Casa Nova Italian Restaurant & Bar, Shellharbour

Came in for dinner and left genuinely impressed. The atmosphere alone is worth the visit — beautifully designed space, warm lighting, and a vibe that somehow feels both upscale and relaxed at the same time. We started with the bruschetta, which was decent but could’ve been elevated with a bit more flavour and a more generous drizzle of olive oil dressing. A small tweak that would take it from good to great. Then came the gnocchi — and honestly, it was out of this world. Perfectly soft, rich, and full of flavour. The kind of dish you think about on the drive home. If you go for nothing else, go for that. Service was attentive without being overbearing — staff were friendly, checked in at the right moments, and made the whole experience feel effortless. Casa Nova is the kind of place you want in your rotation. Will absolutely be back to work through more of the menu. Not sure if this place was halal because I didn't ask and assumed it wasn't. Accommodating for this would be a big plus point for a massive market too.

The food was absolutely delicious, and the service was exceptional. Every staff member was warm, attentive, and made us feel so welcome. Thank you for making our day even more special with such a wonderful dining experience. We can't wait to come back!

Had a lovely lunch at Casa Nova Italian Restaurant. The atmosphere was calm and elegant, with both indoor and outdoor seating available. I was seated inside near the window, which made the experience very comfortable and relaxing. The restaurant is quiet and not crowded, perfect for a slow and enjoyable meal. Service was excellent, friendly, attentive, and welcoming. I started with fresh oysters, which were very fresh, not fishy at all, and had a clean, refreshing taste. For the main, I had the Scotch Fillet cooked medium. The steak was tender, juicy, and cooked perfectly, with a nice balance of flavour and softness. It was served with potatoes and broccolini, which complemented the dish really well. Overall, a very enjoyable dining experience with great food and atmosphere. I’ll definitely come back to try the pasta next time.

We had a wonderful dinner at Casanova Shellharbour. The tomato bruschetta was fresh and flavourful and the spaghetti marinara was so delicious, and the ham and pineapple pizza was deliciously balanced. The Cocktail Cupid Blush was amazing. And Sam provided outstanding service and made us feel truly welcome. Highly recommended to all.

Never again!! Service was friendly and helpful... to a point. Portion sizes for the salt and pepper calamari and garlic prawns were quite good, and the flavour was okay... just. Then the $47.50, 220g Scotch fillet arrived. Absolutely pathetic! Expecting a decent cut of meat, I ordered it medium rare. What turned up looked like minute steak and was cooked well done. Even the char and grill marks were barely visible. The floor manager agreed it wasn't good enough and took it back. The replacement? Another minute steak. This time they'd gone from well done to practically still mooing. More raw than blue, and barely seared. When I asked why a $47 steak was cut so ridiculously thin, I was told, "That's how it's supplied to us. We can't cook it any other way." Well... Maybe don't charge $47.50 for it then. To make matters worse, the "duck fat roasted potatoes" were pretty ordinary, and the vegetables consisted of two lonely pieces of broccolini. Apart from a tiny splash of sauce, that was the entire plate, as the photo shows. Then came the bill... Over $120 for some mediocre calamari, average garlic prawns, a piece of minute steak pretending to be a Scotch fillet, and one glass of house red. I was dining alone. When I suggested that, given the steak fiasco, they might like to do something about the bill, the best they could offer was reducing my $21 glass of fairly ordinary Merlot (which wasn't even the Cabernet Sauvignon I'd ordered) to $14.50. That was it. Apparently that's how customer service is supplied to them too. As you walk in, it boldly reads, "TRUE ITALIANO". It's the opposite of that. It's another one of these franchise-like, sub-pub-standard eateries, masquerading as and charging like fine dining. Definitely not one Italian in sight, either. Plenty of restaurants get things wrong. Good restaurants fix it. This one just charged me for the privilege. I didn't try the pizza, maybe that's their strong suit.