Nicola Restaurant & Bar

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.

Easily, one of the best meals I have ever had. Service was top notch. We all shared bites and everything was amazing.

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!

We will be back! This was a great place for authentic Italian food. Great atmosphere. Super friendly and attentive servers. Totally recommend!

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!

Visited just after they open for happy hour a couple Wednesdays this winter. The staff are friendly, service is quick, food is tasty - I recommend the happy hour flatbread/pizza, gnocchi, and arancini. The cocktails are a little on the sweet side for my taste but they're good and fun twists on standard offerings (and reasonably priced).

Planning on making it a regular spot for date nights moving forward

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!

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!

One of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever been too! The atmosphere was so cozy and nice. Our server, Igor, was very attentive and did an excellent job of explaining everything that was on the menu. I got the Tuscan Nido, and it was the best pasta dish I have ever had. I would definitely recommend this to anyone in the Columbus area looking for a nice dinner.

Wonderful food, beautiful garden setting, knowledgeable staff. Chef Nicola and wife Esperanza greet you. The patio makes you think you're in Italy. The homemade creamy limoncello is a must and you have to save room for the limoncello cake!!
Can't reccomend it enough.

Wonderful food and wine! Best Italian food I’ve had in the US. Looking forward to coming back.

I was in Columbus for 4 weeks for work and of course I find this restaurant on my last night in town! If I would’ve known about this place my first week I would’ve eaten here once a week. Service was good. I got the chicken Marsala and substituted Alfredo sauce with pasta instead of the spaghetti and sauce. It was so good along with the bread and oil! I want to go back here if I ever get back to Columbus!

I was in town for business. A little research led me to having dinner. Everything from my appetizer through dessert was right there at the top with some of the best Italian food I've had.

Meatballs were why I came in for dinner but the lasagna will bring me back time after time. Lasagna is fabulous. Great wine list with wide selection. Staff is courteous and professional

The service was fine, food was great. I had the lasagna for main course and the lemon custard cake for dessert(moist).

First visit with wife on a Friday evening. Exceptionally good food with some interesting, creatively conceptualized specials. Best pasta and antipasti we've ever had in Columbus after nearly 30 years living here -- easily on par with NYC, San Francisco, and DC. Chef Nicola took the time to come out and seek comments on the food. Very friendly and actually Italian man. This place has talent. Nice atmosphere, too. And excellent wine. Big surprise for the Midwest burbs. Only nit is the music track, which began repeating while we were still dining and included one very cloying, overly loud ear bug, although mostly just standard Italian themed fare that didn't much call attention to itself. Oh, and the servings were quite large, but so delicious that it was hard to resist overeating. Leave room for dessert, though, which is also fantastic; they'll pack your take-out for you.