I've only been here for brunch, so that's what I'm reviewing here. A good friend from college lives in Pomona and I live in Studio City, so Pasadena seemed to be a solid halfway point. After realizing that this place has $3 mimosas, we decided to come here for brunch yesterday. The first thing I noticed is that the prices are insanely low for the quality you get, and the ambiance of the restaurant is beautiful and elegant. You feel like you're in a really nice, swanky restaurant but are paying college-student prices. It's awesome. The service was fantastic. Our waitress was really sweet (even taking a photo for us when we asked, and didn't make us feel stupid or awkward for asking), and she was prompt. As soon as we walked in, she was ready to help us and was quick about delivering our drinks (and refills!). We did have to wait a little while before we got our bill, but she seemed to have quite a few more tables at that point. We stayed for two hours catching up and there was no indication that they wanted us to hurry up and leave or anything. The $3 mimosas and $4 pomegranate bellinis are delicious! They don't skimp on the champagne or the size of the glass - they're the normal-sized drinks of normal quality for a reduced price. Super yummy and bubbly. The food was fantastic and for so cheap! My friend had the crab cake benedict and loved it, while I had the breakfast panini and really enjoyed it (I'm picky about my breakfast sandwiches too). For the two entrees, with added avocado on mine, and four alcoholic drinks, the bill was around $34. Fantastic! I would consider driving to Pasadena from Studio City more often just to have this brunch again. read more

I love this place and I couldn't love it more!!! The food is amazing and the service that I've had at the bar and bar area is even better. HH rocks and the gin gimlet with jalapeño is my favorite. Monday prix fix can't be beat for $21! Salad, entree, and dessert and the option to add another salad for $4 is perfect when I go with my husband. read more

Paulette and Kate are the best! A reco for all that is an alteration to a menu item... For breakfast order their Chiliquiles with filet mignon med rare and green sauce. Off the charts, absolute bananas! read more

Love the prime rib dip! And the service is great!! Everyone is really friendly and very attentive! read more

Nikki C’s - Prime rib dip AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Wow 1st time here GREAT place service was excellent taco Tuesday special yummy flat bread good and hot.... For sure coming back. read more

Nikki C’s - Wedge with blue cheese yummy - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Had the steak. Did not taste aged at all. Don't like that the side pasta was placed in a plastic bowl. Really cheap presentation. The waiter didn't seem to like that only half of our party ordered alcoholic drinks. And get this, we had an ordered of fries for the only toddler in the house. Fries never came. Really, you couldn't get the fries out first? Wouldn't that be the easiest task along with water? Our server apologized for the overlook and said he had removed the cost from the bill. He didn't. read more

Nikki C’s - Steak & Pasta. Meh. - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

I thank my old friend for steering me to this little gem. Food is delicious, service is excellent and prices are reasonable. They have a Sunday brunch not to be missed! i would give them 5 stars but some of their regulars can get loud and obnoxious after a few drinks. Overall a great place! read more

Been here only twice and was impressed both times. I had seen this place for years but always forget about it because it's not in old town. The location is tricky. The service is great, the food is great and the price is great. The people are locals it looks like, they all know each other, and they know the bar tender. It's the neighborhood hang out. We felt like the newbies. We definitely will be going back for more. It's really close by and no traffic or parking structure situations, if you just want an in and out dining. Drinks are definitely not weak here. I have to order easy next time. :) read more

I have to say I was disappointed this past Friday 10/19/18 for lunch at lunch. We normally eat here at dinner. The menu was very limited in fact seemed like very little Italian food. Nonetheless they had my fusilli dish. My wife had the lasagna. We came here for our 28th anniversary. I say that because neither one of us wanted to make a big deal on our day. As we were walking out we both started talking on how cold the food was. She said the lasagna was fridge cold in the center and mine was cold in the center. All and all dinner is good but we would not be back for lunch. read more

This review is from the Before Times. We love Nikki C's and would go there often, for happy hour or brunch. Once we took a day off Friday and went for lunch. They are consistently good, the food is great, and the bartenders and servers are friendly and efficient! My favorite things are the sliders, meatballs, and any of the pizzas. For brunch I really like the burrito and the chilaquiles. Highly recommend checking out Nikki C's! read more

Super cute gem. They accommodated us even after closing the kitchen and we had some bomb ceviche and guacamole. Everyone was pleasant and friendly. Great vibe and drinks. read more

My dining experiences at Nikki C's have been really hit or miss. The prices are indeed high, but if they come through on the food it's totally worth it as the great food and ambiance combine for a very enoyable, relaxing dinner. Of course, if they're off that night you will find yourself wondering why you're paying these sorts of prices. I will recommend the Ahi Sashimi as a starter and do yourself a favor and order it with your drinks at the start as it takes a bit longer than usual for them to prepare if you want it served before the main course. Enjoy some good fine with a date and you'll be quite pleased with it. My dining companion has had a hard time there when ordering the cappellini -- 3 out of 4 times they've botched it. Either it's overcooked or has been served cold. I know timing thin pasta's cooking can be an art form, but come on this isn't Olive Garden. So to sum, when they're on it's a great time. When they're off you'll be bitter when you pay your bill. If they can get to be more consistent I will start coming back here regularly again, but for now, they're on the C-List of places to check up on every six months. read more

This was my first time here. I wanted to take my friend out for her birthday and she suggested Nikki C's. I was most definitely pleasantly surprised with the excellent service, food and ambiance. A must for lunches and I will try dinners too. read more

I am surprised I had not heard of this place before. The food is great and the staff is too. It's an excellent date night place and has a nice ambiance. Be sure to make a reservation for the usual popular nights or you may not get a seat anywhere but at the bar. read more

Love this place every time we go! The atmosphere and food never disappoint. My husband and I have been here maybe 4-5 times and plan to go back many more. Don't let the small exterior fool you; it's actually much bigger inside than it looks from the outside. In my opinion, at least. read more

I always get the Fish Tacos, they are the best in the area!! This time we added a Prime Rib sandwich, wow it was just as great. Been going here for years, you can always count on good food, good service whether your dining there or taking it to go! read more

Came for the drink specials, return for the food (and drink specials)... Who can go wrong with $3 screwdrivers/bloody mary's/mimosas?!?! HELLO! OK, originally that was the appeal (that and a friend had a discount coupon). But I have to say, I was impressed with the food. I didn't find it cost any less than most other places in the area for brunch/lunch fare. Heck, even breakfast at Jack in the Box can get up to $7! So it was nice to find a restaurant with great ambiance, tasty food with good portion size, and cheap drinks to boot! I've tried a number of different items and have yet to be disappointed. I bring people here all the time now. Keep up the good work! read more

Probably one of my favorite restaurants, everything on the menu is outstanding. Although the place is too cozy ( small) for my space preference. You can sit at the small bar and elbow other people while watching your fav sports game.and if you're claustrophobic, the restrooms might not be a good idea If you don't mind hanging out with an older crowd you'll fit right in. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants. It has a quaint and inviting atmosphere. The service is excellent and the food Is delicious. Everyone is friendly and each time we go we are never disappointed. They mainly serve Italian food, but they also have great steaks and seafood. read more

First impression girl walked up to us and no smile just rude. Then we found out she was in the front, bartender and also waitress. Hello this is a pretty cute place and i'm sure you guys make money so hire more help. its very unprofessional. Shes a bit taller than the other waitress/bartender has a bun. and very friendly to the older, richer men at the bar but treated us unfairly and hardly came around to ask if we needed anything. We ordered brunch and some of us ordered lunch. We were there 10 minutes before the happy hour was over and she didnt really want to give us the happy hour deal. Food was ok. my pasta was so ordinary. Couldve made that myself, very bland. My boyfriend ordered the steak/potatoes benedict. That was really good. Food was not great and not bad but I would like to try the dinner hopefully we get better service next time. read more

Ate lunch here for the first time this week with my co-worker. I ordered their soup of the day, which was a white bean kale soup, DELICIOUS! I could have ordered that as my main entrée if I could. I did order the Lobster Grilled Cheese and it was super good ! I would go back just for that sandwich. It was Taco Tuesday so my co-worker order the short rib and filet mignon tacos, they looked really good, so I['ll have to order that next time. Overall, great food, good atmosphere and our waitress rocked! Would definitely come back here! read more

Waitress was fine. Food took too long and drinks too. Hostesses could care less and kept delivering food to the wrong person at our table. Ribeye was chalky - not marbled and vegetables weak. Not worth the price! read more

This place is oddly my parent's favorite place to eat in Pasadena. I come from a traditional Chinese family that rarely like any other kind of food. My parents are the most picky eaters I know, yet they love this place. We come here all the time. Nikki C's has not disappoint me yet with what they have to offer. However you might NOT want to try this place during the holidays such as Mother's day, Father's day, Thanks Giving and Christmas. Most likely they will have special menu for these days and you CAN'T get anything from the regular menu. That's one little inconvenience but it's ok, we still love it anyways. The ambience is nice, dim, and cool. The services were friendly and attentive probably because I always come with my parents and a bigger group. Everything we have ordered have been fantastic. I think Italian food emphasize on sauce, and they have GREAT sauce for everything, not your typical Olive Garden type or the way-too-heavy creamy sauces. Last time I had some type of sea food angel hair pasta that came with the freshest clams! They were so juicy sitting in their boiling hot natural clam juice. The chef did a perfect job on those clams. Everything from risotto rice to salad were delicious and full of flavors (but not salty). A special note for the much debated risotto dishes, some people like them a little raw (I was told authentic risotto is suppose to be that way) and some people (asian) like them thoroughly cooked. At Nikki C's its just right! A happy medium between the two. You have to try it. read more

Went here for my two year wedding anniversary with my romantic husband last night. I realize Rosemead has it's issues but the place is nice and dark inside. We started with the kobe beef sliders (and you should too!) they have bleu cheese and bacon. I decided to try something I had never ordered before - Cioppino Pasadino. It's a seafood soup with lobster, shirmp, scallops, clams, black mussels, in a spicy tomato garlic sauce. Served in a huge white bowl. I wanted to take the bowl it was so beautiful. The soup was spicier than I thought it would be but still a great dish. My husband had steak. It was cooked perfectly and had great seasoning. Great little place away from the downtown Colorado scene that I try to avoid with parking, romance, and great drinks. I'll be back for happy hour. PS - the website is really helpful. read more

Breakfast. Great ambiance and the service with Camella was amazing! Mimosa was cheap for $3 a glass. I had the sparkling greyhound and it was good. It didn't have too much grapefruit. chilaquiles was probably my favorite. The spice and eggs were a good mix. Short rib scramble was good. The meat had good flavor. I added some spice with the meal. Overall I liked it all. read more

I went here for the cioppino. I was not disappointed. The place has a unique atmosphere as described by many others here. A mix of cougars, older men in suit coats, groups of 40-somethings celebrating something, families, 20-somethings on dates, and you name it. But somehow it works. The bread was excellent. The salads as well. The cioppino was to die for. And I had quite possibly the best piece of cheesecake in my life. Service was great, from the hostess to the waitress to the guy who kept refilling our water. I honestly cannot wait to go back here and bring some friends. read more

Pros: The ambience is nice. The plating presentation is attractive. The quality of the food is fairly good. The menu offers a lot of variety. Cons: Wait time was long, even though the restaurant was relatively empty. The warm garlic bread that other reviewers mentioned apparently only applies during dinner hours, as no such bread was served. (This would have been a major plus because the portions were small even for a lunch menu.) Our server was not very friendly. Both the portions and taste of the food left me feeling as though what I really paid for was the ambience and plating. My fiance ordered chicken parmigiana, but received fish instead of chicken. She likes fish and isn't allergic, but some people are severely allergic to fish, which makes this a dangerous mistake for any restaurant to make. The upscale feel of the restaurant feels a little bit out of place in its location -- it would seem more "at home" in Old Town Pasadena. read more

Super. ..Wonderful. Especially love Saturday. Great Bloody Mary's!!! Have. Not had an mediocre meal. ..consistently outstanding!!! read more

Nikki C’s - Zenyatta Pizza. ...Super Duper as is the excellent Service. ..Kyle, Kate and all. A gazillion times better than President Thai!! - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was pleased that Nikki's stayed open until 9 and had them deliver the Santa Anita pizza, described as 3 cheese, pepperoni, sausage, onions, mushrooms, olives & red bells (presumably peppers). It looked attractive but the dominant taste was heat, probably red pepper, which overwhelmed every one of the other many flavors. This ruined the pizza for me. Admittedly, I'm used to East Coast pizza, preferably NY style, so I'm hard to please but I expect a warning for anything fiery or hot on my food. Any spice other than the standard Italian ones is too much when there are already six toppings ! Will try eating in the restaurant but not any pizzas from there. read more

The ambiance was nice, service was friendly, but the food was mediocre. The kitchen messed up my order and the waitress apologized, but as I waited while my wife ate her meal, you would think they would have at least comped our app or a drink, but instead just waited another 15-20 minutes before my meal came. Don't need to go back. read more

I went here 3 times to make a conclusion. The service was usually slow and the waitress who served us was rude to us when we asked if we can split the check. The place serves mediocre food. Just meh. I recommend somewhere else. read more

It was the first time for us here at Nikki C's. We often walk past this place but never bothered to go in. Now we discover this very nice cozy place with great food and reasonable prices. I ordered the fillet mignon tacos and it was goooood! Will surely come back to this place! read more

This was my first visit to this establishment since it became Nikki C's. It used to be Sunny Italy until it sold. The current owners did some remodeling and updating, so it is different than the old Sunny Italy, but in my estimation, it is much nicer inside. The overall mood is subdued lighting and quiet sophistication. It isn't an inexpensive restaurant, but it isn't overly expensive either. A dinner entree, appetizer and a drink will probably cost anywhere from $35 to $45 per person. More if you have a bottle of wine as well. The food was generally well prepared and nicely presented. I had the Cioppino which I must say I did thoroughly enjoyed. It is one of those things that has too many ingredients for me to consider making at home, and I tend to order things I don't usually get at home when I go out for a meal. My wife got fucilli pasta with a creamy artichoke sauce and chicken. She said it was good. My son got their Salmon special. His comment to the proprietor who asked how the meal was prepared was that it was good, but the fish was a bit over cooked ... not bad enough to say it was bone dry and send it back, but still, it was on the grill just a bit too long. Service was good, not exceptional, but definitely good. I will probably go back some day. I did enjoy my meal. I give it a 3-star rating not because the food was not good, but because of value. I think the menu is priced a notch too high for the package, but still, a place I would recommend. read more

This restaurant has amazing food. Everything is amazing. I love the Sienna salad (think that's what it's called), my husband loves the cobb soooo much that I sometimes order it to go and serve it with dinner at home! My absolute favorite dish by far is the Fussili Gianna. Something about it makes me feel amazing. I just get warm and happy as soon as I have a bite of this delicious dish! Occassionally they have baja style fish tacos on their specials for the day. These are the days when life is truly worth living. I have never, ever, EVER had tacos as good as these with the exception of one time when I was in Baja! It can get busy, especially when there is a big sporting event or if it is a holiday. For a quiet night I'd suggest a Tuesday or Monday. I prefer the booth seating on the north wall, so I do try and make a point to call ahead and make a reservation and ask for one of those tables, they are just more intimate. Great atmosphere! The dim light and music are nice touches. read more

Great service and good food. We started off a good night at Nikki C's and enjoyed a delicious NY steak and Chicken Marsala. Marsala was alright but the steak was great - juicy and tender and the edges were crisp. I would definitely recommend the bacon wrapped shrimp. I know what you're thinking "duh" its bacon wrapped shrimp but they did an excellent job where they were super juicy and yummy. Also their sangria was really sweet and yummy. if you like it sweet, its good. Also all of the staff was awesome. the only reason, I didn't give it five stars was that it took our waitress 20 minutes to come back after we were done eating to get us our check and that was only after our bus guy got her for us. However, its partly because she was serving a giant party. I didn't really blame her but it would've been great if they would've staffed more people on a saturday night. good times, we'll be back! read more

This was a favorite place of me and my friends for many years. I was shocked and disappointed this past month by all the rat traps along side the building and parking lot. Please please clean it up. I want to return. read more

Best Eggplant Parmesan I have had in 20+ years. Was Fantastico. Had for dinner last night take out and thank goodness no one could see me lick my plate. The sauce is great and pasta perfectly al dente. read more

The best Italian in town. The Osso Pucco is the best. Melissa is the best ever! We will come back again for sure! Yelp check in gets you 15% off and worth every penny! We can after the visit at the local street. First time but not the last time! read more

Walked in tonight about 8:50 sat at a table in the bar area. Sat there's for 10 minutes... not that busy... no one ever waited on us. They don't close until 10:00... walked out end of story! read more

Service was really slow aka bad considering they weren't busy at all. We ended up spending 2hrs for lunch when it should have been 1hr. Food was good but kinda salty. I like the chicken Parmesan but the Cioppino seafood stew was salty. read more