CAFE NOVA

Drove an hour and a half to come here and it was MORE than worth the trip! The ordering kiosk was easy, the food came out quickly and it was incredible! Tried the jackfruit curry for the first time and was blown away. I highly recommend coming here. The mago lassi and avocado smoothie were wonderful as well!

We ordered Chicken Biryani - despite being $10 and value for the food, it didn’t taste good. This is not the correct place to savory this dish. Made it like a fried rice. A curry plate - definitely a must try. Probably, this is where the authenticity of the cuisine shines. It’s $13 and totally worth it. 3 veg curries, 1 non veg curry, rice and papad. Samosa - were fresh Mustard leaves chicken curry - very good and tasty Parotas - they tasted fresh. But I heard oven heating them. Overall, a place to try for their authentic dishes. Atmosphere was trendy with scooters and games to play.

From the moment we walked in, the vibe was welcoming and the energy was great. The menu had a fantastic variety of curries, house specials, and breads that were bold, beautifully spiced, and packed with authentic flavor. Every dish we tried was delicious and thoughtfully prepared — especially the Sri Lankan Rice and Curry and Chicken Biriyani, which were standout favorites for us. The service was friendly and attentive, and the portions were generous. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, this place is a must-visit for anyone who loves rich, flavorful Sri Lankan and Indian cuisine. Highly recommend

Ate there last night with a friend who is vegan and we both LOVED the food. It’s a clean, basic space with counter service. The server was pleasant and the food took a little while to come out, but not too long. The food was amazing. I had the chicken mustard curry and the spice blend and balance was so satisfying. It was hard to stop eating. I also enjoyed the eggplant stir fry. I think it contained pineapple which gave it a mild sweetness. My vegan friend had a spinach curry and coconut sambala. The food was more affordable than a typical Indian restaurant and honestly way more flavorful. I got their traditional bread which was lovely. This will be my new go to and I’m already looking forward to more.

Delicious food, friendly staff, and very affordable prices. The portions are generous and absolutely worth it. I tried the rice and curry plate and the biriyani both were amazing. If you’re looking for Sri Lankan food in Chicago, I highly recommend this place. If you are a Sri Lankan be sure to request it spicy when placing your order.

We’ve been to Cafe Nova a handful of times since moving to the area in ‘23, and it really has become one of my favorite spots. The Kothu Roti is one of my favorite single dishes across Chicagoland - it’s such a unique combination of ingredients I love flavored to perfection. On top of that, they have a great space and the staff are always kind, making this a great spot to have a nice meal and catch up with friends. My only critique is that at some point recently they got rid of the “Cauli Madness” appetizer, which was a favorite in our house! Would love to see it brought back sometime.

We went to eat there a few months ago. We were so excited to eat some Sri Lankan food as there are no others in the Chicago area. We ordered the kothu and mutton rolls along with falooda and a few other items. We were expecting to experience similar taste as in Sri Lanka. While the roll looked like a roll, it did not taste like it from Sri Lanka. Either it was air friend or baked. Not sure. Should be deep fried with similar spices as whats used in Sri Lanka. Kothu did not taste similar to Sri Lankan kothu at all. It was more watered down taste. It’s great to have a location that serves Sri Lankan food, now they just need to bring the flavor as experienced in Sri Lanka. We met the owner, he was very kind and it was good to hear his aspirations. I would encourage him to work on providing an experience for paying customers as if they would taste the flavors from Sri Lanka.

The food at this place is excellent, especially the jackfruit curry, but they have no front of house staff at all (one of the cooks just pops out from the kitchen once every 10 minutes or so to check if anyone new has showed up) and the food usually takes more than double the amount of time that’s estimated for pickup when you order. The cooks seem to be well aware of the problem, since on at least a couple occasions they’ve apologized to me as they handed me my order and offered me a free drink (just based seeing how long I’ve been there, not any complaining from me, to be clear—it’s not their fault). I’m glad they’re nice about it, but what actually needs to happen is the management needs to fix those time estimates and the owner needs to staff this place like it’s a real restaurant.

After passing by this restaurant many times during my late evening runs, I was excited to finally have a chance to catch them before they closed for the evening. I ordered 3 dishes to try: a fish curry, lamb curry and the chicken biriyani and the curries came with 4 parottas. The dishes look similar to Indian cuisine, but the Sri Lankan take on curries and biriyani is different and very enjoyable as well. The spice blend is on sweeter and more floral flavor. The porottas texture is a cross between Chinese scallion pancake and Indian roti. Note the curries take about 20-25 min to make, so exercise patience ... it's worth it! Service was also kind! I was parked right outside with blinkers on and they provided curb side delivery service. I also like that their toast online ordering platform allows you to order food that's not marked up by $2-4 per dish (looking at you, GH).

I've tried this spot for Sri Lankan food a couple of times now, so I figured it's time for a review. It's a mom-and-pop spot in Rogers Park with a lot of space. You order at the kiosk (or online)--the first time I went, I didn't see any people to take my order if I'd wanted to pay in cash (I'm not sure if they take cash because of that). Credit card charge of 3%, by the way. Service can be very slow. The eggplant stirfy ($14 in Dec. 2024 and $16 now) was tasty and a bit sweet, and the chicken mustard curry ($16 in Dec. 2024 and $18 now) was nicely spiced with very tender chicken. The kotthu roti was not spicy at all even though we ordered it spicy--it's fine but I've had better. I recently went for a lunch special of fish curry here--the spices were really good with the fish curry but the fish wasn't as fresh as it could be and there wasn't any heat. The portion size of the actual curry was a bit small with just two pieces of fish. It came with daal (yummy but mild), carrot salad, a fresh and crispy pappadum, a ton of rather dry rice, and some raita on the side. For $13, I thought it was a bit overpriced. I really want to love them but they don't quite live up to the really good Sri Lankan food I've had in New York and Sri Lanka, and the food is priced higher than it should be since the portions really aren't very large (even the main entrees).

A hidden gem!! The curry was absolutely amazing - packed with flavor and veg but didn't leave me feeling food coma-ed out. I'd say the curry was my favorite by far and it def was a sizeable portion for more people. Service was kind and you can tell they care about their customers. It was quieter inside too so you can def have more convos easier !! Def would suggest hitting this spot up

Large quiet space with counter service. Had great meal with the fish cutlet (croquettes), coconut sambol with parotta and the spinach curry. Serviings were generous.

As a Sri Lankan-American, let mt preface this review by saying I have had food from here, via take out, once before and I thought they did a good job with the eggplant moju and one of their meat curries. That's why they get two stars. However, this evening I had used the app "TooGoodToGo," which prevents food waste by connecting customers with value-priced restaurant meals near the end of the day, and noticed they offered a "Rice Surprise" for $3.99 ($4.42 with tax) but you had to bring your own container. Well, as I was nearby at 8:45pm I thought I might as well minimize waste and get a deal. When I showed up with my containers at 9:05pm, I thought I might be getting some surplus biriyani or some rice/curry combo. Boy, was I VERY surprised when the guy showed up with two containers of PLAIN WHITE RICE! That's it! No curries or biriyani or anything else. I was so shocked (and a little embarrassed) that I just took them and left. I guess their title is right, in that it was a "rice surprise." I was sure surprised that I got something I could prepare much more in my rice cooker for much less than $4.42. At the end of the day, I could care less about getting overpriced, end-of-the-day, white rice...I can cook my own Sri Lankan food as well as have the resources to pay a lot more when dining out. But I think it is downright unfair if a broke Loyola-Chicago student is trying to get a deal on decent late night meal and ends up with just plain white rice. It is downright embarrassing that they marketed this as some kind of deal.

Casual - food is ordered at a kiosk which lets you specify exactly what you want in there. Everything is cooked then - just for you. Everything was delicious! Staff was very helpful. Definitely recommend this!

This is a place packaged as a casual restaurant that is self service but with a very long wait for the meals. You order at a kiosk, pickup your own drinks, silverware and plates from a station yourself and the food is then delivered. It took 45 minutes to receive our meals consisting of the blandest daal, saag paneer, and papad with rice I have ever had in my life. Zero flavor or spice level. Prices are high for self service and the quality. Plus the dish gave me horrible GI issues. We won't be returning to this restaurant.

My friend Nali and I were so happy to eat authentic Sri Lankan food here. It was all very delicious. We ordered several dishes to make sure we had enough to take home for later. The fish cutlets were nicely spicy with a wonderfully crispy crust. I liked the kiosk ordering and the service was very friendly. We dined in and enjoyed the look and feel of the restaurant. I forgot to take pictures of the food which was beautifully presented because we couldn't wait to eat it! I will definitely be back the next time I am in Chicago!

The food was really good. We ate there which was not ideal as the space is fairly sterile and was quite noisy which we eventually figured out was due to the air hockey table. When I go back I will order ahead and pick it up to enjoy at home.

This place was great! The food was delicious. Nice level of spice and good serving sizes. Service was a bit slow but not an issue. Spacious bare-bones dining room. Daal good, pakora nice, chapatis good, Kothu Roti was fantastic. It is handy to have their menu up on your phone while ordering since the self service ordering menu doesn't have pictures...

I'm originally from Sri Lanka. Was in Chicago for work and saw that there was a Sri Lankan restaurant. Went there with few Sri Lankan friends. Not a fancy place. Walk upto the counter, order on a screen, and they deliver food to your table. But, the food was fantastic and so authentic. It was so good that I took a group of coworkers later in the week. Everything was fabulous. We had cutlets, Chinese rolls, jackfruit, dal, lamb, eggplant stir fry and chicken. We tried a few dishes that were super spicy. The restaurant also made a few very mild for the people in the group that couldn't handle spicy food. Can't wait to come back to Chicago and go to cafe Nova again.

Clean !!!! People are so nice. Food is good Try it! You will not regret it. Good for on the go...

thank GOD for cafe nova or i wouldn't have a taste of home anywhere in this city!!! i used to live closer to this part of town a couple years ago before moving closer to the city, and they've remodeled this restaurant beautifully since then. id definitely call ahead if you're planning on coming around opening time (11AM), because they weren't really ready to open the restaurant when we came at 11:15, but they apologized profusely as i think they were running late (it happens). to eat, we got the: fish cutlets - crispy outside and perfect mix inside of spices, fish, and potatoes. chicken kothu roti - SO yummy & exactly what you want if you know kothu. i love the textural variation of kothu roti and they've nailed it. eggplant curry - pretty much exactly how my mom makes it except they also add bell peppers which adds a rlly nice element of sweetness & added nutritional value which, if you're anything like me, is a huge plus. the only thing i'd say about the food is that it is a little bit on the oilier side. we got everything at a medium spice level, which is perfect if you want a kick & to break a sweat without needing to drink a gallon of water after every bite , aka perfect for Chicago winter weather. having grown up eating sri lankan food, I'd say this is the real deal! i really want to come back to try their string hoppers & all of their other curries, honestly. i'd recommend this to everyone - sri lankans looking for a taste of home or anyone who wants to try sri lankan food for the first time

Come here while this place is still solvent (and help it stay solvent!). Can you get as tasty or healthy or spicy a lunch plate as this anywhere else in the city for $10? Probably not, and then on top of that, it's Sri Lankan, which is equally hard to find in the city. We tried two 2-item combos, one with jackfruit and lamb/spinach curries, and the other with eggplant and fish curries, and both with paratha. Not one of these curries was something I wouldn't order again, although the jackfruit one requires you to have some serious spice chops - make sure you have a lassi or something. (I recommend the mango - it's cardamom-y!) The lamb is tender and appropriately fatty, the fish is brighter-flavored, and the eggplant is earthy and crisp. If I were a Loyola student I would probably eat here every week. Living just 2 miles away, I still might.

Great food & very nice people here at cafe nova. So happy there's a place nearby that serves exciting south Asian food for a change. So many varieties & choices for both vegetarian & non-veg.

This was amazing. The food was so flavorful and service was very friendly. Restaurant was clean and cute!! We got the eggplant curry, chicken mustard curry, parathas, shrimp fried rice and lamb kothu porotta. Everything was amazing and so flavorful

The food is so tasty and the portion sizes make everything a good deal. Almost always having delicious leftovers to look forward to as well. The business appreciates you ordering online through Clover, we even got free cheesecake bites for doing so. I'd recommend the chicken tikka masala, the spinach paneer curry, and the briyani. Also the masala fries are to die for, samosas are huge and filling, everything is just good!!

I've been a regular customer since they opened, and I'm thrilled to have them nearby. The food is consistently amazing, with plenty for leftovers. My go-to order is the mustard chicken and spinach curry with garlic naan and samosas. Service has always been great, too! Tried getting food from the restaurant this evening, but it was dark inside, and no one picked up the phone. Google Maps shows they're temporarily closed. Fingers crossed it's just temporary, and everyone there is ok!

Dined in on a dinner break from work. Masala fries were fantastic and seasoned well. Paneer tikka masala was just okay -- lacking flavor and there were multiple larger pieces of spices/peppers/onions throughout the curry that were very burnt and had to be pulled out. Also, I found it to be sweeter than most other tikka masala. Cafe Nova subscribes to InKind, a restaurant rewards app powered through Toast. However, the employee taking orders seemed unaware of this, and couldn't operate through this service. We eventually figured it out by me manually putting in the order on his side of the counter to get the check number... Mostly just a funny moment.

We came to Chicago on an international global eats "self-created tour" and Cafe Nova did not disappoint! We had the kothu roti, jackfruit curry, parotta bread and mango lassi. We ordered a number two spiciness for both dishes. I've lost my pallet for spicy and my niece's palette is well prepared for spicy foods. The jackfruit curry was much more spicy than the kothu roti. The number two was marginally hot for me and the kothu roti was perfect. We really liked both dishes a lot but agreed the kothu roti was just perfect. It was satisfying in that way that like fried rice with egg satisfying. We were in Chicago for a global eats tour and still struggle to decide if the food here at the cafe Nova or are Somali and breakfast at Mogadishu was our favorite they were different and we really loved both of them. The service and the preparation here at Cafe Nova was excellent. The young men working here and I guess probably the owners very warm and kind. When We told them what we were doing in Chicago in the specific reason we came they even gave us a complimentary dessert of gulab jamun which are like little fried donuts soaked in a light syrup. It's not something I would have ordered myself because I avoid sweets generally. However they were served warm and they were really really good lol. This is another place that if I were a Chicago one I would visit very regularly. Those young folks at Loyola University are lucky to have this right there!

This is decent Indian just walking distance from our place. The staff were very nice and accommodating. Ordering from a kiosk is never fun, but the food was generally pretty good. My husband thought the Tikka was too sweet, but overall I enjoyed it. The samosas were spicier than I'm used to, and I enjoyed it. The place was dead empty while we were there, though.

Absolutely recommend this restaurant, tasty food with out the grease. Palak was really tasty . I really enjoyed the chicken curry. Masala dosa is great. They have combination of two or three plates you can order if you want to try a bit variety. The manager here is very welcoming. I see why a lot of Cops and Loyola students eat here.

Ordered carry out here. They don't have delivery unless you order through grub hub. Parking is only a few in front of the stores. The fellow was nice enough to meet me curbside and hand it through the window when I called to let them know I was there. Very nice and accommodating. Did I mention the food was very good? I had Kothu Roti with Chicken which for me was unusual so I decided to try it. It was delicious. My friend had the chicken curry. Very good. Medium spice for that was spicy! Just a warning. I forgot to take photos because we wolfed it down.

Food was fresh and delicious, the staff was so nice and accommodating and the games and air hockey table were a huge hit with my kids. We would definitely drive back down for the experience.

This is a very casual spot. Order at a kiosk and they bring it to your table level of casual. The food however, is excellent! So fresh and so tasty. I got one of each of their breads and a curry. My only regret is thar I didn't order one entree. The whole meal was such a pleasant surprise.

We eat here or get takeout 2-3 times a month. Everything is tasty, but here is my main tip: If you are an Indian food fan, your first instinct might be to try the Tikka Masala. It's good, BUT, you really should try the Mustard Curry Chicken. It has become our absolute go-to.

These are the sort of people who would enjoy giving a starving dog a rubber bone. I read with joy in my heart an interview with the owners before they opened about their plans to bring authentic Sri Lankan food to Chicago. They seemed to know what they were talking about. I am half Sri Lankan, on my father's side, I have a deep hankering for the cuisine without knowing how to cook much of it myself. I'm part of a growing group of South Asian Americans who can't easily find access to our comfort foods. Pretty much all the good, authentic Sri Lankan restaurants in North America are in Toronto and New York City. Those two cities have enough people like me, and non-Asians who have developed a taste for Sri Lankan, and adventurous non-Asians who want to try something very different, that they have enough restaurants to compete with each other. Not so here in the Midwest. after the very good and authentic Curry Bowl in Madison shut down, the best I can do is drive to Minneapolis or Grand Rapids and those two restaurants are in transition to not being authentic. Here's the progression, a lone Sri Lankan restaurant opens up where there are none, and attracts the wrong crowd. Customers who have no interest in eating Sri Lankan food get annoyed when what they order isn't at all like the Americanized Indian food they were expecting. After a while, the owners give up and convert to Americanized Indian food. Well this sad progression happened in record time at this place. On their website they still boast having a Sri Lankan menu, and they take reservations and if you order in advance you can have your Sri Lankan favorites made to order. I made a reservation two weeks in advance, for my 70 hour drive add half an hour to find parking coming from Milwaukee. I placed an order for hoppers, Pul Sambol, dal, and Sri Lankan Chicken curry on the bone. This is like a national dish. When I arrived, they said they don't take reservations and don't pay attention to their third party web page messages. There is nothing Sri Lankan left on the menu. The dal is not Sri Lankan dal. They don't even know what Sri Lankan rice is (it is NOT basmati). They serve Americanized Indian food only. A couple of South Indian dishes like dosa. They also rent mopeds. As an Americanized Indian restaurant that rents mopeds it's a three star place. As a restaurant that has "Sri Lankan food" on its website, and store front, it's a cruel joke.

The food was 11/10 good. Ordered several dishes to go. Took a little longer than expected, but it was SO worth it. 100% chance I would go back if in the area. Curry eggplant and dry fish curry were particularly memorable.

Chicken biriyani is too spicy and no flavor at the same time Naan is standard. Nothing special Lassi is waaaaaaaay too sweet Dosa with spinach is my favorite. A bit crispy on the outside and mild spinach flavor with light sweetness Chicken tikka masala is decent Also took way too long though no people in the restaurant at all

Great food. Great service! Stopped in for a late lunch and the person at the counter helped us identify options, cleaned off outdoor seating because it was a beautiful day. In ordering two dishes we have ample food. We barely made a dent and took lots home.

I'm not sure what happened ; this looked so promising. I had just finished a college visit to Loyola w my daughter and was starving so thought we'd eat here quickly before getting on our way; we were parked next door I ordered through the kiosk (only option) Literally did not see an employee come out from the kitchen for at least 25 mins There were a few other patrons and some Door Dash drivers in the restaurant area (Not crowded) After 45 mins, I'd only seen the owner or cook (or both?) once .. to deliver food to the table next to us I then asked, and he said he'd check on my order Took another 20 mins to get our food .. and my dish was so insanely salty I could not eat it I had paid for bottled waters, and there was none No apology, no explanation for any of this I did not complain about food quality; I really needed to move along at this point Would never go back Others seemed to be enjoying their curry dishes ; maybe my whole experience was a fluke

2 words for this five star review..."Cauliflower Madness" My goodness, this dish made my mouth so very happy and I was thinking about it days and weeks afterwards...Can't wait to go back.

The service is just absolutely wonderful. Great people. Every dish I've tried is delicious and the portions are great. The facilities are clean and inviting. I can see that they really care about their customers and the food they make.

We drove a hour and half just to have some koththu at Cafe Nova. It was a very disappointing experience because the koththu tasted nothing like it. It had a large amount of cabbage and tasted very bland. I'm Sri Lankan and I have had koththu at many restaurants in the US and this was by far the worst I've had, quite sadly. I hope some effort will be put in making Sri Lankan food taste as they are suppose to be because the food from our island nation is very flavorful and delicious!

The furnishings are spare but the food is pretty incredible and I'm surprised that this place isn't always packed, given the quality of food and reasonable prices. When I've gotten takeout I've had to wait a few minutes longer. Not sure if it's their policy to completely stuff the containers to overflow as compensation, or if that's just what they normally do, but I always end up with way more food than I can expect to eat in a meal. Thankfully they make for great leftovers

The dishes were fresh and nicely spiced. We got a dosa and say paneer. The saag paneer was delicious, with more ginger than usual. It was really well prepared. The dosa was really large and filling-full of onions. It was really well made. Prep time me was slow, but maybe because we came at off hours. The owners were really nice.

A curious combination of Sri Lankan and Indian cuisine in the Rogers Park/Edgewater area. There is a decent sized dining area and it's a counter service restaurant. Flavors are inconsistent but serviceable. Some dishes are excellent (Jack Fruit curry, egg plant curry) and others are just ok (Dosa, Dhaal curry, Kothu roti). Lassi is excellent with real cardamom. Worth checking out if you have an Indian/Sri Lankan hankering!

This place rules. Everything was fantastic. Very nice people too. The masala fries were perfect.

Every time I order from Cafe Nova, I make audible sounds as I eat! Haha! So yummy. Perfectly spiced every.single. time. The entire menu is gorgeous & they have something for everyone [if you want spice and intense flavor]. My last order was the Shrimp Masala Curry and Chicken Tikka Masala! Drooool.com/yummy - I'll be back for more soon!

Food was not so bad, but the atmosphere is even better. It's right placement nd right food, hopefully they will stick around

Delicious! Ordered to go, got the chili chicken and the kothu roti with chicken curry. Chilli chicken ($6.99) in the picture is in red, the kothu roti ($9.99) is in the other two containers: basically roti paratha (layered flatbread), chopped up and stir fried with veggies, which is then topped - in this case with the curry chicken in the small container. In the restaurant they would have done the topping, they give the curry in a separate container to not make the roti soggy on the way home. More than enough as a meal for two people, as well as flavorful. Very happy with this new addition to Rogers Park, will come back often!

The service was fantastic! Everyone was so friendly and hospitable. The restaurant was very clean. The Kottu was really good! I asked for the chicken curry on the side but they would mix it into the Kottu, if you ask. The chicken curry was well spiced and delicious. The Dhal was honestly the best I've eaten at any Sri Lankan restaurant (much better than the ones I've eaten in NJ and LA). We will be back!!

I've never had sri lankan food and was excited to try this dish. It was nutty and had a shrimp flavor as well (because there were tiny shrimp in the rice). The kabob of chicken is where the nutty flavor hid. It was a nice, clean atmosphere with window seating to people watch. Prices were reasonable and the portions generous. The naan was buttery and fresh.

The service and food were fantastic! The restaurant was clean and casual. A range of options for vegetarians and spice levels. Highly recommend!

What a find! Some of the Dahl I've ever had. Super nice service. Large portions. I will be coming back!!!

This is my first time trying Sri Lankan cuisine and I am very impressed. I ordered the Kothu Roti with lamb, and 2 samosas. Each item was very, very flavorful. What I liked best about the Kothu Roti was that it was full of vegetables, such as cabbage carrots and leeks. What I liked about the samosas was that they were filled with the mixture of peas and potatoes, plus the crust was delicious! I also liked the tamarind and green chutneys that accompanied the order. I will definitely come back to Cafe Nova because the food is outstanding!

A little treasure of a spot. Absolutely delicious. We ordered a sampler and as I went around the plate trying each sample, it was tastier than the one before, including when I got back to the first sample and went around again (and I may have gone around a couple more times). Today I woke up thinking about the leftovers in the fridge. I need Cafe Nova in my life, and though I don't know you, I'll go so far as to say you need it in your life.

Wonderful food paired with amazing service. I went with my Sri Lankan wife and she was so excited to see that this place even existed, let alone her excitement when the food was excellent.

Went with a group of 6 last night and we all loved this place! The food was amazing, the staff was friendly and welcoming and it was BYOB! My favorite was the mustard chicken curry. This is NOT fast food so if choose to come enjoy their delicious curries, bring a bottle of wine and enjoy a relaxing dinner. We will definitely be back...probably for the weekend buffet!