Nova Europa Restaurant

This is was so absolutely delicious. It was quiet and classy, perfect for a date night or anniversary. We got for drinks the Hugo spritz and the spicy margarita, which I liked, and would love to try more of their wine list. Then we got the sausage appetizer, which was flaming and delicious, and the soup du jour was very mild and nice. I got the steak Portuguesa which had such a good sauce I was blown away! My partner got the veal Francesca. We also got the baked Alaska, which was also set on fire and charred a little, but was really great to end the night.
Very beautiful atmosphere with the dark wood, leather, and paintings.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Portuguese Steak

The food was good. The service was good. The portions were a little small very nice family run restaurant.

House salad was super fresh!! The Shrimp A La Guillo was super yummy! I definitely recommend this restaurant!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Escargot, Calamari, Salad, Early Bird, Appetizers, Caldo Verde, Seafood Nova Europa, Portuguese Steak, Chicken Marsala, French Onion Soup, Onion Soup, House Salad, Rack of Lamb, Chicken Parmigiana, Caldo Verde Soup, Sardines Escabeche, Canoli, Flan, Lamb Chops Rosemarino, Lunch Caldeirada Nova Europa

A lovely throwback place with linens and great service and solid food.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

I was a pretty regular customer , very generous with the servers, but noticed hit and miss service when the older male servers waited on me. The food however was fairly good , and the female wait staff were delightful. So I went every few months. Nothing spectacular but pleasant.

Recently I had maybe the worst experience yet when I arrived on a rainy night 90 mins before closing to a near empty resteraunt . The server who said he was the previous manager , greeted me with “ we are closing soon” my response was “good evening, would you prefer I come another time? “ He directed me to a table, did not tell me the specials, and went on to serve a poorly prepared dish, which he said he knew was not made correctly.!
One of the other wait staff recognized me as a fairly regular customer , and this head waiter then came to say with considerable arrogance that he knew the kitchen couldn’t make what I ordered from the menu!
I called him out on his behavior and rudeness, called the owner the next day and got some feeble response .
So if you want terrible, arrogant and rude service , and to be purposely served bad food, then this is your spot! Sad and never justifiable rudeness.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

My boyfriend and I love trying new foods from around the world and we came across Nova Europa while looking for authentic Portuguese cuisine. Everything was amazing, from the food, to the service, and the atmosphere. Special gratitude for Manuel, who gave his best recommendations for dishes and shared his personal story with us and gave insight regarding the history of the dishes and the restaurant. We ordered the Sardines Escabeche and Caldo Verde as appetizers, grilled octopus and Bacalhau Assado for main dishes, and for dessert, the traditional Pasteis de nata. We were so impressed at how beautifully prepared and delicious everything was. It was a wonderful experience and will definitely be on our list of places we want to revisit!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My girlfriend and I are spicing up our date nights by eating at different countries’ each month - this month was Portugal and I’m so glad we chose Nova Europa for our Portuguese experience because it did not disappoint. We asked our waiter Manuel for some Portuguese recommendations to which he proceeded to bring us Sardines, salted cod, octopus, and of course the delicious Pastel de Nata pastry to which he eagerly waited for us to try each dish, and provided the history and stories behind them. Such a beautiful experience and a big thank you to Manuel and crew for treating us so well! Could not recommend enough!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The lunch specials on Thursday and Friday are amazing! From soup to nuts a meal for $20.95 is a wonderful deal! The trout play and the sauce are so delicious. In this way, the soup was delicious. The bread is great and the ice cream is so good all part of the lunch special! The other thing that nova Europa offers is a rewards program where you can earn points and get money off of your meals.

Had such a lovely wedding anniversary dinner last night with my husband! The entrees were delicious and the Portuguese pastry dessert was incredible. But the highlight of our dinner was our server Drew who was full of life and took the utmost care of us and even provided us complimentary salad, cake, and a shot of amaretto. We were absolutely spoiled and very impressed. We’ve had such terrible service in the Moco area and this experience made up for it. The sole almondine was delicious and their special tuna over mashed potatoes and spinach was delicious with a peppercorn sauce. We are still dreaming of the Portuguese pastries and will definitely come back again! Such a treat and we felt right at home. Thank you for making such an effort to make us feel warm and welcome on our wedding anniversary.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a wonderful dinner and was happy to see the same server still there for over 40 years! Love this place and the food was really amazing. This is a hidden treasure! Love to support local restaurants as well!

Great classic restaurant! I had the beef livers. Hard to find that meal offered. Thought it was good.

This place was fantastic. The owner is a Portuguese chef, and they offer not only authentic Portuguese food, but Italian and some French as well. Everything was so good, we took the kids back the next night!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of the best restaurants I’ve visited in the DC area. My husband wanted to take me somewhere special and found this traditional seafood spot—and it was absolutely worth it. The prices are incredibly reasonable, the restaurant is spotless and beautifully maintained, and the portions are generous and delicious. The highlight of the evening was Manuel, the kitchen manager who has been with the restaurant for over 40 years. His warmth and attention made our night truly memorable. I can’t wait to return, especially for another pastel de nata for dessert!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a wonderful evening. The food was excellent including Filet Mignon, Lobster, and an amazingly tender Octopus. The wine chosen, Esporao, was delicious and accompanied the food well. Manuel, the owner, shows wonderful pride in his food creations, and was a warm and friendly host.

Charming restaurant, with great food and service. The chef is lovely!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5