We celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary at Nicola's Ristorante. We were seated in a room with a gorgeous, big candelabra. We chose some dishes from specials like buffalo burrata with strawberries, and pea pasta with mushrooms, which was simply mouthwatering . Also, we chose a cacio e pepe in some unusual variation, which was super tasty. We finished the evening with Crème brûlée and chocolate lava cake very- very delicious. Can't wait to come back to try some more of the menu items soon read more

See all

I unfortunately do not make enough money to go to restaurants in this price range on a normal basis, but shoutout restaurant week for making it more palatable. Ambiance and service were both awesome - very professional yet also cool. For my three courses, I went with the mussel guazzetto, the braised lamb spaghetti alla chitarra, and the moulard duck breast. My favorite were the mussels, but I wasn't blown away given the price point. read more

See all

I have never been to a Michelin star restaurant before but this is what I picture it being like. Elegant, yes a little pricey, but unique and extremely tasty food! To start out, our server was fantastic and helped us in deciding what to order through his reccomendstions. We ordered the housemate breads for the table. Normally, I don't like to buy bread at a restaurant but this is one place I'd recommend doing so as the bread wasn't ordinary. It was different and featured several different varieties to try out. I'm not a big mussels guy but a couple people at our table ordered them and said it was one of the tastiest mussels they had in a long time. For the main course, we ordered a couple malfatti, the braised lamb spaghetti, the gnocchi, and an octopus. Again, I'm not a fan of octopus but my mom said she loved it! The lamb braised spaghetti was filling and tasty while the gnocchi was some of the best gnocchi I've had outside of Italy. The star of the show was the unique to this restaurant malfatti. I don't know how to describe, but it was one of those dishes that you just have to have if you're looking for something new and that you can't get anywhere else. Reservations to this place are hard to get but it is definitely worth it. If you want to dine like royalty for one night and have a good excuse to treat yourself and your friends/family, this place is a must! And unlike other high end places that I've had in Cincinnati like Collette, I didn't leave hungry! That's always a good sign of a restaurant that knows how to make you satisfied read more

See all

We had the good fortune to try Nicola's last night and holy moly, we might be in love. As a couple who has tried Restaurant Week in 3 different cities- Milwaukee, Chicago and Cincinnati, this might be a unique instance where they had their BEST SELLERS on the Cincinnati Restaurant Week menu. We absolutely loved the gnocchi, the braised lamb, the mussels and scallop. Need to go back there ASAP to try their full menu. Thank you Elle for the hospitality read more

See all

Nicola's offers a delightful experience that I don't enjoy nearly often enough! Recently, I had the opportunity to bring an out of town guest and Nicola's duly impressed her. The service was impeccable. Our water glasses were never less than half full and we constantly had everything we needed. On the server's recommendation, I had the Nero Noce cocktail which was smooth and warming. Foodwise, we began with the eggplant parmigiana, which I hadn't had before but won't neglect in the future. There's a reason why it's a menu staple; that smoky pomodoro sauce belongs on everything! I continued with a half portion of the famous gnocchi and the halibut. Not large portions but amazing cuisine. From the chandeliers to the white tablecloths, Nicola's just feels special. I'm so glad the food, drinks, and service are truly worthy of the setting. read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Halibut - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

This was an elegant and delightful dining experience. We were seated in a private corner upstairs. Service was excellent with great recommendations, understand and accommodating of dietary restrictions, an so attentive. They offer a special gluten free bread service-it's not only delicious but beautiful too. Request it right away as it takes 20 minutes to prep. Everything we had was perfect. read more

See all

It felt like dining in Europe, with service that allowed the group I was with to sit and talk for hours. The kindest servers & hosts, food that was worth dreaming about, and an atmosphere that was cozy and inviting for such sweet conversations! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Half portion: Potato Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We came in for their special Mother's Day menu. First time dining here, and we were not disappointed. Initially we were seated inside the restaurant, but they happily accommodated my wife request to eat out on their patio, which is very nice! For our appetizer, my wife tried their roasted mushroom soup, which she loved, and I tried their baked oysters. I'm not a huge oyster lover, but these were very good. We both ordered their Tagliatelle Bolognese. Off the hook good! Our server shared with us that Monday evenings are Bolo Monday, and I would say that is worth the price. Both of us tried the tiramisu for dessert - it was excellent. High marks for the food and service. They were both fantastic. We will be back! read more

See all

Came to Ohio for a weekend trip, dinner was spectacular and the service was great. Taylor was very attentive and the general manager, Elle, was very kind. Some of the best food in cinci! read more

Tonight's special!! Bolognese!!!! Highly recommend!! The guy Bartender, April 6th! Excellent service!! I'll be back!!

This place deserves 5 stars every time!!! This restaurant has excellent service, fantastic food, and they always celebrate their guests in the best way. We recently celebrated my birthday and our server Mary was fantastic. Excellent and quick service (we had another reservation to get to afterwards), wonderful food and ambiance! I recommend this place 10000x over - check out Nicola's for your next date night! read more

We had a reservation and got a fantastic table outside for our group of 7. The appetizers came quickly but the drinks took some time. I waited 15 min for my martini and so did a couple of people who ordered wine. We waited 25 minutes for our desserts and asked a couple of different people if they were coming. We got there at 530 and it took nearly 3 hours for us to eat due to the slower service. read more

See all

Food was nice but I ordered a high end bourbon that was served in a glass that was hot from the dishwasher. I asked the server for ice and was given a fresh glass but that did not correct the issue of the warm bourbon . This is unacceptable for this class of restaurant and mandatory 20% tip on a large party. read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Halibut - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Amazing upscale dining option for a date night, celebration, girls night, you name it. We went with some friends and everyone ordered something different! We got the bread variety which was delicious and a round of drinks. The espresso martini was one of the best in Cincinnati - very espresso forward and not too sweet. I ordered the Hard Thymes and it was so refreshing and light. For your main - you cannot go wrong with the gnocchi or the bolognese! Already craving their espresso martini and bolognese... read more

See all

One of the more higher end Italian restaurants in Cincinnati. This has been on my list for awhile and finally got to try it out. It sure did not dissappoint. The servers were very professional and welcoming. Their truffle gnocchi was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The bolognese was rich and flavorful and paired well with their selections of homemade bread. My favorite was the presentation of the tiramisu, I will definitely be back for more! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

Visited in celebration of our wedding anniversary during Restaurant Week. Complimentary glasses of prosecco were a lovely touch for our special event. The three-course meal was wonderful, with very creative combinations of ingredients: a foie gras on toasted brioche, followed by a spaghetti braised lamb ragout, and a third course of the most succulent slices of prime NY strip steak in an incredible sauce including salsa verde and chianti wine. The atmosphere is elegant and quiet with a gorgeous chandelier worthy of Music Hall. Unfortunately, however, the service did not match the food or ambiance. Two servers delivered the third course, including the ceremonial pouring of the wine sauce onto the plate, while I still was eating the second course. They did not blink an eye, just placed my new course to the side of the small table. I was both flabbergasted and disappointed. read more

Been awhile and we have missed out. Outstanding service and cuisine. Tried the following: Roasted Mushroom Soup (could have this every day!) Malfatti (amazing flavor in each bite) Moulard duck breast (you've never had duck presented this way - delicious!) Yuzu Tart (our favorite) Chocolate Complexity (chocoholics rejoice!) Bread service well above average with a variety of selections Orangecello Cosmopolitan was unique and went down easy Highly recommend you try before they move to 4th street. read more

The food, service and atmosphere are always above grade. One of my top 5 restaurants in the city!

We came here to celebrate something really special.. we had just gotten our wedding bands, and unfortunately, it just wasn't the experience we hoped for. We had added a note to the reservation about our celebration, but we were seated in a section that wasn't private and right up against other guests. It didn't feel like the kind of atmosphere you'd want for a special occasion. Our server was wonderful -- nothing against her at all -- but the food just completely missed the mark for me. We ordered the tasting menu, and I honestly didn't enjoy any of the courses. I took a bite or two of everything and ended up boxing up the last two dishes because I couldn't bring myself to eat them. Nothing was comped or adjusted, which I understand happens sometimes, but as someone who's worked in the industry, I was surprised that no one tried to make things right when it was clear I wasn't enjoying the meal. Overall, it just wasn't the celebratory experience we were hoping for...disappointing considering the occasion. read more

Went to Nicola's for a friend dinner anniversary and it was great. Our server Maddie was really nice and helped with great recommendations! Would love to come back and check out their bolo Monday! read more

See all

This is an anniversary / birthday restaurant. You're just going to have to reckon with the fact that you are going to be paying in the hundreds for a few small plates. Once you can move past the price point, you can begin to enjoy Nicola. Service is excellent. Top-notch, even. Servers are knowledgeable about the dishes, and tend to your ever need. The ambiance is perfect. It feels classy, yet intimate. It's a date-spot, par excellence. It feels cozy and dim, but never dark. The food, however, is fine. Small plate, nice plating, but nothing that will shake your world. It's good enough for a fancy restaurant, but doesn't exceed expectations in any way. You're not getting good value, but it doesn't taste like every dollar spent. read more

See all

I was here on a work dinner but this would be a great place to go for date night. - Gluten free options - Dressy - Pricey - Great cocktails - Great service A lot of seafood on the menu and my group loved it. read more

This remains one of our go-to special occasion restaurants. The gnocchi are famous and fantastic, especially with truffles! There is a range of options including appetisers and salads. The drinks are terrific. Monday bolognese special is a treat. read more

Service was amazing here. Everyone was so nice. Food was delicious the only thing it is lacking is larger portions as the restaurant is quite expensive. Ambience is very unique I enjoyed it. I would recommend Lavander Creme Brûlée! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Creme Brulee - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

An amazing experience the service was wonderful. The gnocchi was the best. The lobster risotto. was great. Our server Austin was the best. Bartender Sean was amazing in his knowledge if wine. Thank you we will be back. Oh and the tiramisu is outstanding. read more

We went to Nicola's for dinner with friends during Cincinnati Restaurant Week because the menu read well. My partner and I were celebrating our recent engagement so the waiter brought out some free champagne for us, just my fiancé and I. Felt a little awkward enjoying champagne in front of our friends who didn't get anything; feel like they should have given champagne to the whole group... For food, we ordered their bread basket and everything off their restaurant week menu. - Scallop Saltimbocca 5/5 - Great flavor, beautiful presentation - Braised Pork Belly 3/5 - Wagyu of Pork is disappointing, not very tender, texture like pulled pork - Black Truffle Risotto 4/5 - I LOVE truffle and the risotto was good - Rabbit Ragout 3/5 - Mouthfeel and presentation was like a tuna fish casserole, disappointing given it uses a premium ingredient like rabbit. Tasted fine, nothing special, rabbit had pork texture - Moulard Duck Breast 2/5 - Cheeewwwyyy duck was not good. The sauce was great but the duck was so dry and chewy, like chewing beef jerky! We complained to the waiter and they gave us a new dish, which was really nice. - Crispy Branzino 5/5 - Great flavor with crispy fish skin, well cooked read more

See all

The ambiance, food and service were simply amazing. It's our second visit to an establishment that's been here 27 years. I can't wait to return. I learned that the menu changes with the season and the chef was so willing to accommodate me as a vegan. We both got pasta dishes. Mine had a red sauce and veggies and his had lamb and a meat sauce. I brought half my meal home due to the generous portions. I'm thrilled because I get to enjoy the experience again. Even though I'm vegan I did enjoy a couple bites of the tiramisu dessert. It was most likely the best we've ever had. I highly recommend. read more

See all

Very nice, upscale restaurant in an old barn that held Cincinnati's 19th century incline trolleys. The food was delicious and the service was good. We started with the breadbasket for 2, which was the biggest and best breadbasket I've ever had. There were at least 5 or 6 different types of very original gourment breads. Then for dinner I got a dish that was a cross between gnocchi and ravioli. It was filled with a pork and red sauce and then covered in a cacio de pepe sauce. SO good but SOOOO rich that I couldn't finish it! My orange cosmo with a bubble on the top...when popped , smoke came out, was the star of the show. It was on the loud side for an upscale restaurant, but not so much that it would keep us from going back. read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

See all

It had been a long time since we'd been to Nicola's. It will be much longer until we go back. The atmosphere is still superb. The menu is both much more limited and much more expensive. The bread basket is $17 (and not really good). Most items on the menu are extreme haute cuisine. The only item on the menu my husband was even interested in was the steak, which was $72. Prices higher than Jeff Ruby's...and...not as good. We were not in a hurry, out on a leisurely date night, but our server Alex was slow. He kept apologizing for the delays. The table next to us had a different server and she was ON IT. Orders coming out, water refilled, drinks re-ordered. While we waited. And waited. And waited some more. We had a drink in the bar after dinner. There is no place to sit in the bar where freezing air isn't blasting down onto you. Not very enjoyable, though it was relatively quiet. We were planning on an expensive dinner, which we had. But for the price, we expect better service. Not going back anytime soon. I hope this is helpful. read more

Poor service. Charged for items I didn't order. Apparently computer system overrides common sense.

We enjoyed Bolo Monday at Nicolas after a long time! Still so delicious and such a great deal. Tagliatelle pasta and salad for $17 ! They have a vegetarian version with seasonal veggies Of course we got the infamous bread basket filled with alll the goods We also tried a few new menu items! The boucheron goat cheese salad - great for sharing, the goat cheese is baked and really yummy Eggplant parmesan - it is so neatly crafted together and the fresh mozz and ricotta oozes out when ya cut into it The dark chocolate hazelnut was rich and delicious perfect way to end our meal! read more

See all

Holy moly, this place is phenomenal. We went to celebrate our anniversary and started our experience with complimentary Prosecco and ended with complimentary dessert. Our waitress was so pleasant and gave great recommendations - PSA you can split your entree into 2 types of pastas if you're undecided!! Such a great experience and we can't wait to come back! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The food was incredible and the staff were excellent. It was the first "fancy" restaurant I've been to in a while where I didn't leave hungry- the portions were actually sufficient for the price. Service was a little slow, even when the restaurant emptied out, but the waitress was very thorough and friendly and did a great job. My partner and I were here to celebrate my birthday; she had called in advance and purchased flowers for the table, which we got to take home in the vase, too. They actually printed menus that said "Happy Birthday, Alexandra" on them, which she wasn't even expecting. It made it feel extra special! My only complaint was not knowing we would be charged for still water- the bottle was $11, which was a rip off. But everything else exceeded our expectations and we would definitely return for another special occasion. read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Chocolate ganache cake with hazelnuts - so rich and delicious! - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Always a great experience at Nicola's. I have visited for personal and work and have always had an amazing meal. I appreciate that they have so many GF options as it is normally very hard to find GF at Italian restaurants! I most recently had the GF Bolognese and one of the seasonal salads. The Bolognese sauce is amazing. My other guests tried some of the other pastas through the "sample" portions - it is amazing they will let you order almost half sizes to be able to sample so many items. All the wine and cocktails are always amazing, I have never had a bad drink here. Overall a 10/10 place and always reccomend coming here ! read more

Nicola's is always an absolute pleasure! I reviewed them a few months ago, and it's always so delicious. I have always visited every time there's an important moment in my life to celebrate. This time, I came to celebrate my 25th birthday with friends. The food was amazing as per usual. The service was great, and shoutout to Mikah (I probably butchered the spelling) - he was my waiter when I came for restaurant week, and he remembered me! He's very funny and friendly, and we enjoyed having him as our waiter. The ambiance was perfect, since they took us to a more private space and it felt very cozy and intimate. I loved it all and I cannot wait to be back. NOT PICTURED: the complimentary birthday dessert, which was a tiramisu. It was delicious. 10/10. read more

See all

Had reservations to celebrate our 20th anniversary and we were placed waaaaay in the back in a small room with two large, loud parties. The atmosphere was not good. Definitely not the dining areas that are shown on their website. Food was alright. Wouldn't come back. read more

Beautiful place and incredible food. We were there for Easter and had a large party. The food came out fast and was all incredible. The staff were very kind and the whole experience was wonderful. Portions were nice size and quality was superior. read more

We went for a Valentine's Day preselected three course meal early in the day not at all busy. Good mushroom soup, and beef filet and when I say that they where phenomenal. Other than that it was a really bad eating experience. Our server was awesome but other than that I would recommend avoiding this restaurant if at all possible. We were served under cooked food including the risotto which if you have worked in a nice kitchen you know this is beyond a cardinal sin. They also served our third course to the people sitting next to us. I believe this was mostly due to them being friends of the chef as he came out and had a conversation with them and nobody else. They only apologized for it when I asked them if they had miss served, then they had admitted they had. Again this preferential treatment is a cardinal sin in the service industry. They said they treat you like family and I completely disagree. I felt like I was treated like a second class citizen. Please read the negative reviews for this restaurant before going. If you do go get whatever they recommend. They said they have some recipes from the chefs grandmother I highly recommend ordering those because the chef is clearly in the business for the wrong reasons and/or completely incompetent. Again for your own sake and your wallet please avoid this restaurant if at all possible. I would really recommend making a pasta dinner at home instead. And maybe order the mushroom soup to-go. read more

My husband and I went to dinner here to celebrate our upcoming wedding (late review, sorry)! Everyone at Nicola's made us feel so beyond special. Everyone took the time to congratulate us. We received a few freebies in honor of our celebration (which seems to be a hard thing to find or receive these days at most restaurants). We were so happy with our decision to celebrate at Nicola's and cannot wait to be back again. Also, food was AMAZING! Literally everything we ordered was top notch. read more

Here's a rule that is ironclad: never go to a restaurant on a holiday that has a prescribed menu and charges your credit card a flat price plus a fixed gratuity. Even before you sit down! Against my own rules, we booked a table at Nicola's for Mothers Day. $65.00 plus tax pluds 22% gratuity. It's Nicola's after all. We were placed at a table directly on the flight path for servers from the kitchen. It was jumping. And loud. But, you know, it's Mother's Day. Cut them some slack. But there are limits and you should never chisel on the portions! And chisel they did. The "main courses" were laughably tiny. It was all pretty meager. And the pace was very fast: Hello: here's you pre-selected food: Pay extra for your desert. Then arrividerci. Got to turn those tables. Mother's day, ya know! We've been to Nicola's a few times before. It's good food and careful service. And it's 'spensive'. On this holiday, it was like entering a completely different business. The pace was alarmingly fast and more like an army mess hall than a respectable resto! All I can say is schifoso, troppo caro per cibo deludente! read more