Lucía Pérez Castro
Google
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 concepts elsewhere.
