Nicola's Ristorante

Fine-dining Italian restaurant in a building that was once a barn for the city's 19th-century incline trolleys. Approaching 30 years of operation, consistently AAA 4-Diamond rated. Nicola Pietoso opened on Tax Day 1996 when people said a fine-dining restaurant in Over-the-Rhine would never work—he proved them wrong. When his beloved wife Maureen passed and Nicola faced a cancer diagnosis, son Cristian (already a respected chef/owner with his own restaurants) took over operations. Nicola is now cancer-free and runs the restaurant's wine program. All pastas, desserts, and breads handmade fresh daily. Famous bread basket. 5-course Chef Crafted Grand Tasting Experience. Private dining rooms for up to 80 guests. Valet parking available ($10 Mon–Thu, $15 Fri–Sat). In March 2025, owners announced plans to move to 127 W. Fourth St. (former Pigall's space) in 2026. As of January 2026, Chef Cristian reversed course, citing patron feedback about the original building's significance—Nicola's will remain at the Sycamore Street location.