Novels Zaandam in Wijk 21 Oude Haven

We ate here on the second day of Christmas, great service, delicious food, nice atmosphere!

We had a lovely meal on Friday, Boxing Day, at Novels in Zaandam. However, the food was a bit too much to eat. It is not permitted to bother other customers at Novels in Zaandam. Please ask the woman with long hair in a ponytail and a man in a gray hooded jacket who were sitting at the round table with a long bench facing the road on Saturday, September 27th, with a group of five. They ordered, among other things, two bottles of wine. Please never do this again. We also ask the blonde woman in a long white sweater with glasses who was sitting at Novels on Saturday, September 20th, during the Dam tot Dam By Night, to never bother someone. We also kindly ask this woman to never do this again. We had a wonderful meal at Novels on Boxing Day. We had a truly delicious meal at Novels in Zaandam. Highly recommended! We highly recommend it! I've noticed that regarding the smoking policy at Novels, The smoking area is less than five steps away from the smoking-allowed area. There are people who aren't exactly comfortable and move to a non-smoking lounge, only to be immediately told by Novels staff that smoking is not allowed there. They then go back to the unsuitable area and return to where they were. And from now on, always a Latte Macchiato, even during the last round. Coffee during the last round is no longer accepted by regular Novels customers. The coffee machine is only cleaned after Novels closing time, not before. Today, Friday, March 29, 2024. Extremely busy, and it felt like a sauna here at Novels. I ordered a Latte Macchiato, and after another, I was told the coffee machine was broken. I'm not falling for that. With such a mess, you shouldn't approach customers. Monday, May 13 Unfortunately. Today, Novells was short-staffed. Had to wait a very long time for an employee. Please provide fast service next time. Friday, October 11, 2024 Novels feels like a sauna.

Other than the fact that they have in-house pets for cuddles and entertainment, the food is affordable for its portion and quality. We ordered the Club Sandwich, Truffle Shuffle, Salmon Ebi Torch and Crispy Chicken Sandwich alongside Nachos Pulled Chicken. The staff were extremely nice, introducing us to their in-house furry friends and checking in in us.

Good food, nice atmosphere and we had a good waiter.

I've had delicious sushi here three times now during Monday Madness. The ambiance, with its many lights, is also good at Novels, and the staff is friendly but not very service-oriented, or perhaps too busy. Last summer, I left the terrace after half an hour without being spoken to. Yesterday, I waited 45 minutes for the menu; the menu (sushi special) wasn't explained, the drinks I ordered weren't brought, etc. All in all, poor service. We also moved because we smelled cat urine at our seat. Not a great experience.

Enjoy a delicious meal at Novels With a social deal

Impeccable service. Warm and friendly. Delicious food. Incredible value for money. Special mention to the servers, all of whom were perfect.

Nice high tea, the tower with food was good, choice of tea types was a bit limited but generally fine and a beautiful decor!

Excellent restaurant with an extensive menu. The restaurant has a charming and attractive interior. At the front is a conservatory and terrace. Good wines and friendly service. For lunch, try the chef's sushi, highly recommended!

Warm and inviting and the bar cat is lovely.

Disgraceful. Empty terrace, you practically have to use a megaphone and flaunt your hand at the servers to get them to help you. They're far too busy with themselves or showing off with the ladies. It's really ridiculous that you have to get someone's attention before they'll come help you. And when you do get helped, they're all completely disinterested. They don't even ask if everything is alright or if we'd like another drink. And it was very quiet on the terrace. I think this is truly terrible service; you're approached more often at a supermarket.

I was here for a private birthday party. The space was super cozy and beautifully decorated. I was pregnant at the time, and the staff were very accommodating, offering drinks and a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail.

I never really write a review, but this time I just had to. The food at Novels is so incredibly delicious. The service is super friendly and fast. The drinks and cocktails are incredible. I highly recommend coming here. And a tip: if you do eat here, try the Parmesan fries with truffle mayo! They're truly addictive.

Cozy restaurant. Lovely heated patio. My husband's club sandwich was very tasty. Unfortunately, the gluten-free bread with egg salad was truly awful. It was clear no one in the restaurant had ever tried the bread itself. Dry gluten-free bread can be somewhat edible with a generous topping, but the egg salad was very meager. I simply ordered an extra drink to wash it down. The egg salad was quite tasty, though. Tip for the restaurant: try the gluten-free bread they serve yourself. Then you'll know what you're selling. These days, you can find quite tasty bread and rolls. For example, the fresh gluten-free bread at Albert Heijn.

We had a delicious high tea. Good service and friendly staff.

Eight of us were at Novels, but left when it turned out the entire menu was exclusively halal. According to the staff, "so Muslims won't have a problem with the food." When I explained that I have a problem with ritual slaughter and unnecessary animal suffering, the response was: "Then you should just order vegetarian." In other words: halal or nothing. In a secular European country, it feels strange that you're essentially forced to eat halal, otherwise you won't get any meat. Under EU regulations, slaughter without stunning is normally prohibited, but the Netherlands allows it for religious reasons, and in this restaurant, it seems to have become the standard. We left. Not out of intolerance, but out of principle: animal suffering isn't freedom of choice, and freedom of choice shouldn't be limited to just one religion.

The ambient lighting inside and the heated patio are very pleasant. Inside, you sit very close together on the benches or close to each other. This is cozy as a group, but not so cozy when you can literally hear everything the conversations next to you. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing. For these prices, we expected better, tastier, and more. It was a nice try, but we won't be back.

Disgraceful, my daughter treated me to a high tea ordered through Social Deal...never again! The food was like yesterday's and truly subpar. Normally, when you order a high tea, you get really tasty and varied food, but this was not good: plain scone, canned croissant, cake was a mere morsel, bread was stale, and the toppings were definitely not fresh. It was my daughter's treat, and I'm grateful for that, but normally, I wouldn't have eaten it. If you eat here, definitely don't order through Social Deal, because you won't get what you think you're getting.

We only received six small appetizers per person, which was far below expectations. The food wasn't fresh; the carpaccio was brown, the bread tough, and the vegetables on the wrap discolored. The tart was literally one bite. The presentation didn't match the photos shown at all. What was especially disappointing was the difference from my previous visit (without the Social Deal). Back then, we received considerably more and much fresher produce. This time, it felt like we were getting leftovers from the day before. For the price you pay, you should expect much more. You come for a relaxing experience, but unfortunately, this was definitely not that.

We sat outside, kind of covered. Very friendly service. Food wasn't overly expensive. Not very busy, but it was a Tuesday afternoon.

Four of us went for lunch. The place has a very large outdoor area. The inside is also quite large and decorated to a high standard. It's very high-quality and elegant. The menu features most items from around the world. We tried the sushi, which was quite good and delicious. It's a luxurious restaurant perfect for dinner on special occasions.

My girlfriend and I were really looking forward to a pleasant high tea, but what we got was downright embarrassing. The scones were served without jam and without clotted cream—the very essence of a scone! When we asked for jam, we were simply told it was gone. We ended up sharing a dry, half-frozen scone, silently hoping it would get better. Ten minutes later, we were presented with a pathetic cup of whipped cream as a "solution." As if that weren't enough, the restrooms were downright filthy: a foul smell, broken lighting, and an atmosphere that felt anything but welcoming. In short: this wasn't a relaxing high tea, but a complete disappointment. Save yourself the disappointment and choose a place where they understand the meaning of hospitality and quality.

Great restaurant and wonderful service from Sara. A very sweet, friendly, and experienced girl! Excellent service.

I should have known this from my experience a few years ago, but when colleagues stopped by after the Dan Tot Dam run, I decided to join them. Two plastic glasses of lemonade for €8! Very disappointing. After coffee and a delicious slice of apple pie, we were quite shocked and disappointed when we received the bill. €7.50 for a slice of apple pie is a lot more than we expected in a regular lunchroom and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

I don't write reviews often, but this sandwich was absolutely terrible. It was supposed to be a Philly cheesesteak and was listed under Novels' "Specials." I paid €16 for just this simple sandwich. No salad or fries (which wasn't listed either, but for €16 I expected a tasty, attractive, and filling sandwich). Instead, I got a simple, meager roll with meat that looked like dried-out döner. When I asked the server if this was the intention, I was told that this meat can dry out quickly, but that they would pass it on to the chef. So, this is of no use to me. This sandwich was truly awful and definitely not recommended.

Food was amazing, just the price doesn’t match.

Menu is diverse and tasty 😋 Location is strategic and Staff is very friendly. So highly recommended.

Unfriendly owner. Inattentive staff. Absolutely not recommended.

After eating sushi here with the three of us, I got extreme food poisoning!!! It was my only meal that day, and I got sick right away (so Novels is 100% to blame). My fever skyrocketed to a life-threatening level, almost resulting in a hospital stay!! Furthermore, some of the waitstaff didn't even look at me (no eye contact) when I tried to order. Please ignore this place if you love yourself!!!

We had a menu through Social Deal. There was a wide selection beforehand, which was great. The meat is halal, although that wasn't clearly stated on the menu, but we found out after asking. The service is a 4-star rating because we sometimes had to wait a bit long. The service was very friendly, though. The food is a 4-star rating because the Dame Blanche (in our opinion) didn't have enough chocolate sauce. Otherwise, it's really great!

Friendly service, nice atmosphere, good wine, but the food is of very poor quality

The food was delicious, the service was great!

Always a pleasant atmosphere, delicious food and drinks. Thanks to the friendly and attentive service from Merdan Fidan, we had another enjoyable evening. Tonight's cappuccinos were served hot and were delicious!

Last Saturday, I had lunch at Novels with three friends. We enjoyed the crispy chicken wrap and the spicy chicken, which are highly recommended. The spicy chicken is generously topped. The Philly cheesesteak was also very tasty, but a bit pricey for €16. It's on a hamburger bun, but there are no other toppings or anything you'd expect for that price. It's about the size of a McDonald's cheeseburger. The patio is lovely, and the restaurant's decor is very attractive.

We had lunch and while the place itself looks great with a modern and stylish atmosphere, the food was a mix of good and not-so-good. The fries were really good, crispy and well-seasoned. The staff were friendly and welcoming, which made the experience more enjoyable. The burger was not good at all. It’s not a smashed burger although it was advertised as one, and overall it lacked flavor and texture. I would also recommend avoiding the Philly cheese steak. The meat was not seasoned, and even the sauce couldn’t save it. And they put it in a bun instead of it being a sub. It tasted quite bland. If you are planning to eat here, go for the spicy chicken. It’s actually not bad and definitely a better choice compared to the burger or the cheese steak

Super delicious food and drinks! 👌

The service was friendly, but unfortunately, both sandwiches were cold upon arrival. We had to wait quite a while, and the value for money was very disappointing. This was our second time trying it, but unfortunately, it was also our last.

I'm very happy with the service I received from Merdan! He was a super friendly waiter and helped me a lot.

Merdan served us nicely and had a nice chat!

Merdan is, without a doubt, the best waiter at Novels. He is extremely professional, kind, attentive, and dedicated – a true example of excellence in the art of hospitality. From now on, whenever we return here, we will make a reservation and specifically request to have him as our waiter. We would like to mention that in the past, we had less pleasant experiences with another waiter and one of the managers, whose behavior was arrogant and tactless. We are a group of 8 people, and we all agree that these colleagues could learn a lot from Merdan – both in terms of attitude and professionalism. Everything here is outstanding – the location, the menu, and the atmosphere – but it’s the relationship with the staff that truly makes the difference. We strongly encourage you to value and support waiters like Merdan, who genuinely elevate the standard of your establishment.

We had a party yesterday. The food was delicious, and Merdan served us perfectly. The atmosphere was great; I would definitely go back.

On the hot day, we missed the fans to cool us down a bit. Luckily, the food was delicious and the cocktails were fantastic. Our waiter, Merdan, made our bachelorette party complete with his friendly atmosphere!

MerdanIs a good waiter,the best because of hom we chose Novels to be the place to relax after a verry long day at work ! Is a plasure to have him that night soooo after 1 month and half we chose novels to be our place every time when we are in Zandaam ! We love you Mendanls

My friend's birthday was so fun and we had a great time with drinks. Merdan is a great addition to Novels; he was incredibly helpful, came over for a friendly chat, and took care of everything perfectly!

We had a wonderful evening. Merdan helped us well and brought us a good ulcer. Thanks, champ!

We were at Novels today and we were helped very well by Merdan, he also put up nice balloons for the birthday boy in the group, a good addition to Novels😜

The staff has no affinity for hospitality. They're unfriendly, and due to a lack of understanding, we had to wait over an hour for two sandwiches. When we confronted them, both the waitstaff and the manager/shift leader reacted very defensively. Dirty glasses, the patio littered with cigarette butts and broken glass. The food was decent, but the price/quality ratio was mediocre. Absolutely not recommended!

Brunette lady was way too rude!

What a crappy place!! Staff is more busy with each other than just getting on with the drinks. First drink had to come after we had already finished our bittergarnituur (which was ordered later). After asking three times it was enough, the bill was asked and only the bittergarnituur was paid for. FEBO has a better service! Fortunately they have nice neighbors, the drinks are cheaper and the service is great!

Nice place with a nice menu. But the waitress, a young short brunette lady around 16, was aggressive on the table next to us! At one point she ran away screaming. And this during Pride. Completely illogical.. This really ruined the atmosphere and also that of the people around us!

Food was fine and the atmosphere was also good. Service on the other hand from the blonde lady was to cry. If you want to eat somewhere where you get the feeling that you are not welcome, this is the place to go.

Yesterday I was sitting on the terrace at Novels with a friend. When I took a sip of my cocktail, I felt something strange on my tongue. Luckily I didn't swallow it, but to my horror it turned out to be a piece of glass. This is very bad, because I could have swallowed it with all the consequences. I went back with it and only got the response: "No, that's indeed not the intention, I'll make a new one." No apologies or other compensation. This is not only dangerous, but also absolutely not service-oriented. Very disappointing.

Best sushi in town and the other food is also very tasty. On busy days the service can be slow. Terrace is spacious with a complete view of the dam.

Very nice tent. Very cozy atmosphere.

“It was a terrible experience. I’m never coming back here.

Had a lovely evening at Novels Zaandam! The ambiance is beautiful and the service was friendly and professional

If they dont recommend this place, dont trust them!

*TOP TENT* Made a reservation via Socialdeal. We arrived and were seated straight away. The menu was neatly explained and we were able to eat straight away. The food we had was great!! Recommended! Starter: Spicy Chicken Tacos (Crispy homemade tacos with chicken, guacamole, cream) and as main course Noodles (portion of noodles with vegetables and meat of your choice) The only pity was that we were constantly approached by other staff. This caused drinks and orders to be mixed up several times. By the way, the terrace was packed, so we understand! NOVELS thank you! It was delicious. We will definitely come again.

Good food, adequate service. The decor/atmosphere... you have to like it 😇

You ask for something that comes an hour later or not at all. Too bad service is unfortunately very slow

The best sushi in all of Zaandam! Absolutely blown away by the quality — every sushi piece was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The service was spectacular: warm, attentive, and fast. And the restaurant itself? Simply gorgeous — stylish, cozy, and with such a lovely vibe. Highly recommend the sushi and their beef sandwiches — both were a hit. I’d come back in a heartbeat!

Good and friendly service from Sara. Thanks Sara for your hospitality.

Top service, super sweet young girl

Good atmosphere and tasty food.

Simply incredible sushi and amazing cocktails!!! We are delighted😍😍😍😍 RASPBERRY MULE🔥🔥🔥

The atmosphere is great. The food is delicious and the staff is super nice!!

Nice place, had an inside and inside/outside terrace. Food we had was good as was the cocktail I had. Service was slow and it was a week day lunch time

Thanks Sara, delicious food and the pornstar was great

The food was as you'd expect of a restaurant we had, gyoza, carpaccio, and the chicken. These were all average.,the dessert was great I had a tiramisu which tasted rich and my wife had a dame blanch which according to her was average as well.

Had a super delicious meal and enjoyed it with friends on the terrace ☀️. The sushi rolls, carpaccio sandwich and everything was great!!

Very slow, we waited more than 50 minutes for the food to be brought to us after ordering it, the service was acceptable but left a lot to be desired. The food is correct but nothing out of this world, there are much better places.

I am writing this review mainly about the food. For an average price of €16 per sandwich, I had high expectations in terms of presentation and portion size. Unfortunately this was disappointing. I ordered the Philly Cheese Steak, but it was served on a bun the size of a standard bun. The ratio between the ingredients was not balanced: there was more pepper than meat, and the amount of meat was disappointingly little. The Smashburger and the wrap were also on the small side. When I compare this to what you get at The Mail Company for a similar amount, the difference in both quality and portion is significant. However, the atmosphere and service are excellent.

Warning tourist groups!! This restaurant is incapable to split the bill. We were international group, dozen people from different countries and we could not pay our dinner individually.

Very slow bar service that's why the girl is very attentive

We only had chicken bites, beer and raspberry something which really was not worth what they charged for it. The chicken bites were nice but a small portion. When I was asked the size of beer I wanted (small, medium, large), I went with medium. Naturally, I ordered another medium because it was more like a small beer. The positives, I liked our servers and the atmosphere.

Great food and amazing service, we loved it here.

Service was very bad. After sitting for two hours, not once did anyone from the service come by. We had to call to order something. When we finally got hold of someone to order dinner, the kitchen was already closed. Never experienced something like this before, that you had to do your best to get something ordered. After an hour and a half of waiting, the empty drink had not even been cleared away.

Yesterday (Easter Sunday) we ate at Novels via social deals as a first nice surprise with a very sweet welcome card on the table. Very thoughtful!! otherwise the food was just good, if I have to mention a small downside. plates could be laid out a little nicer, a little bit of vegetables, etc. looks a bit nicer, it was now only a piece of meat on the plate. You can order vegetables for 6 euros, but that's fine too. the eye wants something too! nice and friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere.

Lunch on Saturday with the three of us. We had Philly Cheese Steak. Unfortunately, it was disappointing, the meat was not tasty, hard, fatty and sinewy pieces of meat. Tasteless, I added some salt and pepper myself. Presentation very boring. Not recommended for a specialty in our opinion.

Slow service, drink tastes like ready-made syrup. Good atmosphere

Yesterday we enjoyed a fantastic high tea at Novels in Zaandam. From the first moment it felt like a warm welcome, partly because of the handwritten card on the table. The sweet and savory snacks were delicious and so generously portioned that we couldn't even finish it all. Fortunately, we were given a small container to take it home with us. After high tea we wanted to sit outside in the sun, and that was no problem. We even received fresh tea, which was neatly prepared for us on the terrace. It was wonderful to enjoy it afterwards with a glass of wine and tea. At checkout we were again surprised with a handwritten thank you card - such a nice, personal touch! The staff is incredibly friendly and hospitable, and we will definitely come back here for a high tea or a high cocktail. Highly recommended! ❤️

Delicious food. Had a carpaccio as a starter. Main course Ravioli with porcini and truffle and also fries with parmesan cheese and truffle. We enjoyed it

Delicious food and very well served by Sara :)..

Badly managed, but nice place and interior. Expensive and bad service; a small cup of cappuccino costs 4€. Expensive, especially because you have to go inside to order it, get it cold because it has been on the bar too long and you have to go back inside and hunt for a waitress to pay for it.

7 euros for a chai latte with oat milk (1.50 extra for oat milk) What a bunch of scammers😂 And it wasn't even tasty..just a cheap syrup with oat milk. Shameless

Here you can enjoy both European and Asian food, without the feeling of mass production. Tasty dishes, attentive and friendly employees.

good food and a good waitress Sara!

Very good and Sara is a good hostess

2 cappuccinos, how difficult can it be. Small and lukewarm

We had a high wine, it is highly recommended. We had a great evening. Delicious food, nice full glasses of wine and the service was also great.

We wanted something to eat and decided to order a hamburger. Extra fries would cost 6 euros so we didn't do that. Normally you always get some fries with it, not even a leaf of lettuce or anything extra, just a hamburger sandwich with Cheddar cheese €20 euros. 20 euros for 1 hamburger?? That's really not worth it, sorry. Staff is friendly.

The Caesar Salad and the Parmesan Fries were absolutely amazing. The staff was fast and attentive.

The Novels Fish Pot is an absolute must. The flavors are perfectly balanced and the presentation is beautiful.

Started with cocktails which were delicious, main course took too long after starter. Entrecote was tasty, chicken was completely raw and sent back and had little taste, but the prawns pil pil and crispy prawns were delicious. service was excellent and 2 drinks on the house for the wait.

A perfect place to enjoy a wonderful evening with friends. The service was friendly and the cocktails were fantastic.

Novels remains my favorite restaurant because of its consistent quality and friendly service.

The Grilled Aubergine and the cocktails completed our evening. What a nice place!

A great restaurant where you can enjoy delicious dishes and top service. The atmosphere is always cozy and relaxed.

The Novels Fish Pot is an absolute must. The flavors are perfectly balanced and the presentation is beautiful.

Had a wonderful evening here, delicious food and very friendly staff!