Bread basket here is a must! I've been able to dine at Nicola's twice now. I enjoy the bolognese and the gnocchi. It is a nice more upscale Italian restaurant with the dim lighting and beautiful space. On our most recent visit, service was a bit all over the place and we were left unattended for large periods of time. This was not the case for my other visit, and I do look forward to visiting again. read more

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This is me and my boyfriend's favorite restaurant. My boyfriend ordered the Lamb Rossini in Crosta and rated 15/10. The service is always excellent here - friendly, personable, and knowledgeable. Our server, Alex, took his time to help us with our wine selection and asked the opinion of the sommelier to ensure we made the best selection to pair with our food. As a vegetarian, I always order the gnocchi, and if I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life it would be the gnocchi from Nicola's. We will always be back, and if you're from out of town, this is a must visit restaurant. read more

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

Had dinner tonight with the family at Nicola's. The restaurant was a bit subdued but I'm guessing because it's a short holiday week. The service was top notch and the food was excellent. I had the lamb chops, which were a perfect medium rare with an interesting vegetable stack and creamy mashed potatoes. Dessert was a show stopper: the carrot cake was beyond delicious with fried carrot curlycues. Over all another excellent meal with fantastic service that keep us coming back! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Lamb chops cooked to perfect medium rare, over the vegetables stack - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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We have been dining here for decades and are always very delighted. Last night for the first time I was a bit disappointed. The fall menu featured a creamy pumpkin soup. It was delicious, except for a shocking ingredient of tiny raw shrimp that didn't enhance the soup... but was really unpleasant. The red pepper risotto was also unexpectantly bland, flavorless and did not resemble risotto I've had before. It should be very rich in flavor with a creamy parmigiana. The server also mixed up our order. My husbands haddock was delicious however as was my crème brûlée. read more

We came to Nicola's on a Saturday night. The ambiance was pleasant and the service was satisfactory. There were a couple sommeliers on staff who came to us and gave us suggestions for wine - one sommelier was better than the other. Overall, we would say that Nicola's was just fine. For the price, we were expecting to be more impressed. The food was pretty average with the exception of the duck, which was not as tender as desired. The best thing we had was the goat cheese salad. We weren't unhappy with our experience, but wouldn't recommend it and probably will not be back. read more

In the dark days of COVID, when I dreamed of the day I would feel comfortable enough to go out to eat, I found myself dreaming of Nicola's as that blessed first restaurant. Why? Oh, I'll tell you. Try their goat cheese salad. No, it's not a light sprinkle of goat cheese lazily tossed on top of sprigs of lettuce. Imagine a small wheel, gooey, warm, melting onto your fresh lettuce. Bite into the cheese and wonder why no one else serves goat cheese this way. Try their prosciutto melon salad. Yes, technically you can make something similar at home... but will you? Where will you source the ingredients, how do they find the sweetest and freshest cantaloupe? And the prosciutto - did you know there is real and fake prosciutto? It's true, I've tasted it, and Stanley Tucci talks about it on his eating through Italy show. They use real, salty, flavor filled, prosciutto. Now, my favorite thing: the gnocchi with the cheese sauce. Imagine, if you will, pillows that angels sleep on. That is this fresh gnocchi. Would not angel drool taste heavenly? That is what this cheese sauce is. Just... ugh... heavenly... perfection... what foodies live for. Short ribs and half moon pasta - they don't always have them, but when they do... divinity... Knowledgeable and helpful waitstaff, exceptional wine and cocktail selection. Oh, I want to go back right now. Heads up: parking is difficult. You will not walk out full paying less than $60 per person but it is worth every penny. Good to know: they have a great small private room read more

Last minute dinner and this place was amazing. Can't wait to go back and I definitely recommend. read more

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I made reservations at Nicola's for my birthday which also happens to be Valentine's Day. I went along with a friend and made my reservations early. I got a phone call a couple of weeks before my dinner to inform me they were doing a special menu for Valentine's Day. I was a little disappointed because I really wanted to do their chef tasting menu but they assured me that it would be good! So I got there and they had valet parking and I figured they would have a way to scan your card but they do not. You need to either have cash or a Venmo account. It was $10 for parking but in that neighborhood that is a good deal because there are all kinds of restricted parking areas and neighborhoods where the streets are packed so really it is a must to use the valet. We did wait a very long time for a waiter and finally I had to ask for somebody to be sent over. Stuff for Valentine's Day did a three-course menu with a couple of choices in each course. Funny my friend and I chose the opposite of each other on every single course. We did add on the bread service I believe that was $7 but it is so worth it. That bread was excellent we ate every bit of it. We also ordered a couple of cocktails to get started she had the limoncello cocktails and I had the orangecello cocktail. We did decide the orangecello was the better of the two. So for the first course I ordered the red beet tartare and she ordered the Boucheron goat cheese salad. These were both very good she really liked her and I really appreciated the small dice on the beet and the crunchy topping. For the second course I ordered the crispy potato gnocchi and she ordered the egg yolk raviolo. I could see that her egg yolk was perfectly runny in her raviolo and she said it was very good. I will say that this is the best gnocchi I have ever eaten, it was a little crispy and a pillowy inside with some shaved truffle over top. For the third course she had the duck leg confit and I ordered the halibut. She really liked the duck leg and it looked fabulous! I think I should have got that one instead of the halibut, the halibut was slightly overcooked. We did go ahead and order dessert. I ordered the tiramisu which they gave to me for my birthday and she ordered a dessert drink. Overall it was a pretty good night and we both agreed that we would have to go back and try it again! read more

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We've been here twice now and both times were fantastic! Great ambiance, fantastic food, always accommodating for gluten free folks or allergies in general. We booked a reservation for Valentine's Day this year and boy are we glad we did! We got seated almost right away even though when we checked in they said they were running a bit behind. We got the wine pairing with the pre fixe Valentine's menu and when we were sat down were informed there was a second one that was an upgrade where the pairings were selected by the head chef and somm, so we opted for that. Food came out pretty quickly and everything we ordered was delicious. We both opted to order the opposite things so we could try everything! The Insalata Alpine Endive salad was SO GOOD. It was just the right balance of everything. I was a little hesitant about the beet risotto, but oh man... I don't regret getting that at all! Just a little earthy taste that went so well with the parmesan. The scallops were perfectly cooked, as was the steak. I didn't try the gnocchi (playing it safe), however my husband said it was fantastic. For desert, I opted for the Chocolate Caramel Panna Cotta and he got the Triple Chocolate Hazelnut cake. I want that Chocolate Caramel Panna Cotta every night for dinner! haha! Overall we had a fantastic night. Great staff, great atmosphere, great experience. read more

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I give the ambience & service five stars. And the food a 4. I do, however want to return and try additional things because maybe I just ordered what was wrong for my palate that day. The beet and goat cheese appetizer didn't hit the mark. It was creative but not delightful. My entrée was good, but probably not some thing I'd tell people they must have. read more

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

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Delicious Italian food. We visited Nicola's Ristorante on a Friday evening. It was busy, but there were tables available. The restaurant is speckled with decorations related to Italian culture across many different time periods. The restaurant is spread of over multiple rooms, but each room offers the feel of a fine dining experience. I ordered the Negroni, the roasted mushroom soup, and crispy potato gnocchi. The Negroni had a wonderful herbal flavor and was one of the best that I have tried. The roasted mushroom soup was heavenly, and I wish there had been more. The gnocchi and the sauce were absolutely fantastic, but the truffle shavings were pretty bland. Overall, I had a phenomenal experience at Nicola's Ristorante and would highly recommend them (just don't add the shaved truffle to your dish). read more

Beautiful and historical restaurant, definitely a special occasion spot . Table enjoyed the bread ( gluten free options too!) with butter and oil . Husband and I shared the goat cheese salad, egg plant appetizer, and the bolognese and gnocchi. Everything was incredible !! Service was very responsive and professional. read more

Great Italian food cute ambiance and very knowledgeable staff. Nice wine selection. Those dumplings are a must try. read more

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Went to Nicola's with my parents for dinner last weekend and we really enjoyed our meal! We started with the bread basket appetizer and the scallop appetizer. The scallop appetizer was fantastic! Scallops were cooked perfectly and the the sauce paired so well with it. The bread basket was OK in my opinion, but was a beautiful presentation! I ordered the shrimp and grits for my entree. It came with a poached egg. The grits were savory and delicious! I thought it was definitely filling enough for a main dish. My dad ordered the rack of lamb which was cooked medium rare. It cut like butter and was prepared very well. My mom ordered the bolognese which she thoroughly enjoyed. The pasta was made fresh as well. The sauce was very tasty! Overall, we had a great experience at Nicola's! Our sever was delightful! I cannot remember her name but she was very helpful and kind. I would recommend Nicola's to anyone looking for a nicer dinner or date night. read more

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Tldr: If you are concerned about covid safety, I don't recommend Nicola. I also don't recommend their tasting menu. Order a la carte instead. My experiences at Nicola have been great in the past, but I feel that both the service and food have been at a decline recently. I came here a couple of days ago, and I was surprised to find the patrons really cramped together in the main room. I'm not sure why the upstairs seating and the outdoor seating were not utilized more efficiently. Dirty tables were not cleared, and we waited quite a bit to get seated. Not only was it too cramped for covid sake but all of the waiters had to squeeze behind my husband and bump into him each time they serviced another table nearby. That's how cramped the space was. Thankfully, once one of the dirty tables in the corner got cleared, I asked to be moved for more space. We ordered the tasting menu. The staff definitely struggled to remember how to describe each plate. I assume the tastings are not ordered often. Regardless, the food was not memorable, and I recommend ordering their signature pastas a la carte instead. Their gnocchi is usually good. read more

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We had a great experience at Nicola's. Cocktails were prepared well, bread and salad were delicious and the bolognese may have been the best I've ever had! Our server was great too. read more

Nicola's really outdid themselves. Truly. We came back from a second try this Friday. Our experience was WONDERFUL. We asked for the break warm, and they did it. It tasted delicious. We were celebrating our anniversary and we're gifted champagne. This was a very sweet gesture. We ordered the octopus and beef carpaccio. The octopus was phenomenal. We ate every last piece. I highly recommend. For my entre I ordered the bolognese. This is what I ordered last time and adored. The portion is a great size, and doesn't leave me feeling too full. Our serve was very attentive and helpful with our questions and guidance. I owe all my thanks to the manager, Michael. He went above and beyond to make this experience special to me, and how it should be when one dines at Nicolas. A perfect date night or celebration spot! read more

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Excellent ambiance and food was awesome!! We went for my daughter's birth day and server was very nice !! - Amazing experience !! read more

I throughly do not understand the hype. The bread was the best thing... I had such high hopes because so many people recommend it. Maybe it was an off night, but it was so bad that we aren't considering a second chance. read more

Wow simply wonderful birthday meal with 4 friends at Nicola's. Amazing service from Saul, who explained every aspect of the menu, the drinks and wine to pair with our meal. The bread basket, sparkling rose, the palate opener, the salads, our main dishes to dessert - chocolate and passionfruit what a combo. Thank you Nicola's for an incredible evening. We can't wait to return again and again, the gem in OTR. Congratulations on 25 years and here's to many more. read more

Beautifully decorated on the inside, but the small portion size is a turn-off. The food was tasteful, but when you order an Old Fashioned and it comes half full in a small glass, big no no. Overpriced and under served, so it will be a 1 and done for us. read more

My husband and I were visiting Cincinnati for the Bengals game and came here on our last night for dinner. Definitely get a reservation ahead of time as they fill up fast - for good reason. The food was amazing (I'm not a huge pasta girl but I feel like I should be now). The goat cheese salad was 10/10, potato gnocchi 10/10 and the bolognese was amazing as well. We ended with a rice pudding specialty dessert that wasn't on the menu and it was fantastic as well. We loved the dim lighting and overall experience of the restaurant. Overall, so happy we stumbled upon this place via yelp and wanted to recommend to anyone else looking for somewhere to eat read more

Had a great dinner here with my husband and my grandparents! Started with the bread basket, which included a great variety of unique breads and all were delicious. I split the bucheron goat cheese salad and loved it! For my main course, I got the Bolognese that I have heard so many wonderful things about and it was just as good as I had hoped! I heard they have a Monday Bolognese special - I would definitely return for that! read more

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Excellent food and wine selection! The ambiance was on point and love our server! I highly recommend! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Assorted bread app and espresso martini! - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Nicola's is a great upscale Italian option in Cincinnati. I came here for two work dinners and really enjoyed the food and service both times, with a cozy warm ambiance. I definitely recommend the truffle gnocchi, and there are some great dessert drinks including the affogato and the sgroppino! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Crispy Potato Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Definitely a meal to remember. While visiting a friend in Cincinnati we visited Nicola's. It was amazing. A few of our courses were the Hamachi Crudo, the Grilled Octopus, and the Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese. Of course after such a wonderful meal one must looks to the desserts and we had to try all three available. They were wonderful. read more

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Had a great evening at Nicola's. Food was delicious and the staff was Uber fun and professional outstanding service Great place for special occasions! read more

The ambiance of this restaurant gave me all the vibes to enjoy my anniversary dinner. Service was wonderful from start to finish with the hostess acknowledging our anniversary to the managers that stopped by to ask about the food and to acknowledge our special day. I can't remember a special occasion dinner actually feeling that "special" in some time. The mussels did not present well but they were very close to being my favorite dish of the night. My potato gnocchi was very good, I felt like this was my first time actually having some real deal gnocchi. I would have preferred the cream sauce underneath the gnocchi to be hot, it was more like room temperature, I did not like that. The bolognese was good but not anything life changing. They have an in house pastry chef so we ordered dessert. The carrot cake was pretty mild in sweetness but it was good, not 100% sure I would order that again. Overall, I would come back, the food was solid but it did not blow me away. The bar is super cute, I look forward to trying a drink from a bar seat. One more thing, the house Negroni had way too many bitters, skip that cocktail. read more

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A solid 3.5 for me. I wanted to like it more and will come back for a second chance. The service was great with a lovely atmosphere. Out waiter was very kind, informative and attentive. It's a neat building with an open ceiling and nice outdoor patio. The food was decent. We started with scallops and prosciutto melon. The scallops were very good but you only get two for the price of $30. Scallops are always expensive but that seems a bit much from my experience. The prosciutto melon was decent but I don't think I'd seek it out. Nice refreshing flavor but basic. Our mains included malfatti and gnocchi. The malfatti is a potato pasta ball filled with red sauce and pancetta topped with a creamy white sauce. The pasta and white sauce were very tasty but the pancetta reminded me too much of diced pepperoni you get on frozen bagel bites. It was fine but not the flavor I was expecting. For dessert we had the triple chocolate hazelnut cake. It was a safe play and satisfied our sweet tooth. read more

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

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To be honest I had high hopes and expectations for how expensive this restaurant is. I love pepp and Delores and Rosie's. I expected nicolas to be just as good from all the reviews. We ordered the mushroom soup, house made bread, baked oysters, mussels, malfatti, wagyu beef carpaccio, rabbit pappardelle, duck tenderloin, and ravioli. Mushroom soup was alright, I kind of wish it had more flavor. House made bread was really good. Baked oysters and mussels were like pretty good but it didn't taste as expensive as I thought it would be. Malfatti was okay, I just felt like it wasn't anything special... honestly the food was quite underwhelming for the price. Even the drinks were kind of normal tasting like I could have gone to cheaper bar and it would have been just as good. Anyways service was nice and I think the manager spoke to us lol read more

Best Italian I've had outside of NYC. The gnocchi taste like little clouds, the flavors are so complex! Crispy on one side, chewy on the other, there's no words to describe the bliss of this sublime dish. Licking the plate would be rude of course, but was strongly considered. Presentation is stellar, like pieces of art at the table presented for your pleasure. Interesting and nicely dressed people patronize this charming eatery, nestled in a cool neighborhood North of the downtown business district. The architecture is older with landmarks of churches and charming brick townhomes. Valet parking is a plus but I've parked and walked a bit in the neighborhood and found it lovely. Service is top notch. Truly old school, white glove with all the bells and whistles. The hostess is really amazing as well. Yes, it's "romantic" but also very hip. I'd happily go there alone for a drink or with a girlfriend. Fine dining, cool bar, this place has it all. read more

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

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One of the most consistent fine dining experiences in Cincinnati. Everything here is delicious and worth a try. Always start with the bread basket, it's worth the price. The gnocchi is my favorite, but the eggplant was a surprisingly filling second. The $15 bolognese special on Monday is a great way to try the experience. read more

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It was a pretty terrible experience and I'm still a bit shocked by the lack of service. Our waitress was bad. She didn't bring us water, didn't acknowledge our kiddo (like, at all, until it was time for us to sign the bill aka tip her), forgot to bring things we ordered multiple times, especially basic things like drinks for our kiddo (multiple times), didn't check in on us. We had another waitress bring us water and saw the kitchen staff runners more than we saw her. Honestly, she really ruined the vibe of dinner for us and was fairly dismissive to our family. The food.... was NOT worth the price. Maybe the bad service & upselling made it seem even worse. -The kids meal pasta was the exact same thing as the regular version but $15 more. We got both, per the recommendation that the regular version would be better...disappointing. - The waitress tried to push bread on us, making it sound like it was complimentary but we saw that a bread basket was $12. Which seems a little dumb for bread and butter. Off-putting. - The goat cheese salad was yummy, so it wins a star. - My wine was a sad pour with wine cork pieces in it. I didn't get a chance to say anything - not that I would of - because the waitress never came back to check on us. -The scallop appetizer was A scallop - literally one. Ummmm.... mmmkay -The absolute pits was the dessert. We decided to get a carrot cake to go and we were given something that looked like a half-eaten crumb of a piece of cake. It was sooooo ridiculous. We honestly never complain but asked if this was indeed the correct item to receive and the waitress was curt in her reply that it was. Look at the pictures I am attaching - this was while we were still at the table! What a joke. The hostess was nice so I guess there's something. Overall, there have to be better places in Cincinnati to get good Italian food and service. This place ain't it. read more

Nicola's Ristorante - The ordered-to-go carrot cake, we were still at the restaurant. This was "the icing on the cake" after a terrible experience. - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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What an incredible night of food, drinks, and incredible ambiance. Celebrating friendship is easy when the wait staff is so incredible. We were celebrating an anniversary of sorts, and they gifted us Prosecco to commemorate the evening. Food was delicious and the dessert after was a perfect ending. read more

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

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We have dined at Nicola's before and have loved it every time. So we decided to treat our adult children who were in town for Christmas. It turns out that my son's girlfriend could not make it back to Columbus because it was Friday, Dec. 23rd and the storm was pretty bad. So I called at 3pm to see if we could add another guest for our reservation at 6pm. The hostess ( can't believe I forgot her name!) worked it out even when the reservations were full. When we arrived, we were seated immediately and met by our lovely server Audrey. She did a wonderful job of being attentive without hovering. When asked about wine varietals, she immediately go the Sommelier, who was very helpful with wine profiles. We ordered two bread baskets because Nicola's has the best breads in the city. When it came to order dinner, I was very pleasantly surprised and giddy that they let us order the tasting menu individually, and didn't make the entire table order it (most places do). Three of us ordered the tasting, two ordered off the menu. I also think the price for the tasting menu is very reasonable, and will be back every season just for that. Our table ordered the lamb, which was cooked perfectly, the Gnocchi, which is also the best in the city, and the Hamachi Crudo, which was a very good balance of yellow tail and all ingredients that complimented it. The tasting menu also had the Hamachi Crudo in only a slightly smaller serving, a FABULOUS beet soup, a nice amount of Gnocchi, and a lovely serving of strip steak with mashed potatoes and rappini (which I don't love personally, the rappini I mean). Dessert was a tasty pistachio layered cake with dollops of almond and berry goodness. We all left full and very happy. Thanks Nicola's for making our holiday special! read more

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I had been wanting to try this place for a while since I'm a fan of their other restaurant Via Vite. We ordered the bread basket which was pretty good and had a good assortment of different items. The bolognese though was a bit too salty for my taste but the flavor was definitely there. The gnocchi is one of my favorites at Via Vite so we ordered a half portion to share and the little bites of truffle bursts were delicious. Sadly, my friends risotto was undercooked and insanely salty but she didn't want to complain so she just grazed at her dish so that was a miss. Service was good except when they came to refill the water, the pitcher touched the water in the cup after we had been drinking out of it so me and my friends were a little put off by that. Overall a good Italian meal, but probably wouldn't return when there's other options. read more

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

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My experience at Nicola's was great! I started with a Ceasar Salad which was decent. My entree though! I chose the Eggplant Parmesan and it was so flavorful and delicious! The Eggplant Parmesan would be considered somewhat of a Small Plate to me...but it was just enough. It was not served in the typical manner that I'm accustomed to either. We ordered an Assorted Bread Basket and it was like none other. I also had 2 Chocolate Martini's and they were strong and delicious as well. My friend ordered the Gnocchi and I tasted a couple. It was delicious also. We shared the Cheesecake for dessert and it wasn't the best for me so I wouldn't order again, nonetheless I would definitely return! read more

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Very nice restaurant however for the price I would not rate as high as some of our other high end restaurants. I had a hard time finding something on the menu I just had to order. Ended up with mussels and a pasta dish. We did have complementary Prosecco as it was our anniversary. Service was good. read more

we are at Nicolas last night when they had two large private events. The hostess was lovely and was able to move us up an hour and seat us in the gorgeous garden. Matt was our server and was friendly and gracious and bent over backwards to make our anniversary special. the kitchen did a fantastic job keeping up with all the food and it came out perfectly as always. The som was so friendly and brought us special tastings of wine that was delicious and seemed so calm and knowledgeable and was very approachable. Chef should be super proud of all his staff for last nights service! we witnessed some very difficult guests and the way Matt handled himself was superb. I would hire him in a second! read more

We waited a bit for first interaction with anyone as we sat at our table. But, after a rocky start, our dinner pairing with wines was fantastic! And so much fun! We felt it was a good value as well! The wine pours seem fairly small, but great picks! Very enjoyable evening. We look forward to going back sometime to try some other menu options as well! read more