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This was my second visit to Nicola. I had the same waiter and he remembered me. For an appetizer, I had the grilled polenta. The menu description didn't do it justice. It was an individual casserole of polenta topped by a rich stew of beef, vegetables, and wine served bubbling hot from the oven. That appetizer and a glass of Super Tuscan wine would make an incredible meal. Then I had a salad.
The salad was roasted beets which had then been pickled or marinated. They were presented on a bed of romaine lettuce and cheese, dressed in a well balanced vinaigrette.
For the main course I enjoyed one of the night's specials- jumbo shrimp wrapped in thinly sliced grilled zucchini rounds arranged around four large ravioli. Under everything was a schmear of pesto sauce. Atop the ravioli was a smooth vodka sauce and it was topped by some large shavings of parmesan cheese. It was wonderful. I thought the shrimp and zucchini a little bland. Maybe I've had too many bacon-wrapped shrimp but I kept thinking that a dusting of smoked paprika and/or some garlic salt might give them a little oomph.
As usual, I had no room for dessert.
I'll definitely return to Nicola. It's one of Columbus' best restaurants!
It's the best restaurant in Columbus. And Italian. Everything is made from scratch (based on my taste buds, which are pretty sensitive). My wife and I visited a few months after they opened and fell in love with the experience. Ever since it has become our favorite for fine dining.
You must taste the limoncello drinks (2 of them) and dessert. All of their pasta is scratch made and pleasing to the palate. Lasagne is outstanding, as is just about everything else. Specials are the best choice when a sumptuous match occurs.
The staff is always professional and helpful. Great wine selection and ambiance. And the owners are always there.
Amy Leffler (Thetravelroamad)
+5
Visiting Columbus for the weekend, I was looking for something quaint with a nice outdoor patio. I’m so glad I came across this restaurant. The patio was lovely surrounded by gorgeous flowers and plants. We had great and attentive service, our water was always filled and our server came around plenty of times. We loved the drinks and food and everything was delicious! I would definitely dine here again and would recommend if you’re looking for great Italian food with a great atmosphere.
Decent place for Italian. Went for happy hour, and everything was pretty competent and very well priced. The server behind the bar seemed less than enthusiastic we were there though. Will come back.
Nicola is the best restaurant. All pasta is homemade, every dish is delicious, service is amazing, the restaurant itself is beautiful. They have a little garden on the side so you know the greens are fresh. I love coming here.
Absolutely wonderful experience. We celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary here and everything was wonderful. The service was A+ and the food was delicious. The staff was completely warm and inviting and made us feel right at home. Highly recommend!!! We will definitely be back!!
They did such a great job creating the atmosphere, you can’t tell you’re right next to a busy road or that the parking lot is right next to their outside area! The patio is surrounded by trees and flowers, umbrellas! The string lights are a cherry on top! Service was amazing and so was the food! You can tell it’s all made from scratch! I had a huge lasagna but it wasn’t heavy!
Chef Nicola's place is the best dinner experience we have had in years. We went to the coursed wine dinner and it was such a fun experience from start to finish. The wine pairings were great but the FOOD was the best part. Our favorite dishes were the Elk Ossobuco and the Rabbit Cacciatore. The staff was extremely friendly and we even got to meet Chef Nicola himself who was very welcoming. This is authentic Italian all the way and I will be telling everyone I know about this place. Thanks for a great night!
This was our anniversary and we wanted to celebrate with fine tasting Italian food. This was it! Outside on their patio, sipping a tasty, tart cocktail and a nice Barbera red. We love caprese and adding basil pesto is a keeper. The Tuscan Nido was perfect-handmade and hands down the largest ravioli-the added surprise of an egg yolk hidden inside was genius! The Filetto Di Maiale(pork tenderloin) was perfectly cooked and the flavor was mouth watering, even as I ate it! We wrapped it up with their lemon cake. Oh, man, so light and lemony. We took smaller and smaller bites so it would last longer. Give them a go, we’ll certainly be back!
I was worried that after traveling to Italy, I wouldn't be able to find anything that would taste like Italy back home in Columbus. After doing some digging around online, I found Nicola and saw what looked like an authentic, Tuscan-inspired menu, and had to try it out.
The pappardelle con cinghiale tasted EXACTLY like what I ate in Florence (dare I say, even a bit better?). The pasta tasted homemade, the sauce was great, and the boar was fantastic. My wife loved the Tuscan Nido, especially with the fresh, sage. The Scampi alla Veneziana was a delicious appetizer as well.
After talking to our waitress, she explained the roots of Chef Nicola, which explained how spot on the dishes (and even the wine) were. It's clear that the chef is passionate about his creations, all the way down to the fresh gardeh ingredients.
Grazie mille per una cena perfetta, cuoco Nicola!
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Came here originally on my birthday last year . The food is just amazing. The chef / owner is from Italy and knows how to cook. The homemade pastas were amazing , the staff knew what kind of wine my wife needed , as their wine menu was very overwhelming. Huge wine menu lol .
My wife wanted come back on Valentine’s Day weekend on a Saturday , and it was such a lovey experience ..... we started with the fried calamari. It was crunchy and tender. Got a nice $30 of Cabernet and it was smooth. I don’t really drink wine but I was able to drink a whole bottle with wifey . Next we got a shrimp / crab dish and 4 cheese ravioli. Outstanding entrees. Didn’t look like much but we were very stuffed . Last was our lime something cake ....
We did come at 8pm so the crowd died down so our service was pretty spot on .
Love love love this place !
***updates*** 12/21/2020
Just came here on a Monday for my bday and it was perfect ! When we got there at 6pm there was only us and another table. We practically had the restaurant for a good 30 minutes to ourselves . Usually this place is packed but probably due to covid it has slowed down. They closed their larger dining area. We had a bottle of wine , few appetizers , and two main courses ! Our food was awesome ! And service was great ! Wish it was busier so the restaurant stays in business.
Apps
Caprese
Carpaccio
Meatballs
Main dish
Fettuccini w mushrooms / shrimp /scallops
Piccata chicken w spaghetti?
Excellent food and service highlight this wonderful restaurant on the north side of Columbus! I was recently visiting family and we decided to go to Nicola for a nice quiet dinner. It was later on a Saturday night and after we had placed our orders we were pleasantly surprised when our server not only brought some bread, but a nice bruschetta appetizer, as well, and he explained it was on the house since they were low on bread. I went with the lasagna, as I also do, on my first visit to an Italian restaurant and it did not disappoint. We had also ordered a beef carpaccio appetizer for the table that was quite excellent. We capped off the meal with an exquisite rendition of tiramisu, that proved to be a delicious finale to our dining experience. I highly recommend this restaurant and am definitely looking forward to my next visit!
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