trattoria san nicola

i came to san nicola with my greek family this past weekend and was very surprised by the good reviews. first, we had a reservation and waited over 20 minutes for a table of five. when we finally sat down our waitress was very short with us. the food was tasty, but unfortunately on the cold side. it is located conveniently for me and that's why we went, but for now i will stick with other restaurants near me.

delicious lasagne & pleasant service but browned house salad & small glasses of wine for price.

business dinner gone wrong. my past visit to san nicola's was terrible. i was out on a business dinner with new clients. our entrees were cold when served and a client's filet de manzos was served well-done when asked for medium-rare. i seldom send anything back to the kitchen but in this case i agreed that the steak was over cooked.

20minutes later a new steak arrived slightly seared, aka raw!!! i showed the waiter whom profusely apologized and was so kind to bring the manager to remedy the situation. i was grateful for their apologies but at this point my clients and i wanted to pay the bill and leave. the manager seemed to understand but the chef came out and was outraged. he yelled at our entire table, keep in mind i am out for a business dinner! the chef told us that we had no right to send the steak back and to "never return ... and tell your friends to never return" to top it off they attempted to charge me for the two steaks we sent back.

obviously we would not return even if we were welcome. what an embarrassing business dinner.

excellent meal, professional service, lovely atmosphere. my husband and i enjoyed a wonderful meal at sannicola last evening. we had reservations and were seated promptly. service was very professional - attentive without being intrusive or inappropriately chummy. the food was just what we were looking for. i had a meal of broiled scallops and shrimp that had a light olive oil/lemon juice dressing with herbs and a side of steamed vegetables. everything was cooked to perfection. the scallops were sweet and tender. the shrimp large and flavorful. my husband had one of the evening specials - groupper. it was juicy and flavorful, topped with olives and capers in a marinara sauce. the dinner rolls were warm and fresh. and the server graciously doubled plated our single order of salad so that we could share it. the decor is attractive with scenes of italy painted on the walls by the owner's wife. all in all, a great way to spend a friday evening. we will be back.

i hate to be harsh and speak poorly of a business just trying to make it, but i’m still a little bitter about spending almost $40 (i may have had a glass of wine or two…) on a dinner that left me so disappointed.

encore to opera night!. being a fan of opera and good italian food, what a delight it was to have had dinner last week at san nicola paoli. it was a wonderful evening where the music and food were worth many encores. the service was excellent too, and considering that every table was taken, i was impressed at how great the wait staff handled everything so well. i have been to san nicola a number of times, and it seems as if every visit is even better than the last.

we have been going here for 5 years now, but as of last night, i would rather go to mcdonalds. the service, food quality and atmosphere have just completely dropped out of site here. save your money for a place that actually wants to be in business! what a shame.

great local eatery. what a pleasurable dining experience! while this is not fine dining, nor gourmet, it is quality, fresh, and ample portions for very fair prices. great for those looking for a casual dining experience, with kids, or dining out on a moderately priced budget. steamed calamari & eggplant involtini appetizers were $6.75. a double house salad feeds 4 was $12. pasta dishes were great and are ~ $14. special baked fish of the day (branzino) was $22 (this was the only disappointment of the meal, as it was dry and of only moderate portion). corkage charge was waived for us, but it might be $10. the other couple and we would definitely return!!

...i had the ravioli and the presentation was lovely, very pretty, but the sauce was lacking in flavor and too oily.

great food and sercvice. we are always pleased with our food at san nicola, always flavorful and fresh. the staff is friendly, the portions are decent and the prices are reasonable for an upscale place.

delicious!!!. i loved san nicola.... i went to the one in berwyn for valentine's day and it was amazing. i'm super picky about italian food (too spoiled by my amazing cook of a grandmom) but i was so happy with my meal. i had the arugula salad and rigatoni with veggies and ended by sharing tiramisu with my boyfriend - though i wish i had gotten my own!

what a find!. all i can say is, "wow!" what a find. we go out quite a bit, and we were so happy with san nicola. the bartender (we ate at the bar) was so friendly and right on with serving us apps and meal. the food - ahh. what can i say? fantastic. the prices!? i don't know where and how they do it! i haven't seen prices that low for years and years.

we will be back. many, many times. it's worth the drive from our home in the lancaster/western chester county area.