Alison C.
Yelp
Every time I had driven past De Novo, I had ranted about how badly I had wanted to go there. Despite hearing mixed feedback about their food, the one thing everyone could agree on was the place's ridiculous views, and I just had to see them for myself. Well, I finally made it there for a Friday evening dinner with friends.
The restaurant was perched on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the George Washington Bridge and Hudson River. When you saw the place from its front view on River Road, it looked like a non-descript restaurant with valet parking. So, it provided little insight into just how gorgeous the place was otherwise. Once inside, it was like we were in a different building entirely. The place was modern, sleek, and full of Instagram-worthy flower garlands and other trendy vibes. There was an enclosed patio and bar with their own views through the large glass windows, but there was also a massive, fully outdoor patio with its own bar. We had the pleasure of sitting outside, where all of the tables were a good distance from each other, providing a really luxurious experience.
From the hostess who escorted us to our table, to the waiter who patiently answered all of our calls for recommendations, to the front of the house crew that wished us well on our way out the door, the staff at De Novo was a delight! In addition, whoever came up with their extensive menu simply blew my mind. Whether you were looking at cocktails or salads or entrees, each section of the menu had a good number of evergreen items, as well as several specials. That made decision-making tough, but also allowed everyone to find at least one item that they found intriguing.
We all started with drinks, and I went for the Spicy Mami first. The boozy margarita included Tanteo Habanero Tequila, shaken with pamplemousse, lime, and agave. It was served on the rocks with a chili salt rim, and it was honestly the spiciest drink I had ever had. The first sip startled me, but then I really warmed up to it....Or, rather, it warmed me up! As the night went on, I bounced around the menu, also trying the Summertime Madness and the Frozen Aperol Spritz. The "Madness" beverage was a crisp, refreshing blend of Grey Goose Watermelon Basil, makrut lime, lime juice, cucumber, and Fever Tree club soda, all served in a wine glass. It was basically a spritz of sorts, but was a bit sweeter than I would have liked. The Frozen Aperol drink was packed with Aperol, behind the typical amount I like, leaving it rather bitter. All of the drinks were decent, but the Spicy Mami was definitely my favorite.
Before we ordered our food, the table received a basket of herbed focaccia bread with a marinara dip. The chunky tomato sauce was flavorful, but should have been served hot, rather than at room temperature. One of my friends and I decided to share the Steamed Mussels appetizer, not realizing just how large the bowl was going to be. There were soooo many mussels, but they were all great, and their white wine broth was perfect for dipping the accompanying thin french fries, which were a bit bland otherwise. At that point, I was rather full, but managed to finish my pan-seared Halibut in its lemon dill beurre blanc. The fish was cooked and seasoned to absolute perfection! It was topped with a few pomegranate seeds and some pistachios. It was also served with some braised kale, which I liked but found very salty...And, then, I bit into a piece that was covered in some sort of hard gritty bits, of what I think was sand or dirt. I got rid of those few kale leaves and left the rest, turned off from that incident. I did, however, try some of the other items on the table. The Sesame-Crusted Tuna was good, but needed much more soy sauce, while the Beef Bolognese on the Rigatoni was rich, hearty, and delicious. After all of the food, I was stuffed, but others at the table were hoping to share dessert, so I sampled the Flourless Chocolate Cake, which was essentially a block of fudge. Its decadent richness was tamed by the accompanying scoop of a Mint Gelato that was so fresh it almost resembled the flavor of a mojito.
After our meal, we took pictures by the patio edge, laughing into the end of a fun evening with friends that was made that much better by De Novo's nice staff and stunning views. There might have been a few missteps with the food and drinks, but we would all still return.
