Nicolino Ristorante Italiano

08/27/09

Good food, a little pricey, slow service

by 0rca at Citysearch

We made it pretty clear at the start that we didn't want to wait around (we had a small child in our party). Not only did the appetizer take a while, but the mains took forever. Other tables, who had arrived after us, were served before we were.

Only when the food finally arrived did the owner(?) bother to come to talk to us about it. By this time, I was not interested in any reason why. Too late.

Did he offer some wine? No. When clearing the table, the waitress offered a free dessert, but we were in no mood. And no, the owner did not take anything off our bill. Amateur.

• Pros: Fairly authentic Italian food
• Cons: A bit pricey and our meal took FOREVER

04/04/09

Will Not Return - Not Recommended

by markd1961 at Citysearch

Very disappointed with this restaurant. Promised twenty minute wait, after thirty minutes I asked for update, and was told our table (for five) was being set - finally seated ten minutes later. Small, busy restaurant, and number of staff seemed easily sufficient to provide high level of service, but was very slow at every step. When you can look around the room at ten full tables at one point, and only one of them has dinner plates, it seems the place has a problem. We were also appalled that for a party of five, they could not provide separate checks, offering the very lame excuse that the checks were hand-written - c'mon, are you kidding me? The dining room was so loud, it was very difficult to have a conversation with my dining partners sitting right next to me, and impossible to have one with anyone else at the table with nearly shouting. Our party of five could only get the bread six small, appetizer slices at a time, though the infused olive oil was very good. Our appetizer of vine-ripe tomatoes with mozzarella, anchovies and olives with balsamic vinegar was also very good, but again - the deal with the bread was very frustrating. When our entrees finally arrived, they were very good as well, and fairly priced. Because of the frustrating policies, snail's pace service, and horribly loud dining room though - I would advise potential patrons to look elsewhere.

• Pros: Quality of food was good
• Cons: very loud, snail's pace service

09/19/08

Nice menu, above average service, a bit cramped

by puckeredlips at Citysearch

This place has a very nice menu that is executed well. We have been here a few times, tried many pastas and meat dishes and have been pleased every time. They have a nice wine list. There can be a wait so make reservations as they only have a few tabloes. Is it worth waiting for a table? I would have to say yes. The staff is very friendly and the experience has always been pleasant. Well priced delivers great value.

• Pros: nice menu, friendly staff

07/21/08

Exceptional food, nice wine list, friendly service

by nihonjindesuka at Citysearch

This is a very charming neighborhood restaurant. It resonates with character. The menu offers great variety and the wine list complements the fare nicely. The staff is meticulous and friendly. All in all this is a very nice dining experience and we recommend you give them a try.

• Pros: variety and quality of fare, exceptional staff
• Cons: a bit crowded but not overly so

10/06/07

Very Loud

by estaggs79 at Citysearch

Nicolio's was recommended to me by several people as being great. I went and found that the staff was charming and quite friendly. However, the service was slow and it was so loud that I found myself yelling to my other dining companions. We ordered the mussels and they were horrible, inedible after returning home that evening I was ill and my guess is that it was from the mussels. I ordered the Chicken e risotto is was good. My husband ordered the lasagna and thought it was fine. We ordered desert and coffee and again had to wait over 20 minutes to receive it. Although the two main courses were fine the mussels for appetizers, loud atmosphere and slow service left a lot to be desired. I would not recommend this place and do not plan on returning there myself.

• Pros: Espresso
• Cons: Loud, slow service