The seafood pasta was wonderful. The seafood itself was terrific, the broth was delicious, and there was a touch of heat that made it perfect. The Caesars salad was one of the best ever and I have had a gazillion of them The service was delightful and the ambience was a bit dark and romantic. Loved it. The chef went table to table greeting customers. Wonderful The only thing I thought was "just okay" was the bread they served. For me, it was not up to the same level of deliciousness. read more

Delicious authentic Italian food and wonderful experience. My friend made a reservation for her daughter's birthday. There were 10 of us and they put us in a private side room. The waitress was attentive and took great care of us. We all loved our food and what was most appreciated was the more simple, off menu options for the pickier teens. Example, you can order spaghetti and marinara or chicken Alfredo. Being a more adventurous eater I chose the special of spinach ravioli. It was decadent and very filling. You can order a half salad with any entree so I got the wedge, chopped. So yummy! read more

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While the service was amazing, the cuisine does not stand up to other Italian restaurants we've been to. (So don't come here from St. Louis or Chicago and expect the same quality.) The seafood pasta was grainy and bland. Thankfully the ricotta pasta was tasty. My Cesar salad was good but I can't fathom why they put balsamic vinegar on it. The Italian salad was bland and probably needed more balsamic vinegar. We might go back for drinks and appetizers, but are still on the search for a good Italian restaurant. read more

We love this restaurant for a nice dinner out. The service is always top notch and the food is delicious. I love the chicken Parmesan and the wedge salad. read more

A wonderful experience, great food, great service and a lovey atmosphere! We will be back!

I'm not impressed at all. It's pretty pricey. Which we knew going on. But the food was pretty bland. Service was good though. Out of everything we ordered the meatballs was definitely the best. read more

Might as well just go to Olive Garden. Couldn't believe how flavorless our entrees were.

Soft lighting great service amazing food We had pasta, salad, drinks, and desert. I had never been and will definitely be going back.

Two years have passed since we were first told that Mama's Meatballs was going to open another restaurant in my neighborhood on LOVR. The wait was worth it! we were not disappointed! The food was very good. The presentation was exquisite and the interior is elegant. This restaurant was a hit from the very first day! Bravo read more

Great food, perfect service from Katie. There were 8 of us. We enjoyed the duck, seafood pasta, steak, mushroom soup, wedge and beet salads, the snails, meatballs, fabulous Cannoli and great mixed drinks - great way to celebrate my birthday! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Duck perfection! - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

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The food was delicious and the service was great. It was like eating in a cave it was so dark. And the prices were too high.

Great food, staff, drinks and vibe in the bar area. Well stocked bar, owner mingles with his patrons. Solid place

It was ok not as good as metropolitan. The first two menu items in the seafood pasta were almost non existent (shrimp and scallops) it was mostly mussels. Would not order again. read more

Great Italian food. The owner seems to be there every time I am there and he is always making sure everything is right. The chicken parm is one of best in town. read more

It's always consistently good. They are very attentive & make sure you are taken care of.

I wish I could give Nicola's even more stars. Nicola was beyond accommodating for a last minute business meeting. I had to use their private room and he was able to make it work even though there were other reservations later in the night. He let me come in early before they opened to set up. Once arriving, I realized I didn't have the correct adaptor for my MacBook to hook up to their projector. Nicola immediately offered to run to the store to find a solution. He came back just 15 minutes later and saved the day! The food was so good and the vibes were great. The restaurant was clean and the staff were very friendly. I will be back! read more

This place is a gem in Springfield. The ambience is off the charts. The food exemplary (even to go). The portions are spot on - not insanely large or anemic. Try this out for a date, anniversary, or anytime. You will be happy you did. read more

I think I was most impressed by the ambiance which is reminiscent of The Garrison though less intimate & without the "speakeasy" facade. Prices were roughly equivalent. The location is more convenient though far less pastoral. I wouldn't label this as traditional "Italian cuisine" per se, but there certainly were reflections of Italia. Our reservation was at 8pm. While the bar was packed, the pure restaurant area was sparsely populated. I preferred it for conversation. While the bar is said to offer faster service, if fast service is important, go to Fazolis. Nicola's service was more than adequate while discrete, polite & efficient. I mean, if you're going to pay these prices, allot the time, sit back & enjoy... The wine list was nice, hitting a majority of the bases & their pours were adequate by the glass. I split the Beef Carpaccio with my son, while my wife split her special Seafood Cakes with him (no surprise). I tasted what they could spare & it was very good. I've had better Carpaccio elsewhere but it was serviceable - colorless, too limp with marginal taste, but serviceable. I questioned its freshness due to the faded color. Our entrees were delivered a tad too soon for our purposes but certainly about right: The Salmone for the wife; the Sea Bass for my son. I asked the waitress what their signature dish was - surprisingly she suggested the Pasta Nicola which I, in turn, ordered. My crew absolutely raved about their selections...I mean, RAVED! Mine was served at an extremely warm temperature & with a surprising amount of spice which made me appreciate the waitresses' prompt, seamless water refills. It was good enough to finish but didn't bowl me over like my companions. We were too sated for dessert but probably should have sampled & split one. My overall ranking would have leaned more toward "Good" than "Great" but my cohorts' reviews were outstanding...so I succumbed. Overall, it was a great evening nonetheless - and who could ask more? While this being a "hidden gem" might be excessive, it certainly is well-worth patronage - special occasion or otherwise. It has the potential to rank up there with the old Shady Inn that Bass Pro demolished, leaving only their signature tree. I would still offer Shady 2.0 & jewel status as a SGF standard go-to as you never know which acquaintance you might run into...part of Shady's legend. read more

Travel a lot. Aside from the North End Italian restaurants, of which there are many, and other fine eateries, Nicola's is about as good as it gets. Beautiful "old school Sinatra style" ambiance, decor, great wine selection and impeccable Italian inspired dishes. Service was also impeccable. Can't remember the pretty young ladies name who waited on me, believe it may have started with an "A"? You'll recognize her w the nose ring and sweet smile. I'll be back - if business brings me back to Springfield. Bon Apetit! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Menu 3/1/23 - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

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Ambiance was great - pretty, Nicky decorated tables. . Menu was good. Food was just ok. Being from the east coast and being Italian - food was mediocre. Staff although friendly - was very young and immature. All fooling around at front desk - running and yelling to each other through restaurant (on Christmas Eve) and didn't even say goodbye to us as we left when there were 3 of them at the desk. read more

An old friend treated me for dinner here when I returned to town. Wow was I surprised. What a simple, classy, sophisticated experience in a strip center! Enjoyed the cowboy steak, decor and service. read more

I had a great experience this evenings at Nicola's from the service to the food. I noticed immediately the quiet and soothing environment as everything is very well set up and spaced out nicely. I felt I was able to focus on my table and meal very well without some of the usual distractions that restaurants can have. read more

Nicola's Ristorante - a place setting for dinner - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Long time favorite. Great place for couples night. Parking can be a little tricky on busy nights. Reservations recommended. They will reserve a table for you in the bar! Italian food done right. read more

I feel that the level of service and food quality is dropping. We came to celebrate a birthday and made reservation 48 hours ealier. For our dinner reservation we were sat down at a table that was not set up. The butcher paper and the silverware rollups were brought to us by the hostess. We had to help her setup the table when we were already seating. 2 of the menus were dirty with food indicating that the menus were not wiped with sanitizer between different guests usage. Choking during these pandemic times. The server took a long time to come and welcome us. The overall service was long. We placed our beverage and food order at the same time. We had to ask for iced tea refill each time the server was around our table or when the food was brought to our us. The red beets in the salad were not well peeled and were bland (not seasoned). The caramelized walnut were ok but not crunchy. Both zitti pasta dishes were overcooked. The linguine were fine. I had reminded discretely the hostess, as we arrived, to mention to the server that I had made a reservation 2 days prior for a birthday. She confirmed the knowledge for the special celebration. I was hoping for a candle. When the desserts arrived, the server announced out loud to the table "we dont have candles.. sorry, bur happy birthday" it was embarrassing. The dessert were ok, we did not finish the canole. $180 tab including 18% minimum tips. It was our 4th visit in 2 years. Disappointing! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - a plate of desserts - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

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Their food is good and drinks are great but sit in the bar. Service on the restaurant is very slow.

Good atmosphere, very good food, usually great service. Recommend for a special night out or a romantic date night.

Great place. Great food and good service! Higher than Zios -but worth it! Great for that special occasion meal!

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. A real neighborhood location. The owner and staff are always focused on great food and service.

Have you ever taken a bite of food that was so delicious the world around you suddenly just faded away? Did you also feel yourself pause in that same moment just so you could savor every second of that bite? I had never heard of such a thing until one night I experience it firsthand. I remember I was sat between two of the firm's best Sr Partners, trying to answer all their questions until our meals came. The presentation of my meal alone was so beautiful that I knew this was not like any other Italian place I had been to before. And boy was I right! One bite...ONE BITE of Nicola's Filet Gorgonzola and I was gone. If the Partners next to me were still talking or asking questions, I did not hear a word they said. Needless to say, I did not win over either of those Sr Partners that night; but Nicolo's Filet was beyond worth it. It was truly, hands down, the best food and service I have ever had! I highly recommend Nicola's Ristorante to anyone who likes the best Italian cuisine in town, a relaxing atmosphere, and excellent service. read more

As always Nicola's Ristorante delivered last night! The service was excellent and the food was even better:-) I love the ambiance and supporting local businesses is what I'm all about, we are lucky to have such a fantastic restaurant in our community! read more

What a great place for a date night! Service was prompt and welcoming. The meal itself was delicious. Definitely get the house pasta when you go. Enjoy. read more

Excellent, friendly service and delicious, freshly made Italian dishes. Husband had the pork shank and it was so good he's ready to go again SOON. I had the pasta Nicola which was fresh made pasta, mushrooms, sausage w a little kick and a tomato creme sauce. So good! We split a wedge salad which was perfect. Their bread was fresh made and I could have eaten a lot more but stopped myself. Didn't have dessert but suspect it wouldn't disappoint.:) They have a full bar and huge wine list. Loved the ambiance of this place and will definitely go back! read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Pork Shank - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Gave it a try. Gave up and went some place else. Menu was blah. Hoped for more. Would have loved to see one entree that was a little adventurous or exciting. read more

The Calamari steak with teriyaki sauce was not tasty at all. The Seafood Pasta is unfortunately the worst Italian dish I've ever had. The portion was generous, it was loaded with clams, & it came with giant prawns & scallops, but the problem was the prawns weren't fresh & the scallops were at a different temperature than the rest of the dish, they were slightly undercooked; the sauce was salty without depth... The only positive note was the atmosphere, when we entered & sat diwn, we were excited & anticipating a great dining experience but it was anything but! The poor waitress was polite & good nature but she was severely under-trained. read more

Nicola's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

The food here is very good. The service? Well let me tell ya. The waitress, Alyson T was excellent. Very friendly and helpful. It was my father's birthday and she made it enjoyable. read more

Only opened for dinner. This is fine Italian (training from Italy, the world, NY, Chicago, and now Springfield, Mo is his home) dining on one side and a more casual bar that serves their entire menu on another. The service is generally impeccable with Nicola always visiting your table-side at some point of the night. It is very clear that the majority of the customers are regulars. Things to Note: 1) Homemade pastas 2) Very sizable entrees to share 3) Lots of good table bread options 4) Spectacular wine list 5) Cannolis!! 6) Private dining options for birthdays, corporate events, etc. available Favorite: 1) Pasta Gilardi (homemade Ricotta noodles with a spicy sausage/mushroom sauce) 2) Duck! Nicola is a place worthy of a special occasion or a comfortable Thursday Night out dinner. read more

Always delicious, fabulous service and great ambiance. This is a perfect venue for dinner with a group of friends, family celebration or dinner for two. Can't go wrong at Nicolas! read more

Arrived at 9:48 kitchen closed Yelp hours say open until 11 wasted our time driving there!

This place is a very nice environment, staff was helpful in helping me decide what I wanted to eat. I would say, it was one of the BEST dining experiences that I have had in Springfield, EVER! Thank you to our waitress, Lindsay, she was literally the best! Oh and they have imported Italian beer and a wine selection for Update: this is still the best place in Springfield. If you have the extra money to spend. Go here. This experience is so personalized. You never felt like you were home til a chat with Nicola at your table. read more

Food was ok. Waitress was great. Coke was flat. I ordered the duck and had a long piece of hair wrapped around one of the legs. I sent it back and requested to have it removed from my ticket read more