feedback about being denied access to the restroom as a willing customer, and expressed concern that her decision may have been racially motivated.

At no point were we aggressive. We didn't raise our voices, threaten her, or make a scene. Yet after dismissing my concern as "crazy" and insisting she "doesn't see color," the owner, Sabrina, escalated the situation drastically. She demanded I move further away from her--after I had already stepped aside--then weaponized her whiteness by calling the police.

Let me be clear: calling the NYPD on two Black women over a verbal disagreement is not just an overreaction--it is a violent, racist act. It reflects a deep awareness of the potential harm that could come from involving a police force with a documented history of brutalizing Black people. Whether Sabrina wanted us arrested, harassed, or humiliated, her intentions were clear: she wanted to assert power and punish us for daring to speak up.

Fortunately, the responding officers--two Black men--immediately recognized that we were no threat and left. But that doesn't erase what happened. The OWNER OF NOVELLI made a calculated decision to put our safety and dignity at risk simply because we challenged her behavior.

If you value racial equity, community, or basic human decency--do not spend your money at Novelli. This business does not respect the people of Flatbush, and its owner should be held accountable for perpetuating the same racial violence that continues to endanger Black lives across...