So I can't start this review without talking about Phil! He is THE BEST! What a sweet man! He made us feel welcomed the second we arrived. I was in Boston for a week on vacation. Phil recommended an appetizer, and we trusted his recommendation without looking at what it was on the menu. Let me tell you... Wowzers! It was fantastic! We got the Sacchetti. It is a stuffed shell with four cheeses in a cream sauce with a balsamic glaze and this dried fruit thing on top. I'm telling you... order this immediately! And ask for an extra side of bread to use to soak up all the extra sauce. We also ordered the appetizer meatball and it was the size of a softball. Also, very good. For our meal we got the Cacio e Pepe. Which is fresh spaghetti made in a large Parmesan wheel and as they turn it around in the wheel in making a cheese creamy sauce. It's made tableside. Then they drizzle olive oil on top with more fresh Parmesan grated on top. Literally chefs kiss times a million! So fresh and delicious! We even went back to this restaurant two days later because it was so good and we wanted to try another entree. Which was the Rigatoni alla Vodka. Superb! The small restaurant is perfect and even though the tables are close together it gives off a quaint Italian family style vibe that you can't help but love. read more

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Nico's in Boston's North End is simply one of the best of the best. It may look small from the outside, but this hidden gem absolutely packs a punch when it comes to authentic Italian cuisine. From the moment you walk in, the staff makes you feel welcome and the service is consistently outstanding. The food is where Nico's truly shines. Every dish is rich, flavorful, and prepared with the kind of authenticity that defines the North End's legendary dining scene. It's the type of place where every meal reminds you why Boston is known for incredible Italian food. I even told the manager that I dream about this food in my sleep--and I meant it. Nico's never fails. If you're looking for real North End Italian with great service and unforgettable dishes, this place is a must. read more

Absolutely incredible pasta and the best giant meatball I've ever had! The waiters were all so sweet and when we told ours we were splitting the pasta she had it split into two plates to make it easier for us to :) We stopped by around 7 pm on a Thursday with no res and they took us right away, we will def be coming back, this place is a delightful hidden gem! read more

Nico Ristorante - Lobster pasta with mushrooms, peas and artichoke hearts, incredible! - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Love Nico! So charming and sooo very delicious! My faves are the arancini and the cacio e pepe. One night we arrived too late to do the table side cacio e pepe but they made it for us. It was incredible. Srsly so good that you don't care about table side! That night a large group was the only other table at closing time. We were walking out and they invited us to join them. Nico is cozy and sweet but can also be quite fun. The service is always friendly. You can't go wrong! read more

Cheese wheel is a must. So flavorful and rich! Great service and very nice owner/manager. read more

Amazing food! Great ambiance and so friendly! Service was polite and professional. My veal was so tender. My wife's pasta was amazing. So fresh read more

Lovely little spot in the North End. The service was very attentive and food was yummy. Especially the meatball... it's a must get! Only down side was it was a little noisy in the tight upstairs.... Music a little lower would be better to talk amongst ourselves at the tables. read more

Nico Ristorante - Rigatoni alla nico - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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In between 3 and 4 stars for this Italian joint, but opting for 4 since the manager (maybe owner?) was quite kind and managed to put together a table for 9 for us on the spot. The food here was very OK. The mussels and clams were a bit fishy (I'd pass on them). The salads were decent, nothing special. I personally enjoyed the bread but others in the group mentioned it was OK. The pastas were the best dish imo. Both the carbonara and sausage alla vodka were great. If you came here try a few other appetizers and definitely go for either of these pastas. The music was interesting for an Italian restaurant as you'll be listening to Party Rock and Avicii. I'm assuming the music will stay the same since it hasn't changed likely in the last 10 years lol. A good throwback though! Overall, good choice if you're caught in a last minute pickle and need a restaurant with friendly service. read more

The food, service, and ambience here are truly outstanding. Every dish I tried was phenomenal -- easily some of the best Italian food I've ever had! I'll admit I'm not great with spelling the Italian names, but all three plates I ordered were incredible -- full of flavor, perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented. The staff was warm and attentive, and the atmosphere made the whole dining experience feel special. I only wish this place wasn't all the way across the country from me! I'm so glad I visited Boston and stumbled upon this gem. If you're anywhere nearby, do yourself a favor and eat here -- you won't regret it! read more

Nico Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Great location and we landed here completely by accident. Owner fit us in on a Friday without a reservation. He said 5 minutes and kept to his word. Our food was amazing. Super fresh and delicious. We all ordered a different dish and one was better than the next. read more

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Date night dinner. Had the Gamberoni as our appetizer, shrimp with a lemon caper sauce. Very tasty, used some our bread to sop up the sauce. Wife had the Pollo Limoncello, basically the same with chicken. I had the Chicken Parm. Parm was has pretty standard, good sauce and good homemade fusilli. Wife's chicken was tough. The sauce and fusilli were good. Definitely a nice dinner with good service and food. read more

Never have I ever had such a great meal. The manager went above and beyond to make our experience for my birthday so special. We arrived early for our reservation and they accommodated us with a lovely table on a very busy Saturday night. Coming from SD where I've been to many good Italian restaurants, but this area and dinner were on another level. We ordered a Caesar salad and meatball to start. The meatball was the best one I've ever had! Delicious and tender with whipped ricotta- just mouthwatering. Big enough to share with 2-3 and sauce to dip with the table bread. Olive oil/balsamic was also just extra tasty- indescribable in a good way. My entree Pollo Limoncello was bright, yet rich and lemony, 2 big pieces of chicken cutlet and the most decadent pasta fusilli. We had cocktails and wine- it was simply a top 3 meal for me and I highly recommend Nico! read more

We had a team dinner here and holy sh*t, this was one of the best Italian meals I've had. They accommodated our large group downstairs and while it was a little warm the staff were on top of it. I had the carbonara for dinner with chicken. While I would have preferred for it to be in the pasta, it was on the side. Not the juciest breast I've had but far from the driest. But the carbonera? Oh my. One of the best flavored meals I've had. So super good. The restaurant was decorated well, staff was great, and honestly wish I was in Boston because I'd go back tomorrow. read more

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Went to this place and wife ordered the eggplant parmigiana. She's vegetarian so the eggplant is her go to in an Italian restaurant. Literally the worst eggplant parm I ever seen. It was made out of mostly pasta(yes) and lots of tomato and cheese. It was closer to a soup than an eggplant parm. You'd have to fish into the cheese to find some eggplant. I asked to speak with the manager and he literally avoided our table. They had four tables so it wasn't busy. After 15-20 minutes of waiting for him, I had to wave at him so I could explain what's happening. I was expecting they would comp or suggest something else but none of that happened. He gave me the bill with that included. Two days later, I noticed they overcharged my credit card so I called the restaurant to have that fixed. They instead blocked my number lol. When I stopped by a few days later raising the issue to the same manager, he said the restaurant was closed and that's why my call didn't go through. I called in front of him and he couldn't give me an answer on why the call is not going through. The place is a caricature of an Italian restaurant for tourists. read more

Absolutely exquisite!! Enjoyed every appetizer, beverage and entree we had. Gonna keep this review short and sweet and let the photos do the talking! read more

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Amazing food, service, wines. Food was absolutely amazing!!! get the burrata, cheese wheel pasta, and mushroom ravioli!!!

Incredible polite, service and hospitality. Beautiful day sat in the window seat and enjoyed people watching. The two of us split a Caesar salad, burrata, and the pepper pasta... I don't want to misspell it! Food was solidly, good, very tasty... But we were not rolling our eyes like oh my God this is the best food we ever have... The Caesar dressing was more vinegar than creamy, the Burrata was outstanding and so was the pasta. I think the problem is more that there were so many great looking restaurants on that street to try that you can't help it feel like maybe you've missed out! Again the service was so friendly and outstanding! read more

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Well, for the bday girl we had reservations at Lucia and walked in 3 unsmiling hostesses. Not a great start. Then asked for an open booth and got promptly shut down. We both looked at each other and said "let's find a happier spot!" So, next door the universe led us to Phil who whisked us in with a huge smile and comp glass of bubbly to get a smile going. From that point on, between Phil and Jack are waiter it was a perfect night. Smiles everywhere and the atmosphere was fun. Wine started to flow and out came the best food ever. Eggplant app for Deborah and rice balls for me plus and order of fabulous penne with sausage and vodka sauce. It was delicious. Then out of nowhere, the lights go down the music comes up and a tiramisu with candles and everyone singing comes out to end the night! Phil, you do it right. Thank you for saving a birthday. read more

I honestly went here for the cacio de Pepe table side and it did not disappoint! The cocktails and wine were good, there was even live music. The restaurant itself is tiny but it has a nice ambiance to it. read more

Nico Ristorante - Cacio de Pepe - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Great place to celebrate our wedding anniversary! We went on a Saturday so the North End was packed. Luckily we made reservations. The food and drinks were amazing. They also had a singer there belting the classic "That's Amore"! read more

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4 is a stretch but it's a solid 3 1/2. Went here in a Saturday because the line was a mile at giacomos. Because the line is always a mile. Anyway cozy spot and we grab a couple of seats at the bar. We start w the buratta and prosciutto. Very good. The wife gets the ziti w sausage in a cream sauce served in a frying pan. Mind you not the same pan it was made in so it was kind of tepid at best. I got the veal parm w homemade fusilli. It was just eh. Some what uninspired Italian American at best. Not rushing back... read more

In short: best Italian food I've ever had. This was such a fun, lively, delicious dinner. We had a 9pm reservation which is usually later than we've ever gone out to eat, but when in Rome (Boston?). We ordered the Sacchetti and the Antipasto all' Italiano to split between me, my husband, and my mom. The antipasti came with spicy pickled cauliflower, pickled carrots, marinated bell pepper, green olives, Italian meats, and a couple cheeses. This was fun! The sachetti gets its own paragraph here though because it was the best thing any of us ate all night. Truly magnificent little coin purses of pasta with cheese filling, chive fondue on top, and balsamic drizzle. These were sweet, salty, creamy, and everything I've ever wanted pasta to be. I highly recommend this!! I also ordered the Love Tonight cocktail which was delicious. Not super sweet but had good lemon and raspberry flavor. The second drink I ordered was the white sangria which was delicious, and also not too sweet. For dinner, I ordered the porcini ravioli and couldn't be happier. This was the best pasta dish I've ever had (besides the sachetti). It was savory, creamy, salty, and earthy. The mushrooms were divine, and the entire dish was massive. This was truly a work of art! The striped raviolis were a fun touch too. My mom ordered the carbonara, and it was really good. Not as good as the porcini ravioli though lol. My husband got the cacio e pepe made in the cheese wheel which was so fun and delicious. The service was excellent, and our entire experience was magnificent. I am so happy we came here. 12/10 highly recommend. read more

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ORDERED - fritto di calamari | $18 - mussels & clams | $19 - octopus | $24 - spaghetti carbonara | $24 Got sat downstairs and it was quite cramped in there. Very tight squeeze to walk to/from the table and bathroom. Service was great and hospitable. Food was very very delicious and portion sizes were pretty decent that my friends and I left STUFFED. We ordered 3 appetizers to share and also got the starter bread. Used that bread to dip in all the juices of the mussels & clams and octopus -- so good! I also ordered the SPAGHETTI CARBONARA without the peas and it was fantastic. Would definitely come here for dinner again but just a heads up, if you want an intimate setting for conversation... this was a pretty loud space. read more

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There are so many restaurants to choose from on Hanover St in North End but I'm glad we chose this one. The service was great and the food was amazing. Our group shared the crab gnocchi and house special calamari appetizers. Both were quite yummy. I ordered the porcini ravioli and it was out of this world. Also a large portion. I feel like ravioli dishes usually come with 4 or 5 raviolis. This one came with 8. Highly recommend. My colleagues ordered the chicken limoncello and the chicken parmagiana which they enjoyed as well but I'm convinced my dish was the best. If I came back I would be interested to try the cacio e pepe as I saw them prepare it fresh by the table next to ours. Such a wonderful dining experience! read more

Nico Ristorante - Porcini ravioli - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Husband and I came here on a busy Saturday night. It's a very small place so definitely make a reservation. I got the Porcini Ravioli - One of the best pasta meals I've ever had. Absolutely incredible. I will think about this meal for years to come. Hubby got the Rigatoni alla Vodka - he ate every bite and then was sooo full after but said it was worth it. Our one complaint is that the music is incredibly loud. Felt like we were in a night club rather than an Italian restaurant. We were in the corner by the front door and I believe it's the only speaker in the place. We asked them to turn it down and they did, but then someone turned it back up. They also blast music even louder when it's someone's birthday and they make it into a big spectacle, but being in the corner next to everyone waiting for a table we couldn't even see what was happening and the music was just ridiculously loud. Definitely choose a different restaurant if you are taking anyone who's hard of hearing or if you want to be able to have a nice conversation at dinner... it's very overstimulating. With that said. I'm still giving it a 5/5 stars because the pasta is simply incredible. read more

Nico Ristorante - Porcini Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My sister and I came here on Christmas Eve for my dad's birthday. It was so packed and cramped inside and there was barely any standing room. The tables were so small and close together. We had a reservation but still waited a while before being seated in the corner next to the door. Unfortunately, for us, it was freezing cold outside and the door was opened every 2 seconds, so on top of being squished, we were freezing. It was a highly uncomfortable dinner. For dinner, my dad ordered the salmon alla picotta. The roasted potatoes were yummy, but the salmon itself was bland. My sister had the ravioli al aragosta (lobster ravioli). I thought it was just okay and wouldn't have known it was lobster had I not been told. I ordered the crab gnocchi, which looked so much better than it actually tasted. The dish lacked seasoning and was extremely underwhelming. For drinks, my sister ordered the Strega's passion and didn't even drink it. To me, it tasted like a watered down drink. I ordered a glass of Sauvignon blanc, which was nice and refreshing. Overall, the service we received once we were actually noticed and seated was good, but we weren't thrilled with our dining experience and most likely won't return. read more

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We just stopped in for a drink, and for a seat right at the bar. The food looked decent but we didn't try any. One thing that's interesting about the North End is that not all bars have a full liquor license (they have some sort of license) so they don't carry many different liquors. We ordered a bourbon old fashion and they only had one type of whiskey! I'm not really sure how this works but one of the bar tenders was telling us about it. Overall this place is like any other place in the north end, cute vibe but small. Service was okay- but nothing special. read more

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The downside of this place is that it's very loud so if you're looking for a romantic dinner you may want to skip it. The good news is that the food and service more than made up for it. We started downstairs and there was a large party that was so loud we couldn't hear each other let alone the waiter. The manager was amazing. Old school service oriented. He helped us find a table upstairs with only a short wait. It was still loud but not nearly as bad. Overall we accomplished our goal of finding great Italian food in the North end. read more

We had a wonderful night at North End in Boston at the Nico's Ristorante. From a very friendly manager, who greeted us at the door to a wonderful server named Ever and all the stuff, to the ambience and the whole atmosphere, the experience was amazing. Table-side Caccio e Peppe and Pollo Limoncello were so delicious. Please make sure you stop by Nico's when you're in Boston. read more

Nico Ristorante - Tableside Cacio e Pepe. - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The only thing that wasn't great was the calamari. North end Italian overrated but Nico surprised me. Get the meatball

The Parmesan wheel pasta we delightful. We could have eaten much larger portions! Be sure to ask to sit upstairs if you'd actually like the table side service. We were disappointed no one mentioned this when we made a reservation a few weeks in advance. They have a nice wine list though most bottles were grossly overpriced for the wine. Stick with a nice glass - several available. Save room for dessert! The chocolate mousse and tiramisu were both lovely. Skip the charcuterie plate starter. read more

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This was a great restaurant to scratch our itch for some good Italian food. I would definitely recommend getting reservations though, as there are not a ton of seats. The staff are very friendly and helpful, and checked on us frequently. We started off with the crab gnocchi and the burratta with prosciutto. The crab gnocchi had a great taste, and everyone at our table loved it. The burratta was good, but not as loved as the gnocchi - I think they garlic may have been too much - but I definitely liked it! For my meal, I got the Procini Ravioli and it was GREAT. I really liked it, but it is heavy on the mushrooms, so if you don't like cream sauce or mushrooms, I would not recommend this dish. Others at the table got the famous North Ends Only - table side homemade spaghetti. While the presentation was great, I think it could have used a little more seasoning, or some kind of sauce. Something to put it over the top. Overall, a great Italian restaurant and I would come here again. read more

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Came here with a large group and it was great! We got a large variety of food and everything was very good. The bread they served was warm and fresh as well. We ate downstairs and if you do, you cannot do the table side Cacio e Pepe because they cannot bring the wheel down. They also only allowed for 90 minutes which was very short for so many people. read more

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If you want excellent Italian food in Boston, this is the place! I would actually say one of the best in the country! I suggested this place to a group of 8 and my group could not stop raving about this place for weeks. Everybody was happy with their dishes; the meatball appetizer (the size of a softball), Caprese, the short rib, and the spectacular Cacio e Pepe! The cacio e pepe is a MUST HAVE if you come, made tableside in a giant cheese wheel....it is delicious and a show. Tip: they will ask if you wish to add chicken, shrimp, vegetables etc, its enough to share, order one add in to split. My go to place for Italian in Boston...make reservations on weekends! read more

Nico Ristorante - Cacio e Pepe being prepared tableside - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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My husband and I went to Nico with some out of town friends. We were just walking by in the North End looking for dinner and happened upon this gem! Everything was amazing! All of our dishes looked so good! I had the gnocchi and my husband had the carbonara. I can't say enough! So tasty! Great service and atmosphere. The staff were very nice! Thank you so much! read more

Everything from bar drinks to food was beyond amazing. Staff was friendly and helpful with making my food choice. Thank staff at Nico for making this experience amazing. The restaurant itself was very well put together. The ambiance was great and had me dancing while eating. Definitely recommended. read more

It's a small restaurant and the people are very nice there. The food is good. I would recommend the Chicken with lemon and capers, Pasta Carbonara and the eggplant is good too. read more

After seeing the reviews here, we were super excited! We came for my bf's birthday since they had cheese wheel pasta here. However the pasta was bland and disappointing :( even the cheese wheel pasta was not impressive. The process of making it was very nice to watch but I wouldn't recommend it for the price. We got a side of chicken parmigiana and it was charged as a full dish. The service was okay, we felt uncomfortable as we were charged for additional bread without knowing. The ambiance was nice. read more

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My wife and I went here on a Friday night. We loved the food - and would go back again easily. I got the veal parm, which was so good, and it came with homemade fusilli pasta. I'm a sucker for homemade pasta and this fit the bill. Our waiter was your typical North End Italian guy - funny, attentive, and passionate about the business. we sat on the ground floor, which had modern dark decor and dim lighting, which made for a romantic evening. My wife got the table side Cacio e Pepe. They roll out a 2 ft block of Parmesan cheese and toss your pasta in it with pepper and olive oil. It's a cool show, which is definitely what they are known for. If you get this, I agree with other reviews: sit on the ground level floor, not the basement. The wheel of cheese is rolled around, and I don't think they can get it downstairs. It tasted great too! My only complaints is that for $34, and it only being pasta and cheese that you receive, the portion was kind of small. It was extra if you wanted protein on the side. Overall, it was worth the price tag for the experience. We had a great time and look forward to coming back in the summer time! read more

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We had a terrific dinner at this trendier spot in the North End. The caprese salad and free bread were nice appetizers (though they no longer do the free olives with the bread). Both entrees were excellent. We had the gnocchi and the rigatoni with sausage and ricotta. Tons of flavor and a nice sized portion. Service was good also. Prices are definitely higher than other popular North End spots. But it's a recommended restaurant if you want a nicer experience. read more

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