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    Nicola Restaurant

    4.3 (73 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Services - Nicola Restaurant

    Venue rental

    Nicola Restaurant Photos

    NICOLA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Upscale
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Nicola Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Gelatos
    Nancy T.

    All I can say is food and Service is fantastic from start to finish. Nothing's changed since we went there before. And it was quieter this time which was very nice. Will be back again soon.

    Gnocchi with chicken
    Natasha S.

    It was super cool to get dinner at this restaurant in slo bc it didn't really feel like slo. Such a fun feel inside of the restaurant. We all got a pisco sour which was a fun drink! The cede was a great appetizer. The sauce it was in seemed a lot for the amount of fish in the bowl. The bread and oil and vinegar they give you was soooo good. Ossobuco norteno - favorite meal, he wants to come back every week for this. Risotto was awesome Gnocchi- rich and amazing. I just got the chicken because I needed protein but a weird combo, wouldn't recommend on the regular. Carbonara- strong bacon taste and super rich Braciole- steak was a little dry and chewy but overall good meal Service- outstanding service. Everyone was so friendly and knew their stuff. I will definitely come back to try more things and get more of this atmosphere!

    Stephanie O.

    Located in slo and has a parking lot so that was nice. Came here on a Friday night and made reservations for 6:45 but we got seated at 7:30! It was packed but honestly so worth the wait. The host and waiter were all so nice. The restaurant is super cute and ambiance is great. We got served bread and this delicious garlic olive oil balsamic sauce to dip it in. We shared the bachiche (pasta with such tender filet strips) and the tortelli de zucca (butternut squash ravioli with delicious cream sauce and tender meat). The food and service were amazing! Was so impressed with how good the food was. Will definitely come again to try more dishes!

    Braised short rib Butternut squash Tortelli di Zucca
    Ricky K.

    I would definitely recommend Nicola! The service was amazing. Andrea was our server. She was very kind very helpful always had very nice compliments to say to the Table great service from her. The food was amazing all the appetizers all the entrées all the desserts the ambience of the Restuarant with the windows in the private party room was just fantastic.

    Cureso
    Olivia S.

    We had the best date night at Nicola on a Sunday night. We made reservations and did not have to wait long for a table. All of the staff was extremely welcoming and upbeat, you can tell they enjoy being there. We saw the pasta being hand made (with love) and you can tell! Food was super yummy. Shout out to our server Rory. He was very personable and put a smile on many faces. The interior was also beautiful and felt cozy. Plus if it's your birthday they have a whole song and dance for you. Pretty cool. I will definitely recommend this place!

    ...Sierra? salad
    Erin S.

    This review is for Friday December 5th around 5PM My husband and I were in SLO doing some shopping and decided to be spontaneous and wanted to try this new restaurant. It was around 5pm so we thought we might get lucky with a table. When we walked in it was pretty empty and we were greeted immediately by Rory. He asked if we had a reservation and when I said no, we were told that the only table we could get would be outside or the bar. Rory explained that they had reservations due in and needed to keep the inside tables opened. I opted for outside. My first impression of the decor was WOW. Totally my style. Soft warm creams, gold and greens. Not overdone, just the right amount of class and style. I wish I had taken photos when we first walked in since the room was empty but I am sure there are some on other reviews. I was a bit bummed not to sit inside but since we didn't have a reservation I understood. The outside patio was lovely. Cozy and plenty warm. It has tall walls and the heaters were more than enough on the evening we were there. The decor outside was nice and they did a great job bringing the warm, cream tones to the outside as well. Our waiter was Rory and the "busser" was Alyssa...both were top shelf. Alyssa was lovely to speak with as she was finishing setting up the other tables for the evening. She was very knowledgable about the menu when I asked her what her favorite dish was. She seemed to really enjoy her job and was obviously trained on the menu and was able to answer questions confidently. Rory, was just a delight. We decided to step out of the box and try some new things and we were very happy with his suggestions. He, like Allyssa, was very well versed on the menu and it was clear he enjoyed what he was doing. He was able to explain what "Bachiche" was and how this restaurant came to be. We split a cocktail and salad to start. The Pisco Sour was delicious! Totally not something that I would have ever ordered. I mentioned I don't like really sweet drinks...just a hint and it was perfect. I didn't get a photo in time before the bubble burst but the smoke had such wonderful aromatics...it made the drink even better. The salad (I forgot the name!) was fun. It had fruit in it which was totally different for me and it was delicious. I think it would be great on a summer evening especially! Main courses were without a doubt some of the best pasta we have had! I decided to splurge and get the Tortelli di Zucca...OMG. Just a perfect blend of the sweetness of the Butternut Squash and the savoriness of the Beef Short Rib Asado on top. My husband got the Cannelloni. It was more simple than mine, but equally delicious. The homemade pasta just elevates everything! We could have finished our meals but we stopped ourselves so we could get dessert. I can say that I was very happy with my leftover the next day :-) To end our evening, we split an Espresso and the Tiramisu. Of course, you guessed it, it was perfection. The only thing I did not care for was the bread surprisingly. I found the roll to be a bit hard and it was not easy to use it to dip in the fantastic tapenade/dip they serve it with. I am actually glad that I didn't care for it. I prevented me from filling up on it so it left me more room for the other delicious food that was to come! So to wrap it up...This is a must go if you want to treat yourself to an amazing evening in a beautiful environment eating delicious food. The prices are absolutely fair for the quality of food, drinks and service you will receive. You will probably need a reservation as when we left, it was packed...it was a Friday evening and there were obviously people celebrating for the holidays but I have a feeling this place will be busy most of the time. The parking is great! So happy they decided to NOT be downtown SLO. What a joy to not have to fight for parking and worry about getting a ticket! Treat yourself!

    Pisco sour with a fun flavor bubble
    Kellie C.

    Wow, what a find! The remodel of the former Upper Crust is gorgeous. Exciting Peruvian-Italian cuisine with well-trained service. Pisco sour cocktails have a bubble of extra flavor - see photo. Very New Vegas! A really creative and unique menu for SLO. We had the quinoa arancini ($20 for four, 4/5), Sol y Tierra salad ($15, 5/5), Velutata (asparagus soup, $15, 5/5), special ceviche ($25, 5/5; fair warning, a side of rice is $10), Timbal de Langostinos ($30, 5/5), Tortelli di Zucca with short rib ($40, 4/5). For dessert (all $14) we tried the Andrea (flambéed marshmallow and cookies, 3/5, flambéed at the table), Banana Crème Brûlée (4-5), and the Cherry Stracchiatella gelato (5/5). Cannot wait to return! A lovely night out with friends, family, or solo at the bar.

    Drinks
    S M.

    Amazing drinks, great ambiance, excellent service and tasty food! If you like exploring different flavors of food, Nicola is a great place to check out.

    Fran M.

    Wow!!!!! I was so impressed with this amazing resturant. From the second we stepped foot in the door we were waited upon. Great service, amazing food, great drinks and wonderful desserts. It was just perfect for our anniversary. The staff went above and beyond. Thank you

    Shrimp pizza
    Nory B.

    Great new place on Madonna and LOVR by Nicola, the owner of Mistura and Mamas Meatballs. Lots of parking, great ambience in a beautiful modern setting. Seated immediately at noon on Thursday with no reservation. Complimentary warm roll with a delicious olive garlic tapenade came out shortly before my asparagus soup. The soup was light yet full of flavor, with a delicious Parmesan chip. The only drawback was the shrimp pizza came out right after the soup, just a slight timing problem from the kitchen. The pizza was amazing! Crispy thin crust with a white sauce full of spicy Peruvian flavor and a generous amount of perfectly cooked shrimp on each slice. I could only finish half of the 10" pizza--yummy leftovers for home! And although I was full, I had to try the flourless chocolate cake bursting with the passion fruit sauce on top--oh my goodness that was so delicious! Service was friendly and solicitous, but there were only two servers and the restaurant was full so there was a little lag in the pacing. That's easily fixed once Nicola gets a sense of how busy they're going to be as the word gets out how amazing this place is! Highly recommend!

    Cesar with shrimp ($27)
    Elaina J.

    Beautiful restaurant with tablecloths, delightful decor and great service. The menu is unusual, a mixture of Italian and Peruvian food. We were there for lunch and they didn't have a lunch menu, just the dinner menu. I had the Cesar with shrimp ($27). It was ok, but nothing special. My husband had the lasagna ($23). My husband said it was ok, but he wouldn't order it again. A little pricey for lunch.

    I rarely/ almost never get on Yelp to write reviews, but I couldn't help myself after my first experience at Nicola. What can I say? Everything was perfect from start to finish. (I already knew this would be the case.. Nico and his entire team cannot seem to miss) -Restaurant build out is aesthetically pleasing, hip, sexy, etc. -Cocktail/ bar program is top tier and very innovative, especially for SLO. ( Do not sleep on their pisco sour features) The menu was incredible and only took a backseat to the service. Our server Jeremiah aka "JJ" was extremely knowledgeable and did a fantastic job guiding our experience. -Off menu specials for the day: branzino and scallops were absolutely to die for. -A7 Waygu (Are you kidding me!?) -Lamb lollipops... off the charts! -Desserts: pistachio gelato and their cheesecake still have me salivating. Do yourself a favor and check out this incredible spot!!! Ask for JJ if you want service that goes above and beyond!

    Had a wonderful evening with old friends from Colorado to Bakersfield. We all agreed it was like dining in downtown SF, with amazing service and ambiance. I will say, however, when discussing dinner the next day, that our main dishes were just mid. My gnocchi was way overcooked, but tasty; the other dishes could be described as "pretty good". In all, I actually would go back for the experience, if not for the food. Four stars from me. PS: My Italian husband said his Nonna always smiled when preparing her pasta. This Nonna appeared over it

    Crudaioli pizza minus one slice...

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    Ask the Community - Nicola Restaurant

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    Nicola Restaurant - peruvian - Updated May 2026

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