Nicola’s Restaurant

First, the negatives, since that’s what seems to be overrepresented on here: 1) it is expensive, 2) the service is not very good, 3) it is mostly old people (I don’t really care about that, but seem people do). Those are all legitimate points that I really can’t argue with.
However, in my opinion, the food is good enough to overwhelm those negative. The chicken parm and eggplant parm are among my favorites in the city, and their red sauce is fantastic. I’m not a veal parm person, but people I trust love it. Many of their pastas are good too, but not quite to the same extent as those other dishes.
I get the complaints, but if what you value most is food quality, I would definitely recommend Nicola’s (and their sister restaurant, Parma, which is very similar, just slightly cheaper).

Decent Italian, nothing special. I’ve had better food for less elsewhere.

If you’re looking for real, elegant service with warm delicious rustic Italian meals, check out Nicola’s. My wife and I came here after getting engaged and have been coming back regularly ever since. Their old world service makes every patron feel like a king or queen and their food is delicious. I especially like the Veal Emiliana and reasonably priced Il Farnito cabernet sauvignon that pairs very well with the demi glacé on the veal. Even though the restaurant is elegant, as you dine, you don’t feel stuffy. You can really relax, take a break from the hectic pace of the Manhattan lifestyle, put down the smart phone, and enjoy a great meal with excellent service.

what can i say… benn going to the best italian restaurant for years and the food is very good, waiter service excellent, and fair priced. try and eat before and after the «in» /​regulars and you will enjoy it.
great bar too
TODD

We tried this place spontaneously! The service was wonderful! They offered many specials and had a great deal of fresh seafood specials. The stuffed mushrooms were delicious and a homemade sauce was amazing! The fish was fresh and skillfully prepared. Delicious and worth trying!

Beware!
The décor is warm and comfortable, tables a bit too close together, nice stain glass touches. The menu seemed reasonable within the higher range – main course in the 20sand 30s range. The fish as «market price» and the waiter rattled on about 6 different fish dishes, mostly simply made. He did not quote their prices.
When the bill came, we discovered that one of the fish dishes was $ 38 and the other $ 68!!!
We were outrageous and asked the waiter why he hadn’t mentioned that this particular dish was so high and he replied, «You should have asked.» So I spoke with the Maitre D’, and he repeated the very same words «You should have asked.»
I explained that I was being put in an embarrassing position: asking for the price of a dish in the company of others is uncomfortable, and now I was put in an even more embarrassing spot where my host was stuck with paying an unreasonably high price for a piece of fish. The maitre d’ repeated his mantra, «You should have asked,» which made me realize that this is a restaurant policy to catch the unaware.
BTW, that piece of fish was not great. It was just OK, but that is not the point here, of course. It is the restaurant’s MO that is highly suspected. They know that if they reveal that the dish is $ 68 most patrons would pass on it.
Another point: when I spoke with the Maitre D’ (and once before when he had come to the table) he touched my arm and my shoulder to a total of 5 times. It is unacceptable. I do not wish to be touched by every serving person. It’s not a friendly gesture, but rather one that cross boundaries of my space.

By the way… You are going out to dinner on the UES. I recall back in the day people were turned away for not dressing accordingly. Dad wears a dinner jacket and mom put on something nice. Kids behaved. Why is this such a shocker to people? Dress nicely for dinner!!! Where did you grow up? Why on earth wouldn’t you dress accordingly?! Shame on you. Lol

Hard to believe this kind of restaurant can stay in business in as competitive a market as Manhattan. I thought I was in St Louis or some small midwestern city at a faded, once elegant restaurant that the locals still think is the cat’s meow. Iceberg lettuce salad, pesto out of a can (that’s what it tasted like. not even out of a jar), a smoked salmon appetizer at an Italian restaurant (really? that’s all you can think of?), no fish that actually are seen in Italian waters, no cheese that ever saw Italian skies. just ridiculous and very expensive too. Did I mention that the waitstaff are ignorant and rude, too?

Ugh… where do I even begin.
I took my mother out to dinner on a whim; I figured I was doing something nice by taking her out to an Italian restaurant.
Well, let me tell you we had one of the worst experiences I could even imagine. First of all, we walked in wearing what you would consider your «Sunday best,» and the stares we got were innumerable. SORRY I DON’T WEAR MY PEARL NECKLACE EVERY WHERE I GO. As we were walking to our seat, the UES b*tches were staring at us and shaking their head. When we got to our seats, there was an older couple sitting across and facing us. Well, I must say, we were the talk of their dinner. That is SO not a community I would ever want to be around.
While all of this is happening, the server didn’t even recognize we were there until at least 10 minutes into us sitting, THEN we got our menus. My mother and I were starving, so we figured we would just stay and eat. They were snarky at the fact that I didn’t order a glass of wine. So, just to tick everyone off even more, I ordered a cheap pasta, and my mother ordered the least– expensive chicken dish. After our food came out, our check was dropped before we finished eating. Ohhhhhhhhhh honey, don’t worry, I wanted to get the hell out of there faster than you wanted me out!!!
SAVE YOUR MONEY AND YOUR TIME and GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. [Unless you’re an UES brat with lots of plastic surgery, then ENJOY!]

Unless you are member of the Elite Upper East Side, stay far away from this restaurant. I wanted to take my hard working college daughter to a nice dinner. We should have turned around the second we walked in with the stares from the staff and patrons. I guess Our casual «downtown attire» was not acceptable. It seemed as if the were reluctant to seat us, but they were clearly not busy. As soon as we sat, the terrible service began. We weren’t offered a drink menu. To me that was clear indication they wanted us to leave quickly. We just ordered main courses which were just Ok. For the price, I have had much better. I have had so many fantastic dinners in NY… All over NY… and never felt uncomfortable as we did at Nicola’s

Outrageously rude staff. Came here with my 88 year old grandmother who has been a weekly patron for over twenty years. We three had the chicken, the veal, and the dover sole. When the bill came we saw that the chicken was $ 25, the veal $ 31, and the Dover was $ 60. The sole’s price had not been list r on the menu as it was one of the many specials that were described to us orally. Thinking this must be a mistake, my grandmother asked the manager whether the price was an error. He went on a loud rant about how Dover is the most expensive fish in the world and no other customers complained about the price. He reprimanded her in a scolding tone for having dared to inquire. I was and still am in disbelief not only at the ridiculous price and its vehement defense, but especially at the incredibly rude outburst towards my grandmother. I can’t say enough about how negative this experience was. Regardless of anyone’s opinion on the food, no one should go to this restaurant.

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice. you just straight suck!
I am so disappointed by Nicola to say the least folk. The place needs some extreme changes in my opinion.
Starting with the food:
Overpriced, Over-​sauced and overly obnoxious are what this place should be stamped. Yet, I came here on a saturday night, and it was packed. With no surprise, I heard a few tables complaining about the service and the food.
Now lets start from the beginning… way back. I was first introduced to a restaurant called Parma, which is an italian restaurant on 3^rd and 80^th, a few doors down from the impressive kitchen at Due. I didnt like it one bit, the servers were not friendly and rushed service as if trying to get rid of its hard working and paying patrons. I figured Nicola, a higher end sister restaurant, would be on the better scale, much to my dismay, it actually mimicked its characteristics. Servers are running around being loud, rushing customers and screaming across the room to each other.
Don’t get me wrong, Nicola, is actually fairly nice and clean. Long attractive wooden bar at the entrance and a beautiful flower arrangement at the very end, nice touch. The tables are placed very close together so that you can hear everyones conversation and restricts those who are sitting against the wall from exiting without bumping into the next table.
Again, my disappointment was solely with the food, service and the extreme pricing.
First off the food is not appealing to the eye when placed in front of me. Salads are overpriced at $ 10 and up, I ordered the mixed green salad. Bear with me when I tell you this, it was chopped up iceberg, with a fourth of a tomato on the corner topped with a tasteless dressing. Im not being mean just being honest. The salad. I mean the «Lettuce» was chopped from the heart and was really bitter, perhaps it should have been inspected before it came out. I mean truly bitter. No one came by to ask us once how anything came out, to see if we needed a refill or utensils, or even to offer fresh pepper.
Im just gonna cut it to the chase.
Servers dont describe dishes effectively, everything is topped with bacon!!! I dont eat bacon, so perhaps it would have been nice to mention what comes on top of my soufflé or anything as a matter of fact so that I wouldnt have to pick around the bacon bits scattered everywhere. Sorry to those who love the seared animal fat, im not one of you. The soufflé was extremely heavy from the first bite, I couldnt make it past bite 3… And keep in mind that I started with a lettuce salad. HAA!
Another major thing that baffles me are the crazy prices. Any fish filet is at least $ 45…And for what ??? Thats right, for absolutely and positively nothing!!! All of the dishes are unappealing with tons of sauce and all the ingredients mushed together and toppling over the plate, talking about lack of creativity or plating skills. I mean, who is in the kitchen preparing these meals ??? Kids? My mothers family style cooking has better presentation and she plates to share amongst 10+ people. No one at my table finished their plates. Not one soul.
I had higher hopes because of the pleasant italian dining room and old school art. My recommendation is if your gonna spend the money, find another place to dine because you wont be happy leaving here.
Funny thing is, if your reading this, you already don’t belong. Did I mention the restaurant demographic is 65 and over. Not that it matters since I’m writing this review because I’m certain none of them ever even heard of a thing called « Unilocal.»
In closing, THIS PLACE IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR ME OR ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF RETIREMENT.

Another one of our favorite local italian spots. The food is excellent, the host is elegant and gracious, and the servers are knowledgeable and accommodating. My family eats here anytime there’s a special occasion — and they certainly go the extra mile for regulars :)

I have been meaning to come to this restaurant for quite a while! I was not disappointed! The service was wonderful! Our dinner was delicious! We arrived at 6 and had a lovely and leisurely dinner which lasted until 9. The ambience is beautiful! All in all a pleasurable experience! What’s not to like? :)

We get to go to this place once or twice a year as various eastside friends insist that it’s as good as it gets. It really is quite awful… The service is so obviously indifferent that it’s painful… these incompetent waiters virtually throw the plates on to the table and could care less… the food is as ordinary as it gets… the dover sole at $ 55 was dry and crusty… the manager was truly a pain in the ass… one had a sense that he thought that he was doing us a favor by not throwing up… all in all, a disappointing, stupid evening out

Love sitting at the bar at Nicola’s. Met some great people tonight. Virgil, Ramona & JMc. Bartenders were excellent. I had an awesome night there enjoying the company of strangers that became friends in 30 minutes. Food was just ok. Had the veal parm & side of spaghetti Bolognese. Both were surprisingly bland in taste. House salad was great as was the house dressing my experience tonight was a 5. Service was 5 stars too. The food was a three tonight. Sorry. But I will be back. I’ll just stick to my core selections of the Marsala & piccata dishes. They are awesome.

I went on a recent Friday evening for dinner with a friend. We were seated promptly. It wasn’t very busy for a Friday night, which concerned me a bit, but the server was accommodating and knowledgeable.
I thought it was a bit odd that we weren’t offered a drink menu, or wine list, but no big deal. The server reeled off the somewhat limited beer and wine list (4 beers, 6 wines by the glass). My friend had the house pinot grigio, which wasn’t great, but wasn’t awful.
The atmosphere is interesting. It’s right out of the 80s, intact with pictures on the wall from that era. I don’t think this is as much an intended look, as it is that the restaurant hasn’t updated it’s décor much since then. However, it’s certainly not an unpleasant look. It’s a decent sized, open room, and very quiet. So it’s a good place if you want to have a conversation.
I decided to go the Pollo Scarpara (described as Chicken sautéed, white wine, garlic, lemon and rosemary in a brown sauce), and my friend went with the spaghetti bolognese.
The Pollo Scarpara was interesting. Not quite what I expected, but not a problem. All I care about is the taste. It was 8 rounded balls of chicken, served on the bone. Unfortunately, I found it to be a bit too dry, not very tender, and a bit crunchy for my taste. The sauce was light, but not very pleasing. It was almost like Chinese-​style General Tso chicken, but without the heavy Asian sauce.
My friend got the Spaghetti Bolognese. It was cooked well, but very salty. Probably the saltiest pasta I’ve ever tasted. And I’ve had a lot of pasta. The dishes weren’t terrible, but neither of us finished them.
In the end, Nicola’s seems like a nice, neighborhood Italian place, with servers who have worked there for years. It probably draws in the locals, who go because the servers know them, and there’s 1 or 2 dishes they like, and it’s close by. And who knows, maybe there are other items on the menu that are much better than the ones we had. But for the price, and the food quality of the dishes we had, I can’t imagine it’s drawing too many people from other parts of the City.

Women — GET OUT, GET LOST, GET A DATE
Nicola’s has been my family celebration restaurant… anniversaries, birthdays, promotions, relatives from out of town. My husband and I had our first Amarone here. Though we have been patrons over a decade, we are not known to the staff. The thought of their fettuccine alfredo brings a smile to my tummy. My husband is a fan of their chicken cutlet parmigiana. This is the place else on the UES for clams casino.
Imagine my surprise, no my SHOCK, when I took a female friend here. First the maitre d did not want to seat us, though I had a reservation. My friend, Maria speaks fluent Italian, and was translating what they were saying, which was to seat us at the bar. She responded in Italian, and we were eventually seated. Apparently, two women for dinner on a thursday evening are shunned here. The waiters ignored us except when they thrush the pepper mill on the table top.
Complaining didn’t help, the action that expresses my disappointment with their service, treatment and food is not to return, and to warn others.
GIRLS don’t eat at Nicola’s, they don’t want our business (unless we have a guy with us).

I’m glad I didn’t Unilocal this restaurant before deciding to dine — we might have gone somewhere else as the reviews are all over the board. Makes me wonder if it’s the reviewers or the restaurant that is inconsistent. Based on all the awards posted inside, I’m guessing it’s the former.
Without reservations, my husband and I ducked in on a rainy Sunday night and liked the vibe: established, Italian, classy. The host was gracious, provided us with a requested menu (not posted outside), and did not press us to be seated. Shortly after we were seated and served our cocktails, friends called and wanted to join us. The wait staff swiftly and cheerfully relocated us to a larger table. From then on, the fast-​food generation might have been impatient with the service, but we found it relaxed. The veal scallapini marasala and pasta carbonara were excellent, as were the green beans and spinach. Staff was attentive without being overbearing. Would definitely return.

A throw back to the (slightly more sophisticated yet still charmingly antiquated) old country. My Nana Fracaro and Great Grandpa Julio would surely approve.
Check this off of my list of «places I pass and will one day go into». A large blazing yellow sign in the front gives way to an unassuming entrance, then it goes back… further…further…further! I was surprised as how large this place is! Low lighting, antiquated yet charming decorations of old posters and scantily clad 80s-​era models in Nicola’s t-​shirts, and authentic Italian waiters make this a low-​key yet sophisticated place for a bowl of delicious pasta.
One, admittedly, I felt slightly underdressed in nice jeans, a nice shirt, and a cardigan. It’s not fancy, but not a jeans and t-​shirt place, I feel in hindsight. Two, I was definitely the youngest customer in there by a good 20 years. My aunt took me there for a birthday dinner, the big 2 – 8, and I felt as though the patrons could be my parents, even grandparents. Not a bad thing, merely an observational anecdote.
I chowed down on some Spaghetti Amatriciana — pasta with pancetta, onions, wine, tomato, basil, and prosciutto. Except for one fatty piece of pancetta than made me squish my face up a little bit in a childlike «Ew! This food is GROSS!» way, it was extremely delectable. The bowl was large enough, but I didn’t feel weighed down with pasta after I finished it. It really was a perfectly sized portion of pasta. My aunt got the veal parmesan; perfectly cooked, perfectly fried, and perfectly covered in mounds of mozzarella cheese. It really melted in my mouth.
I am glad I checked this place off of my list! Family member-​bought birthday dinner successful. Food baby conceived. Satiation established. HUZZAH!