Casa di Nico

6.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  6     

Overall restaurant is above average compared to the other restaurants at King Street Wharf but not noteworthy.

We went here on a saturday night. The location is nice with good views. Generally good ambience. We didn't have a reservation but when we arrived, the waiters were helpful and found us a free table quick enough. We found the service was above average. The waiters were not pushy, generally helpful and knew what they were doing.

We ordered and the food arrived within a reasonable amount of time. They could've had a couple more waiters that took orders because at times when we wanted to order extra drinks or dessert, we did find it a bit of a chore to find a waiter and flag one over but otherwise, this was just a minor issue.

The food was generally good quality. I had the mushroom pasta which was very well cooked. The pasta was cooked just right, not too soft and the sauce was nice and creamy with plenty of mushrooms. My friend had the beef meddallion and it was cooked beautifully, medium just as ordered. Portions were not very large but generally fine.

Apr 09, 2012 

1.5 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

How long does it take to get glass of water around here? I was in drought country! No one came to ask if we needed anything or was comfortable. Had to call the waitress multiple times for water. That was after one hour of waiting for water which was ordered at the start. We had pizza entree without anything to drink!.

Finally after 1 hour and 30 minutes the drink was served we asked for the bill. The meal came 20 minutes later. The spaghetti bolognese was bland and no flavor. Left and went to McDonald instead for service and flavour

Feb 19, 2012 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

I had a red balloons voucher which included a three course dinner plus a complimentary drink for two. Booked on a Saturday night. Arrived and we're seated. The service we received was friendly and efficient.

Our starters consisted of Bruschetta and Arancini Balls (smoked mozarella and pumpkin) with a woodfire pizza that had sun dried tomatoes, italian sausage, mushrooms and olives. Very nice.

Our mains included veal on a bed of creamy garlic potatoes served with tomatoes with a panfried gnocchi. Decent sized servings (could have been larger) and most enjoyable.

Finally we had a pizza for dessert that was covered in chocolate with a dash of baileys and served with bananas and strawberries. Delicious.

The prices (having looked at the menu board) were quite expensive. If you're paying more than $25 for a main, the food had better be delicious and the servings on the large side. Sadly though, Sydney has reached ridiculous levels when it comes to the cost of goods and services. It's a wonder people can still afford to eat out. Being a Saturday night, it was quite busy but it didn't detract from the atmosphere which was pleasant.

My enjoyment of the experience hinges largely on the fact that I didn't have to paid. That being said however, the food was very enjoyable as was the service. Both myself and my guest gave our evening at the Casa di Nico's a thumbs up!

Jan 22, 2012 

6.3 Average

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  4     

Bit overpriced and mainly for tourist. The food wasn't too bad but for the price it could have been made more with love! Don't ask for an extra 3 prawns as they will try to charge you for an extra "prawn" pasta meal altogether. Too hard to just chuck the extra prawns in the meal you order.

No go for kitchen staff! Some kitchen staff's are just difficult and make it hard for themselves. Always after the extra $$$ and wastage. You're just paying for the view. If you want a good italian meal that is made with love, do not eat here. Cannot comment on pizzas as we didn't try them but the price on average was $26. Very average and expensive.

Jan 05, 2012 

3 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  3     

Work locally, six colleagues joined for farewell lunch 20-Dec-11. There were 35 patrons (quiet for week leading into Christmas) and nine floor staff. Waited 1h 20 minutes from placement of order for meals, s X Pizza, 1 X Lasagne, 1 X Salmon and 1 X Veal. There appeared to be several other tables sharing our frustration.

For a basic menu and plenty of staff, this is unacceptable. Just wish local restaurants looked at local staff as potential repeat customers as opposed to one-off "tourist cash".

Dec 20, 2011 

5.5 Average

Food  4      Ambience  8      Service  6      Value  4     

A very disappointing lunch experience. Ravioli of crab/lobster starter was totally bland and ordinary. The seafood risotto was underdone (rice was still al dente) and the calamari, octopus and prawns were overcooked and the dish lacking in taste. My wife's John Dory was not fresh and, again, lacking flavour. Poor choice for lunch and, definitely, not on our list to re-visit. The chefs here have to learn to taste their food before they serve it.

Oct 30, 2011 

4.8 Average

Food  4      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  5     

OK-taste food, a bit on the expensive side ($26 for a carbonara pasta?), nothing so special. Dessert (semi fredo) - very disappointed. Where is the mango? More like re-frozen vanila ice cream with chocolate chunks. Lucky we used Entertainment card, so there is a 25% discount.

Oct 25, 2011 

3.5 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  4      Service  2      Value  3     

We booked a Birthday Party here for about 25 people. Initially we were told we could have the Function Room where we could all sit together... but then they renegged saying another group had that room. The alternative was two tables, side-by-side with 10 seats each. It was kinda annoying to split the Party up and everyone had to lean over behind their chairs to talk to each other or get up and socialise.

You would think that for such a large group, the service would be extra attentive... but the Waiters were very unreliable! Lots of drinks we ordered never came! Granted, we weren't charged for them... but it was awkward for such a large group to be sitting at a table with no meals, no glasses and no drinks! Lots of waiters kept walking by and would obviously see we had nothing at our table (not even water) but the drinks were very slowly served... or not at all!

It was bizarre because we could see a few tables of two or three people who were getting constant service, but all the waiters seem to keep walking around our group...which was hard to miss because we were two long tables! In most restaurants, the Waiters are assigned a certain section of the tables to cover...but in this place, it seems the Waiters just walk around and serve anyone they feel like. We could see waiters serve a table right near the entrance, then they would walk about 500 steps away and serve a table in the far back corner. Very unorganised.

Also, we had about ten different waiters over the course of the night. It was a revolving door of staff who couldn't speak English very well, which made ordering food very difficult because it was very noisy in this venue. It was also frustrating because at times we would be looking over our shoulder, trying to flag a staff member down to order more drinks... but all the Wait Staff were congregated around the kitchen waiting for plates to be handed to them. A friend joked this place was "Organised Chaos"! The staff looked and acted like it was their first night working in a busy restaurant.

When the food finally arrived it wasn't that bad... but it wasn't that good either. I ordered the Spag Bol, which is pretty hard to stuff up... but my dish was all pasta, with a tiny bit of tomato and then an even smaller amount of meat.

Sadly, it was a dark and rainy night so that didn't help improve the atmosphere. I would not be back here in a hurry... and I feel sorry for all the Tourists around Darling Harbour who would stumble into this place and think this is how a Sydney Restaurant is run. Not impressed.

Oct 13, 2011 

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Darling Harbour's Casa di Nico, a name synonymous with quality and reliable Italian cuisine delivers on its reputation during our visit last Friday.

From a distance, Casa di Nico is a fairly unremarkable restaurant surrounded by classy venues on the harbour's waterfront and opts instead for simplicity and comfort. Inside we find pieces decoration reminiscent of Italian art such as the voluptuous sculpture of the female form which will instantly capture the attention of any adolescent patron.

Our waiter was pleasant and knowledgeable with the menu, offering insightful advice with typical Italian charm. Service was reasonably brisk considering the number of patrons at the venue that evening.

There is a selection of wood fired pizzas on offer with perfectly cooked thin crusts and subtle smoky flavours. However, topping amount was lacking and a slight disappointment. There is a wide range of pastas here with the beef lasagne declaring its Italian heritage through its thick savoury sauce and layers of hearty mince beef. Slices of eggplant add richness and texture to the overall dish.

The Spaghetti Boscaiola, which should be a signature dish in any decent Italian dining establishment lives up to expectations, with it's delicious slices of mushrooms covered with creamy and rich sauce. Unfortunately, it would have been more suited to the vegetarian section of the menu, as not a single piece of the advertised double smoked ham was to be found anywhere.

We found this establishment to be a little overpriced given its minor flaws, but with many other redeeming features, this is a highly recommended Italian offering.

Jun 09, 2011 

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  5      Ambience  4      Service  1      Value  1     

Met at the front by rude staff and felt like it was an inconvenience. Took 20 minutes to get a drink and it was not busy. Pizza was good but did not get asked how meal was or offers a second drink. Was looking forward to a wine and some dessert but they do not deserve any more money or time. Almost walked out just before first drink arrived. Long way to go if I am to recommend them.

May 11, 2011