Nina's Italian Ristorante

09/01/2008 Posted by Italiagreek

Nina's was a great find ... a friend had read in an airline magazine about the top 10 Italian restaurants and Nina's was one - we sought it out a couple of times (was closed on Mondays and once on vacation) but finally was able to dine there. It was superb! The atmosphere was quaint, the service was personalized and professional and the food and wine were excellent! Highly recommend!

04/23/2008 Posted by dray4244

Well - Nina's was a good restaurant years ago when it first opened.. then we moved away and I recently saw an ad in a magazine suggesting it had won some number 1 awards etc.. so we figured on a drive to try it again for a good sure thing meal. Wow! What a disapointment. First of all.. they have a very large wine list - most of which is all Italian, which could be a good thing - but not without descriptions or tasting notes. They mark up all of their wines over 50% which I think is ludicrous... AND - here's my peeve on paying that premium for the wines - they serve them at above room temps! they wines sit on a very nice looking wall with spot lights on them.. which heats up the wines.. and then they serve them.. overpriced.. warm wine. NOT my idea of a number 1 rated wine restaurant??? I think that ad was paid for. Ok.. so they'll make it up with the food. I ordered a chicken dish off of the main menu that was supposed to come with shrimp and spinach inside. Eventually.. the dish came and it was chicken with a scallop and asparagus ??? What the hell?? The waitress said the chef had to substitute because they were out of some ingredients. I HATE asapragus! (oh and the scallop was undercooked in my opinion). Call me a complainer.. (not usually) - but I did not find this place worthy of the ratings it has received. We did not have dessert, or coffee. We will not be going back. Too bad - it's a nice looking place - and it had great potential - it's obvious their previous success went to their heads and the quality has just gone down hill.

Pros: Conveniently located in a populated area of North Raleigh

Cons: Wine prices, wine temperatures, and food quality

04/04/2008 Posted by ncfoodman

We ate at Nina's on a whim early on a Friday night. I phoned for reservations and the hostess was able to fit us in at 6. The restaurant was practically empty (surprising considering how full the hostess said the reservation list was) and we were seated right away. The bread was incredible as was the concoction it comes with (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, grated parmesan and some other things they wouldn't tell us about). My wife ordered the eggplant rollantini appetizer with the house salad, and I ordered the ravioli con salmone. The salad was quite nice, with fresh tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese. I'm not a fan of eggplant but my wife loved it. It comes with a marinara sauce that I found a bit bland (I like a bold, spicy marinara and that's hard to find in a restaurant around here). The ravioli sauce had a wonderfully complex flavor that made me order extra bread just to sop it up. The salmon was perfectly cooked, moist and flavorful and the fresh ravioli was delicious. My one (small) complaint was that the food wasn't as warm as I'd have liked, which I found inexplicable considering that the restaurant wasn't very busy. Hopefully that's a one-time thing as I intend to return to Ninas and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fresh, nicely prepared Italian food that goes beyond the traditional lasagne and spaghetti. As we were leaving, the restaurant was starting to fill up and the parking lot had turned into a jousting arena, so I'd recommend making reservations and arriving early to find parking!

Pros: Wonderful bread, well-prepared dishes

Cons: the parking lot

01/11/2008 Posted by rosiesdad

We read this place had won an award in a airplane magazine, so I thought we would try it. On a wednesday night it should not be too crowded, well after being seated with our reservation for 7:00. It was very packed and very loud. Good wine selection but the appetizer came cold. After a very good bread and oil we became impatient, we ordered another tray of bread cause the meals were taking to long.The waiter came out with our food, put it down on the tray and proceeded to fill another tables water glasses!, All of our meals were cold , or warm at best. Not a very "Best italian in Raleigh" .

Pros: tasty, authentic

Cons: need more waiters, serve hotter food, speed it up

10/10/2007 Posted by sammie27

My husband and I had reservations Monday night for our 24th anniversary. Chris, the owner, had taken the reservation and put us in a romantic corner table in the back of the restaurant. Steve, is one of the most professional servers we have ever had. I started with the mussel appetizer, which was superb, sweet succulent baby clams in wine sauce. I had to stop dipping the delicious crusty Italian bread into the juices to save room for my entree. My husband had Eggplant Rollantini, eggplant rolled with fresh Ricotta, other cheeses and baked to perfection in delicious homemade Marinara sauce. The Ceasare salad needed extra dressing, but otherwise good. My husband had Veal Saltinbocca as an entree. Tender thin veal cutlets baked with spinach, prosciutto, cheeses in an el egant Marsala sauce. The chef made my dinner from my specifications, Veal Napoletano, tender sliced veal with fresh mushrooms, peppers, onions and garlic in Marinara sauce baked to perfection with a side order of gnocchi, potato, ricotta pasta in Bolognese sauce with grated Romano cheese. The Tiramisu for desert was the best that my husband and I have ever had. We are both Italian decent and know how the food is supossed to taste. Nina's is without a doubt our favorite restaurant. We live 1 1/2 hrs. away and will be making the trip often. We also give all of the staff, chefs and especially our server Steve 5 stars. It was busy for a Monday night with very large tables. All of the servers helped one another and were consistent, professional and personable to each other and all of the patrons in the restaurant. Nick & Barbara Fallucca Greenville, NC

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08/01/2007 Posted by krstvan

We have enjoyed Nina's on several occasions. The waitstaff is exemplary. Steve has waited on us many times. His serivce marks the most professional representation of any restaurant in Raleigh. The food is exceptional and there was no rush to our dining experience. Nina, the owner, is extremely in tune with her patrons. The wine and champagne were fantastic. We highly recommend this restaurant...what a local diamond in the rough! Thanks for making our ninth and tenth anniversary memorable.

Pros: no rush to finish your dining experience

Cons: none at this time

06/29/2007 Posted by sugarach13

I'm Italian, I love Italian food, and Nina's was extremely dissapointing. They have an excellent wine list and superb bread...but what is about it! We were seated immediately when we arrived but it took our waitor about 20 minutes to acknolwdge us (we were about to leave when he came over). We ordered an appetizer or mussels and had about one and did not enjoy them. Take it we LOVE mussels and couldn't even attempt to eat them. The sauce was wine/beer/peppers, it really did not work, it made the fish smell not so good. Our dinners were not tasty, and honestly I would have rather go to Oliver Garden than go back to Nina's. Too expensive for low quality Italian Food.

Pros: Extensive Wine List

Cons: Everything else.

11/12/2006 Posted by califdrmn99

I just love Nina's. Everything is consistently good. The food, the service, the atmosphere. We have been here many times and have never been disappointed. We often just stay in the bar. The regulars are friendly and will usually start talking to you! We have dined here with a large group and and loved the round table. It helped everyone stay in the same cdonversation.

Pros: It's all good at NIna's!

Cons: None

11/06/2006 Posted by mshell1029

I travel to the Raleigh area frequently and Nina's is the one restaurant I visit each time I'm in the area. The staff has always been friendly and accomodating. I've never had a bad experience here and the food has always exceeded my expectations. The owners often check in with their guests and have remembered me from past visits making it feel like a family atmosphere. If you're looking for a quick bite to eat, this is not the place for you. Nina's is the kind of restaurant where you take your time to enjoy everything you are being served.

11/06/2006 Posted by red_blue

Me and my wife rarely get out so on the rare occasion I always have my fingers crossed when trying out a new place. We decided on Ninas based off of a coworkers recommendation. It was a little crowded but very welcoming. The food was impressively good and our waiter was very friendly. I would definitely recommend the calamari and the ravioli with salmon. We actually got to meet Nina at the bar area after dinner and ended up feeling like I was a regular by the way she welcomed us. My wife is very picky and she was pleased as well. I would definitely recommend Ninas to others.

Pros: Comfortable, welcoming, delicious

Cons: make a reservation, can get busy