Portland’s First-Ever Book Bar and Café Opening Soon on Congress Street

Future Café in Portland is Coming

An exciting new concept will be hitting the Portland food scene this winter.

Novel Book Bar & Café is currently under construction. According to its website, the future café will be Portland's first ever book bar & café, a concept one would imagine will be a big hit.

The sleuths over at Portland Food Map have a great deal of detail about the future space, and also spoke to the owners, Joshua Ames and Nate Donovan. According to Portland Food Map:

Novel will be a combination café and bar “nestled in the ambience of books” where customers can socialize with friends, work and read.

The foodie website also mentions the owners' plans of creating a live event space. This will allow for local musicians and other artists to perform and share their creativity in the unique space.

Location, Location, Location

Novel will be located at 643 Congress St, right at the beginning of Portland's vibrant Art's District. The area is loaded with restaurants, bars, cafés, galleries, and live event space. It is absolutely a perfect location for a library bar & café.

According to Portland Food Map, Novel plans to roast their own coffee, have a full service bar, and an extensive menu of food and goodies.

Book Bar & Café Concept

This is some very exciting news for the city and its residents. While Portland certainly has its share of restaurants and bars, Novel's concept is, well, novel. It reminds me of Portsmouth Book & Bar, a really cool spot in New Hampshire's mini version of Portland. The shop is just a hip place to hang and enjoy a sip, while checking out a book or two. This is a simple yet effective concept that has made the Portsmouth bar very popular.

According to Portland Food Map, Novel is hoping to be open by January of next year. I would also suggest reading the post on Portland Food Map. There are a few quotes from the owners, and some info about future menus and more.