Nicola's Ristorante Italiano

Wow what a FANTASTIC Italian restaurant! I went to Nicolas Italian Restaurant in Plano a few weeks ago and did not see what I felt like eating for lunch on the menu. I explained to the waiter that I would love one of the salads on the menu with salmon instead of shrimp or chicken and he was very accommodating. When the salad came it was the LARGEST cut of salmon I have ever seen on top of a salad. The salmon was the absolute best salmon I have had in Texas as well ( I am from California so salmon swims in streams close by and is the freshest around) The salmon on my salad tasted like they caught it that day. The dressing ( house) on the salad was the perfect compliment and the ice tea superb! I can not say enough about the service, quality of food and atmosphere at this shops at legacy in Plano Italian Restaurant! Just divine. If you are looking for an excellent lunch in a beautiful setting in Plano, go to Nicolas the pricing was reasonable as well.! Well done Culinaire! You are keeping up with your reputation as always! Signed a new fan.

Pros: the BEST service in Plano! Fantastic food as well!

Cons: not a one, free valet too!

Posted 02/28/09

I loved the atmosphere and decor.

The service was disappointing. My martini glass was empty; the waiter asked if I wanted another, which I replied yes, it was a Dirty Martini. I waited a while; my two dinner companions still had pretty full glasses. Then when they finished he asked all three of us if we wanted another drink. Again, I told him a Dirty Martini, with the house vodka.

He brought me a straight up Grey Goose Martini (upgraded) I then requested that he add olive juice to it because I requested a dirty martini and he said, "you didn't ask for a dirty martini, but sure, I will we get you some olive juice" My two companions said, yes we heard you twice request a dirty martini. He left and came back almost immediately and took my martini glass away. ( I guess he was just going to bring me the olive juice? ) He said he would have the olive juice added and the martini reshaken. I ended up paying for the upgraded Grey Goose martini, even though I didn't request it.

Then there was the food. The Calamari was WONDERFUL! Highly recommended. The entree was very disappointing. It was the Lasagnetta. (Chicken and artichoke lasagna. The chicken was overcooked and dry.

The Zabaglione Gratinato for dessert was also wonderful, so I am guessing that I just happened to get a bad choice for an entree.

Overall I was just disappointed, doubt I will go back.

Posted 11/17/08

I turned 22 this passed week and my friends and I decided to eat at Nicolas Friday night and then later head to Martini Park. We were sat upstairs, without a problem, by the balcony and instantly we were greeted by our waitress. She was very polite and guided all of us threw everything, apps, salads and entrees. We had never been to such a nice place and she made us feel at home. You know she didn?t treat us like kids being cheep and not tipping. We?ve gone to lots of places and waiters don?t give us the time of day. But anyways she recommended the Lasagna with chicken, sea bass and some other pastas that we all loved. She knew what she was talking about and everything was great. Food was AWOUSOME!! Service was the best food came out to each person with out asking anyone who had what and also because she made me feel special and even gave me a Tiramisu with a candle and a little happy birthday decoration. I am telling all of my friends and my parents to go because I loved it and I want everyone to feel as special as she made me and my friends feel. If I had two more hands I would give Nicola?s 4 thumbs up.

Posted 08/26/08

We cannot believe how wonderful everything was from the seamless service to the impeccable dishes. My husband and I have been dining out for a long time and being that my family is from Italy we tend to look for the more authentic Italian restaurants. We were amazed to find that not only does Nicola's make their own pasta, but they also have their produce and proteins shipped in daily. This seems to makes an incredible difference in the quality of their food, it is nice to finally find a restaurant that knows what Italian food really is!Where fresh really means fresh.Also, we feel the need to say the management has always been amazing. They always make a point to go out of their way to make us feel special.The service staff is always friendly and takes great care of us! Try their amazing Bld Orange Bellini or Pomegranite Martini, you will not be sorry!

Pros: Valet, Homemade Pasta and ambience

Posted 05/02/08

I am a regular visitor here. The food is incredible. The pasta is fresh. The veal is great. I have yet to order a bad dish. The service is always friendly and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this place to all of my friends. The dining room is romantic and they have a great patio.

Pros: Good food, Good service, Always a good experience

Cons: none

Posted 04/27/08

Our dining experience at Nicola's this past weekend was exceptional! As soon as we reached the Valet we were greated with promped, welcoming smiles! The interior decor is beautiful, the bar is graced with georgeous chandeliers from all over Italy. The bartenders were exceptionally friendly and the pomegranate martini that I had was absolutly delicious!! As we were escorted to the table we could smell the aromas from the lovely open faced kitchen, and our table was tucked into a cozy romatic booth. Our server was very prompt and greeted us at the table in no time at all. She asked us if we had dined there before and reccommended us a fantastic bottle of wine after hearing what we enjoy in a wine; instead of just bringing out an expensive bottle that would put money in her pocket. Our meal from that point on was outstanding! The special of the evening (tilapia over spinach and spiral pasta with scallops and crapmeat) was so delicious, and my wife's lasagna was so exceptional that I had to finish her leftovers for lunch the next morning. We shared the cream puffs for dessert, which were even garnished with a candle and a "Happy Anniversary" edible sticker for our special occasion. The service was so incredible, and I would highly reccomend Nicola's Restaurant to anyone looking for a perfect restaurant atmosphere, meal, and overall experience!

Pros: Delicious food, Great friendly service

Cons: none

Posted 04/27/08

The first impression you get of the place is elegant and inviting.The host stand area was very congested due to a large party that they were waiting to seat. Our waiter came to the table almost immediately after we were seated. He welcomed us with a smile and then asked if we had been there before, we told him we had and he welcomed us back. We said we would be ordering wine and he immediately suggested his favorite wine. He describe us a wine appeared very knowledge and told us the ranking among wine critics.At first we thought he wanted to sell a very expensive bottle, but we were surprised that a wine was in a mid-range price for a Tuscan wine. We ordered the Borgonero that he recommend. He offer us start with calamari but we declined. He told us about the specials and was very detailed in his description. We placed our order for salad and dinner. He was constantly coming to the table to check on us but was not overly bothersome. He started getting busy but made sure that we were taken care of at all times. The salads were presented in cold bowls. The greens were fresh, cold, and crisp. There were sun dried tomatoes, pears,cheese crumbles and onions scattered on the top. It was a nice combination of flavors in one bowl. The entrees were served in 23 minutes.The Lasagnetta was served on a large plate with a sauce rim and tomato with a basil leaf on the side. It was very hot and obviously just out of the oven. It was creamy and the chicken was tender. The artichokes were a contract in flavors to the tomato and cheese.The Bucatini pesca was a wonderful seafood montage. There was a calamari, clams in the shell, shrimp and fish in the sauce and it was served on a bed of pasta with a light tomato sauce, All the seafood was cooked correctly and it was an interesting combinations of flavors. The service was above average, the food was excellent and the ambiance was good. Salvatore was polite, courteous and always smile, overall, this was an exceptional visit!!.

Pros: Excellent food, ambiance good, friendly staff

Cons: The service is inconsistent.

Posted 04/26/08

We have been to Nicola's a few times now and have left more than satisfied on each visit. We love the decor and the scene both inside and on the patio. The bar area is a little small but there are nice couches on the patio to hang out while you wait. We have learned to make reservations since you never know if Tuesdays will be considerably busy or steady. The food is comforting and consistent. We love the fresh pasta with the shrimp and arugala. The rest of the seafood dishes are great as well. Desserts are not that adventerous but a great tiramisu is a hard find around here. We look forward to going back.

Posted 03/28/08

We should have just left when we were first led to a dirty table that had visible food residue on it. It was cleaned up after we pointed out that to the hostess.

Then the waitress (1104 Kara J as shown on the receipt) didn't come take our order for at least 15 minutes.

When we asked for a substitute of one of sides in the entree to risoto because the waitress could not explain to us what that side was, she said there might be $1 or $2 upcharge. Well, she charged us NINE dollars ($9) for the Risoto - that would make a $120/lb Risoto! Whatever side we were substituting must have had negative value.

No wonder there were not many people eating there on a Friday night while all the surrounding restaurants were much busier!

Pros: None - you have a better chance to be a happy customer by randomly going to another one

Cons: dirty, bad service, over-charge

Posted 03/20/08

We made a surprising discovery last night while shopping at the Shops of Legacy in Plano, Nicola's Ristorante Italiano. We were able to get a table on the sidewalk patio which had great people watching to enjoy while we dined. We started the meal with Focaccia Siciliana a wonderful bread topped with sundried and fresh tomatoes and basil. We also enjoyed the paper thin Prosciutto with pears. They have a special Prosciutto slicer from Italy. We then had the beet and goat cheese salad, incredible sea bass and Orecchiette (little ear pasta) with fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato. The pastas are all made in house so the texture was much better than the dried pasta you get at most places. We finished the meal with espressos and Tiramisu. The weather was perfect.

Our server was very knowledgeable and friendly making great suggestions for us to consider. The restaurant was busy but every staff member remained calm and helpful through out our meal. We have dined at many Italian restaurants but we think Nicola's is the best and most authentic Italian restaurant in Dallas.

Pros: The authentic food and decor. Friendly service

Cons: none

Posted 03/14/08

Our exposure to the Plano Nicola's was limited. We never got as far as getting water never mind any food. We knew, and liked, the Galleria restaurant that closed prior to the Plano relocation. We arrived for our reservation, and were seated promptly. We waited and waited ... and finally a brusque waiter asked if we wanted bottled or tap water. Then we waited and waited to see him again. We had no menus, no water and nobody interested. We had time to look around and saw a busy place with few people with food and even fewer wait persons in evidence. It was a Friday night (2/1/2008). Perhaps this place was just having a bad night, but it sure looked as if no-one was in charge/or managing the place. We had hoped for good northern Italian but we went down the street to Naan (Korean/Asian) where the service was prompt and courteous and the food pleasing.

Cons: No manager visible; appalling service

Posted 02/03/08

I went there for lunch and had the Margherita pizza for a reasonable price with Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. A perfect light yet filling lunch in a beautiful atmosphere. I can see how this would be romantic for a get away lunch or evening dining experience. The menu has an array of handmade pastas, meat dishes and seafood. The wine list is an expected nice variety. All in all a very very nice place at a fair price. You should try this Italian restaurant first on the list of too many to mention in Dallas.

Pros: Top Italian dishes in Dallas, should be Zagat rated too!

Cons: none

Posted 12/02/07

Nicola's is the perfect place for a romantic evening or just an experience you hopefully wont forget. With the authentic Italian food it just makes it a perfect treat to your evening. From the wonderful fried Calamari to the original chicken and artichoke heart "Lasagnetta," it is hard to find something that will not please you.

Posted 11/24/07

Nicola's was the perfect spot for my anniversary dinner. We started with the antipasto platter for two. For dinner I had the Chilean Sea Bass and it was perfectly done with tomatoes and garlic. Dessert was a big bowl of little cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with rich chocolate sauce that we shared. Great ambience and friendly waiter.

Pros: Food, atmosphere, service

Posted 05/07/07