My husband and I came here because we were going to a show. So convenient! We weren't expecting much, actually. We were wrong. I don't know what people were saying about the prices or service because what we experienced was completely the opposite. For a total of $84, we had a three course dinner with a bottle of wine. The food was outstanding. My husband had the gnocchi, which was so tasty and to die for. I was feeling a burger and fries. The seasoned fries were literally the best I've ever had. Not overpowering, but just tasty. The burger was enormous and cooked to perfection. Our server, Gabrielle was sweet and very attentive. The gentlemen filling our water (I think his name was Shane, we unbelievably sweet and at our table making sure we had whatever we needed. Caesar salad delicious as well as the dessert. We weren't crazy about the show and say unequivocally that the dinner was the high point of the night (which was initially just an afterthought to the night). What impressed us the most was the presence of management. There were at least 3 "managers" that were at all tables inquiring if we needed anything. We even witnessed them getting tables things they may have needed. True leadership and an example to their employees. Even though we went there for the show, we would return just for the dinner. It was a perfect night! Thank you to Nico for making the night so special. read more

I was really looking forward to dinner here before the NJ Symphony concert. We have a subscription and have never been able to get a reservation before a concert before, but this time I made the reservation two months in advance to be sure. I made the reservation at 6 pm, two hours before the concert, and I was thinking, this is going to be nice and relaxing. It wasn't--at all. My impression is that this is a very poorly managed restaurant. Everything seemed to be a problem for them. Service was incredibly slow and very sloppy. At times there wasn't a waiter to be seen. And we weren't the only people constantly craning our necks for attention. The food was good--creative and well-presented. But it was really hard to enjoy with all the waiting and anxiety about time--which shouldn't have been a problem with a meal that was supposed to have started two hours before the concert. I'd like to say that maybe they were just having a bad night. But no, it started before that. I'd made the reservation two months in advance, and then about four days before the date, they call me up and ask me if I could come 15 minutes earlier. I really didn't want to -- I knew it would be tight -- but I couldn't think of a good enough reason to say 'no.' On the day of the reservation there was a lot of traffic so we got there about 7 minutes late. Still, it was 5:52, so there was plenty of time. But there was a logjam at the reception booth, and it took quite some time and a lot of whispering and arm-waving before the two parties before us were seated. Then, when it came to be our turn, the hostess said she hoped we didn't mind being seating in the lounge (i.e. the bar) which was very noisy. We said we did mind, and that we had reserved two months ago. She told us that when people reserve, they pick out particular tables. I had no idea about this. But after we insisted, she relented, and gave us a table in the dining room. The front-of-house staff seemed to consist of a lot of black-clad busboys or sub-waiters who would fill water and hand out hot rolls. But there were very few actual waiters. Ours finally came and took our drink order. We received water and a roll. And then it was a long, long wait before our drinks came. First the waiter unceremoniously plonked my beer on the table without even making eye contact, and then ran off. A few minutes later he was taking the order of the table next to us (those people were even more fed up with the wait than we were) and I flagged him down to ask why my wife hadn't gotten her wine when I got my beer. He said he'd be right back. Finally, he came back with the wine. Then another long wait before he took our order. We had plenty of time to decide, which one could say is a good thing. Then another really long wait, during which time my beer had the opportunity to warm up to room temperature. It was about 50 minutes by the time we received our appetizers -- almost 7:00 -- but only after one of the black-clad servers put our food down at the table next to us, much to the confusion of those diners, only to be corrected by our waiter, who finally showed up. After that our plates were cleared, and I debated the wisdom of ordering another beer. Thankfully, it came pretty quickly, but once again, it was given to our neighbors first before the server realized it was for me. And she forgot to clear my old beer glass. Then our entrees came after a moderate wait. By the time we were done, the place was beginning to clear out in anticipation of the concert. We ordered coffee and tea with our dessert. The desserts came quickly, but as we waited for our hot beverages, with 15 minutes to go before the concert, the waiter came over to tell me that they're just brewing coffee now and it would take a few minutes. Would that be all right, he asked. Against my better judgment, I said ok. Finally, he brought the coffee over and as he was rushing away, I asked if there was milk. He nodded then ran off. But also, he had not brought my wife's tea; he'd told me there would be a delay for the coffee, but the tea took much longer. By the time we got the tea and the milk for the coffee we had to wolf down our dessert and hot beverages. When we left, we were the second to last party in the huge dining room, two hours after we'd arrived. All throughout the evening, the black-clad servers were calmly ambulating around the dining room, but no one was offering to refill water. I had to flag people down several times. Maybe there was a staffing problem? I saw other tables complaining, and I saw men in jackets and ties--not waiter uniforms--serving some food. I saw a lot of servers being whispered to on the fly. The whole thing was confusing and unsettling and not at all relaxing. And at $44, the prix fixe isn't exactly a bargain. The moral of the story? When you go to NJPAC, have dinner in the Ironbound. read more

Came here To kill time before a show, I had margarita pizza and my friend had calamari , both were eh , okay . Wouldn't really eat there again read more

Went here before a concert at NJPAC. Was told the A La Cart menu is unavailable on nights of the show. So had to do the Prix fix menu(40 dollars 2 course or 44 for 3 course. Very limited menu. One of the items (prime Rib) we were informed can only be ordered rare or medium rare. I like mine medium to medium well. That is absolutely ridiculous.that they can't cook a piece of meat an extra minute or two. Food was okay but nothing great. Would not go there again except to maybe just have a drink at the bar. read more

Great restaurant in Newark, especially if you are going to a show. The food is delicious and affordable, the ambiance is positive and the service is prompt and friendly. If you are lucky enough to have Kanesha as your server you will be well taken care of. Go to Newark and enjoy! read more

We came to Nico for the first time before the Sebastian Maniscalco show. Let's just say the show was the absolute highlight of the night. He was fantastic. The dinner was a complete disaster. It was if they were completely caught off-guard that there was the chance a large group of people may assemble in their place of business on the night a major comedian was performing. The show was at 9:30 so we made 7:15 reservations which they honored once we arrived. A couple in our party was running a bit late so we ordered drinks. Let's just say that was the first red flag. We hadn't gotten our drinks for about 25 minutes and when we flagged down our waitress she offered up "The bar is backed up". There was no apology or inquiry to our order. Finally the drinks arrived as did our other guests. They then ordered their drinks. About 30 more minutes passed before our waitress surfaced again, without drinks but to take our order. We saw our waitress about the room but she failed to come to our table with any updates to our drinks or food. The first course arrived and I opted for the chowder which was quite tasty. However I had to ask for a soup spoon, which another server brought. You would think that was a given. Then our drinks came which prompted us to order our next round given the long lag time. Waters were never refilled, bread was never replenished. Our entrees arrived and a few of us ordered the steak. No steak knives were given. It's hard to cut steak with a butter knife. Again we needed to ask another server for the knives, not our waitress who consistently avoided eye contact with our table. Overall the table gave the food mediocre reviews which was sad for the price. A burger that was ordered as well done came out hard crusted on the outside but raw in the center. Not good quality management. Then our second order of drinks showed up but now the time was 9:15. The courses are based on a fixed menu which also included dessert. Seeing as the show was starting in 15 minutes we were forced to forego the last course and had to take our cocktails out in plastic cups. The monetary value of the dessert was likely $40 (at least) but nothing was removed from our bill. When the check came we were less than delighted to learn that there was an automatic 20% gratuity for parties of 6+. Our server informed us that she was on 3 training services and this was her first solo operation. Really? On a busy Friday night you put a rookie? It showed - BIG TIME!!! This isn't a cheap night out and the cost definitely does not justify the satisfaction of an upscale dining experience. Our table spent most of the night talking about the poor service and food. We noticed a number of other tables expressing their displeasure as well. If we were to do another event at NJPAC (which is a gorgeous facility) we would rather visit a local restaurant and Uber it over to the center. Nico will never get my business again. read more

What an awesome place to have an event...! Not only is this place absolutely beautiful and super modern, the staff is seriously awesome, super welcoming and accommodating... you put down a glass, boom it's disappeared off your table in thirty seconds. And the cocktails they served - specialty or otherwise - wooweee, they were quite generous on the alchy, Lizzy likey :) ....the one drink they came up with, some sort of lemon/lime mojito/margarita combination was insanely good.. I could have had, like, ten.. and then I would have needed a wheelbarrow. Food was pretty effin' good, I must say... the mini-pizzas, yum, just bite size and delicious.. perfect to accompany a booze-y Manhattan... Other notable snacks were the little mascarpone cheese balls, yum, and the little miniature desserts, oh my god, what the hell was that cheesecake thing?! It was freaking phenomenal!! Creme brulee & coffee cake thing...uh, in case you can't tell, I'm still hurting from last night's little soiree at the NJPAC. GO HERE. read more

terrible experiance Made reservations for dinner for before a show. on there web site it showed the pre fix before show dinner with 2 coarse and 3 course option. We arived and were seated in the bar area not the dining room like we expected. They stuck us in between people on both sides of us right behind the bar.( noisy as hell) Then to order i asked about the 2 coarse meal becuase they gave me a menu with the 3 coarse.Told me that option was not available when i read online that it was. ( totally misleading ) So my girlfriend and i ordered the gnocchi with meat sauce. It was dog food. The gnocchi was dry, rubbery and tasted stail, worst i ever tasted. The meat sauce was loaded with salt and very oily. My girlfriend ate 1/4 of hers and couldnt eat anymore cause it was so bad. I ate 1/2 of mine and then stopped cause i was afraid of being sick at the show. And also the salad which was the first coarse was spring greens with a smidge of dressing. had a couple of bites then stopped eating it. The servers/waitresses/waiters never came over and asked if everthing was ok? or did we need any more drinks? Then when we had desert which was the only decent thing we had. and i also had to ask for the desert menu when we were done with dinner becuase they just left us hanging and never would have asked on their own. I would not ever go back there not even for a cheese burger cause the service and atmostphere sucked. Noisy, cramped together, terrible food. Also after leaving there and going to the show i had bad agida, greasy meat kept repeating on me through the whole show. The pretzil i had and warm soda was my dinner and that was better than the restauraunt.Doesnt even deserve 1 star. read more

Stopped in on our way to a show at NJ PAC and from the looks of it I thought that it would be a nice organized place to eat. WOW was I wrong. Our waitress took about 10 minutes to even come by to greet us, which by then we already knew what we wanted so we ordered our drinks and our dinner. Now to preface what comes next I want to start by saying there was no beer list anywhere to be found and I thought I recognized one of the beer tap handles on my way in so I ordered that and my fiance ordered a glass of wine. The waitress comes back 5 minutes later with no drinks and to tell me that the beer I asked for wasn't what they had so I said "Oh I'm sorry, what beers do you have then?" She stumbled multiple times to list anything other than the ordinary Bud, Bud Light, Corona, Heiniken, etc. so finally I just picked what was the easiest. She walks away and about 2 minutes later here comes our food (Still no drinks for either of us). Everything looked great on the plates nicely decorated like you would see in a nice NYC restaurant so plus points for that, but don't go running out just quite yet. I ordered the Braised Short Ribs and my Fiance ordered one of the pasta dishes. Finally about 5 minutes after our dinner arrived our drinks finally followed. The Short Ribs felt and tasted like they had been left out on a chopping block under a heat lamp for hours and then re-heated on a flat top range (Basically a brick of meat), the mashed potatoes were great and so was the gravy so that was basically what I ate. My Fiance's pasta had a weird taste to it, granted it was a pasta dish with some crab meat in it and a red sauce (weird) but it had a citrus flavor to it which was off-putting. We finished our food and were left to sit at the table for another 10 minutes or so before anyone took away our plates and or offered us any dessert. We glanced over the dessert menu but decided not to seeing as though we were not looking forward to the quality of the food, so we finally asked for our check which then took another 10 minutes, and then another 5-10 for her to run my credit card. Now mind you this whole time she only has 4 other tables (not busy). So it was an hour long meal when it didn't need to be. We won't be going back. read more

I would not recommend this place.... Service is slow and food is less than satisfying as far as taste. I ordered a vodka gimlet and apparently the filter broke off of the pourer which looks like a clear Lego piece and was in the bottom of my glass... Luckily I was using a straw, otherwise I could have swallowed! I definitely recommend checking out some of the other restaurants in the vicinity. read more

Nico Kitchen & Bar - Plastic filter which was in my drink! - New American Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Soooo disappointing. I have been a long-time fan of Bar Cara in Bloomfield. Literally went there several times a month...then it closed. I was so excited to go to NICO Kitchen, thinking I could still enjoy my favorite cocktails and appetizers from Bar Cara. But something is NOT right. I got the marscapone polenta fries w/ gorganzola - which is something I've gotten EVERY SINGLE TIME I've ever gone to Bar Cara, because it is amazing - and they tasted disgusting. They're doing something way different to them at NICO than they did at Bar Cara - they have absolutely no flavor whatsoever, are a different consistency, and it comes with this TINY little dish of gorganzola sauce. Such a bummer. The drinks also were gross - taste like chain restaurant drinks. I'm bummed. I'll probably never go back, and just accept that my days of delicious food from Bar Cara are gone and that the Chef has decided to go corporate bland instead at a big huge space. So disappointing. read more

I will have to say that I think predominantly the reviews on here that are LOW are for service, and the HIGH ones are based on food taste and quality. I have to agree. BUT, I will say, that EVERY single item I put in my mouth was delicious. While service was not bad, it was indeed slow. For a full meal, at lunch on a Friday, it took about 1 hr 45 minutes. It's a bit too long for people who need to get back to work. Maybe a FRIDAY lunch and not another weekday when people actually do things, or have meetings to get to. Mushroom pizza, calamari, blackened tuna... homemade ice cream with pecan chocolate biscotti-- great food! But, really, its a shame that the slow kitchen staff or service cant just be trained right. The food is really excellent, and a REAL treat for Newark.... give it a chance! Impress clients/coworkers, just hope for good service, or let them know you are in a hurry and you need to return at a certain point. read more

My husband and I went to NJPAC for a show and decided to try out Nico Kitchen for dinner. Great ambiance and attentive servers. Enjoyed the appetizers and drink. However long wait for food to arrive and very average meal at overpriced prefix. The steak I ordered seemed barely cooked, was bland and the presentation was messy. Went there on two occasions hoping to redeem the first experience but was left disappointed both times. We won't be returning for a meal. If you must, do the drinks and appetizers. read more

This is an excellent place for dinner or happy hour. The bar apps do not disappoint. Try the margherita pizza, crab cake sliders or fried calamari. My fav are the curry mussels. The bartenders are also great. This is my favorite happy hour spot in newark since parking is available on site. read more

Nico Kitchen & Bar - New American Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

"Omg. Went there for an AGT show, which was hours later. We decided to try Nico's based on what a lady who was part of the event recommended.... The only thing tasty there was my gingerale. The chicken wings are not well seasoned at ALL!!! Tastes like they were dipped in a sauce they just discovered. AVOID the lobster mac and cheese. They was a sliver of lobster meat and the mac and cheese tasted and looked as if it spent a few days out in the desert. I had to reorder something else which was a sausage pizza or something. That tasted MUCH better! The staff was attentive and polite however. Kudos to my pregnant waitress.You are better off going somewhere else. I understand why they were closed and reopened under new management. Honestly, they have a ways to go." read more

I love this spot. My first time here and Fadi and Shabirah are amazing. Best Bartenders ever! Awesome customer service, and great drinks . I will be back!!! read more

We made 6:30 reservation for a 7:30 show. The service was very slow, which we think was attributed first to not having a server assigned to us. We waited for half an hour before being given menus. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, so we did not think that it was her fault that the food service was very slow and as a result made us late for the show. We ordered from the 3 course menu, and what we ordered tasted very good. I am a vegetarian, and so there were few options for me, which is generally expected anywhere, but there was only one vegan option in the main course and desert sections, but not the first course menu. We both found the food more decorative and over the top than filling or wholesome. We did not see a correlation between the quality of the food and the amount of time they needed to prepare and serve our food. It definitely tasted good, and was innovative cooking, but this was overshadowed by how rushed we felt and how little there was to satisfy our appetites. We ended up being forced to cancel our desert course, because we were finally running late for the show. Our wait staff accommodated us on our bill as a result of this change, but we felt like we were leaving a bit hungry and sad to miss out. We were one of four tables that had to deal with the same slow moving service, and we somehow ended up having the conversation with 3 other couples as we tried to get our checks and get into the theatre. My advice would be to make an extremely early reservation if you plan to dine before a show, because even though you can walk out of the restaurant into the theatre, they didn't seem to know how to work with theatre-goers punctually. Otherwise stick to the bar or go somewhere else locally to eat. read more

The decor of this restaurant is very nice and the wait staff is okay. I would expect a little better from a restaurant that is this expensive. Beware but that is about this... I ordered the salmon off the prefix menu. First order was delivered raw, the second order seemed cook but I ended up extremely ill about 1/2 way through the Bill Burr show. Super disappointed about this experience. Still waking for a phone call back from the manager so I will update as this progresses. Follow up-Got in contact with the manager and he offered us a free meal which was very nice. So my hope is our second experience will be much better. read more

Pre fixe--$42-- Crab stuffed aracini--- wow!! Fried rice balls with crab with two sauces. Delicious!! Braised short rib slightly over cooked and the white carrots were under cooked. The au jus was tasty. I didn't get to my desert and coffee course due to poor service. I expressly asked to make sure I could get my meal in before the concert. I arrived at 640. The concert next door at NJPAC started at 8. THAT BUMMED ME OUT. I will say the seating and ambience were great. read more

The experience here at Nico's was just OK. I didn't eat anything. I was attending an event held in the main dining space. I only came to the bar to order a drink. The bartender appeared young and not very familiar with libations supplied at the bar or cocktail options. I take it she was new. read more

Nico Kitchen & Bar - New American Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Wanted just a salad - they were only serving fixed price..

This place is the perfect go to for pre show. Nicolas, our waiter was very attentive. We were attended to straight away. He was informative and helpful with our questions about the menu. The service was quick and the soup of the day, corn chowder, was delicate, a hint of sweet, and creamy. Our crab cakes had good quality crab and were appropriately fried for the right combo and crunch and smoothness. My mom had the salmon, flavorful and cooked perfectly. The summer veggies that came with it were not drowned in oil, they were flavorful and cooked al dente. Would come back again. Thank you Nicolas for the great experience! read more

Pleasant space, open and situated within the NJ PAC. Service was fairly attentive. The food, however, left much to be desired. An arugala-goat cheese-and-beet salad had goat cheese "sprinkles" that were basically tasteless covering beets sliced so thin that they also had no taste. The portion was tiny for even one person. I ordered lamb chops as an entree. I was served two small chops, with sides of turnip puree (tasteless), ONE small white potato (the size of a large marble) and garlic greens. The portion size MIGHT have satisfied a child, but for an adult? My wife ordered beef ribs, and received what looked suspiciously like brisket. Two entrees, one appetizer and one glass of wine ran $75. I expected more... and so should you. read more

Surprisingly great meal before a show tonight! My wife had the wedge salad, short ribs and nutella desert. I had the crusted tuna, roasted duck, and chocolate pretzel tiramisu desert. Everything was fantastic. When my duck came, it was cold and although I didn't want to complain, our waitress could tell something was off and when I alerted her to the temperature, she took it back and gave me a new hot one. The manager then came over and apologized and offered us two glasses of wine on the house along with a free additional appetizer, which was way more than generous and we told him it wasn't necessary but he insisted. Everything we ordered was great, the duck being the best I had ever had. Will definitely come back again. read more

Man oh man, is this place a mess! We were seeing a show at the performing arts center and wanted some food and drinks beforehand. We sat at the bar right before everything got crazy. There was a new bartender that knew nothing. There's a difference between: I'm a new bartender, but I've tended elsewhere and I know what I'm doing, and I've never bar tended ever, and I don't drink and I don't go to bars. The dinner rush came, and it seemed like EVERY waiter was ignorant about the menu when they came to the bar to pick up drinks. Asking tons of questions about everything. THE FOOD WAS AWFUL! I ordered some chicken dish and it was very bland. The presentation was awful and it looked like a piece of boiled chicken thrown on top of some carrots. My husband got the short rib, which was also very bland and COLD. We would have complained and sent it back, but service was few and far between. AND when there's a show there's NO happy hour, even though they advertise happy hour with no disclaimer. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else before a show. There's some sort of buffet/bar upstairs that is the same restaurant, so I have no idea how their food will be. read more

Horrible horrible place. Very loud. Their website doesn't say they have a prefixed menu on event nights. The menu is not suitable for kids. Especially $42 per head. Didn't look like the food is worth the $42 Ok now that we ate id like to edit my review... If I could REMOVE my one star I would. Portions were small. I had a shrimp appetizer that was two small shrimp chopped up. The menu said that was $14 I had hanger steak. Bit was small and ice cold. I had cannoli for dessert. They were small too Don't go to this place it was horrible !!! read more

Arrived 1 1/2 hours prior to show at NJ PAC Bottom line - Both food and service did not live up to the price / our expectations. As one of the only restaurants in the area open on a Sunday evening and the proximity to the performance, my guess is they generally do not have to strive for excellence as there is no real reliance on repeat customers. Server rushed us to order, even after we specifically informed her upon delivery of our cocktails that we were in no hurry. Each course arrived well before we were ready (Did not finish the salad however sent the desserts back after confirming that while it appears to be the right order for the right table, 10 minutes is not really enough time to have finished our entrees) After rushing us to complete our order server was generally inattentive and we needed to take effort get her attention a couple of times during the meal. Menu on show night meant we were required to order a three course meal. Based on that requirement there should have been a few more options available for each course. All of these are simply petty annoyances if the food delivers on the promise but, unfortunately it did not. Salads and desserts were very run of the mill and in all honesty mediocre in execution. One entree was fair and one just tasted wrong. Not like something went sour more like someone used at least one wrong ingredient (like sugar instead of salt). We did specifically inform the server that it just did not taste right. There were apologies but no effort to rectify or compensate for the problem. I would consider effort to resolve the issue a minimum requirement even if it were a drive through fast food restaurant. We are always more than willing to accept fixing the meal over any kind of discount or extras and always grateful when we can see that the server tried to make it right. Looks like even on a good night the cost for the quality is not where it should be and on a night like ours it feels like you are being take advantage of. Love the beautiful NJ PAC theater but very likely last time we dine at Nico read more

We were going to see a show at NJPAC, so decided to give the restaurant a try due to location and menu online. I had made a reservation a few days before and had my confirmation email. We arrived on time, only to be told they didn't have a reservation for us, the system just takes reservations apparently, even when they can't accommodate. We were told they just couldn't seat us because tables were sitting and not leaving. I'm giving it 2 stars because the manager DID find us a table (which there were a few open on the other side) and my specialty drink was good. Our server was friendly as well. But, the menu was extremely limited, which we found out later happens on show nights. I ordered soup and salad. The soup was "ok", the salad would have been edible if it wasn't drowned in dressing. It was literally dripping on to the table as I would try to take a forkful. My husband had the $48 NY strip. I had never seen a NY strip sliced up like that, and while it was edible, it wasn't anything we would order again. We would definitely go back for a drink before a show, but we would look elsewhere for dinner. read more

Lots of different types of walk ins here, you can tell a few of them don't understand the lack of employees -just like the rest of the US right now because of Covid. Shame on those gross customers who act entitled. Shame on them. read more

I had called and booked a reservation at this place 2 months in advance and never received any sort of phone call reconfirming my reservation which I thought was weird. I gave them a call the night before because I have worked in the service industry and know how these things work- no response so I left a voicemail. Place is not open for lunch so I call when they open again- I speak to the manager, they have no record of my reservation. Worst part was that they weren't even a little bit sorry for completely ruining the night and didn't offer any sort of resolution for my issue- doesn't even seem like the manager had checked my voicemail from the night before. Terrible service- I would give 0 stars if I could. read more

Amazing food and superb service. I had the Gnocchi from the lunch menu and my friend had the Chicken Milanese salad with shrimp which I tried as well. Chocolate beignet was heaven. It was all so delicious! Our server was very attentive, I think his name was Sean. read more

Went to a show at njpac this evening and went to dinner before the show. We were running late and the service was excellent, seated us right away in the dining room.the soup appetizer was a tomato base and was delicious.the ceaser salad was big fresh and tasty, couldn't finish it, very nice portion.my girlfriend had the filet mignon and I tasted it and it was cooked perfect to her liking and tasty.the sauce on it was delicious. I had the Short rib, nice big piece of Short rib, cooked perfect, nice and tender and very tasty. Our waitress was a very sweet girl and checked on us often and never rushed us. The desert was superb, I had the bread pudding with ice cream and a touch of caramel, off the charts good, she had the chocolate layer cake also delicious.the manager Bikram is a true gentleman, came over several times to make sure everything was fine, and made Shure we didn't miss the beginning of the show there.excellent food, atmosphere and service, will definitely dine there again soon. read more

I cannot believe that I somehow managed to miss Nico for however long it has been open! I have lived and/or worked in Newark for over 3 years and didn't have any idea it was there. I went the other day for lunch with my bosses. I suppose if I had been paying, I would have been less keen on the place as it is expensive for Newark. But as it was, I got to try lots of items since we were celebrating a birthday. We tried the special pizza of the day with squash and kale. It was a really nice autumnal dish. The polenta fries were awesome. I think the best thing that I had, though, was the gnocchi. I'm always worried about ordering gnocchi in restaurants because it is so rarely done right. This was perfect: super light and accompanied by a tomato sauce with a slightly spicy sausage. It was damn good. The lamb burger was fine, but it paled in comparison to that gnocchi. Our service was great. We ordered a lot of items over a couple of hours, and I never felt like the server was bothered by our pace. Since I wasn't there before a show, I can't speak to that ambiance. For a lunch in the area, though, you can't do better than Nico. read more

My date and I stopped by to get dinner before a concert starting at 8 at the NJPAC. We got there around 6:45 and we're immediately seated and offered the pre-fixe menu ($42 for appetizer, entree, dessert, non-alcoholic drink) We had the asparagus crostini and polpette di Carne as appetizers. Very tasty. Entrees were Roasted Chicken Breast and Scottish Salmon. Dessert was the Chocolate Bread pudding. Service was impeccable. At one point when the waitress checked in with us and my date mentioned the salmon was a little dry, she offered to take it back. The presentation was beautiful and the food was delicious. All this and we finished just in time to get to our seats at the concert. Great experience! read more

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I tried NICO's once more and was not disappointed this time around. I was seated promptly by a friendly & courteous host at a very spacious booth. I ordered the scrumptious Gnocchi again which had slightly more portions this time and also the delectable spicy miniature drumsticks. I was then able to exit the restaurant and enjoy my concert. Just wish I would've ordered some dessert to go, next time. read more

Nico Kitchen & Bar - Gnocchi - New American Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Came for a good pre set menu dinner before a show. The service was terrible! We waited 20 minutes between courses and they poured the wrong meal. Ordered a steak and didn't receive a knife to cut it until the beef was cold. Ordered coffee and was served 2 cold cups 10 minutes later. Never. Come. Here. read more

Great service every time I go. Had a server named Jennifer recently who was excellent.

Nico keeps calling me, every few days they call two to three times in a row. Desperate, ineffective, Nico Cafeteria should have better things to do, like improving service and quality. A truly useless establishment. read more

This is our first time here and we enjoyed our meals. The staff is friendly and courteous. The atmosphere is awesome, looking forward to dining here again! read more

This has been a regular spot for me for many years. I love the food and the people that work there. Amani may make the best martini in Newark! read more