If I could give this restaurant zero stars, I would. This was, without question, one of the most disgraceful and humiliating dining experiences I have ever had. We came in as two women with a hungry one-year-old child, ordered our meal, and then sat there watching table after table many seated long after us receive their food, eat, pay, and leave while we were still waiting for our main course that never came. The most insulting part wasn't just that we were ignored it was the excuse. When we finally asked why our food still hadn't arrived, the staff actually told us that we "didn't tell them we wanted our food out." Since when does a customer have to request that the meal they ordered actually be served? Strangely, the mother and daughter seated behind us didn't have to ask for their food. They were simply served, as any customer should be. The complete lack of accountability was astounding. There was no meaningful apology, no urgency, and no effort to correct what had happened. Instead, we were made to feel as though this was somehow our fault. As one Jewish woman and one Black woman dining together, we left believing we were treated differently than the customers around us. Whether the restaurant chooses to acknowledge that or not, that is exactly how the experience felt. No customer should ever leave wondering whether their race or religion played a role in how they were treated. To ignore paying customers is bad enough. To do it while a one-year-old sits hungry is beyond unacceptable. This restaurant didn't just fail at customer service it failed at basic human decency. There are countless restaurants that appreciate their customers. This is not one of them. Until this establishment learns how to treat every guest with fairness, respect, and dignity, I cannot recommend that anyone spend their money here. read more

I almost didn't go. Uptown should be reserved for OBGYN visits (thank Gwyneth we aren't there yet) and the rare emergency when my favorite Loro sales associate ditches me on Wednesday for the Madison store. But Harry, partner at Kirkland, restructuring, public shareholder value's undertaker, had "a table at Nicola's." He said it like he personally invented marinara. Nicola's, that Upper East Side temple to veal, veneers, and generational denial, where the lighting forgives and the clientele look quietly tax-advantaged. I took a black car, obviously, a woman en route to her own sentencing, nursing a sore foot and a bruised ego after last night's altercation between my Aquazzuras and a cobblestone. Both casualties, one already at the leather spa. He was already seated, posture litigiously perfect, the kind of glow that reads as either delusion or non-working generational wealth. I ordered the spicy Marg, criminal, a country club pour from some New Jersey golf course that still thinks tossing in a jalapeño counts as "craft." He got a Negroni and called it "perfect," which for a man like that proved he had no senses, as you could almost hear the gin in it across the table. He didn't even clock the Alaïas, which fine, I don't expect straight men to know, but I still like a little commotion for the shoes. Thankfully Ginger, blonde, lacquered, table behind, leaned over mid-Caesar to whisper "love those." It healed something deep. I needed... no, deserved that. The food, however, was tragic in that highly comped Upper East Side way, glossy but joyless, like an Hermès window in February. The bread was stiff, the olive oil performative, the pasta emotionally outsourced to Westchester. Then Harry ordered the chicken parm. I froze. Chicken. Parm. My brain short-circuited. Do I look like a woman who does Forma four days a week to sit here and eat chicken, cheese, and bread with a lawyer? This isn't a recession. I'm not settling for someone who has a W-2. What is wrong with me. I must have gone silent, because he looked up mid-bite and said, "Is something wrong?" I smiled, the kind reserved for TSA agents and personal shoppers who disappoint, and then he said it. "I used to get this with my mom when this place first opened, when I was home from college." I froze again, this time existentially. I casually Googled under the table. Nicola's, est. 1991. I did the math. Fifty. Fifty. I nearly aspirated on air. My internal organs collectively exhaled, "Oh." He kept talking, something about cov-lite loans and resilience, but I was already gone, spiritually and emotionally. I made up an excuse so niche only a woman who shops in euros could deliver it with a straight face. "I just got a text, the Faubourg Saint-Honoré store has a one-off Kelly in Rose Jaipur Epsom with gold hardware, and they're holding it for seven minutes." I was up before the check hit the table. Verdict: Nicola's, 3/5, food for women who have Dr. Schwartz suck all the fat out every month. The men though? Untrustworthy. Maybe there's something in that chicken, some cursed elixir that keeps them looking younger than the rest of us. Whatever it is, it's better than any anti-aging cream. Harry, 2/5. Will I call him in a panic if Ares tries to screw me on a recap purely to pay out carry? Maybe. But only on speakerphone, from Casa Cipriani, mid dirty martini. read more

See all

Attentive service, old-world charm, outstanding orcchieta! Enjoyed my dinner. You will too.

I haven't been to Nicola's restaurant for about 30 years. I used to go there at least once a week for about 10 years before that. The food was amazing back then. My favorite was Lamb Chops with string beans, whipped potatoes and a good martini. when my nephew started his new job in New York, I took he and his best friend there for dinner. The wait staff couldn't have been more rude, obnoxious. Talking about us as if we weren't even there. It was the worst restaurant experience I have ever had, bar none. My nephew has in fact just moved about 4 buildings from the restaurant and swears never to go to your place of business again. So, instead of picking up new customers and my nephew has many friends, you will never see us ever again and in fact we take great pleasure in bad mouthing you whenever we can. Most Very Sincerely: Cliffeton Green PS who ever says your food is good is full of it. Your food sucks!!! read more

Fantastic and reliable food with a classic ambiance. Prosciutto and melon was the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Veal piccata one of the best I've had in the city. Very nice and lemony. Strawberry zabaglione for dessert was superb. I'll definitely be back soon. read more

The service was excellent, the choice of entrees was varied and the atmosphere very good.

Food outstanding but wait for it could improve. Kitchen was slow and wait staff not on top of it

Delicious and service impeccable. Loved it will be back. Best chicken and veal parm. Enjoyed the green beans. Just perfect top dinner we have had in NYC. read more

The bad reviews for this place are insane. Correct: they don't roll out the red carpet for hillbilly tourists in gym shorts, but it's a great old school spot with great food and service. Not many places like this left in the city - can't recommend enough. read more

Don't be fooled with this crowded restaurant at dinner time. Unless, you are starving and don't care spending $30 for a plate of pasta with sauce. As watching the waiters, passing us by. Finally, I ordered Spaghetti Amatriciana bec to know a good Italian restaurant, you can't go wrong ordering pasta. My bestie, ordered pasta with clams. In about less than 10 mins. Our pasta came out. Hhhmmm... too quick to boil that pasta... I think all the ingredients described in the menu of the pasta I ordered which is the Amatriciana, disappeared and it's just pasta with sauce from a can. Totally disappointed. Oh the best part ... asked for the bill and the soda (Coke) poured in a glass wine was $8! If $4, I understand probably.... But $8! What a rip off!!!!! There you go... don't say that I didn't warn y'all. Btw, not to be ungrateful, thank you Nicola for complimentary bite size biscotti cookies. read more

Lovely, comfortable setting with a welcoming and kind staff. The food was tasty and drinks terrific. Would definitely return. Thank you for a relaxed, enjoyable evening. read more

I have eaten at Nicola's twice. I went there for business purposes. My dining companion likes it. She used to be a regular with her late husband. I am writing positively. The ingredients are fresh, the preparation is excellent, the service is impeccable, and the portions are generous. The first time, I had swordfish, a special -- we both had the same. There are studies suggesting if you order what the person with you has ordered, they like you more. That isn't why I selected the fish. I did so, because I wanted it. But it would be a bonus if it endeared me to my guest. The second time, I had the Boston sole meuniere with green beans. The other party had shrimp scampi, light on the butter, over spinach. That was an item she requested, not a regular selection they have available. They were accommodating. We also had a half dozen oysters to start and also the crab. The oysters were as cold as they ought to be. The crab was all meat, big lumps, pure white, looking so good they seemed fictitious. We also had dessert. That was tiramisu for me, strawberries with cold zabaglione. So this is no complaints whatsoever. I had enough leftover, which they put into a bag, for lunch or a light supper. There is a coat check service. They inquire politely upon arrival. They are leisurely, because they expect you wish to linger. They pause before they bring over the menus, long enough you might not be patient enough. That is fine dining. They say this place either is descended from the legendary Elaine's or is a knockoff. Since Elaine's ceased to exist long ago, it hardly matters. The appeal is for the older, well to do crowd. I have seen families with children there, but by and large I'd estimate this to be folks who are retired or approaching that transition. The only observation I would append is that Nicola's is both old school, as ought to be inferred from the description above, and high end, which you might not guess. I would not wander in for a casual meal. This is fine dining. read more

Nicola's has been around since 1991, and like many of its neighbors, it started with the wait staff at Elaine's in the late 1960s. The original owners came from Parma, Italy, and the current manager, Romano Riccaboni, is also from Parma. Rocco, the executive chef, is from Apulia and is a seafood specialist. I have enjoyed his shrimp scampi, the sautéed halibut, the swordfish [spada] and the red snapper. The house specialty is the seafood special, with clams, mussels, and scallops. This is what I serve to guests or for birthdays and holidays. Don't miss it! Nicola's is not a typical red sauce Italian restaurant. Besides the seafood, veal [vitello] is a highlight here; the veal Milanese is a specialty, as is the veal scaloppini alla Marsala [made with Florio Marsala]. Pasta is of course popular, cooked in homemade sauce and from their own flour. I recommend the spaghetti, ravioli, cannoli and lasagna, either as a side dish or as a main course. The restaurant occasionally has seasonal specialties, like shad in spring or soft shelled crabs in summer. All are prepared to order, depending on the degree of seasoning and sauce that you prefer. Like many of its kind, Nicola's favors its regulars, and some dine there several times a week. I go there twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when I dine with Romano and Rocco at our own table. Nicola's has an excellent wine list, but I bring ones from my own company for them to try, as they are always interested in learning about new things. read more

The most disrespectful experience I've ever had. Right when we walked in the two older greeters already had an awful attitude, not that we dressed bad or looked indecent either. When I went to the bathroom, 20 seconds in, the man that sat us opened my stall door when the coat check woman said if I was in there and to go in and open the door even after I said I was in there using the bathroom. The coat check woman and him preceded to laugh at me after catching me using the restroom. We didn't want any food and just drinks as well and when we told the waiter, he snatched the menu from us and lost his smile, then refused to give us the check for 20 minutes until we had to waive someone else down. The espresso martini and old fashion we ordered costed $64. All of them mumbled Italian insults at us as if I don't know Italian. Awful people, awful service, awful drinks, awful restaurant. read more

This old world Italian local has very good food. It's just that, even at my advanced years, the crowd died 4 years ago. The manager (or is he the owner) makes the waiters at Peter Lugar seem like song and dance guys (actually I'm one who thinks the Lugar staff are great!). He's staunch to put it mildly. Try the veal chop. It's very very good. So's the swordfish. So's everything except the deserts, but who needs desert! read more

This place is a classic New York restaurant Don't miss it if you get to New York City The pasta dishes are all fabulous I miss this place and try to go there whenever I'm back in the city it's a neighborhood place that stellar people go to read more

You will see here that for Nicola's the reviewers are all over the place. This is a place like old New York which elicits strong emotions. This is an old old school New York eatery and is was (and to some degree still is) likes and frequented by New York politicians (Pattaki, Patterson etc) and if dress accordingly and you're a regular or become a regular, they take you into the family. But If you are going to come here in shorts and a T shirt then you'd probably be a bit disappointed by the service. Just keep that in mind. Many many years ago this used to be a German restaurant (the whole surrounding Yorksville area was a group of German restaurants and delis and bakeries) and if you are busy enough, under the white table cloths on the table you might still find the original table covers from back then. The food is a proper (mostly Northern) Italian meal! I tried the spaghetti bolognaise and the rigatoni with veal Ragu. Rich, hot, delicious and filling. You will not be disappointed by the food or the ambience (dimly lit) but remember that like old New York this places welcomes you on its terms and once you understand that you are family. read more

See all

My girlfriend and I went here for dinner one Sat night since we both live on the UES and had a very enjoyable evening. Italian is our favorite and Nicola's did not disappoint on any level. The food was good, the service attentive, a crowded room - all very good and we recommend if you're looking for the same. read more

The best restaurant for food and service. They will make you whatever you like, so welcoming and always a great experience. Love this place.

First review ever on Yelp, but the service was so friendly and accommodating that I felt a 5 star review was well deserved. We were running late, starving, and had less than an hour for dinner. They welcomed us into a crowded restaurant, expertly helped us choose the right dishes that could be made quickly, and delivered delicious appetizers and entrees with excellent house wine so quickly and with such attention to us, it felt like we were regulars or VIPs. The food was really excellent. This is an "old school" New York City restaurant in all the good ways. Superb veal Marsala does not need to be interpreted with a modern take when buttery soft veal with amazing tenderness and flavor comes perfectly prepared. Don't expect Le Bernadin but that's not why you should come here. Come for a solid meal with wonderful people making sure you enjoy your meal. We will be back regularly for many many years. read more

If you are looking for a place time forgot but you will never forget how much you paid and how little food you get....this is the place.

We have relatives nearby and we were looking for a spot for dinner after a visit. I'm familiar with the UES vibe and I knew to expect unfriendliness and an overpriced menu -- but shouldn't the food at least be good (if not a bit better than good)? I was truly surprised by the sad little salad, the diner-like pasta, and the overcooked chicken that I received. Not recommended. read more

This was easily the worst dinner in Manhattan that I remember. Completely uninspiring but priced on par with midtown's best. Fish special $60. Bottle of Pelegríno is $15. What did we get? Stale bread, Rubbery shrimp, every dish had the same shrimp and string beans on the side, overcooked fish special, cold crab meat from can over pasta. Terrible service and long wait. You cannot make it up. read more

Never disappoints. , Food always excellent and service first rate. No request is too extreme. A neighborhood favorite. Thank you for always delivering. Geri Cantor read more

Nicola's is a casual and unpretentious Italian restaurant that has the feel of family dining. Sizable restaurant with several tables that has not changed its ambiance since I have been going here in the last twenty years. I mean nothing has changed; no upgrades that I could notice since the 90's. Definitely an older crowd with loyal regular customers that the owners obviously cater to. The menu is small, specializing in Northern Italian food. Pastas are followed by short selections of sole and shellfish, chicken, and a longer list of veal's and chops. Their squid salad is very good among the appetizers, along with the Clams Casino; some of my favorites. The service is usually good, but this time it was a bit off probably because they were all adjusting to the busy season restarting. Our entrées were excellent as usual; Veal Milanese and the Shrimp Marinara was fresh and tender. Next time I will try the Stracciatella, an Italian egg-drop soup. I also will try the Pollo Scarpara as well. I have been here often and the food is always good, and plentiful. Mangiare as they say! read more

See all

Average and old school. No need to rush here anymore. I had hoped for a more upscale experience. Chicken scarp was average. Pasta was decent. Good bread and nice waiters read more

Fabulous neighborhood restaurant to which we've been going for 30+ years. Terrific. Yes, it's a club but it's a club you join by simply going. We took our children and we took our grandchildren when they were kids. Now they are grown and some are living in the City and we're taking them again. Simply wonderful...........and yes, the food is actually very good. We are so glad they are open again. We've been there 3 times in the last 2 weeks and keep bumping into people we've known forever read more

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). read more

This restaurant is the worst. DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE. Beyond high prices for food that has no flavor. Starting with a small "house salad" for a whopping $18, I could not believe I was served what would not even be acceptable in a diner. Lettuce (no idea what kind it was) with flavorless soggy diced tomatoes and bottled dressing. Entree was a simple pasta and vegetable "special". I have made this in my own kitchen 1000s of times. I know it's not that difficult. Their version: boxed pasta, undefinable overcooked vegetables, topped with thickly shredded mozzarella cheese. Very weird and again: NO FLAVOR! $55. Yep. I'm not sure whose pallet they are eager to satisfy, but certainly no one in the city of NY. Others in my dining party who ordered veal, seafood and beef had an even worse culinary nightmare at outrageous prices. Luckily, the restaurant was practically empty on this particular Thursday night and we had the place practically to ourselves. For dessert, we were treated to a political rant, making fun of the current administration. All in all, a rip off on every level. This restaurant needs to go. read more

I walked in on a whim and thought this place seemed cute. Food was subpar at best, service was awful, and they overcharged me- they charged me a $50 tip on a $28 bill. I thought the food was decent but not worth a 150% tip. read more

My FAVORITE Italian Restaurant in the city. You have to try the veal chops with mixed mushrooms & Chicken parmesan. Definitely a hidden gem!

Stay away! I've lived on this block for several years and finally went to eat there last night. I asked if the linguine with clam sauce was fresh. The waiter had to ask the chef (I would think he would know that), and the waiter informed me the clams are taken out of the shell because it's too bulky otherwise. Lie! The clams are not fresh and I've had indigestion all night. My sister had the special halibut, $52 for crap! Overpriced and overrated. We would have been better off at Chipotle. read more

Repulsive. I tend to be a lengthy writer, but with Nicola's, that single word suffices...Unless you live on the block and there's a snowstorm and you're dying to get out, there is absolutely no reason to go here. Every iteration of the food and service is unforgivable...By the way, I loved Elaine's--surly service, mediocre food, and all. Nicola's is no Elaine's--not even a distant relative. read more

An acquaintance wanted to go out for dinner and mentioned that one of his favorite places was Nicola's restaurant on East 84th Street. I haven't been to Nicola's since the mid 1970s when it was started by one of the original waiters from Elaine's, one of the most celebrity-infested restaurants of that era. I admit that this would not have been my first choice for dinner, but still, I was curious to see how the place had changed (or not) and I did have nice memories of being at the restaurant in its early days. Sorry--the restaurant doesn't seem to have changed at all other than the crowd being older. In fact, I would say that it seems to survive on regulars who have been going there for years. In terms of the meal, it's the kind of typical Northern Italian cuisine that would have been considered an alternative to red sauce Neapolitan most people were familiar with in 1975. I ordered the halibut, which was perfectly poached in wine sauce and topped with mushrooms. It was very good. It was fresh. The portion size was large. The pasta special, rigatoni also was excellent. So, it serves good food and caters to an older crowd. In terms of the physical restaurant, nothing seems to have changed since the 1970s. Based on aesthetics, there are many Italian restaurants on the upper East side that offer comparable food, many being less expensive, but having a more festive, brighter atmosphere. The culinary world has changed, Nicola's has not. It's good for what it is. read more

See all

If you feel like getting RIPPED OFF stop by this place. The wife and I went in last night for a meal. I haven't been in years. We ordered a salad first, and then she ordered the Dover sole off the menu, and I ordered the veal Pizzaola. Hers arrived covered in almonds.... NOT what the menu described at all ( broiled in lemon and butter). She scraped off the almonds and picked at it as it was dry as paper. Mine was good. When the bill came, the fish was $65! I said "Jeez your fish was that much? " She said "No way! The menu said $45!" Turns out they gave her the fish special without asking! When I brought it to the waiters attention, he snapped," You should have said you wanted the menu Dover sole!" Really?! We will never return. Total bamboozle! read more

I ordered the manicotti, which was okay if not too salty. I was disappointed at how overpriced everything was, especially for such small portions. The dessert was better -- I loved the mild flavor of the ricotta cheesecake, and the waiters were quite professional and polite. But the next time I'm craving pasta, I'll choose somewhere else on the UES. read more

The rudest host. Told us we were not regulars and weren't allowed to sit anywhere except right in front of the kitchen, in a half empty restaurant. Terrible slow service, overcooked, mediocre food. Miserable. read more

Terrible, overpriced food, served at a retirement home by aggressive staff and rude management. Don't go.

Haha, this place is embarrassing... desperate looking middle aged women outnumber ugly men on a standard Wednesday night. People are ordering sugary cocktails under unflattering yellow floodlighting. I buy veal from Citarellas and cook it at home (as a an amateur) and i would rather eat that any day than their veal (even though you think they'd know better - they have about 6 different veal dishes). And then.. steak tartare at this ostensibly italian restaurant? My mother's fish had mismatched sauce and looked dry... my father's pasta was overcooked and piled high. An ancient binder stuffed with wine options was presented to my father. They wanted to pour and pour and pour... shoving the wine down our throats. And then they presented a slice of stale "homemade" icecream cake covered in ice to my mother for dessert. Worst part - it was her birthday. Really don't take anyone under the age of 50 here, and don't take a woman you respect here on a date. This is officially restaurant terrorism. Please, spare yourselves. It's the upper east side. there are at least ten fabulous italian restaurants in the same price range within blocks of here. Eg, Rughettas (ideal atmosphere), Girasole (high quality basics, cooked a point) read more

When we walked in the host looked us up and down, decided our attire was not befitting their restaurant and proceeded to inform us that the table I had reserved would not be available for another 15 or 20 minutes. Perhaps we would be better off eating at the bar? We said we didn't mind waiting and would prefer a table. Then he decided the table could take 20 minutes or even half an hour. The bar was really the best option. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you steer away the riffraff that might otherwise bring down the class of your fine establishment and upset the sensitivities of your über-ancient yet über-wealthy regulars. We stayed because I had my heart set on eating here. We were not impressed by the food. Perhaps they don't bother to expend too much effort on what they prepare for the lowly eat-at-the-bar types. A note to the servers here: Don't assume you can get away with being rude to your customers just because you're speaking Italian. We asked the barkeeper to find out why our entrees were taking so long. That's right, surprise surprise, service is slow at the bar. The waiter's response in Italian "If they have a problem with waiting for their food they should just leave the restaurant". read more