We came here for a quiet delicious dinner and it was exactly what we found! Our meal was cooked by Niko himself. They have a menu offering a nice variety of dishes for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. The restaurant is very clean and staff were very friendly. The restaurant is rather small, so reservations are a good idea. But the small space creates a nice intimate, quiet ambiance. read more

This little gem of a place is in the same block as Kensington Wine Market. If you blink you could miss it. The word bistro perfectly describes this place and the menu is outstanding with lots of choices. Combine this with the wine list and you see the richness of the experience that is about to unfold. The Antipasto presentation was amazing. We don't eat bread so amongst the antipasto was fresh vegetables. This dish burst with flavours. An excellent place to share a meal together and great date night spot. The only challenge, and not a big one, is the seating times. We arrived for 5:30 and the next seating time was 7:30. So we began to feel a bit of pressure to leave even though we could have stayed. Oh, and they don't split the bill so if you are going with friends be warned. If you are looking for authentic Italian and great wine, all reasonably priced this is your place. read more

Niko's Bistro - Great wine and well priced. - Italian Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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On our second visit, still we were impressed by everything. Great food, excellent service! Not cheap though :) read more

Niko's Bistro - The Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I love Niko's! My go to place for delicious Italian food. The food is always amazing. To start with, the calamari is my favourite. I've tried a few of the other appetizers, but the calamari is hands down the best - has a spicy tomato sauce that makes it different from calamaris elsewhere! For the mains, I can never decide between the cannelloni and the manicotti - meat vs cheese?! The two are pretty similar dishes though, so I wouldn't recommend getting both. The chicken entree is also really good, but huge in portion because it comes with chicken, side of veggies, and pasta as well. The chocolate mousse here is to die for! I could eat it every day all day and never get sick of it. It's the best chocolate mousse I've ever had - I order it every time I'm here. It's a small but cozy, neat little place. I would recommend making reservations if you are going on a weekend or evening. There's free parking down the block behind the field so try to park there if you don't want to pay for street parking! read more

Great food and better service. Make you feel like family and the food is amazing. Any night at Niko's is a great night !

Food was very poor quality. My Caesar salad was soggy and the croutons were soft. The calamari was ok but nowhere near as good as many others are saying. And the "sauce" on the calamari is more of a seasoning. I also ordered the penne alla vodka which was the worst dish of them all. At first glance, it did not appear to have any sauce on it. The sauce that was on there was very thin and watery. It seemed as though they were running low on sauce and just added a bunch of water to it. I ordered this meal as takeout and ended up throwing away the entire thing. Would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Caprese tomatoes a little crunchy but nice soft cheese and sweet balsamico made up for it Shaghettini cooked perfectly, nice sausage bits, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil mmmm Tino was great, read more

Niko's Bistro - Caprese salad - Italian Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Nice decor, good wine, comfortable seating, friendly staff, and a nice selection on the menu. What more could you ask from an authentic Italian restaurant? We made a reservation for a party of six, they were able to accommodate us on a busy Friday night. The restaurant filled up quickly after we arrived. Our server was friendly and helpful. Even though it got very busy she was attentive and our dishes came in a timely manner. We loved the calamari and caprese salad for appetizers. The braised chicken with pasta was so tasty and the chicken was moist. The cannelloni was hand made and crepe-like thin with a delicious meat stuffing. Everyone was extremely happy with their meals. We were so full that we didn't have room for dessert. We'll save room for dessert on our next visit. read more

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Yum. Went for dinner. The food was hot and tasty. Had pasta, dessert and wine. Loved it. You will to, I guarantee it. read more

I have never gone out of my way to write a negative review (Yelp or otherwise) about service I've received, but this experience was terrible enough that I felt compelled to do so. There's nothing like waiting an hour for your food (and not being checked up on), receiving rude service, AND being made felt it was your own fault to make you never want to return to a restaurant again. On top of that, we were told that they couldn't split the bill. Only after we complained (fed up/in shock by the horrible service), that the bill was split, but incorrectly. It was just a series of compounded negative experiences that made me wish we dined at a different restaurant. There was no sincere apology and zero effort to rectify the situation. Verbatim from Niko: "to me, an hour is not that long to wait" . This is completely unacceptable - an hour is a very long time to wait for food. Don't waste your money here - there are many other great Calgary restaurants with equal/better food, and definitely better service. read more

Terrible service!!.. We had a reservation made through opentable for 4 people, and when we arrived there. They gave us the worst table available, they had 4 empty tables and gave us the one in the middle of the restaurant, considering we were with a child it was not the most convenient one. I asked for a table close to the wall, and they said they were all booked.. And it was not true! .. The tables were just empty!... When I asked why they didn't change us, they said we should have made the reservation directly with the restaurant.... Really?? ... I knew about that place only because of yelp, and It was easier for me to make the reservation through open table, instead of calling... I would say this has been probably the worst service I have received in a Calgary restaurant!!... In addition, the place is very small and you feel very packed... You almost cannot breath!... I definitely do not recommend this restaurant to anyone!!.. read more

Maybe it's just me who had a bad experience here because I seem to disagree with the other reviewers. First of all, you can't just give the dish an Italian name (and misspell it on your menu) and hope it all works out! You also need a chef who can pull it off! It's incredible how some "chefs" can use the best ingredients and create something so bland and boring. They're not capable of handling big groups. Can't blame the waitress for it though. There's a limit to the number of people one person can handle. read more

Madly searching for a restaurant for a last minute dinner date. "Where oh where should I go?" "Niko's" says my Yelp app. And so we went! Bruschetta was great. Calamari was all right. Not as mind-blowing as other reviewers may suggest. Pastas were wonderful though. I had the Spaghettini with homemade Italian sausage. And yes, it was divine. Portions are great. Prices are great. Service stellar. Can't wait to be back! read more

We came upon Niko's after doing an 'Italian Places' search; and boy am I glad we did. Of course, Niko's has pretty excellent food. The caprese salad has melt-in-your-mouth bocconcini cheese, the penne con vodka is creamy and deliciously mushroom-y and even without putting sugar in it, my latte still tasted sweet and fluffy; but the reason I will be back to Niko's, and the reason I will probably continue to go, is Niko himself. The owner of the bistro, Niko Meletic, hails from (of course) Italy and move to Canada to open a little bistro in Kensington. He is everything you love about Italians, warm, welcoming, expressive and makes wonderful food. He went to every table in his tiny restaurant and greeted each guest with a handshake or a laugh; and when we left, shook our hands, thanked us saying he hoped we'd be back. You just don't get that kind of attention in Canadian restaurants. He entertained us, tended to us and made sure we ate all of our pasta. So to answer your question Niko; yes, my food was delicious and, yes, I will be back to your bistro (even if it's just to talk to you again). T. read more

I'm not much for Italian food but Niko's Bistro was awesome. We made a reservation even though we came on a Wednesday night and, in hindsight, that was probably the right thing to do. Despite the weeknight, it was packed shortly after we arrived. Always a good sign. The staff is small - as in, we think 4 people were working that night, including those in the kitchen. Niko himself greeted us at the door and seated us. Service was great, we weren't left waiting for any period of time, they knew their stuff. The menu isn't huge, but it has a good range of options. Sometimes it's the smaller menus where they concentrate on what they do best that makes it a great place to visit. The food was excellent. I had the gnocchi caprese, which was mouthwatering. Even good as leftovers a couple days later. And the bruschetta was also yummy. I'll definitely be back - I'd like to try a chicken dish next time. My one piece of feedback? Take the autoplay music off your website :s (6/30) read more

Tried Niko's Bistro Sunday evening, and although I was the only diner in the restaurant when I first arrived, by the time we left around 7:30, the restaurant was full and happening. Definitely make a reservation if you want to eat here as it's not a very big space. I was greeted by the very lovely owner who graciously took my coat when I entered. As my fellow diners arrived, Niko was there to greet and welcome them into the restaurant as well. Very nice touch! Niko was really helpful with the menu and we welcomed his recommendations. He would know! Everyone at the table loved their meals, myself included. It was really tough choosing just one dish but I settled on the Spaghettini Frutti di Mare. The sauce was fantastic with a great kick to it, and there was just the perfect amount of seafood. I thought it was very reasonably priced at $15. There's something on the menu to suit every budget. The only thing I was disappointed in was the lack of complimentary bread before the meal. I guess they want you to leave lots of room for pasta. Overall, I was really impressed with the food and ambiance at Niko's. I will definitely be back next time I'm craving some pasta. read more

Great atmosphere and good food. I liked the cushy benches. I was surprised by the price of my Bellini ($9 for half the size of any other I've ever ordered) and slightly put off that our server smelled like smoke. It was also the first time I've been served a salad on the same plate as my hot food, so my sauce ended up mixing with some of my greens. Not ideal, but I get it. It would be more weird to have two small dishes with one serving of food on each. Overall, a good spot with reasonable food prices and I'd not hesitate to go back. read more

I think I've found the little Italian place for me. This place is hopping! We went mid-week, but when we arrived we realized how wise it was of us to have called ahead and make a reservation. I definitely recommend you do the same. The owner of the bistro was serving, and he thanked me for taking off my toque (it had been cold out). So, gentlemen, if you happen to be here with a party or a date, make sure you remove your hat or toque. It's polite, you know ;) The menu wasn't overwhelming with selections, but they had some great looking dishes. I had a bit of a hard time selecting just one when everything on the menu sounded amazing. We had ordered the bruschetta appetizer, and it was quite tasty. I ordered the Vodka Penne (I seem to be partial to pastas that involve alcohols of some sort). Wow, it was amazing! I quite enjoyed the atmosphere and ambiance of this place. I will definitely be back. read more

Great atmosphere, a little small makes it cozy but enough space between the tables to be comfortable. Very good Italian food, reasonably priced. So that its not all glowy I should highlight that two of us ordered the seafood linguini which was good but had one solatary shrimp, left me a little wanting on the seafood toppings. Also being Italian can't say I ever had a real meal without bread and it was nowhere to be found. Oh and the girls at our table had a bone to pick since the online menu has not been updated in 4 years and items that the featured antipasto were no longer being offered. The desserts were great, with the chocolate mousse standing out as the clear winner. All in all a must visit but IMHO only **** stars. read more

lovely food, affordable price, authentic Italy cannelloni, caramori, nikos salad is good too. Love it much , need reservation read more

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I've been here twice now and I can't complain. The food is good, nice portion size and good value. It's nice to see a place in Calgary not over charge for what you get. This time I had the gnocci and it was delicious-their calamari and bruschetta appies are great too. My partner had the special which he wasnt as thrilled with but he said it was okay (he doesn't always make the best menu choices based on his personal tastes so I'm not sure this was an indication of the food itself) On another occasion I was there with a larger group (10-12 people) for a lunch work function and my coworker had worked with the chef to arrange family style courses so we could try many dishes. It was nice they could be so accommodating. I found the service on both occasions to be great although my friend last night did mention she smelled smoke on the waiter. Overall he was great and attentive though. I will be back-it's an easy, unpretentious place to go. read more

This is a great place. The owner is friendly, gracious, and more than accommodating. Although I wouldn't consider the food truly Italian, everything is fresh and well prepared. There is usually a nightly special. On my last visit I took my elderly mother, who is a fussy meat and potato person. After asking about her general dislikes, Niko gladly made her a simple pasta dish that was not on the menu. My favourite dishes are the bruschetta, calamari, veal Marsala, and chocolate mousse. My only complaint is that they don't serve complimentary bread or breadsticks. read more

Lovely little Italian bistro on Kensington. It has a lot of buzz right now so reservations are essential. Prices are reasonable and it is very unpretentious as previous reviews have stated.... this is not usually the case when Italian restaurants go up scale. I was there at lunch with no reservations so we had to eat at the bar, but it was still very nice and you get the added bonus of being able to watch Niko orchestrating the kitchen Parking at lunchtime is near impossible, might be better in the evenings. I will definitely be going back. read more

I got the pleasure of being taken out for a birthday lunch here not too long ago. My father-in-law offered to treat to me and the family to lunch at the restaurant of my choice, so--though I've never been here prior--I chose Niko'S Bistro because when I walked past it in passing, I could see that it was a higher-end bistro that serves wine and I was intrigued. I'm glad I chose it, since we all instantly felt comfortable when we walked in, the waitress was very nice & accomodating. The music choices were ecclectic and though I myself am no wine connisuer, my in-laws are and they enjoyed their wine choices very much. In addition to the cozy atmosphere and attentive service, I also very much enjoyed my chosen meal which was a garlic & sausage pasta dish. Don't be intimidated by the fact that the meal items are listed in Italian, since an English description is underneath each item :) read more

We live in Kensington, and had been Niko's many times. The food is always GREAT, the service is awesome. We love the food and this restaurant so much that we had our wedding in here, and all of our guests loved the experience. This restaurant was rated one of the top 10 restaurants in Calgary in 2015, trust me, there's good reason for it! read more

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Wish it didn't take us so long to visit. What can I say other than the food was very fresh, very delicious and clean tasting - nothing was covered in oil or butter. The bruschetta had a nice spicy kick. The salad with homemade dressing and prosciutto was damn tasty but our absolute favourite was beef short rib. A large portion of super tender beef in a light tomato sauce. Dessert was a crepe with chocolate mousse - I'm not a dessert person but this was incredible. Great service, high quality food and great prices. My new fave restaurant read more

Great small restaurant with great service in Kensington. Thankfully you can tell its not a chain and Niko himself walks around and checks on his customers. This was our first time here. Wanted to try something new - and enroute to the Jubilee. We were happy we came! We got seated in a small corner - was kind of cramped initially but we moved the table out a bit. It was loud but once we were there we seemed to adjust. Wines were reasonably prices. We ordered a caprese salad to start. It was sub par. Nothing to write about and not very big or good really. But then the pasta came. Hubs had the olio with sausage. I had the smoked salmon with rose sauce. OUTSTANDING. both of us thought the pasta was some of the best we ever had. Bread would have been nice to soak up the sauce but it left room for dessert. We shared the apple strudel. It was really good as well. Well worth the wait - as it was made fresh. We enjoyed it and will be back. Thanks Niko. read more

Great service and very nice presentation on the antipasto. The wine was excellent. On the taste, the best part was the cheese, excellent. The venaison, salad, bruschetta were ok although way too spicy for Italian food (but ok course the tomatoes are not grown in Italy so there is need to compensate ;) Overall a very good address. read more

What a great neighborhood Italian restaurant. Food was great and service was good. Great prices too. Four appetizers/salads, 6 glasses of wine. 4 entrees, and four desserts all for a little over $200. We had the chicken special, manicotti, cannelloni, and a fourth dish I don't recall, but the person eating it loved it (it was chicken). The desserts were good, but not great. Very friendly staff. read more

Had the special: chicken with penne. It was delicious! It would be nice to have a hot roll with it. The coffee was disappointing. Quite weak and tasteless. Service was quick although the server was not very friendly. We were not asked if we wanted to have separate cheques so had to do the math by hand. It's a cute little place. read more

A friend suggested we try this place and it was really good Italian. The place is quite small and you definitely need reservations on the weekend. We started with mussels. Mmmm... the sauce was yummy. For entree, we had the special of the night, the lamb shanks. It was fall off the bone tender and delicious. Loved the tomato based sauce. It came with a side green salad which was just OK...not exciting. Thus the reason for 4 stars and not 5 ! Maybe next time I pass on the salad. haha We would definitely go again. read more

I was excited eating their pasta because it tasted so delicious. The calamari was delicious, and the pasta frutti de mare was so comforting. However, after I ate this food, I got the biggest MSG rush, and almost passed out. I'm pretty sure they shake on a lot of MSG for the calamari and the seafood pasta. So disappointed that they took this shortcut rather than use fresh seafood stock and parmesan cheeses to build the flavour. If it weren't for the MSG rush, this place would be a staple eating out place for us. read more

I don't know about other yelpers but I've been to Niko's multiple times and it has always been a pleasure dining here. Everyone's courteous and explain exactly what you need to know about your food. My fav is Calamari here and I don't like it anywhere else except Cactus Club and Rush. Wine pairings are amazing as always. If you haven't tried yet, Please do try the Cheesecake here. No one's perfect and Niko's always improvise if there's a special request of taste and type. Lastly, prices. In my opinion, prices here are just fine, if not perfect. Great service and always a fine Italian pleasure. Thanks Niko's. Yours Truly Yelper, Ankur S. ankursalwan@hotmail.com read more

This was the best Italian food I've ever had. The staff was super friendly and the atmosphere was quaint. I am definitely not leaving Calgary again without eating here first. read more

I've been to Niko's with my fiancé several times being that I live in close proximity to the restaurant. Upon our visit today, my dish was fine however, my fiancé's dish was not. When I approached the waitress about the issue, she consulted with the chef and then approached our table in a very indignant way and informed us there was nothing wrong with the dish. I'm extremely disappointed and will only be returning to inform Niko what terrible service we received. read more

Ok l have never done this before Just been to Niko's the place was empty Tuesday night and they waiter wanted to place my husband and me right by the door On a freezen cold night I said no l will not sit there they were then going To sit us by the toilet door . Not another person in the place And he made a fuss he had people coming as booked l asked for the window seat No that was booked so by this time we really thought No No atmosphere waiter not up to the mark we Walked out and they came after us and said Yes you can have the window seat. Too late . What's going on Calgary Why are we putting up with this Nonsense Food might have been good we will never know as we will Never be back plenty more places to go I have never been treated by a restaurant like this before . read more

I love this place. Niko's is one of our go-to places in Kensington. The food is very good - great piccata and pasta. Friendly, unobtrusive service. Great low and mid priced wines. It's exactly the kind of place Calgary needs, especially in these times. Reservations a must. Highly recommend. read more

Wow! What a wonderful jewel in the heart of Kensington. While visiting from Texas, we wanted Italian and our hotel (Hotel Arts Kensington) referred us - a brief 2 minute walk from there. Boy oh boy, this was truly an amazing dinner that was highlighted with customized suggestions from Niko and his staff! We enjoyed every single dish! We can't wait to get back to Calgary and you can bet that Niko's will definitely be a part of our dining rotation! Chow!!! read more

Excellent food. Great ambiance and the owner was so hospitable. Definitely coming back

Wow, we had just a wonderful evening and dinner at this hidden gem. What a delight to be met at the door by Niko and be served by a very attentive staff. The food was delicious, the atmosphere lovely - we'll definitely be back! Thank you, Niko. . . read more