Nico Osteria Reviews

My boyfriend and I went here for our annual holiday date night and were floored by the food. Every single bite was perfection. The wine was fantastic. Service was great. Would highly recommend to others!

The restaurant is in the Thompson Hotel and has a great atmosphere. Our waiter was interesting and engaging. We had a great dinner and each of us raved about our meals. The flavors of the meals were great. The food was presented well and the tastes were amazing. The wine selection is very good and provides a range of price and options. We all said it was one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago. We will return.

The breakfast offerings are more gourmet than the usual eggs and meat. Large portions that could be shared.

Headed to Rush Street with coworkers and encountered the long lines and crowds associated with the more iconic and tourist related restaurants on the street - and frankly, walked in to Nico just to get a drink. Loved the atmosphere so much that we stayed for dinner. Ate in the bar area where we had tremendous service, delicious cocktails, and nicely done pasta that didn't involve massive bowls of basic spaghetti. Away from the lines and the loud tables shoved next to each other, this was a delicious experience.

This is the second time we've eaten at Nico Osteria and again it didn't disappoint. The food is delicious - don't miss the crudo appetizers - with great fish dishes and homemade pastas. Our server told us his favorite dishes - there were lots of them! We selected some of his favs and loved everything. We also told him we wanted time to relax and talk and he paced the meal for us. This spot executes on every note. We'll be back.

Modern cuisine with an Italian flair. Excellent choice for a meal. Closer to fine dining than an Osteria. Interesting set of both Apps and mains with a reliable set of Pastas. With wine was about $60/per. Modern feel great staff.

We generally avoid hotel restaurants because there are usually better places to try. We arrived at the hotel (Thompson Chicago) at 8:30p on a Sunday in February. The restaurant had a fair amount of business. We enjoyed the entrees (Lamb Tortelloni, Gnocchi, and Orecchiette) and dessert (Butterscotch Cremoso). The table service was very good. We returned that Tuesday for lunch. The Bellevue Burger was great; the Smoked Chicken Sandwich was OK.

Another excellent Nico meal: pappardelle and pumpkin dessert absolutely stellar. Bread could be better. Excellent service, friendly staff, nice space full of windows, comfortable booths.

My husband and I have had lunch here twice. This time we had Brussels sprout bruschetta that was fabulous. We also shared a delicious burger. Prices are a little high but mid range for the neighborhood. I love the floor to ceiling windows. All around good experience, we will definitely come back!

Everything I had was wonderful (business dinner) but I have to say that I HATE brussels sprouts and tried Nico's brussels sprout bruschetta and LOVED IT. Please add this to your order if you eat here.

Mmmm, what I can say., the restaurant is veeery nice, service very good, wine list excellent, but food...I personally think is just good. I review this restaurant in Zagat and appears like one of the best of Chicago. I think is very good but food is not what I was expecting. Laura our server was always great. She invited us desert. We let her order for us. Very nice atmosphere and great location by the way. I'm happy but I was expecting more.

We sat at the counter to watch the chefs in the kitchen. Don't make this decision lightly because the stools aren't that comfortable and the waiter will be at your back which is a little odd. Both meals we had were delicious. The Brussel sprout bruschetta appetizer was unique and tasty. Also loved the bread served before the meal. Bathrooms are a little out of the way down a flight of stairs and this restaurant is in a hotel if that's a deal breaker for you. After a good meal we always ask ourselves, will we come back. The answer for this one is no, despite good food and a nice vibe we felt the menu was limited and the portions were a bit small without any sides included given the price.

The location, service, and food were all excellent—especially for a hotel restaurant. The chef was attentive and came out frequently to ask about the food. He made the best French toast I’ve ever had, and that is a dish I order a lot in the morning. The bread was soft, almost creamy in texture, stacked high and layered with a delicious stew of peach sauce, pecans, and a light warm cream on top rather than any maple syrup. It was just the right balance of moderate sweetness and texture—but very filling so you might want to share a serving. The prices are also reasonable for the high caliber of the food. As a side, I ordered a tasty fruit salad of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, and green melon—well balanced and, like the French toast, artfully presented. Separately, at lunch, I had a nice vegan Reuben sandwich on fresh rye with oyster mushrooms instead of corn beef. For dinner I had a tasty Bronzino fish with a skilful layout and combination of sauces. The chef is happy to accommodate different tastes and to adjust a dish as requested so I asked not to have the prosciutto sauce. Both types of foccacia and ciabatta bread were also warm and fresh with excellent texture. The restaurant is also well suited for meetings as it is quiet, with nice street level views.

My husband and I visited for our first time and sat at the chefs counter. They literally had 1 prep chef that made the brussel sprout bruschetta the entire time. Plates and plates and plates of brussel of brussel sprout bruschetta. I really wished I had ordered it, will have to go back. I ordered the burrata, loved it. This restaurant had a great ambience, recommend.

Plenty of Gluten Free options OR chef will modify. My husband eats gluten and said their variety of homemade breads were out of this world. Local beers on their cocktail list. Stuffed Calamari is a must. Husband had the lamb ravioli and said that it is the only way he can eat ravioli from now on. Our waiter (I think Ben???) was SPOT ON with his recommendations.

This is by far my favorite restaurant in Chicago and I recently dined here three evenings in a row. The oysters, octopus carpaccio and lobster spaghetti are all outstanding. The wait staff is spot on too. I highly recommend and can't wait to return.

A beautiful place to eat on the patio and people watch. The service was good, but I thought the portions were a bit small and lacked the extra favor I was expecting from an upscale Italian restaurant.

We mostly loved our meal at Nico. We started with a round of innovative cocktails. The crudo , snapper and tuna, were interesting as well as very fresh. the bruschetta with brussel sprouts was great. All four of our entrees were very good. i ordered the gnocci that is the best i have ever had! The sommelier, Keith (i hope i remembered correctly) was one of the helpful and enjoyable somm's i have ever spoken with. A very interesting primarily Italian wine list that i am not familiar with but he guided us perfectly. So why 3 stars? Our waitress, Bridgette, could not have been less interested in being there. She was less than helpful and as we were here for almost 3 hours her interaction with us was repeated to the tables around us. She doesn't belong here but the management is the one failing to recognize that.

Following a friend's recommendation and was not disappointed! Each dish was delicious from the mussel and octopus starters to the pasta and fresh fish entrees. Setting of the restaurant is great either sitting outside or watch your food being prepared at the bar. And compliments to the attentive team.

Our day became a little more chic after having breakfast at Nico. The setting, flavors and vibe raised breakfast to much more of a brunch status. There isn’t anything familiar from a standard fare breakfast menu and that’s a good thing from time to time. Interesting combinations - the olive bread is really good and the egg dishes are interesting. Service was great. Sat at the bar and took our time.

Beautiful al fresco dining with delicious Italian cuisine. The lobster spaghetti is not the norm for Chicago Italian but every bit as good as it sounds. Good staff, service and all our party was pleased. From the meatballs to the peppers, this is a great “scene” restaurant.

We went to Nico out of proximity to our hotel and could not have been more pleased. Skip the brand names and try this place. The food is delicious and unique but not too precious. The prices are reasonable for fine dining. The appetizers and salads were as impressive as anything on the menu. The staff is highly professional and friendly. I’d recommend a seat at the bar over looking the kitchen. I’d go back many times to this place before trying anything else in the neighborhood.

service was great, but if you have traveled outside america especially to the south europe, this is horrible. The pasta was overcooked and horrible, they also brought my dish 25 minutes after they brought my family’s dishes. Genuinely the worst italian i’ve had, don’t understand how it has so many good reviews 😅

We just had a very disappointing meal at Nico Osteria. Even though there were not a lot of customers, the service was slow. The entrees were not hot when we received them. The wine list is limited. For such an expensive restaurant, the service should be great and the food served well. Do not go here!

My partner and I came here on New Years eve for early drinks and a quick bite to eat. We sat at the bar and shared 4 dishes and had a bottle of wine. The food was great, the ambience and atmosphere was great. Would definitely recommend.

Excellent bar, menu and service. Location is in the heart of the Gold Coast. Recommend outdoor seating. Italian and seafood with a fresh twist. Recently changing chefs so current menu is the best of old and new. Would recommend the Brussel Sprouts Bruschetta and the Sweet Corn Agnolotti.

Our family dined at Nico Osteria for Christmas Brunch. We had made reservations a month in advance knowing the menu would be limited. They had a great menu and everything we tried was excellent. We tried the Burrata, Lamb Tortelloni, Rigatoni Ragu and our favorite the Orecchiette. Our server Lindsey was fabulous.

We started with a drink in the bar and transferred our tab over to the dining room for our meal. Drinks and food are great and ambiance is upscale chill. Service is attentive but not pushy. The 5 of us started with 2 portions of the melt-in-your-mouth sea scallops- best I’ve ever had! Also ordered 2 portions of the Brussels bruschetta and the meatballs with arancini (adding 2 meatballs). All was good but the scallops were the standout of that course. We then ordered 2 pastas (rigatoni bolognese only slightly outshone the orecchiette with tuna sausage- both were amazing). Finally we shared a medium rare rib eye that pushed us all over the edge. No dessert. I’d go back to this restaurant and this fun Gold Coast area in a heartbeat!

This is a highly rated restaurant and considered as one of the best in Chicago and in Zagat’s reports. What can I say? Perhaps we had a selection of poor choices but the only dish I truly enjoyed here was the dessert. Food was average and I will specify: We got 3 appetizers, the vitello tonnato, which was fairly good but it was rather an imaginative reinterpretation of this Italian classic, a burrata (rather plain) , and the prosciutto cotto, which was of good quality but lacked in presentation and in my opinion required something to accompany it other than just bread. Then perhaps we all erred in the main course which was pasta with lobster. That was rather average. I’ve had this dish many times and this was not a good one. Besides I tried the gluten-free pasta and I believe it had a rather bitter aftertaste. And it shouldn’t. Service was average, so I guess it could also be improved. The best part was the dessert. We had two; the tiramisu which was one of the best I ever had( congratulations to the pastry chef) and ice-cream, also very good.

One of the top 5 WORST restaurant I’ve ever eaten at in Chicago!! Definitely an overrated tourist trap on Rush St.

Really delicious Italian food with a modern twist. Brilliant staff. Seriously, incredible service. The team went out of their way to ensure my gluten free preferences were met. Outstanding. Thank you especially to the team, front of house and chefs.

Love to stay at the Thompson and love this restaurant. Had a great breakfast here. We tried the fruit plate,steel cut oatmeal and the lemon pancakes. Everything was great!

We stayed in the Thompson hotel and had our last breakfast there. Lovely atmosphere, good service and good breakfast. Wish we could have tried the dinner there. Have a cocktail in the bar first!

Weekend brunch with an Italian flavor. Unique brunch menu and a great wine selection and very attentive service.

I went to this restaurant at the recommendation of a French foodie. Through pouring raining a Wednesday night I set out for dinner here, hoping it would be worth the trip. Hands down, this place gets an A plus for atmosphere and food flavor and presentation. I took a seat at the “chefs bar” where I could watch the chefs preparing meals in the open kitchen. Fun to watch them delicately prepare salads with sophistication and fabulous flavor. The only downside was the server ... a bit standoffish and cool.

Came here for the first time a few years ago and loved it, so came back this past May for dinner. As always, the outdoor space for dining is really nice. I came on a Saturday night and the place seemed super busy, which would account for the slower than usual service. The drinks were good and the food was tasty. I did knock one star off the rating because of the slow service, and when the food arrived it was on the cold side, but still delicious. I would definitely return, but maybe not on a super busy Saturday night

We were in town for a family wedding and went to brunch. The outside seating was busy, but inside was very quiet. Appeared to be short staffed. Seven of us ordered drinks and four were served. Had to chase someone down for the balance. Then we ordered food and had the same experience with only part of our party served and again we had to flag someone down. Manager was finally called to our table and she was very apologetic taking care of our entire check and giving us gift certificates to please come back and give them another opportunity. Our daughter was staying the remainder of the week with friends for a second wedding and went back the following Wednesday evening and had a great time thanks to the manager.

Food was good. Server was super rude and argumentative. I asked for them not to sprinkle cheese on top of a pasta dish and he says chef will not approve because I am killing the flavor. There are no chefs just cooks in front of you. This server was so wacky. I got the tuna pasta without cheese and it was excellent. They also had good hamachi. I would come back again. I would try to get a table to avoid the angry servers around the food bar

Visited on a Saturday night. Early dinner at 5 to get to a play. We were greeted and shown to a comfortable seat for a nice cocktail. At our table Brett took great care of us. He was very attentive and he was a pleasure to have. My wife had the lobster spaghetti. Nice amount of lobster. I had the wagyu strip. Cooked perfect and melt in your mouth. Oysters on the half shell and a variety of small plates to start. We had the pleasure to meet Chef Bill and his right hand sous chef Joe. The team is delivering creative food and their passion shows.

Really taste like Italy, despite some surprise in terms of dish name. Surprisingly vitel tonnée is tuna, while in Italy is actually veal with tuna sauce. As long as you are aware and you eat fish taste was great.

Nico Osteria was a recommendation from a friend... The area the restaurant is in is cool, makes you feel good just being there. The restaurant is known for seafood, although I had a wagu strip and it was magnificent. The raw tuna starter was also excellent with complex flavours and subtlety. Good wine list by the glass, with helpful advise from attentive but not hovering wait staff. The room feels good, fabulous ambiance, great open kitchen, we sat at the bar and enjoyed the kitchen view and activities. I thought the greeting on arrival was a little clinical, could have been warmer. Definitely recommend!!

Really enjoyed the food and the ambience of dining on the patio/sidewalk. Not your traditional heavy Italian fare. I had the orecchiette with tuna sausage and it was awesome!

Food and waitstaff were excellent though the delivery from kitchen seemed slow I will certainly give them another try.

Sitting in booth by open widows was very nice. Nice breeze and the atmosphere if inside was a good combination. I was not impressed with my lobster spaghetti. The pasta in my plate was not spaghetti and it was over cooked. I asked the waitress why the chef replaced spaghetti with linguine??? She said she would go ask .... but never got back to me with an answer. For this reason I am not sure I would go back.

I was looking forward to having dinner at this restaurant in particular and was disappointed with the food. It tries to offer interesting dishes, but it didn't deliver. I had the Burrata, which had a few great ingredients added but a few weird ones as well, but came with two pieces of bread where one was half-burnt and the other not hardly grilled. The cauliflower needed to be cooked longer (both of us ordered this dish and both of us had the same issue). Too bad.

Had a nice brunch on a Sunday afternoon on the sidewalk. All the other nearby places were packed. Because it is in hotel and I don’t think people give it a fair shot.

This restaurant has a modern decor with a pretty patio area for nice days. The service was good and the food was delicious. Nice recommendation from our hotel concierge.

I wife I unfortunately saved this restaurant to our last meal. Simply was the best breakfast we had the entire week we stayed in Chicago. We wished we hadn’t tried other ‘higher rated’ restaurants- they weren’t nearly as good! The service was excellent. The food was fresh and very tasty. I think it would bode well for what the restaurant could offer for dinner. Next time we are back in Chicago we will definitely try Nico for dinner.

This restaurant was recommended to us by a local. What a good choice, the food was as good as I have tasted anywhere. The bread was excellent and the pasta simply top class. The service was as good as the food, the waiter was attentive and friendly. An extremely good meal.

Dined solo here while in town for the weekend. Sat the the bar seats looking into the kitchen. Great way to dine alone. The food I ate was so unique and really delicious. Oysters followed by a clever play on vitello tonnato. It was tuna with a veal sauce rather than the reverse. Awesome dish!! Then a pappardelle stuffed with pork and served with carrot and truffle. One of the most amazing pasta dishes I have had anywhere. My photo does not do it justice. I will certainly return here if I am lucky enough to get back to Chicago.

The place is vibrant and contemporary. Great ambience for a date or a night with friends. Very good selection of Italian wines. You cannot leave the place without trying the Burrata with ham and apples and the Branzino.

Lovely meal. Gnocchi, Lamb Saddle, bread with oil and dessert all excellent. Service was helpful and prompt as well. Absolutely worth the trip. Fun neighborhood.

What a lovely evening eating out on the patio with amazing food and attentive service! We ordered three different pastas and each was delicious! My daughters went to Italy last year and said this was as good or better and obviously made in house. We tried to order one of them gluten free, but our waiter came back a bit later explaining that they were having trouble with that pasta that night. They offered to substitute something else and comped our drinks and appetizer. This was a very professional and courteous way to handle the situation and we were impressed. The bread was also delicious- crusty and chewy and worth the splurge!

Discreet service and even better ambiance for a late lunch. On this cool day, the chicken with braised apples and a glass of Alto Adige Strasserhof was perfect after a bowl of Tortellini in Brodo. The conversation was healthy, too.

There were 4 of us on a very windy rainy night in October 2017. We arrived early so hung out at the very shiny bar in the Thompson Hotel. The bartenders were all incredibly friendly and the drinks were good. Once seated in the restaurant we had a nice table across from the chef's tasting bar. The grilled focaccia with prosciutto and fennel was fantastic as was the rigatoni bolognese. Personally I would have preferred if our server had not recommended we order and share because I don't enjoy doing so. Otherwise our service was solid and the food was excellent. If I am in Chicago I would absolutely go back to Nico Osteria. Actually I would very much like to stay in the Thompson Hotel and I would love to try the brunch at this restaurant.

Beautiful Aesthetics! Great vibe inside and outside! Our waiter was forgetful and disappeared for half our time. Forgot to bring our bread, forgot to give us our check, and whenever we needed something he was no where to be found. It was 5pm and was not packed. The menu is boring and very limited. Yet, we ate the rigatoni bolognese dish. House made pasta and lamb meat. This was a delicious and a filling dish! It seem small but the portion is actually a good portion. Maybe it’s for you, try it, but it’s not for us. Won’t be back!

I stumbled upon this lovely place by chance for brunch. I ended up having breakfast, lunch & dinner for the next 3 days here. The location is great, the food is amazing. The service is exceptional. I recommend you stay outside in the morning and inside for dinner.

Remarkably fresh menu; seems to change very time I come here. Food sublime. Wine selection deep and thoughtful. Highly recommend!

Talented chef with unique style(s) lovely ( Sofia) server, nice ambiance. Cheerful and welcoming hostesss.

service was off. Food runners didn’t know where orders went, and appetizers weren’t cleared when the entrees came out - the runners asked us to move our plates. Final bill was presented before our entree plates were cleared . Food was GREAT but when service is this sloppy, at these prices, it really diminished the entire meal. Disappointing.

Recently had a dinner for 4 here. First, the appetizers were good, especially the sashimi. the mains were also excellent. Wines list was OK, not great but enough to make a good selection from. Overall pleased with the service as well. I would say it was one fo those places you go to and comment that you had a good meal but then not think about it again.....so nothing exceptional.

We were going to a 7:30 show at The Steppenwolf and needed a place for dinner, and after peering in a couple of places that were packed to the rafters even though it was only 5:15 P.M., we spotted the classy and calm interior of Nico through their big windows facing out on Rush Street. They gave us a nice table for two and we started the evening. I let our waitress know that we had a 7:30 show, so we agreed to have things done by 7. After spying a nice Gavi on the wine list and having a glass poured, we ordered two apps and two pasta dishes at the same time. But all was still served in distinct courses, rather than rushed out all at once. FYI: the bread was great, and so was the olive oil. To keep it succinct, everything was really nicely prepared and nicely presented and tasting amazing. I love anchovies/sardines, and they had some nice ones on the menu. We frequent Southern Italy, so we usually avoid eating at unknown Italian places, but we both agreed that Nico was a culinary delight. Nothing was buried in heavy sauces, but kept light. We even had room for desserts, so that says a lot about our waitress keeping things going on schedule for us. She was super!

We spent the weekend at The Thompson Chicago and has one (1) dinner and two (2) breakfast's there, so this will be a combination review. Regarding the dinner, sitting at the bar/counter are opposite where the food is prepared is an interesting experience if you have never done it before. The lobster spaghetti is very good, the veal dinner is delicious as it melts in your mouth and the crispy potatoes are perfectly done. Regarding the breakfast's the Morning Hash is great, the Kouign Amann croissant is simply delicious and if you like coffee you will always have a full cup. Andre, Brigitte, and Kimberly were all excellent waitor's/waitress'. We look forward to spending another weekend at The Thompson Chicago and eating at Nico Osteria again.

We were taken there by friends. The seating and overall ambience was crowded but this seems to be the case in all of the restaurants I have visited, in this city. The service is efficient and prompt. Judging by the footfall this is a very popular restaurant and I soon discovered why. I have had some really excellent Italian food around the world but it has been in the confines of "tradition". Here the menu offerings were eclectic and bold. It was as if who ever had devised it was throwing down a challenge of stretching the boundaries of convention but not in the vein of the current trend of outre manipulations of molecular food etc. This was more a fusion of traditional ingredients but presented with surprising twists. I will not go into detail but as we shared the food we ordered between us, everything from the bread and virgin olive oil, through to our desserts was sublime and each mouthful of food a delight to be savoured and enjoyed. I would unreservedly recommend this to aficionados of Italian food, as it goes beyond the traditional offerings and tastes of the latter but stays true to the passionate roots of the cuisine. My congratulations to the staff who have managed to achieve, such a difficult combination.

I had the lobster spaghetti and it was awesome! The noodles were the best I'd ever tasted, the lobster plentiful and the sauce delicious. He had crispy chicken with ricotta. Also very good. And they brought the best focaccia I have ever tasted, with whole olives baked in. The menu is small, but I could eat here pretty often, because it was really good--and I might cos I live down the block. This meal was a huge improvement over the Restauarant Week lunch I reviewed previously. Service was good by the waiter, a little insincere from the host.

My wife and I enjoy Italian and we wanted to try something outside the Loop but not too far away. Nico Osteria was a very good choice. The decor is modern. There was a large number of tables for couples. The menu featured a good range of pastas, meats, and fish. The appetizers and entrees were well prepared. We were pleasantly surprised by a strong wine list with a majority of wines being reasonably priced. The manager was very helpful in helping us choose a great wine. The service was excellent.

Ate alone at the bar and was well taken care of. Blue marlin crudo was delicious. Cocktails well done and a nice mix of guests. I returned on another trip accompanied and enjoyed as much.

For years my wife and I have been going here because we were able to get an entire bowl of mussels with their great dipping sauce. We were there last night and were told that it is no longer offered. Of course our meals were very good. The service is excellent as usual. And we love the ambience. But where’s the mussels???

We have eaten here for Christmas lunch several times each of them slightly uncomfortable due to the crowd..the closeness of the tables and the noise..this did not distract from the food but is always a consideration. This year we dined here and the place was ALOT less busy ..maybe more people were away but we were seated immediately when we arrived and there was no one waiting at all. We were seated in the area behind where you can sit up at the counter and watch the kitchen prepare the food. On Christmas you can order off the menu or you can get the special Christmas day menu which was a 3 course meal for 80$. We both opted for the special menu. We started off with a warm chestnut soup and a kale salad. I then had the lamb entree with greens and then finished with an apple tart. Our server was great but there were a couple times we had to look for him. As we said the tables in the middle where we sat are very close together so it is kindve intrusive sitting so close to your neighbors and in their conversation but all in all a very nice meal and time.

Lindsay was our server and she was phenomenal, prompt, fast and attentive. We put in several courses and some we loved some were okay but more preference since quality of food was great. We had a bottle of wine i liked, wife didnt, they didn’t bat an eye they pulled it and the manager whose name i didnt catch offered another selection which was excellent. So impressed. A place that wants you to enjoy your experience.

One of the best Italian meals I have ever had. It was delicious. We wish we were in Chicago longer so we could go a second time.

We were staying at the Thomson but Nico was on my list of places to eat at before we flew in. Loved our restaurant week dinner so much that we returned for soup at lunch time the next day then had brunch at Nico the following day as well. Traditional Italian ford but with a bit of a twist. Tasty, generous and no additives, I would have know immediately due to my allergies. We would go back to Chicago just to eat here again.

We had great before dinner drinks in the bar, then were seated at a roomy booth along the windows. The menu was diverse and the choices we made were delicious. The Bigeye Tuna, Grilled Shishito Peppers and Crispy Potatoes were all incredible. Very good service, relaxing atmosphere.

Perfect outdoor dinner. Service was perfect. Brussels sprout bruschetta is terrific- one is a great appetizer for three or four. A large amount and nice selection of bread arrives in a rectangular dough type bowl/plank . Shared a dessert of little peach pastries. Main fish and pastas were creative, and ample (not a common situation! )

A restaurant with high-quality ingredients ! Brussel sprout bruschetta is a must try ! We have loved everything we ordered from the bruschetta to the soup and homemade pasta With little neck clams ! Looking forward to going back and sitting outside on a beautiful summer night !

The staff was very helpful with their recommendations and it was so convenient that it was inside the Thomson where we stayed at.

We arrived early and had drinks and shared two appetizers at the bar /lounge while waiting for our reservation time. Meat balls and mussels were fantastic along with the house made focaccias and rustic bread with very good and slightly spicy olive oil. Our server let us know when the table was ready and we moved to the dining room. Lobster spaghetti was sublime. Service was very good all the way around. A great evening!

The third or fourth time back to this restaurant. Really an excellent experience and the General Manager, Jacob, is at the top of his game. He has everything under control and is there best asset.

Nico Osteria may be the most enjoyable and best restaurant of many I have visited in Chicago—never mind New York, San Francisco, Rome, St. Louis (my home town has become a restaurant town) and London. The breads are outstanding. The kale and pear salad is a feast. The pastas are delicious. The grilled striped bass is the best fish dish I can remember eating. The design is contemporary and pleasant. The noise level is high, but the excitement is contagious. You’ll have a wonderful meal.

Delicious and innovative food combos. It's in the hot spot of town, so expect a little pretentiousness, but we enjoyed it and would go back.

Still has a interesting men with great crudi, interesting small plates and lovely fish choices. Service is exemplary and people watching was fun.

I mentioned to a friend that I was in a dining quest to discover the best spaghetti and meatballs in Chicago and he recommended the lobster spaghetti at Nico Osteria. Located at 1015 North Rush Street, in the Thompson Hotel, at Bellevue, in the heart of the Gold Coast neighborhood, it is open from 5 to 10 Wednesday through Monday. Chef Bill Montagne has fashioned an innovative menu in a romantic and diner/friendly space that allows devoted foodies an opportunity to sit at the dining counter and watch the chefs work at their craft. My wife and I started with brussel sprout bruschetta with ricotta and hazelnut, oven roasted meatballs mozzarella and basil and a spring garden salad with pine nuts, asparagus, goat cheese and Meyer dressing. I came for the lobster spaghetti and wasn't disappointed. It's pasta dough with pureed lobster meat from one whole lobster, blanched in boullion lobster miso sauce and lobster shells with crispy guanciale and spring onion. I'm not big on lobster but this was a genuine reckoning. Delicious. Meanwhile, my wife enjoyed a whole grilled Branzino with fennel, tomato and roasted garlic. You don't often see Branzino, a wonderful tasting Mediterranean fish, on a menu. When you do, don't pass it up. For dessert, I had scoops of home-made strawberry, chocolate and blood orange sorbet while my wife had scoops of home-made strawberry, chocolate and pistachio gelato. A truly enjoyable fine dining experience.

I've eaten at Nico many times in the past few years, but after a series of recent hiccups, I'm taking a break from it. The most recent problem occurred this weekend when we visited for a very slow and strange brunch. It took 10 minutes for someone to take our order. It took 10 minutes longer for our coffee to arrive and another 25-30 minutes for my food to show up (while my husband continued to wait). The server was apologetic and nice, and we weren't in a hurry, so up to that point, it was all OK. However, though I'd made clear I was a vegetarian, my eggs arrived with bits of pancetta in them. After we noticed it and waved down the server, she took away the plate and was initially very apologetic. But then -- bizarrely -- she returned five minutes later to question us in a semi-accusatorial way about whether the plate had truly had meat on it. Apparently, the kitchen staff had denied making any mistakes. Since she'd already taken the food away, there was no longer any way to prove that there had been meat on the plate. Both my husband and I had seen it, as we explained, but that didn't seem to satisfy our server. It was a very strange conversation. Even if we had been wrong about the meat (we weren't), I don't know what she expected to accomplish in the conversation other than to make us feel guilty, gaslit, or both. My best guess is that she'd been bullied by the kitchen staff and made to feel bad, so she wanted us to feel bad as well. Anyway... it took another 25-30 minutes for the next plate to arrive, even though I'd asked for a different dish based on the fact that she said it could be prepared faster. After that, our server, who'd previously been friendly and helpful, never again proactively returned to see if we needed anything (and we did need things -- coffee, water, the check, etc.) The few times we waved for her to come over, she did come back, but she was noticeably less friendly. Even though it had taken well over an hour for me to receive a meal that I could eat (my husband didn't fare much better -- and all he ordered was soup!), nothing was comped and, as we left, no one apologized. Interestingly, this is not the first time I was gaslit at Nico. Another time, I made clear I was a vegetarian, and the server offered to do a modification of a particular dish. The food arrived with the requested modification, however, it was smothered in a sauce that tasted suspiciously meaty. I asked about it, and the server went to check with the kitchen. She came back and said she'd been assured the sauce was vegetarian. I tried the sauce again, as did my husband, and, since it really did test very meaty, we asked again. She went back to the kitchen and then returned to sheepishly inform us that the sauce included minced lamb. So that wasn't a great experience, but at least in that case they eventually admitted the mistake. Even worse than the gaslighting, we've witnessed unpleasant behavior between staff members (and felt bad because it was again linked to something we ordered). In that case, a server had told us that it was possible to get the eggs benedict with spinach instead of meat. Then, at some point after we'd ordered, someone from the kitchen stormed over to talk to another employee who was manning the cash register near where we sitting. In very loud tones -- I'm sure we weren't the only ones who heard -- this person complained about our server by name, berating her and angrily saying that she shouldn't be offering to make adjustments because the kitchen was too busy. My opinion is that it was pretty unprofessional to have a conversation like that in front of any customer -- especially the people who had ordered the food that was being discussed. The food turned out OK, but we felt super awkward eating it. Nico has a beautiful dining room, and a lot of the food is good. We've also had some nice servers. But these experiences have all left a sour taste in my mouth, and I can't imagine going back any time soon.

This is the restaurant in the hotel we stayed and we had to try it since we love Italian fare. It wasn't a mistake at all! Service, the food, the interior were all very good. Hotel restaurants have improved a great deal in past years. We loved the view into the semi-open kitchen from were delicious Tonnato flat-bread appeared, I loved my tomato pasta Granagno, delish. We will move to Naples! Recommended.

The breakfast was good, but nothing special. I had the vegetarian hash. It was a great idea, but did not taste as good as it looked. The coffee was a little weak.

The resturant is in a popular area and has chic decor. The food was well composed but the service can certainly be more friendly and present.

we were a group of friends who walked over for dinner. The menu is broad enough to keep everyone interested. Stuffed pappardelle was amazing; sword fish well executed but presented in chunks which was a little odd and off putting. Sides of polenta and shishito peppers were delicious. Wait staff attentive and you should not be disappointed with a meal at Nico osteria.

I stopped in with friends for tea and the brussel sprout brushetta...YUM!!! Their green tea with a hint of almond was so relaxing.

Service was fabulous! Dinner was amazing. I could eat the lamb tortellini every day for the rest of my life! It was that good. Our server recommended it after I asked him about it. I was so grateful! My sister had the bolognese. It was wonderful as well! I’m even considering eating here again in this visit! Highly recommended!

Can I just say that this place is SO awesome, we had dinner here twice, breakfast twice and even managed a light lunch as well! Ok, may sound excessive but the food is just that good!!! Let’s talk breakfast first. The homemade donuts that arrive warm and dunked in glaze are so good!! And the grilled toast is so good I ordered more to dip in my Americano. Eggs are handled perfectly - soft scrambled on low heat. Lemon ricotta pancakes were a delicious indulgence. Dinner has so many choices it’s hard not to come back a second time. They’re known for their crudo and the whole Dover sole is divine but the pastas are where I think they excell. Homemade rigatoni with a bolognaise sauce is light and perfect. We ordered the bib salad with apples, cheese, sautéed onions, and an apple cider vinigrette. So so good. I suggest sharing dishes because that way you can order a lot more!! Even if you’re not staying at The Thompson which is attached to the restaurant, try to come for a meal here. It does not disappoint!!

Had a great dinner at Nico Osteria from start to finish. Ordered the Halibut, ribeye and Branzino, each was expertly prepared, perfectly seasoned and absolutely delicious. I highly recommend a visit!

Went here with friends for a Saturday brunch. The menu consists mostly of breakfast items - but it did have a few lunch type choices. I had the eggs in purgatory - which was rather spicy. My husband had the rigatoni - which was a rather small portion. Ambiance was nice - but was rather loud for trying to talk during our meal. Breakfast and brunch prices were in line with other restaurants in downtown Chicago.

This was the best fine dining my wife and I have experienced in the past several years. Outstanding service. Theo prosecco was amazing. From the salad to the pappardelle with truffles and the lobster spaghetti, the food was inventive and delicious. The sommelier recommended a remarkable Toscana. Finish it all with homemade gallstones. Monto buono!

The ambiance of the restaurant is hip and clean. The staff friendly but they try to hard on the food to be unique and it just cannot be pulled off. The beet salad was very small with not much flavor but presented beautifully. The burrata with the pistachio pesto was just ok. The polenta was very plain with not much flavor. The only good dish was the bronzino was really good with lots of greens and zucchini serve with a fish broth.

Went to Nico for lunch when I was out of work early on a Friday. It was the first nice day of June and we chose to eat outside. Just finding a host/hostess to seat us was difficult at best — and the place was not busy as it was still early lunchtime. Once we sat, we had to wait a long time to see any wait staff. Finally, we ordered. They had a 3-course lunch special: salad, sandwich and dessert for $24/pp — expensive for an average lunch but you are paying for the view as I got the impression they prefer to serve the “pretty people” that visit the Rush Street area. The salads and sandwiches were good but since service was so poor, they served both at the same time. Then we had to wait forever, once we finished our sandwiches, to get our desserts. We each had a glass of wine ( I will say, it was a healthy pour) and would have had a second round but could not find any wait staff to order more wine. When dessert did finally arrive, they brought my friend the wrong dessert. When we told the waiter it was the wrong dessert, he questioned us as if we did not know what we ordered nor what it should look like (vanilla ice cream should not be red, that much I know). Another couple was seated near us as we were receiving our desserts. By the time our check finally arrived (again, a frustratingly long wait) the other couple still had not been greeted by any wait staff, nor water, nothing and so they left. Overall, the food was good, not great, but service was severely lacking — not that I was in a hurry, but a nearly 2 hour “every day” lunch is ridiculous.

We did not eat dinner here, but did grab breakfast here several days while staying at hotel. Breakfast service was very slow. The food was hit and miss. The toast is too hard. For some reason salt and pepper is not on tables and is a special request, which may take a while to arrive. The salt comes in a small bowl with no service spoon so you see people using their fingers like a chef’s salt seasoning. A guest at breakfast shared our dismay as she said she had experienced a wonderful dinner with great service the night before

Fabulous restaurant in the Thompson Hotel in Chicago! We had the fish, butternut squash pasta, and a few other dishes that were amazing. The cheesecake was next level and beautiful. Their oysters were very popular. The staff is great! Sergio the GM, made sure everything was impeccable in the restaurant. The bar area has a beautiful wall of plants, that adds to the cool vibe. Beautiful decor! A video of Nico can be found on our Social Media. Follow us! Instagram Tastyfun.co Facebook Tastyfun Top notch restaurant to visit in Chicago! Enjoy! Tastyfun.co

Sat the bar area, single business trip. Exception to LD fashioned and after taking advice from a well travelled buddy, I got the sardines to start and the Lobster Spaghetti. Absolutely delicious. Attentive wait staff made sure water and drinks were always fresh. The meal was exceptionally prepared and very good. The salty sweet play with the sardines and caramel Ed onions really started it of an a great foot. I will be back. Good service and even better food.

This was our second time at Nico and the last. The service was no better than our first experience that was comped by management. Because the food and atmosphere is very good here, we tried again. Our waitress, Bridgette, did nothing out of the ordinary for us. In fact, she was somewhat rude. We asked her how a certain pasta dish was stuffed and her answer was, “the way it is usually stuffed.” It isn’t as if we were asking for trade secrets so it wasn’t quite the answer we were looking for. Also asked her if the sturgeon was farmed or wild caught. Her response was that she didn’t know. Didn’t even offer to find out for us. At a restaurant with prices for fish at almost $50, I believe she could have been more helpful. In addition, she forgot one of our salads. I will give her credit for assuming responsibility and apologizing. Again, nothing special on her part. She barely checked back with us. The drinks were good, the salads excellently dressed, and pasta dishes extremely tasty. The charred octopus was over-charred to the point I couldn’t eat the last bite. For the prices at this lovely restaurant, the service should have been outstanding. It was not, so we won’t be spending our money here again. With 8500 restaurants to choose from in Chicago, I believe we can find one that will give us an overall better experience.

This is a lovely restaurant were we was staying. We had chairs overlooking the chefs in an open kitchen . Portions are both large but well presented. Prices are not over expensive but the quality is first class. Very nice staff. I really enjoyed my starter of meatballs and my main of chicken was first class.

We made a last minute reservation here for the Friday night of our stay and I was thrilled that we did. We sat in the bar as our table was not ready. Had wonderful cosmopolitans and then went to our table. Our waiter was knowledgeable of the menu and helped with our choices. The burrata was fantastic and the rigatoni with lamb and brown butter bread crumbs was AMAZINGGGGGG! My friend has the mussels and did wish that it had a heavier pasta with it. Otherwise, I can't wait to return!

The food is fine. The drinks are fine. The staff is beyond the pale. They were rude, unhelpful, discourteous. Ug, I will NEVER go back. Sneering, snobby, AND we had to wait at our table for forever to even get their attention....

My father is from Italy so I'm a little picky on my Italian restaurants - and this one definitely didn't disappoint. We had a shared dinner with multiple appetizers, pastas, short ribs and salmon only to be followed by wonderful light deserts. I don't think I could highlight a certain dish since I really enjoyed them all. It was the perfect way to try a new restaurant. I loved how they served the short ribs - right in the ceramic pot with everyone helping themselves. You could take as little or as much as you wanted. Well... maybe not as much as I REALLY wanted since it was a business dinner. I had to hold back a little. Well done - I will definitely be back soon.

I love this restaurant, and I don’t understand the listing on Trip Advisor showing it’s expensive. Most of the wonderful pastas are under $20. Good casual vibe, terrific food, friendly service. Great bread!

The food is excellent. We sat outside and enjoyed two pasta dishes, meatballs and the peppers with an incredible Rose. Our server was unpleasant, rude, abrupt and aloof. We were overly nice and complimentary and eventually gave up on trying to win him over. He seriously should consider a different occupation if he's so miserable as a server. Fortunately his poor demeanor didn't ruin our dinner, everything else was great!

We stayed at the Thompson and dined here twice. Our first night we ordered knock and drop room service. We were astounded at the speed of delivery. The rigatoni was a real treat, as was the caprese. They even delivered individual glasses of wine. We also dined outdoors for Sunday brunch. Excellent service and really good eggs florentine and french toast. We were impressed twice. Nico really was a pleasant find for us.

The lamb and polenta dish is amazing. The pastas are made in house. And the atmosphere is romantic and upscale, yet inviting.

We sat at the chef's bar which was a great experience by itself as we watched chefs prepare food in ways we've never seen before. The service was stellar as was the food and atmosphere. HIGHLY recommend. Can't think of a thing we'd change,

The food is tasty. Brussels sprouts bruschetta is a must try. The Brussels sprouts were crispy. Hazelnut brings out the flavor. And the sweetness from the lemon honey was genius. Meatballs is also good. The sauce is a bit on the richer side compared to the Brussels sprouts bruschetta. Orecchiette is actually a bit spicy. The heat came from the tuna sausage. The orecchiette was cooked perfectly. Al dente. Dessert comes in a rather small portion.

We had a nice time here. Service was great. Atmosphere was fun. Food I thought was only so-so. We tried several of the starters, a pasta and a dessert. Best starter, I thought, was th meatball. We also had the Octopus which I didn't care for at all. It had a really distinct fishy taste which seemed unusual for octopus. It also had sunflowers sprinkled on it which didn't really seem to pair well with it. "A" for effort. We also had the Brussels Sprouts Bruchetta which I thought was nice. The sprouts themselves were the highlight. On the pasta side, we had the cacio e pepe, which is super simple, but really difficult to make. In this case, I thought the pasta was cooked to a nice al dente, but dish was under seasoned overall and a little watery, kind of like the starchy water didn't get time to add any body. Dessert was a total miss for me. Cheesecake Semifreddo. They said it had a "warm apple cake" but there was nothing warm or cake like on the plate, there were also "whiskey apples," but not sure what those were supposed to be. The semifreddo was actually really good. Overall, we had a good time. Just not a great time.

Love the food at this Gold Coast spot. They have a lovely whole branzino for two that is wonderful. The pasta also shines.

My wife and I heard this was a good restaurant and wanted to try it for dinner. Was seated at a very long table with maybe 15 other couples at it, each face to face. Had to access the table by walking around the length of it -- no cut throughs. Was then faced with the opportunity to spend a reasonable amount of money on food and share the experience with a business dinner on one side and a couple on the other, each listening to the others' conversation. Booth seating very limited and I believe restricted to 4-person groups. Was offered a spot in the hotel lobby to eat in lieu of long table. Then walked out.

My husband and I dined here recently.. the food was delish! We liked the fact that the portions weren't huge and the quality of the meal was great - you can tell the chefs use quality ingredients. After finishing my entire plate of cacio e pepe I didn't feel sick or as if I over ate! Service was ok, left a lot to be desired. When I was still eating the waiter took my husband's empty plate & silverware which made me feel like I was dining alone! (sorry, I'm a slow eater) When I finished my chardonnay the waiter took my empty glass not stopping a moment to see if I would like another. If the service had been better then that would have made for an excellent dining experience!

We had a great late lunch together outside on the terrace. After some shopping we need to get a bite to eat. We arrived just before the kitchen was changing over for dinner preparation. Other then them mentioning that you never would have known. Great food and service would definitely go back

Last week we stayed at the Thompson Hotel, Chicago and decided to go downstairs for dinner the first evening, especially after reading the good reviews about Nico Osteria. The amusing and amazing wine list delighted us as well as our dinner choices and fabulous waiter Brett. We ate there for dinner on our last night and for lunch before heading home. We couldn't have had better food, service and dining experience. I would like to shout out to Brett, our waiter, Anika & Edwin, managers and Bret, Sommelier extraordinaire and Tim, the chef. What restaurant do you ever go into, meet and are welcomed by everyone. We loved our experience and are now planning a return trip.

I believe this restaurant has changed hands and staff since its opening around 2014. Previously a high end, hard to reserve, Italian restaurant with a fish centric menu, the present offerings are more pasta driven with a sea food or two and a limited number of other choices. The setting is still very attractive and includes, weather permitting, outdoor seating. While not quite as good as its early days, our group enjoyed dining here. Service at all positions was excellent and our server, Dallas, was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. The restaurant is open for three meals per day.

This was our third dinner at Nico since it opened. Tonight the 2 of us shared the lobster spaghetti followed by the dover sole. The spaghetti dish was a large handful of spaghetti with a generous amount of excellent lobster chunks. It was in a "lobster miso" with some guanciale bits which made the dish overly salty. The dover sole was good but for $59 there isn't a lot of it. We each had a dessert; I had 2 scoops of gelato which were good; my spouse had the apple crostata and said there was too much going on on the plate. It certainly looked nice, tho. In addition to what we ordered, they brought a plate of focaccia slices studded with big whole green olives and a dish of olive oil for dunking; after dinner they brought 2 pretty handmade chocolates. Bottom line: we want to love this place but we just don't.

We were recommended to eat here and our booking was made by a family friend who lives in Chicago. We were a few minutes early and was asked to wait at the bar for a drink as our table is not ready yet. I went up to the front desk several times to check on our table, only to be informed our table is being set up and will be ready shortly. After finishing out drink, we all went up to the desk and were told that the table will again take several minutes. This was unacceptable and after apologies, we were informed that the first round of drinks will be on the house. Eventually we we seated an hour after our booked reservation. The drinks arrived without being given a choice of what we wanted and none of us drinks Prosseco & we sked for wine of our choice. Ordering also took a while and the starters were good, but our mains were cold and I have never seen any polenta so runny, it was worse than baby food. I asked for the food to be warmed up and got a another plate of food which was not much better than the one I sent back, smaller portion of meat and again cold polenta, but due to the long wait, we were starving and we just started eating. Analogise were made and pudding and coffee was offered and put on our bill only to be deducted, in order to appear that we got a large discount. There are so many brilliant restaurants in Chicago that we have been to since we arrived and this was a total waste of a good Friday night and we only had one Friday night here. I will not recommend this restaurant.

What an incredible find! Staying at Thompson hotel where the restaurant is located, I just came downstairs for dinner not having any expectations. Was I in for a treat! Impeccable service, amazing food, excellent experience. Amy Rose, the server extraordinaire guiding me through the meal, was simply the best service professional I came across in a while. Knowledgeable, engaging, welcoming. Their amuse bouche was delectable and simple, their coconut mussels were very good and the lobster ravioli was cooked perfectly and with a little spice that was a very welcome experience. Wine list is carefully curated and their wines by the glass have some very interesting choices available. I will be back!

Nico demonstrated poor service, incorrect food orders and bad cocktails. The waiter was hard to find and when he did wait on us, he seemed to be distracted. The food arrived incorrectly and the drink was not drinkable. Will not be revisiting this location in the near future.

Thompson hotels are hyped, but unfortunately there is often a lack of substance, and this also the case here. Very trendy place, good location and nice design. Staff are generally average and some are pretentious, but we were lucky to have a very friendly waiter. Food was average. What surprised me was that they have no sparkling water… a very Basic product. The salad and pasta were ok but nothing special, the quality of food does not match the pretentious atmosphere. I realized that the restaurant next door was packed and Nico Osteria was almost empty, but I understand why… will definitely not go back.

Very disappointing. Post an ownership and management change, (One Off Hospitality of Blackbird and Avec fame no longer runs this restaurant) this restaurant has lost all the talent that made it a consistent favorite. Gone are the crudo (‘the fish did not get delivered’ - that was the new manager’s refrain). While the menu remains the same, the execution of the dishes are way off. Wines on the wine have not been re-ordered. This restaurant unfortunately is destined to become yet another hotel cafe. Avoid.

This restaurant is famous for his Italian specialties and we tried to taste their brunch. The brunch menu is quite limited, the eggs are average in many ways and all accompanied by tasteless potatoes. We had brunch in many restaurants in Chicago but, this time it was really disappointing. In any case, do not judge the restaurant by their brunch, it is not in the Italian tradition.

Went to Nico’s and was rewarded with a terrific brunch. My girlfriend and I ordered Italian sausage and eggs and bacon and eggs. Potatoes and focaccia bread came with. All were absolutely delicious. The eggs in particular were cooked perfectly. Great mimosas and delicious hot coffee made it a complete meal. Great friendly service! Highly recommended!

Great service and food. Interesting and fresh with great presentation. Enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching the kitchen!

With a limited but good menu I will recommend it for Sunday brunch. Good service and drink options in a great area.

We arrive early for dinner, so we took a place at the bar around the open kitchen and was a wonderful experience to see how the kitchen works like a swiss clock, no matter how full the restaurant is. The servers were always very kind, and helpful with our party. We start ordering a couple of the craft beers that they have on tap, they were very good. We order the anchovies, that came with some sort of caramelized onions, and bread crumbs, the mix of flavors form salty to sweet, was very nice. The grilled octopus also was very good in flavor and presentation. The decoration of the place is very nice, the only thing that is very odd, are the restrooms, that are one floor below and after two doors, after a couple of beers it might get a little confuse to get there.

We had a four course meal and it was great but way too much food. The second pasta course was full entree size and the third course was the size of a typical Thanksgiving plate at home. Not sure who was managing food cost but no one in our party of five could come close to finishing dinner. Service was perfect, wine service was expert, manager at front door was efficient, back waiters were manicuring and hustling. I will return for sure but will split meals next time!

At one time or other, visitors to Chicago always make a point of finding their way to what has been referred to as the Viagra Triangle, the popular restaurant/bar area in the State/Rush/Wabash area on the Near North Side. It's home to Gibsons, Carmine, Maple & Ash and Tavern on Rush. And it's home to Nico Osteria in the Thompson Hotel, across the street from Gibsons and Tavern on Rush. Located at 1015 North Rush Street, it offers breakfast, lunch and dinner to weary travelers and tourists in a chic venue that specializes in Italian seafood. Remember when food critics made a habit of negatively criticizing hotel food? No longer. Not at Nico Osteria. Breakfast treats are oatmeal, buttermilk pancakes, smoked salmon bruschetta, a ham and provolone croissant with raspberry jam washed down with a peach/mayo smoothie. Lunch features minestrone soup, Caesar salad, a smoked chicken sandwich and a Nico burger with provolone, onion, lettuce, tomato and 1,000 Island dressing. Dinner? How about meatballs, seared scallops, Kale and pear salad, grilled striped bass and whole salt crusted Branzino with crispy potatoes and spinach? For dessert, be sure to order butterscotch cremoso and chocolate torta or pear tart. In a restaurant town like Chicago, every eatery has to have a gimmick, something that nobody else has, a menu that attracts new customers and keeps them coming back. Nico Osteria has found its niche in one of the most competitive markets in the country.

Great service. Great drinks. Reasonable prices. So good that we met a Chicago Billionaire there and had some conversation with him and his wife. Go. You never know what can happen, except for the good eats!

The food here is just Brilliant! Very creative and ALL very special. I sat at eh chefs table - and watched them prepare - and the expertise was Amazing to watch - a MUST to come to - Even the breakfast was really special...

Timely seating. Great Brussel sprouts appetizer. It was extremely tasty with a lot of garlic and a hint of lemon and hazelnut The cod was flaky, moist, and flavorful. I would definitely, order it again. My friend had the lobster spaghetti. It had generous pieces of lobster and flavorful, firm spaghetti. Service was prompt and every server from bus boy to waitress were extremely helpful. The olive bread was light and moist and very enjoyable. We had no alcohol.

The food was amazing and the staff were awesome. We ordered the brown butter prosciutto with crusty bread as an appetizer and it was delicious. I could have eaten that for my meal. My husband ordered the lamb saddle and there was an issue with the computer when the waiter entered it so it didn't go through which took us a little longer to get our food. They gave us a free appetizer as an apology without even saying anything. The food was great and the service even better it was honestly the best thing about our hotel, the restaurant overshadowed the hotel.

Stayed at the Thompson Hotel for 2 nights, and had breakfast here on 2 mornings. Service was good, food was delicious. The scrambled eggs were a perfect start to the day! Highly recommend!

A short ten minute walk to breakfast. Unique foods and attentive service. Close to everything and very good!

We were visiting our grandson at college and told him to pick a great place for dinner. We all like fish, but I don't like fish that had to be thawed to be cooked. The my grandson and wife had great appetizers from a long selection and we all had fish for our main course. The dining room is large but you have a sense of coziness; the service was non-rushed and very professional

Ate at the bar first night and had such a good meal I went back again. Second trip; sat at the chef bar, had oysters - perfectly shucked and dressed, scallop tartare that was amazing. Both nights had halbut with morels. Awesome. Serice was amazing. Perfect dining experience. Twice in a row.

Me and my girlfriends walked a long way from hotel to come to place only to be disappointed.. the waitress was stuffy and wasn't helpful in helping understand the menu..

I can’t say enough good things about Nico. Whether popping in for a quick lunch or leisure dinner, every visit to Nico will exceed expectations. Recently visited over the weekend with friends from out of town, and Edwin, Jaime, Rudy, and Enrique welcomed us like old friends and treated us like celebrities. The food is incredible: tasty, fresh, hot, and beautiful. Portion sizes are just what you’d hope for. Cocktails and wine selection are both vast and reasonable. The staff are top notch, anticipating every whim and exceeding every expectation. I wholeheartedly and frequently recommend this establishment because of the team, especially. They’ve never steered me wrong. I appreciate the proficiency, professionalism, warmth, kindness, passion, and unrivaled experiences provided, and look forward to many more.

I love everything about this restaurant! The staff is very friendly, food amazing and the Thompson hotel that houses this restaurant is fabulous! All around a recommendation when in the Chicago Gold Coast area!!

Nice homemade breads with olives. Dishes where overly salted. Ribeye tartare was soso. Stuffed Calamari also too much salt. Gnocchi was decent. Service was friendly and helpful.

Okay, so the title of my review may not mean anything to you unless you are from the UK, but I guess it gives you a clue that the gnocchi is just superb. If fact we ate as a group with a selection of dishes so we could try lots of things and it was all really good. The vegan in our group was also very well cared for. It's not a cheap option, but it certainly is a very good one and highly recommended.

Our food was really average at best... - Bruschetta: Came on a very thick bread, which was tasteless and barely fresh. - Tuna Crudo: was good and fresh, but so small that it was pretty much 2 bites. For $19! - The summer zucchini pasta dish was good,but certainly far from outstanding - The Olive Oil cake was so dry and tasteless that even 2 people could not finish it despite being a small portion... - The service was very pleasant though. But not the food... I would rather recommend the other 2 restaurants across the street...

Our family had a lovely dinner outside. The service was excellent and the waiter very knowledgeable. The wine list was good and had met our needs. We started with salads and 3 of us followed with different pasta dishes. 2 of the 3 were very good . The gnocchi didn’t have much flavor . Hard to taste the peas and mushrooms. Our son had the branzino which was excellent. He could have probably split it but we didn’t know that. We have eaten here several times and consistently is good.

My wife and I went there for brunch on Sunday and sat by the bar. We ordered some beers and checked the menu in the meantime. The restaurant and the bar are apart from each other and they are set within beautiful Thompson hotel. The bartenders were very nice and knowledgeable and we had a very good time chatting with them. We ordered brussels bruchetta for which Nico Osteria is apparently known and I must admit it was amazing! The course were Nico hamburger and Bolognese Rigatoni and both were delicious and flavorful . I like when burgers are simple and made from good quality beef and that`s what you can find in Nico. My wife`s pasta was al dente with great sauce and poached egg which could be a little bit more runny but poached eggs are tricky :) We finished with some drinks, very good quality and very tasty. I recommend Nico`s gin drink with thyme on the top. They also carry Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon which is not very common to find at the bars (goes for $25 for 2oz of 10 years old which is worth a try). We still want to try their dinner menu in the future so we will be visiting again for sure.

Had both a lunch and a breakfast here. The lunch was excellent- had an open faced tuna sandwich. Melt in your mouth delicious. Sat outside on the sidewalk café. Great for people watching and remarkably good weather. (That is not guaranteed). For breakfast had eggs with a corn hash. While it wasn't what I expected, it was delicious. The food is fresh and seasonal.

We each had a bowl of soup, I had the tortellini soup, which was good, but not incredible, and my mother ordered the minestrone, which she devoured every drop of. I tasted hers and it was awesome. The olive bread that came at the beginning made me feel like I was in Puglia: if they offer it, accept it! The orzo salad was hearty and fantastic and I'm not a huge fan of salads when eating out. I added shrimp to it, because I wanted some protein and it was a good choice. Helpful staff and beautiful decor made this a 5-star lunch. I should mention that since we were dining by the kitchen, we got a whiff and a visual of every burger that came out of the door...when I go back, I'm going to get a burger for sure, but was still pleased with my healthy choices.

We dined at Nico Osteria to celebrate our wedding anniversary. What a wonderful place! We were greeted in such a welcoming manner, and they acknowledged our anniversary right away! Our seat was by a window. Our server, Jasmine, was terrific and an integral part of the reason we had such an amazing experience. She knew exactly the beer to recommend for my husband and the perfect choices for our food. Her suggestion for the appetizer of brussel sprout bruschetta was spot-on. For our entrees we chose the house-made rigatoni bolognese and the halibut. Both were so delicious!! And the desserts......oh my! We were surprised with two scrumptious desserts, complements of the restaurant. Additionally, all of the staff were very attentive throughout our dinner. I heartily recommend Nico Osteria!

I had the orecchiette with bigeye tuna for a late lunch and it was fantastic! I also had the apple crostata. My server was very attentive and I never had to ask for a water refill.

Super, this restaurant is great. Beautiful welcome ,excellent service, the food is unbelievable. Fantastic wine list. The crudo that we had was to die for. One of the best restaurants that I have been. Knowledgeable staff, all together a place that you must go if you want to have great food.

This restaurant is not only pleasant, in terms of atmosphere, but remarkable for its amazingly tasty variations on an Italian theme.

When dining out, 19 times out of 20, neither my wife nor I order fish. So when the front desk of the Four Seasons suggested Nico's, we hesitatingly accepted. Because we had been shopping prior to dinner, we were both in nice jeans and were a bit afraid we'd be under-dressed. Arriving at 8p, the scene was a mix of business professionals in suits and ties, and others along the lines of "smart casual." Tables are tightly configured, and I was surprised that I wasn't distracted by conversations on either side of us. The staff was super attentive. Their wine list is enormous, though with most being from the Continent, I was lost in it. I elected one from their short list of recommendations on the front page, and it was fantastic. We enjoyed sashimi with scallions and sweet grape tomatoes to start. For mains, we had their rigatoni in bolognese and their sole. The bolognese -- as I came to understand -- is cooked and reduced over 24 hours thus is a dark, carmelized brown that has hints of maple in it (at least for me!). It was surprisingly light and absolutely delicious. The sole was perfect: firm with big chunks of almonds and buttery glaze. Because we announced we would share our entrees, they brought them out in sequence -- first the pasta then the fish. This allowed us to have a wonderfully leisurely meal and to really explore the tastes and textures of each course. We finished it all off with a salad of greens, tomatoes, and a lite vinaigrette. Perfect!

If you are looking for a spot to have a business lunch or enjoy an afternoon lunch this is the place to go. The service is impeccable, friendly, knowledgeable but not pushy. The atmosphere is a bit hip, techno with great bar space where you can see your food being prepared. The food is prepared perfectly. I had a starter Caesar salad perfectly prepared, shaved Parmesan, romaine lettuce with just enough dressing with bits of soft boiled egg and olives. Nice touch. For the main course I had thinly sliced grilled chicken sandwich constructed perfectly. The chicken was goosed in a pesto sauce layered with avocado, maple smoked bacon and with grilled red onions served on toasted sourdough bread. Yum!!! The perfect combination of sweet, savory, salty and crunch. The sandwich was served with their rosemary, parsley fries. Nice touch and taste. I have probably said perfect too much but I think you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!!! I hope you do.

The food was yummy the service could have been better. Nice neighbourhood of Chicago and the interior of the restaurant is really nice!

All fresh ingredients perfectly prepared. Friendly, helpful service will direct you to order the right thing. Downtown in the loop.

Nico Osteria from One Off Hospitality Group is one of my favorite restaurants in the Gold Coast because never fails to deliver a great Italian seafood meal. Brunch on Sundays... sitting in the outside area is great for people watching. The decor is great and very appropriate for the location inside the Thompson Hotel. The service is consistent for the most part, unless they are very busy when it gets a little slow. The food is not the traditional Italian (family style) cuisine but a more sophisticated version with plates that are easier to share. My favorite dishes are the stuffed pappardelle, pan seared gnocchi, meatballs and burrata. The hotel also has a bar area behind the restaurant great for pre-dinner drinks!!!

Super breakfast. Great menu with choices for everyone. Can recommend the Greek yoghurt and the avocado toast. Service was good with plenty of coffee being served.

A very nice dinner after travel to our nearby hotel. A nice stroll to the restaurant, the staff was very accommodating. Service was good. We started with the charred octopus and oysters on the half shell—both very good. My son and I had the crab cioppino. We prepare this dish every Christmas as a tradition and I must admit Nico’s was a vast improvement over our family recipe (time to innovate!). My daughter had the sturgeon which she raved about. My wife had the brussel sprouts with prosciutto which she really liked. The roasted peppers and spinach were great sides. Very nice experience, check it out!

....and as the Gibson's was too crowded I decided spontaneous for Nico across the street. Friendly welcome and I got a space at the bar, across the kitchen. I ordered a Wagyu Tartar as starter and Spaghetti Cacio & Pepe. In general the chefs are (too) generous and flavoured both dishes too much and the Tartar in addition too much salt. Nevertheless I had a good time by watching the busy chefs in the kitchen. I will try again when I'm back since I'd like the ambient and the friendly service.

Very high end food. The prices were not cheap, but reasonable for quality. it is also a beautiful space. The lay out is open and modern. The only complaint was that the service was a bit spotty, We had to wait almost 20 minutes after our reservation, even though we arrived early.

It took an hour and a half to bring us the main dish. This was after the Manager got involved. Amazing.

We needed a quick lunch so we decided to eat in the hotel. This was a good choice a service was quick and the food quite good. Nice place. w

The building at 1015 North Rush Street, at Bellevue, has been occupied by more than a few hotels and restaurants since we moved into the Gold Coast neighborhood in 1983. But if the food and the patrons and the critics are an indication, it appears that Nico Osteria has found a permanent home. Located in the Thompson Chicago Hotel, across the street from Gibson's, it is open from 7 to 10 daily and attracts rave reviews for its breakfast menu and its Italian seafood. Credit goes to executive chef Jacob Verstegen. This isn't what you would describe as a traditional or conventional eatery. No shrimp cocktail. No calamari. No Caesar salad. No creme brulee. No tiramisu. My wife and I started with brussels sprouts bruschetta with lemon honey, seared scallops and a salad with mixed greens, radish, cucumber, goat cheese and espelette vinaigrette. For entrees, we favored our more fish/less meat philosophy, especially when I noticed Branzino on the menu. For her entree, my wife chose grouper with rye berry risotto, shrimp, spinach and sweet corn. Grouper is one of the ugliest fish in the ocean but it is delicious. If it's on the menu, my wife usually orders it. Me, too, when it comes to Branzino. I was introduced to this delicious, light but meaty Mediterranean fish that resembles Lake Superior whitefish a few years ago in Florida. Ever since, whenever it appears on a menu, I order it. Nico Osteria's version comes with cabbage, cherry tomato, dill and white wine sauce. For dessert, we shared cheesecake with warmed peaches in brown butter and panna cotta with blueberries and gelato. With nearby Tavern on Rush closing and Carmine's going out of business for 15 months for a renovation, Nico Osteria should become even more popular.

Nico was our first meal for our visit back to Chicago after several years away, and it was right up there with the best food we’ve had. We started with the Brussels sprout bruschetta which was superb. Bs’s fried in balsamic vinegar with honey and hazelnuts, piled on fresh burratta cheese and bread. Is your mouth watering yet? Next, we shared the gnocchi in brown butter with fresh peas and sautéed mushrooms. Heavenly. These apps were followed by bass cooked perfectly, veal and whole branzino. My husband had the meatballs and polenta app, which could have been a meal in itself. Dessert was gelato, but they brought us a complimentary tiramisu as well. I love this place. You will too. Go.

May have been the first time eating in the Viagra Triangle but guess its about time. Classic service, good spacing between tables, conversational noise level, and well-made dishes. The Tramin Stoan wine was excellent, cold and refreshing. Started with a few oysters and the ribeye tartare either of which were the likely source of some later discomfort. We choose the orecchiette and gnocchi both simply presented and have to admit better than my home made versions. Finished with grappa and expresso. Overall a pleasant dining experience.