The Novar Bar in Fife

Good food and friendly atmosphere

Popped into this local pub for a quick lunch after hearing good reviews about the menu online. Located on a main road the pub is easy to find with a painted blue front and outside seating area and ramp access for accessible user. There is no venue parking but free local parking on nearby streets. Inside, the are lots of tables to choose from and booth seating with the bar in the middle. Nothing lavish, simply pub decor with lots of old school photographs of Kirkcaldy hanging on the walls. As I visited on a sunny Tuesday afternoon at 2:30pm the place was quiet. Seated in the back area I browsed the ‘all day menu’ before deciding on the Macaroni cheese, served with garlic bread and chips. Request to switch the chips for onion rings which the waitress said was no problem. Only appeared to be one person serving but the lady was prompt to take my order. Was surprised by how quickly the food arrived after only 5 minutes, however the macaroni was still cold in the middle! Told the waitress and she was happy to take back to the kitchen and returned shortly afterwards with a piping hot bowl of macaroni. The macaroni was very tasty in a rich creamy sauce which, well seasoned. Garlic bread and onion rings were also good. The dish was a large portion and well presented and good value for £12.95. After finishing, I was well satisfied before the waitress asked if I wanted a dessert. Decided to take a look at the menu before ordering the classic sticky toffee pudding. Again, the food was quick to arrive but this time piping hot! Very large portion with lots of toffee sauce and served with squishy cream and ice cream. Dessert was Delicious but very filling. What made this even better was the waitress had removed this from my bill due to my macaroni being served cold. Overall positive experience and would definitely recommend this place for a hearty casual pub meal for local family’s.

Delicious food on an extensive menu. I had mac n cheese and it was superb.

Fabulous place the staff are so friendly and helpful. The food is amazing my fave the steak pie oh aye ah aye my friend is raving about the katsu curry. The portion size is epic also 👌

Absolutely top quality food and portion sizes! My go-to when I’m back in fife seeing family… it’s also a rovers bar which helps 😎💙🤍

This is a great little pub. The food is delicious and freshly prepared. Always value for money and no skimping on portion size! The staff are lovely. Been here a few times with friends and never been disappointed. Chef's mac n cheese best I've ever tasted. Edit : just had a sneak preview of their Christmas menu. Amazing choices...something for everyone I would imagine. This place is famous for it's freshly cooked food and very generous portions. I would honestly recommend to anyone. The staff are attentive and even during really busy times wait times aren't too bad. Parking at the pub isn't great but there is a managed carpark a few hundred yards away. Think maximum time is 3 hours. Also, there is a disabled toilet and disabled access to the pub. . Merry Christmas to one and all! 26/08/2024.

Good fish & chips, an next time, even more tasty delights to choose from 😏

Food was delicious here and very good prices

Jan Thomson Was there Fri 13th sept 2024 maybe a sign but don't think so, I having been going there for years at least once every 2 weeks, well new chef first food was cold then they replaced it, I always order macaroni it was disgusting tasteless, seen new chef a few times in bar , his overalls were badly needing replaced, not white at all very grey n he needs to be a bit smarter didn't look clean at all. So disappointed as I used to love the food there never ever had a bad meal before. Won't be back

First time here. Hit it just before football game so very busy. Food was lovely and good service

Started off fine,mains were OK,quick enough service. Food good..ish, but it's run by bairns..defo only 2 stars had to wait 20mins on dessert. It was only ice-cream and heated up pudding.. No one else was needing service.. Needs a good shake up, feels more of a cafe style,as In 1980's. seats hard as! More around town that's better..!! Ie spoons..lol

Went there for lunch. Fantastic food, fantastic staff, and very helpful and friendly, I would definitely recommend the novar. .

Terrific restaurant with delicious food and very good portions!

Great food and prompt friendly service, Original honey chilli chicken was delicious and chips were great too, highly recommend.

Amazing staff and the food was incredible. Large portions but you can get box to take away what you do not eat. Highly recommend :)

Everything in this place is 10/10 proper pub binge food! Love it. Honey chil chicken, Brie wedge, steak pie & fish and chips are all 10/10. One of my go to restaurants!

Delicious food and great atmosphere. Should call ahead to make sure they are not full.

What a pub. Great pints, friendliest staff, sport on TV - couldn't beat it. Didn't eat but food looked fantastic 👌

Lovely food and massive portions, great variety on the menu too, can't fault them!

I walked in around 6pm and wanted to order.I was told the kitchen was about to close but they took my order I ordered chicken katsu and rice and a pint of lager. The portion was massive big strips of chicken in tempura batter with curry sauce and mould of rice quite a lot and a generous portion of chips. Not sure if they were necessary but they were nice I got that down me then ordered apple pie and custard and another half of lager.It was a massive portion and there was a jug of hot custard with it. It was steaming hot and delicious. I was so full I left a few spoonfulls Atmosphere wise the place was pretty dead. Very few patrons and one TV was on loud that I could not see blasting out Wimbledon commentary which I found distracting. The service was great. The place is ok. Obviously seen better days but has a bit of old school charm about it. The table top I was using was scratched and worn and the furniture is dark wood which is not trendy anymore. I paid about £37 which is on the high side but I certainly got more food than I could manage and it's presentation was homely so one could recognise what was on the plate. Thanks for the feast

The food was very good. Large portions and fresh food. Service was slow, considering it was not busy. However, staff were very pleasant and helpful. Overall, it was a good experience and will return again in the future.

Food was fabulous, hot and freshly made. Huge portions. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Definitely making a return visit ASAP.

First time having food here and it was fantastic, piping hot, fresh home made fish, Chips, coleslaw and tartre sauce. Lovely young staff and a good pot of tea.5*

The food was very decent. Large portions. Value for your money.

Booked for a Fathers Day meal as my inlaws had never been and my family and I had lovely meals in the past...but today was disappointing! Meals were all brought at different times ( mains 15 mins apart) which was a little awkward and then not all items were brought out, couldn't speak to staff regarding this as no one approached the table through out the full meal and there was actually no staff going around - went ahead with meal and the food was good ( and the only reason for 2 stars) but very let down by poor service and considering how much you pay per meal, someone to ask how your food was or if you would like anything further drinks should be a given. Even when paying the bill, had to stand and wait for 15mins at the bar before anyone came and then no thanks for coming or asking how the food was comments were made- just told amount and to insert card whilst the staff member was focused on something else. It's a shame as this is the type of experience that loses businesses custom.

Always made to feel very welcome. Go most Friday mornings for breakfast. Staff are always friendly and wee stevie does a fantastic breakfast!! Will definitely be back 😊

One of our group is vegetarian and had 2 ask how chips are fried and was told they are done in beef dripping but wasn't offered any alternative. She had the macaroni as did I and another friend . We found this to be extremely runny and not thick and luxurious as I've had it in here on previous occasions what we did enjoy tho was it was very flavourful just would've preferred it thicker. Also we found quite a few of our chips we still pretty hard in the middle.

A great bar with probably the best menu and largest portions in Kirkcaldy. Highly recommended you give this a go.

Ordered mac & cheese with no salad to be told there has to be salad on the plate due to "presentation of the dish" to be then handed dirty cutlery in a old dirty pint glass...great presentation when brung to the bartenders attention he responded with laughter and inspected the cutlery on the table stating " its not that bad" 0.01 out of 10

Unfortunately the last twice I have eaten here have been disappointing. Gave them the benefit of the doubt after the first time but second time was just as bad. Takes so long to get things to table, aren't very accommodating and food is quite greasy.

Food was great as always service was a bit slow. Then again it was busy and sometimes It good not to feel rushed between courses. Thought prices have gone up but then again all Places Same these days. Love the home cooked Food

Family meal for my birthday. Meals were amazing. Staff lovely and friendly. Prices really good for the portion sizes that you receive. Will definitely be going back. 👍

We were booked for a table for six at 7.30pm. The starters and desserts were fine, but the main meal was awful. I don't think one person finished their meal. One of the group was refunded for her steak as it was inedible. The chips were tasteless. The steak pie contained good enough steak, but was saturated with gravy that was thick with grease. The pastry looked a bit uncooked and had a strange butter taste. Not good at all. Strange, as I was there about a year ago and had a bar lunch and it was good. But, disappointed with the evening meal.

Dreadful experience for lunch. As a starter I ordered mussels in white wine sauce, the mussels were the smallest I have seen and completely dried out. I sent them back and didn't even get an apology and was charged for them. Next course we ordered steak pie, the meat was tender and plentiful although could have done with some more gravy, served with frozen vegetables of sweet corn & peas. Nobody came near to the tables to ask if the food was alright. A totally disappointing meal. Considering that the small starter of mussels was £7 and steak pie £14.50 definitely not worth the visit. Will not go back

Good honest fare. Will be back.

We were there today. The portions were huge and everyone was extremely satisfied with their meals.... apart from me. I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years so had the nachos and macaroni. Also could have had deep fried mushrooms. Anyhoo after eating 2 chips that came with the macaroni I discovered they were cooked in beef dripping. My fault cos I should have checked. Also turns out that the nachos were cooked in beef dripping too. To say I felt sick was an understatement. Hopefully they will do vegetarian options soon but failing that maybe put on the menu what things are fried in.

3 of us went for lunch nothing could have prepared me for the amount of food on the plates none of us cld finish it absolutely stuffed, great food

Gammon steak, eggs, pineapple, chips and veg was excellent. Good friendly service. Only criticism is that prices on the online menu differ from those on the restaurant menu. Need to get it updated!!! Still good value for money nonetheless.

Food was freshly cooked and delicious....unbelievable portion sizes

The best burgers in the town! Been here a few times now since moving to Kirkcaldy and always had excellent food and service! Portion sizes are massive, the burgers and chips are really tasty and service has always been great!

Our fish and chips were very good indeed and served very quickly on what was a busy night before a game at Stark's Park. I'd definitely come back here.

We went for breakfast, and so was quiet, but staff were friendly enough and the food was awesome.

Excellent meal, excellent service excellent value, food was delicious and couldn't do enough for us, thoroughly recommend this place, will defo be back

Food is amazing could not finish it no problem get a box take it home with you nothing is any bother staff are brilliant

Novar bar is one of my favourite restaurants in Kirkcaldy meals are always 5*** and portions are very generous and service is always perfect

Good food, generous portions, pleasant and family atmosphere

great portion sizes and top food

The food was delish and we will defo be back

Great place, great food and fantastic staff 👍

What a smashing dinner , big portions , would 100% recommend, chips are amazing

My third visit this year and last night 8 of us had a fantastic meal. Great atmosphere fantastic staff and the portion sizes are huge. Definitely recommend this place.

Visited The Novar on 20th December 2023 for dinner at 6:30pm as part of a group of five friends. I have a dairy allergy and alerted the waiter to this prior to ordering. I asked to have the haggis fritter and steak pie if it was okay for someone with a dairy allergy. I had previously had the steak pie here, albeit about a year prior. The waiter returned to the table with an allergy menu but virtually every single dish on the menu was unsuitable for someone with a dairy allergy. I asked the waiter if he could speak to the chef to see if the haggis fritter and steak pie could be modified to make it dairy free. He returned from the kitchen and advised the chef could not guarantee anything on the WHOLE MENU would be suitable for me due to cross contamination risks - a cop out of a response from an eating establishment in 2023. I said to the waiter if the food is home-cooked which it was meant to be, it shouldn't be difficult to modify a dish, replace part of it with an alternative or cook something from fresh to suit my requirements. I asked to speak to the chef briefly in person for a few minutes as I was taken aback by the initial response. The waiter then advised the chef "was too busy" to speak to me and reaffirmed there was nothing they could offer me on the menu to eat (a total of 25 different dishes). I was appalled at the lack of allergy awareness and, more frustratingly, the lack of compassion and willingness to help me find something to eat. I have visited The Novar for many years for food and been catered for every time but I shall never return after this awful experience. As a side note, we all walked out and went to the Royal China on the corner of the High Street and had a great meal and they benefitted from The Novars' loss to the tune of a three figure sum.

Food was great, so was the service. The place could do with new cutlery, plates and some general updating.

First time being a novar bar. Foods amazing as well as the portion sizes are worth the price and food quality. Was a busy night. But the service was always on top of the orders. Will be back again this month for food. Street parking or a small car park at the back. But other than that, you will need to find spaces around the area.

Great food at a good price.Will be back

Have seen many reviews on Facebook and wanted to try and see if it lives upto the hype, I am happy to report that it was excellent and well worth the high praise everyone is giving. Few reviews complaining about the service but we couldn't have been looked after any better. Would definitely recommend and will be back again soon as must have been half a dozen items on the menu that I want to try

Pub grub. Really good. Big portions.

Food was good but can do with petite menu or pensioners choice was far to much for us.

Lovely bar with amazing food !!! We sat outside in the winter sun for a bit but it could do with a wee clean up.....

Food was ok but a bit pricy for a bar lunch,could have done with a tea spoon to stir my tea

After ordering food,over an hour had passed , when spoke to staff were told it would be another 10 min . however in-between us waiting other customers had came in , been served and had finished their meal. No apologies or anything.

I've been coming to the Novar bar for years for food and drink and the good is always 10/10. Amazing customer service from the staff and a lovely atmosphere with right temperature.they have a little beer garden out front too where you can sit and chill when the days are really nice. If they could bring back the sharing platter that used to be on the menu too that would be amazing. It's the one thing I miss from the Novar bar

Went out for a birthday meal for my sister. The portion sizes are wow and the menu well its hard to decide on what to have. Lovely atmosphere and reasonably priced..Will defo be back

Different service from here yesterday, and not in a good way ! We booked a booth for four for lunch with friends from Edinburgh, as we have always mentioned we liked the food, and they wanted to try it. As I have a hearing problem and cannot be in the middle of noise we booked a booth. When we arrived we were duly shown into a booth then immediately asked to leave and be moved to another table, I had to explain again about my hearing problem but the waitress was not interested and instead her reply was “we have had booking coming in to watch the rugby so you need to move” We had been in to check twice that we definitely had a Booth booked but made no difference on the day. Clearly rugby viewers get preference to regulars. We were bitterly disappointed, and left. I telephoned today to complain was again told that rugby viewers got preference ?? Beware when booking , customer service non existent. Attitude to someone with a hearing problem is disgraceful, we wont be back.

One of the best places in town for food and drink. Massive portions! Great atmosphere. Lovely and helpful staff.

First time eating here and pleasantly surprised. Grest selection of food on normal and special menus. Service very good, food delicious and good sized portions. I had the lentil and smoked bacon soup, which was delicious, followed by a ham salad with chips. The chips were some of the best I have ever had. My only issue was time between starters and mains, but to be fair restaurant was busy

Absolutely fantastic from when we arrived to when we left as everything was definitely way above other places I've been too, from friendly staff, to portion sizes, prices i thought were brilliant especially as the puddings almost beat us. Would thoroughly recommend this quaint pub come restaurant 😀 Thank you for making us so welcome at lunch time yesterday 😀

Great pub and the food is probably the best value in Kirkcaldy and excellent

The only thing to let this place down is the price. Portion sizes were good. A band came on in the evening. All round enjoyable atmosphere.

Been to Nova a few times now, great food at very reasonable prices. Staff are always friendly service is quick and portions are above average. Can't fault the place in our several visits.

Amazing portions and all freshly cooked.

great pub grub ! quality ingredients

Was here for my mother-in-law 85 birthday there were 8 of us , two of the party were 10 min late , the waitress was so rude it was unbelievable , she told them to hurry up and order before they had a chance to look at menu ! Our food all came at different times my sons main course came along with his starter his partners didn’t come until we were all finished, he asked them to take his main meal away and when it was brought back it had been reheated in microwave and pastry actually disintegrated! I work in hospitality and have never experienced such rude service , we paid and left as I didn’t want it ruined anymore than it had been for mother in law , food was good but wouldn’t go back to be treated that way unbelievable! Really wish I had said something

Nice food but ruined by other customers letting their kids run riot, screaming for hours in the beer garden. The staff said absolutely nothing and let the kids run in and around everyone with their drinks and food - not only exceptional annoying but hazardous too. Awful atmosphere and my wife and I left with a splitting headache.

Delicious food, great sized portions for price. First time visit but will be back!! Great you can sit outside.

Food excellent staff very friendly all in all excellent

Was in today for lunch. We enjoyed lovely food. I had smoked haddock macaroni with ciabatta bread and chips. Could only manage a few chips as I was too full. Toffee apple crumble with custard and ice cream for dessert!

Great meals and value for money. Decor a bit dated but place nice and clean . Steak pie real value for money.

Food was amazing, very fresh and well presented. Service was also excellent. I will definitely be back.

Fantastic meal and service as always. Maggie was such a good waitress and so attentive to our table. Thank you

Great food good atmosphere great service

Was at Novar bar with my mum & dad for a meal and was surprised and very impressed with the food , food was absolutely amazing . I had the cheeseburger 🍔. Oh my mouths watering just writing this lol 🤤. Seriously guys the place is worth a try.

Good food it was the first time going there for dinner loved it and very helpful staff will go again thanks guys

LUSH, LUSCIOUS, LAP IT UP. Great batter, friendly atmosphere.

Friendly staff and food portions massive

Food here is always excellent, would highly recommend it but would definitely advise trying to book a table as it gets busy very quickly

Amazing food and huge portions. It was a lovely evening and service with a smile was much appreciated.

Food amazing, staff great. Fresh food, decent price, large portions. Loved the food here will definitely be back

Lunch with 3 grandchildren last week all over 17 years old so they know what they like and everyone said how good it was

It was an amazing experience coming to novar what I expected was a tiny place with little on selection of drinks and food. But I was surprised the food we ordered was excellent, portions absolutely massive great value for money. Drinks prices are brilliant and definitely massive variety. The staff fantastic , super friendly and helpful will definitely be coming back when I'm next around.

We sat outside, because the sun was shining, and we had the dog. We ordered fully loaded fries, they where divine, so overall a good afternoon.

Food was ok, fish very greasy but portion size was good. What let this visit down was the time our food took to arrive. We were there for nearly 2 hours for 2 courses!. The first course took 45 minutes to arrive and our empty plates sat for nearly 20 minutes before they were cleared away. Staff are very pleasant but need to focus on slightly better service....not everyone has this amount of time to wait.

Always a lovely meal, portions are huge! Service is always amazing aswell.

Friendly, good beer, attentive bar staff. Saw so many folks come in to book a table for lunch / dinner the place must do amazing food. 30+ years since I first visited, true to say the place has certainly changed and that for the better.

Great variety of food at reasonable prices and portion sizes are big.

Good food, good atmosphere. Service was fab

Excellent service with a very short notice booking for our party of 7, including wheelchair well recommended

What a fantastic lunch! Was my first visit but definitely not my last! Food was AMAZING! You wont leave hungry, portions were huge! Highly recommend the Smoked Haddock macaroni!! The staff were super friendly and entertaining! Already looking forward to my next visit!

The staff are Great food is amazing it's a great place to go to really friendly people I would recommend it to my friends and family best night out I've had in years

Plenty to choose from on each menu. Steak pie was delicious as was cheesy mashed potatoes. Staff friendly, toilets clean.