Review Nicolini's - Wellington

Best place for a date or dinner with family. I give very few places a 5/5 but some are just worth it I think. We ordered veg ravioli, a risotto, tiramisu and garlic bread! - Their garlic bread was so so delicious. Unreal. - Super cheesy and filling. One main dish can't be finished by one person - Absolute value for money. Dish is super rich and flavoursome! Good job chef. The vibe too with candles is cozy. Makes you wanna curl up. Over all the place is my another Italian favourite!

We had an amazing Birthday dinner at Nicolini’s last night. Food was delicious and amazing service. I wanted to say Thank you for Olivia for her amazing service. I can guarantee anyone will enjoy their special day at this amazing place.

Love the cheesy garlic bread and the shrimp fettuccine was yummy 😋 The tortellini wasn't as good as I thought it would be. 😐 Would love to see gnocchi on the menu, but only if it's soft and fluffy 🤩

We got dinner here for my boyfriend's birthday and it was great!!! Food was nice and ahtomosphere was awesome too! I got Fettucine Shrimps and it was amazing! Staff were really friendly! They did surprise tiramisu birthday cake for him hahaha 😆 We really enjoyed it!!! Thank you guys!

Oh what a great evening we had at Nicolini's on the weekend, the food was great and very authentic, a real buzz and vibe in this restaurant . We'll definitely be back the next time that we're in Wellington!

Best customer service that I've experienced in NZ in 10 years. Waters were filled without asking. Piano player/singer was great. The food was delicious! I met the owner and had a great conversation. Excellent restaurant!! I'll need to visit Wellington again soon and save room for dessert. I really wanted to try the tiramisu!

Mixed reviews about our dining experience, mostly good though. I was the only one out of us that had an entree, the calamari. Very nice and I would expect so for the pricey entree. Would have liked to see a bit more calamari...it sat atop a very large entree sized salad, which by the way was pleasant to eat...way more salad than calamari. My friend had the seafood pasta dish which was presented well, and she enjoyed it immensely. Two of us ordered (sorry can't remember the exact name of the dish) but it was like a spaghetti bolognese. We both enjoyed it, but I did find it a bit on the salty side. We all shared the profiterole dessert... 3 profiteroles drenched in rich chocolate sauce, sweetness overload. The not so good... When we arrived at our table, we were asked if we would like sparkling water or just normal water. We said sparkling water. when we asked for another bottle, my friend asked if it cost? Yes it's $10.00 a bottle, which shocked us as we weren't told this when it was originally asked. We weren't happy and told the waitress to tell management. Fortunately we weren't charged the $10.00. We really appreciate this. I did say to the waitress that another restaurant we went to offered free unlimited sparkling water. They forgot my friend's drink order as well. We had 4 different wait staff serve our table, which was a little annoying...we ordered dessert with one person, and then another person comes to get our dessert order. Overall it was an enjoyable evening with my friends, and would visit again. There is certainly a good variety of meals to try. Cheers

One of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever been to. The food was fantastic, the staff were lovely and the restaurant itself had character and charm. What more could you ask for 👌🏼😍

Great atmosphere. Mains and desserts were amazing. Garlic bread was saturated in butter sadly and half way through our starters the main came out which felt a little bit rushed. Staff were lovely.

Absolutely phenomenal family run proper Italian restaurant! High quality food with staff who genuinely care about your dining experience. Astoundingly comprehensive wine list! An absolute must try when in Wellington.

The food is outstanding. Fresh. Delicious. The stuff are all very helpful and polite. The pasta is always cook to perfection, the tomatoes sauce is spectacular. The portions are extremely generous.

If I could rate this restaurant higher than 5, i would. The presentation is beautiful, taste is amazing. Would definitely come back to try the others. Compliments to the chef

Really liked the ambience here - a nice touch with the real candles. Had two of the specials the Lamb Capeletti and the Venison Rigatone - both were really good. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the staff was helpful and friendly. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes Italian food.

Well hello Nicolini whanau. What an absolute delight to stumble across your restaurant 😊 From the time we arrived-was a bit iffy getting in without a booking🤔but ty to a very fine man who I will call 'Mr M'😉who not only got us(3)in, we got private dining! Can you feel the love people?! Well, we most certainly did. It was a very enjoyable evening indeed. A lot of laughter, happiness, good vibes all around 🤗 I cannot say enough about the staff and their outstanding service, smiles and banter too😅 especially Ms Maitre'd👍 Ka mau te wehi! Kai - Devine😍 Mushroom soup💯 da bomb!

Down in Wellington and lucky enough to re-visit Nicolini’s on their first day in the new venue. Same great food. Amazing new venue. Incredible staff. With ambience provided through the talent of Murray on the baby grand.

Surprisingly Wellington has so many great Italian places. We have a few regular restaurants around the city where we go to but this place was recommended by many friends so we finally went there last night. Everything was amazing and good portion too, very fresh and homely feelings, friendly staff. Will definitely go back soon!

Huge thanks for an amazing experience last night! Big shout out to Emma, sales chicky of the year, and to moustache bro too for being a good sport! Also to the rest of the team who were wicked! Brilliant service, fantastic food! Thanks for your part in a memorable date night - I certainly scored extra points thanks to you! Definitely coming back!

The pasta and bruschetta were no good .<br/>

The penne chicken pasta was absolutely terrible , it only tasted like cheese and nothing else<br/>and bruschetta too wasn’t really good

Picked here for a birthday dinner due to positive reviews. Unfortunately we were relatively unimpressed.<br/>Pasta was okay nothing amazing or make your mouth water.<br/>Vegetables were over cooked, seemed like they had potentially been frozen prior. They did fix this when asked but came back just the same...soggy..<br/>Service good until meal was finished, both our table and one next to us took quite a while to be cleared and we went to pay bill before this had happened.<br/>Overall, food good and edible but definitely does not meet the hype of trip advisor reviews and would not return.

Absolutely phenomenal service and the quality and authenticity of the food is truly a joy. It may be slightly expensive, but if you have worked hard and saved up for a good meal with your loved one, the chefs and the team at Nicolini’s will make it worth every penny!

Very friendly staff, great ambience and food. Will definitely be coming back again

Been here 4 times now & never been disappointed. Love love love the ambience, the food is super DELICIOUS and the service is great. Large servings and value for money. Love the chicken penne & the garlic mushroom. The tiramisu and profiteroles are super delicious too😋. Can’t wait for my next visit😌 . Keep up the great work guys 😊

We ordered through Uber Eats, in 30 minutes after eating salmon risotto, I started getting sick, had diarrhea, threw up all that I ate. I suspect light food poisoning. I didn’t eat anything all day except the salmon risotto and tiramisu from Nicolini’s. Never ordering again.

We had the ravioli and the lasagne and the two dishes would really have to compete for the best pasta ever. Great atmosphere. We had Amy serving us and it’s a real shame there aren’t more like her. Whole experience was a treat! Thank you, Wellington!

One of the best Italian restaurants in Wellington, and my personal favourite. The food is phenomenal, all the staff are lovely, and the atmosphere is so lovely. It’s an intimate space but it’s never too loud to hold a conversation. They have a great range of dishes, which is great for me (a vegetarian) and my decidedly not veggie, ex-chef partner. Nicolini’s consistently delivers a high quality experience, I’ve never had a negative experience here.

Nice warm resturant with efficient service. Friendly staff and very decent portion size. Orderd garlic bread for starters and must say it was one of the best I ever had. Great pasta fettuccine and penne were 👌👌

Great service and consistently good food 😋 Penne chicken is my fav and the deserts are huge. Never left unhappy and will definitely be back! <br/>

Nicolini's is delicious without a doubt. I had the ribeye steak and my daughter had the ham tortellini. Both meals tasted divine. On the less positive side, we found the waitstaff a bit intense. It made me feel a bit rushed. The vegetable side that came with my steak was tiny and it would have been nicer to have balanced out the delicious large steak with a decent amount of yummy vegetables - especially for the price ($35).

Defiantly our favourite Italian Restaurant. You must book to get in here and you can see why. With another dining area out the back for a more intermit setting, this place is a real gem. The pasta meals are absolutely delicious. But my favourite would have to be the mussel entree and the pork scallopini. We have been here many times over the years and is always consistent. Highly recommended.

Great service friendly staff, Sorry to say but both our pasta dishes weren't very nice mine beef was super rich and my partners pawns was very plain but the chessecake was beautiful and worth coming back just to have that.

Excellent food and brilliant service. I had the spinach ricotta cannelloni and my partner had the blue cheese ravioli. Both were perfect, both really brought out the amazing flavours. The ambience was just right as well. <br/>

Wandered around on a Saturday with fiance, stumbled across Nicolinis. Luckily they were able to fit us in, as it looked quite busy. Service was fast and efficient and the food was absolutely delicious. Had the Seafood special and was a delight and as well as very filling. Can't wait to go back!!

Honestly, I really love this place! The food (especially the pasta) is always amazing, service is good and I just love the ambience and feel of the restaurant. Would recommend to call ahead and book a table because they're always booked up. Overall, always super happy with Nicolini's.

Best garlic bread in Wellington - so delicious!!!! An old fave with my friend group - we'll never stop coming here. Try the ravioli in particular, it's fab!

We were warmly welcomed when we arrived. The service was very efficient and we got the Gallic bread within 5 mins. The mains were very nice too - very hearty dishes. However, I did find all dishes were a bit overly salty- it would have been nice if the option was left to diners to add salt if necessary. But overall a really nice authentic Italian restaurant!

Went here for Valentine's the food and service was exceptional. I did struggle with my blue cheese pasta dish as it was very rich but it was very enjoyable! So so yummy! Garlic bread was out of this world

We used to frequently come here, have been many times and I have very fond memories of this place. Great service, great food, great price point. It hasn't changed much over the years and I think that's great, as it's  good as it is. Good simple menu. Tasty food. Family vibe to it.

Pollo pasta and vegetarian ravioli + bruschetta to start with. Everything about these meals was amazing. The flavours were rich but subtle, the pasta was cooked perfectly and there was enough cheese and salt! Definitely in my top selection of Italian restaurants in Wellington - and there aren't many! Great service lovely waitress and great wine. Will return!

Lovely service and great dining experience. The margarita cocktail is really nice and not too bitter. Had the garlic bread which was divine!! For mains I had the spaghetti mussels which was lovely and quite plentiful. The wine selection is good and the desserts are really nice also. Overall great experience and lovely food. My friends also enjoyed all their meals 🌟🌟🌟

A great find, thanks to a recommendation. We asked for a table "out the back" which was lovely, warm and intimate, and oh so like any homely osteria in Italy. The service was friendly, and the menu was lip-smackingly typical Italian fare. I had the ricotta and pesto ravioli with blue cheese and walnut cream sauce, and my husband enjoyed his lamb ragu. Perfetto, and we'll definitely be back next time we're in the windy city.

Mamma mia! This is one of Wellington's best Italian restaurants. Pasta and garlic bread is amazing!! Great location and friendly staff! Will definitely be returning

First time in Wellington. Asked randomly for the best Italian food, everybody agreed and said Nicolini's. Totally nailed it. I had the tortellini and my husband got the lasagna. The lasagna was extremely hot, we came to the conclusion that is was heated up in very same hell. Still, once cooled, it was amazing. The tortellinis were generous and tasty. Just beautiful. The staff was really kind and I was amazed they knew exactly how to do a Coke with Fernet Branca. Next time I'll try the desserts, it was too much for one night.

Came here not too long ago- was in wellington and had no idea where to eat. Was pouring with rain and just went into the first restaurant I saw. Immediately I saw it was very cosy and warm! I ordered the prawn fettucini dish and it was DELICIOUS!! The only thing is it is quite pricey. Will definitely be going back here again😊

Stunning. Full marks for service, food and atmosphere. This family owned business knows how to treat their customers. Our group of 15 were delighted with Nicolini's - and we have several very picky eaters! Definitely recommended to everyone - call in and experience a true taste of Italy.

Had dinner tonight after a show. My friend ordered chicken penne and I ordered Spaghetti Mussels. As always, presentation was excellent, food was wonderful, service was prompt. My spaghetti mussels was full of herbs and tomato fragrant. The only thing at fault was that the chef left the mussels bears on.

Love this restaurant,  waitresses and manager provide amazing service.  The meals are a great size, and the ingredients are fresh.  Best thing about Nicolini's is the atmosphere.  Feel right at home!!! <br/>Highly recommend it

Love this place! Can order anything and it's amazing!!! Not so child friendly but for adults it's spot on. Can always fit us in and the owner is lovely

This is our favourite Italian restaurant in wellington. Good solid portions with quality ingredients, and an amazing atmosphere, especially in the secret room at the back ;)

Worst service ever experienced. After waiting for us to pay $400 for our meal the bald manager screamed at us for 10 minutes belittling us in front of the entire restaurant for so called laughing too loud. Absolutely mortified, never going back. Brittany Pickle Charley Ogilvie-lee

***avoid nicholinis at all cost!!!!*** Absolutely atrocious service! Was screamed at and belittled by bald manager for laughing and trying to have fun in their restaurant. So disgusting I am still in shock, food below average as well.

Absolutely terrible management. Bald manager screams at customers to take out his personal frustrations. I have never been treated like that. Do not go to this place. The seafood wasn't fresh also.

Went here for Dinner with my Wife. We went here for our first date 7 years ago, it was good then and even better now.<br/>Had the Garlic bread to start which was the perfect size and was delicious. Mains was Ravioli and it was so good, amazingly for the size Italian food is so filling.<br/>The family recipe for tiramisu was the best I have tasted.<br/>If you like Italian food visit here, nice atmosphere, friendly staff and great food.

Every single time I come to Nicholinis I eat the blue cheese ravioli - I've tried everything on the menu thanks to other guests I've dined with. It's all amazing. It's all authentic and all DELICIOUS! This is my go-to venue for a cozy winter meal with friends.

Love this place! Every meal is fantastic and the staff are always helpful and friendly. Not just the best Italian in Wellington but, in my opinion, the best restaurant!<br/>

Cannot say that I am an expert when it comes to Italian fare but I think the food here tastes quite good. The price a bit towards the higher side and the service on the day was a bit slow and chaotic/noisy. Conveniently situated towards the end of Courtenay place, it is worth a try. Food 3.5/5, Service 3/5, Price 3/5, Portion 3/5, Ambience 3.5/5, Location 4/5

With such a popular place I thought there was no way I could get a booking for 10 at 6.30 arranged with only 2 hours notice. No problem. On one of the rare nights when they weren't too busy they managed to squeeze us in! (It filled up later though!). All had a wonderful meal. My personal favourite is the white veal masala. Superb! Service was impeccable and we'll all go back again!

Great food. Italian family owned and chefs from the hearth of Italy. Very selection of Italian wines. I strongly recommend the place. Everything we ordered was outstanding.

My boyfriend took me here on our first date, and then we went again on our 1 year anniversary. Both times we were lucky enough to get to sit out the back ( if you are going on a date I definitely recommend you ask for a table out the back). It was the most romantic and magical place. It was amazing and the food was... Wow! I had pasta and it was the best pasta I've eaten! Great place!

Best Italian restaurant to date for me. Excellent food and service. A family restaurant that makes you feel at home. Penne Chicken and Salmon Risotto recommended - although I suspect you won't be disappointed by anything on the menu at all.

As always Nicolinis lived up to expectation. I would advise any creamy pasta lover to order the ravioli. It has to be one of my favourite meals in all of Wellington. The staff were polite and the room had a lovely setting. We also had the bruschetta and garlic mushrooms which were delicious. The mushrooms were pretty pricey for what they were but every mouthful made it worth it!

Boys Boys Boys, you never cease to impress me. The family run restaurant of Wellington. Every time I venture here I am made fuss of which is amazing. Classic Italian food cooked with a New Zealand twist. When you find a gem like this is the heart of Courtney Place you find yourself going back more and more which we do. Never change anything gentlemen. Purely amazing.

Very unhappy with our meals. My wife's seafood and spaghetti was very poor. Beards left on the mussels undersize scallop, they were tiny and a scrimp that needed to be spat out! <br/>The spaghetti was packet variety with a tomato sauce that was overpoweringly tomato with no other subtle flavours expected....<br/><br/>My steak was drizzled in a mass of olive oil, literally floating in oil on the plate!!! A miniature 'cup' contained one slice of potato three small carrot pieces and 2 tiny broccoli heads...it all fitted in the cup!<br/><br/>Clearly unhappy with the poor quality food.

My absolute favourite restaurant!! Could easily eat here every night! Was recommended to us by a friend and have since raved about the place to everyone. Pastas were absolutely Devine and could not have been more perfect! Love Italian food and often go to Italian restaurants but this has been by far the best I have been to. The service was great and the place is small and cosy and has a real authentic cute vibe about it! Definitely a must try!!

We turned up on a busy night without a booking, the lovely girl we spoke to squeezed us in so long as we were finished before the next booking, not a problem for us as we had to be somewhere else quickly anyway. The staff were attentive, friendly, knowledgeable and when I could not choose gave excellent further information for dishes on the menu. We were seated in the second dining room, which is gorgeous. The food arrived quickly, the portions were large and it tasted fantastic. Even though we were squeezed in we were not made to feel rushed and throughly enjoyed our meal and dining experience. Nicolini's is now firmly on our favourites list and we will be back whenever we are in Wellington.

Fantastic night out, the food was superb the staff great and atmosphere amazing. Our table loved it. The best Italian in NZ. Gutsy meals to die for,everyone at our table loved their choice of menu and we will all go back

BeautifuI dinner, friendly and attentive staff. Will definately recommend to friends and family.

My hubby and I love this place, we think it is the best Italian in Wellington!!<br/><br/>The food and service is always excellent. The special's board always has exciting and great meals! Recommend to all :-)

We went to Nicolini's last week. It was awesome! The food was good, the service was outstanding. We had a really lovely time. Definitely go again.

We (a table of 4) went to Nicolini's on Saturday night - it was a cold &amp; wet night out but a warm and welcoming evening indoors. Dis-agree with the comments on poor service as we had great service from all the staff. The food was fantastic - I had the Lamb Fagotini and loved it, Lynda had the salmon risotto and raved about it. The restaurant is compact and a bit noisey but this just added to the great italian experience. We will be back.

I used to love going to Nicolini's when the old man and his wife were running the show! Although the food is still fantastic, the staff are subjected to rather abusive behavour by the owner and chef!! This in turn makes the dining atmosphere a turn off.

Contrary to reviews, we really enjoyed the service. Cosy and atmospheric on a cold Wellington night. Really delicious specials of the day (we've ordered the Lamb Fagottini) and the salad was a stand out side order. Would recommend being seated out the front opposed to the back room. Well priced too

The highlight of the restaurant was the food - I had gnocchi which came in a portion that was much smaller than the other types of pasta, but was good. The garlic bread was excellent - filled with butter and garlic which is very indulgent! My friend had the penne (can't remember the exact dish), but she liked it a lot. Another had the calamari which lacked taste and seasoning.<br/><br/>The worse part of the experience was the service. The waitress got our orders mixed up and after carrying my dish to two other tables and back to the kitchen, it was cold when it arrived on my table. <br/><br/>The place is not very big, and the waitresses keep on bumping into my chair, without any apologies.<br/><br/>Regardless, I would come back again ordering a bigger portion pasta dish with the yummy garlic bread and cross my fingers for better service.

We came into Nicolini's to escape the cold of night. It looked full at first, but when asking if a table was available we were shown into the back room. There was a heat pump going, and several tables of diners, so was a good atmosphere.<br/><br/>We were attended to quickly by a friendly waitress who gave an excellent recital of the day's specials, which genuinely made us want to have each and every dish. Our food arrived promptly and was delicious. Each waitress that served us was friendly and smiling.<br/><br/>We'll definitely be back. I was surprised to read the reviews on MenuMania following our visit, but the negative feedback seems to be centred around the manager (whom we didn't encounter). The food is fantastic, and the service we received couldn't be faulted.

Do not recommend, the customer service is disgusting and we've never been treated so badly in a restaurant before and we've eaten all around the world. Manager rude/abusive and arrogant. meals OK but should realise without customers you have NO business and word of mouth is the best advertising you can get. should have read other reviews before entering this circus. Manager needs a major attitude transplant or get out if he can't handle the hospitality industry.

What a waste of time!<br/>The food was only OK but with manager/owner yelling at his staff (customers must have had the night off), rude and impatient staff - although it's got to be hard smiling just after being abused (the tone tells it all!), it just didn't go down as well :(<br/>At least the old git at Piccolo waits till you question the bill before he goes crazy spouting out Italian at 100miles per hr!<br/>Won't be going back - I pay for the food and the experience.

Had a wonderful meal with great service. Waited at the bar for a table because they were busy and got an apology for the wait which was only a few minutes and I didn't even have time to finish my first drink.<br/><br/>We had wonderful tomato basil and garlic on our bread. With the calamari entree we had decided to share it because we wanted to leave room for the desert. It was so delicious we asked for a second entree. The waitress was great and it arrived in super quick time.<br/><br/>Our mains were great and the dessert divine. Service was fantastic in the new part out the back and the price was very reasonable. One of the family owners circulated and spoke with the diners to ensure every thing was fine. Good touch in our opinion.<br/><br/>Bang for your buck won't be beaten.

Not too bad, although Zico is better in terms of food and service<br/><br/>Sometimes you wait for ages to get served here

With previous mixed reviews I wasn't sure what to expect. Its a small restaurant and on a busy night we were ushered through to the 'back' section - a recent addition that appeared to have been built on in largely plywood type materials. Despite being the only group in there, the waitress offered to shut the door to close the area off for us - given it was empty, music free and had no real atmosphere, that was the last thing we needed.<br/>Menus and drinks list came on very worn pieces of paper, and covered a basic list, but no more.<br/>Food was adequate and arrived promptly, and was delivered by another waitress who managed to serves us while remaining 'detached' throughout.<br/>Not expensive, and ok for a quick meal but not much more.

Service is usually pretty average but the food more than makes up for it. the crumbed mushrooms are fantastic!

The food was delicious, the service was excellent and very friendly. I recommend the garlic mushrooms and profiteroles!!! We will definitely be going back soon and would not hesitate referring people there. The price also very affordable.

We were a group of 6 who went to Nicolinis on a Wednesday night and I had previously booked so they knew the size of the group and that we weren't arriving until 7.30pm. Food was great but the service was lacking. We were looking forward to a relaxing night out as all our babies were less than 7 months old but instead the staff were quite pushy with getting us to order. They were so anxious to get rid of us, at bout 8.45pm, that we had to ask for dessert menus, then ask them to take our order then ask for the bill. We were basically ignored from from 8.30 once we had our mains as they wanted to get rid of us. We ordered entrees, mains, desserts and a couple of drinks each so we were spending a decent amount. Not sure if I would go again as although the food was good the service should have been a lot better.

Started out great with good service. Fried Aubergine and Picked the Veal which ended up very peppery and tough. Server asked me if i was happy with it. When I said no, they asked if they could get me something else. I said the Cannelloni which i was looking at before. Soon to find out that I was charged for both! I should be told if I was unsatisfied with a meal I would be charged for the second. Shame on them! They would not take off the charge. Never again! I have never received such service.

love love love Nicolini's!<br/>I went here on Friday night and ordered one of the specials, and it was fantastic!!<br/>Every time I come here the service is excellent and the food is even better!!<br/>Recommend to all!!

I`ll have to say my dining exprience at nicolinis was above expections and i was very impressed with the service and i would not hesiate to dine there again

Nicolini's is just great. The food is amazing, and it is amazingly priced. Very warm atmosphere with polite, friendly and efficient staff. Would gladly recommend to anyone. We have been a few times and we have never once had a bad experience.

My partner and I recently dined here. Warm atmosphere, friendly, lots of laughter and chatter - the place was packed which added to the cosy ambience. Our meals were superb - undoubtedly the best salmon risotto I have ever had. Very authentic, &amp; friendly attentive wait staff. Highly recommended, and will go again for sure - soon!

Amazing Italian food. Love the menu too- very Italian. The staff rush you a bit but are really nice and informative. You may not get the best table, or the best service, but the food really does make up for it.

For an introduction to this quaint authentic Italian cafe and bar, walk past and smell the aroma. As a first time customer recommended by a student at Victoria University, I was satisfied with my experience. The staff were attentive and friendly. The service quick and the size of the meal possibly created a slight reluctance in my mind as to whether I could finish it. The setting is candle-lit and cosy with original artwork of Italy. I have read the negative reviews and strongly disagree. Enjoy life a little. A reasonably priced cafe.

Booked for dinner after show. Booking accepted. On arrival told half the menu was off and we had 2 minutes to choose our foor or we could leave.<br/>We stayed as we had booked. Going to pay no thanks no was the meal ok questions or anything.<br/>And the owner was abusive. Never ever again and today we lunched with friends who had the same sort of experience happen to them recently.<br/>Shame in my ways than one!!!

I had dinner with 3 friends last night. None of us really impressed with the food and service. I ordered medium rare steak. After waiting for a while - a waitress brought the steak on a plate which was full of fresh blood. I felt so disgusted by the blood. I cut the meat and it doesn't seem that saw so replate the steak after talking to 3 waiters there. <br/><br/>After finishing off the meal, one waiter came over and collected my plate. He saw that a mushroom fall on the table and became very obsessed with it. He kept telling me 'Don't put mushroom on the table' - C'mon, just a tiny half piece of mushroom fell off, no big deal with it. My friend told him twice that It's my birthday today and he replied 'birthday or not birthday, you still don't put mushroom on the table'.

Such good pasta, very cute set up!!<br/>So romantic!!<br/>Food is the best Italian dish I have had in Wellington, service is very fast.<br/>If you like pasta and want good food, come here.<br/>Nicolinis is my favourite restaurant in Wellington, actually favourite restaurant ever!

After reading pretty much all negative reviews on here I went in to Nicolini's thinking something bad would happen, after we had our dinner I was surprised we actually had a really good night and will now never judge a restaurant based on a few negative reviews!<br/><br/>We had a birthday party with about 14+ guests and were seated out in the back. As we were waiting for guests to arrive our host suggested that we move our party inside as there was now enough room to fit us all, we were happy to move inside because it was warmer and had more light.<br/><br/>We were given a set menu where we could choose two options (either an Entrée or Main, or Main and Dessert) Once everyone had arrived they went straight to taking our orders and our dishes came out promptly.<br/><br/>Our host was friendly, talkative and thoroughly looked like he enjoyed himself and he got along with our Birthday boys.<br/><br/>Everything went on smoothly, the entrees were yum and the mains were huge (I got the Lamb Shanks) in fact it was so big I had to take the rest away in a container and the dessert was delicious.<br/><br/>All in all we all had an amazing night, our host was awesome, the meals came out fast and the food was fantastic!

I ate here once for my friend's birthday dinner. We were a big group of about 10 people and I arrived the latest after finishing work.<br/><br/>When I was looking through the menu, the waiter rudely told me to hurry and order my food. I decided to order an entree as I wasn't hungry but I didn't want to just take up a seat without ordering anything. I would understand if they were unhappy to do this if there were only a few of us but it was a big group and everyone else ordered mains. The waiter then grabbed the menu away from my hand and didn't come back until about 5 minutes later.<br/><br/>When she came back to our table she told me that the Maitre'd wanted me to know that they are not a coffee shop and the next time I'm there I'd need to order a main. She added that I was not allowed to order any alcohol either.<br/><br/>Well, there will never be a next time. Thanks to the terrible customer service. I will be more than happy to pay the same price or more at another Italian restaurant in town.

the food is fantastic, but the venue is a let down

My sister who lives in Wgtn introduced me to this restaurant a few years ago and I have been there 3 times - I love it. It's always crowded and noisy but just adds to the atmosphere - I kind of expect it when I go there. The food, especially the salmon risotto, is wonderful. I wish I had the recipe.......... Would highly recommend it to anyone looking for good Italian food in a convivial atmosphere.

I love Nicolinis<br/><br/>Its what you expect when you go to a reasonably priced resturant which is crammed full every night. <br/><br/>The Food is excellent, the service is ok, and they take care of the kids and dont look down there nose at you when you ask to eat before opening ( thanks guys).<br/><br/>Rapheal has been in the biz for so long its a pleasure watching him work with 4 to 5 pans and smile at the same time.<br/><br/>If you want great food go to nicolinis.<br/><br/>If you want to be pampered, buck up the extra $100 per person and go to port nick.

This restaurant needs closing down! Or at least needs to get a new Manager! <br/><br/>I have never felt so mistreated in my life! <br/><br/>My partner and I went to Nicolinis for a nice night out, we ordered drinks and entrees before coming to order our mains! <br/>The main menu is okay - not that brilliant for non meat eaters, or anything slightly tailored to needs! I ordered the Seafood special, and ask very politely to have the heads taken off my prawns! wholey moley! this is the worst thing I could have done! <br/><br/>Basically the waitress got very angry over me asking for such a thing! She then got her manager! at this point all was still relatively calm! He came out and I asked the same from him, "please, would it be alright to take the heads off my prawns" <br/><br/>... there we had arms flying everywhere!!!! and we found ourselves getting yelled at by the MANAGER and we were sent out of the restaurant for questioning their menu! I asked him to explain why, so that I could understand, and he yelled back "do I come to you and ask you to explain your life to me!?"<br/><br/>He was darn right rude! I have never felt so humiliated... Please think seriously before going here. Also, if you are the owner of this restaurant, understand that Wellington is a small place and that business will be lost FAST!!!! <br/><br/>Thanks for reading<br/>Lee

Firstly you have to pay $10 for them to bring out a birthday cake! what a cheek.<br/>Secondly most of the staff except a few are just plain rude and unhelpful.<br/>Thirdly the place is very crammed and very noisy<br/>Fourthly the food is not cheap and not that great!<br/>Would not go back again

Visiting this resteraunt on the evening of 8th September '09 with visitors from the U.K.. We were directed to what can only be described as a back-yard at the rear of the esablishment. When I protested about the seating to the manager, he was most rude and unhelpful, trying to demean my request, to sit in the main dining room. I was made to feel very embaresed in front of my friends. The food proved to be merely average.<br/><br/>I now wonder what has happened to customer sevice. On further enquiries this manager, has a reputation around the city, re' his attitude toward his staff and a poor commication with customers. I will never return!!

I attended with 4 other friends offering them a fair amount of money when it came to billing time but refused to allow an extra wine glass for the couple sharing an entree and main. We are 25+ and had purchased 3 entrees and 4 main meals plus 2 bottles of wine, I found this to be very disappointing as the meals were delicious.

We attended on a Sunday night and found the service to be excellent despite the fact the restaurant was particularly busy.<br/><br/>The quality of the food was fantastic. After a recent trip to Italy we can safely say this was the most authentic Italian pasta we have found to date in New Zealand. <br/><br/>Will definitely be returning and would recommend this restaurant to anyone else.

i m marco from italy and i ve been living one year in wellington.i worked at nicolini s for 5 months and let me tell,that s the best italian food i ve ever tried in new zealand.....nico is a place where u can feel the true italian experience.......

As an Italian, I've eaten here quite a few times and happily brought guests who want to experience Italian food in the city. Tonight, we had a work group from out of town. The food was really good and everyone enjoyed their meals. The environment is really noisy here and we shouted over loud music. We also had a bench table squashed against the wall, with very little room to let people in and out, yet were told that we couldn't pull the table out any further as there needed to be room in the aisle. Hmmm. The service was ok, although it's not comfortable for guests to hear the manager shouting instructions and telling off his staff.

Went here on Saturday night whilst visiting Wellington. The service here is very good and the food is about average. I had the Puttanesca which was a bit too oily and didn’t have enough flavor. It needed more garlic, lots more garlic! Some fresh basil could have been nice. The garlic bread was very good as was the house wine. I will go back to Nicolini’s as it is an old favorite and the courtyard turned extra dinning room has a great atmosphere and decor. The food just needs improvement.