Nocciola Ristorante

This place is a neighborhood gem. I had the specials: pear salad and salmon with Brussel sprouts. Both were delicious. And the atmosphere is super romantic. The service is phenomenal. Definitely will be back!

Spent $ 105.00 for 3 plates of pasta, 3 glasses of wine and 1 espresso. Food was good but left hungry. Just not enough pasta on the plate to warrant paying that much. Picked up a pizza on the way home. This is East Harlem and they probably won’t survive very long if they don’t either bulk up the plates and/​or lower their prices a bit. This area just cannot support a restaurant at these prices. Heck, even Perkins up on E 125^th St. went out of business after only about a year!

Great food, OK service.
I came here for my birthday brunch this past weekend to take advantage of their 13.95 unlimited drinks special. Take note that it’s only for one hour, not 2. This was disappointing, but no big deal.
When we were ready to order, I noticed that our waiter didn’t write anything down. because of this, he mixed up our drink and food orders a few times (wrong style of eggs, forgetting drinks altogether, etc), having to come back to the table more than twice to get things straight when he could have just written it down. The bread, while tasty with the pesto sauce, was cold, which definitely took away from how good it could’ve been.
Now for the positive: Once we received our meals, they were actually amazing. I got the steak and eggs with a side salad and potatoes. Everything was great. Steak cooked medium was juicy and flavorful, eggs were fluffy and the potatoes were soooo good, lightly seasoned to perfection.
2 of my friends ordered the «two eggs any style» meal which came with some kind of sausage that they both raved about. I didn’t get to try any myself but their reaction leads me to believe it was pretty great. My other friend had the French toast, which I was able to try a small bite of, and it was just the bees knees, honey. The nutella-​honey-​butter-​syrup stuff they put on the side really took it over the edge. While it was very light, (my girl said she was hungry again like an hour later) you always have the option to throw in a side for a few extra bucks.
The waiter killed our vibe a bit, but the chef brought it home. I’ll definitely be back again.

Quite honestly, the best restaurant in New York. Dine in, you will have a wonderful meal (all courses), and perfectly good wine, by friendly waiters; order in, food arrives hot and fast, the pasta still al sent and steaming. Meatballs melt in your mouth.
The best. Enjoy :)

Just trying a few appetizers before I fully invest. Meatballs are pretty good. Just enough flavor in the sauce and just enough bite to the meatball. A nice feature to the menu is the option of dishes in appetizer or full size; this give the option to try a few different dishes… Tried the spaghetti carbonara. Served with a raw egg on top. Enjoyable but it’s missing something. I will try it again on my next visit. I’ll give them time to master the recipe… No viola is a nice addition to the neighborhood… Can’t wait to try some other dishes.
Back again for a 3^rd time. Tried the grilled octopus. Surprised that it was served with chick peas but the combo was very exciting. Kalmata olives. With and arugula side salad… a taste bud roller coaster ride

Enjoyed our experience here very much. A group of seven of us came in and were thrilled to find their happy hour deals. Tried a variety of different drinks – some better than others, several on the list they didn’t have in stock – and had at least one of every happy hour small plate. I thought most everything tastes good, especially the meatballs, rice balls and the calamari, which was fried but not overly battered. The service was friendly and good. I would definitely return.

I had dinner here yesterday with my fiancé and it was our first time eating here. I loved the ambiance, very homely and intimate. It wasn’t a full house so it wasn’t noisy and we had a bit of privacy. The service was good and our server was very helpful with helping us make decision on what to eat. I had the tagliatelle ngeri, made with tomato sauce and my favorite seafoods like clams, mussels and shrimps. My second option was linguini vongole but I’m glad I went with tagliatelle ngeri because it tasted so good and rich in flavor. My fiancé had the gnocchi and I know he loved it because he finished his food so fast that I’m pretty sure he set a record. This is like a hidden gem and I’m glad we found out about it. We plan on coming again for brunch especially for the unlimited mimosa.
I recommend this place for all the Italian food lovers. They make an authentic Italian cuisine you will truly enjoy and make you even think like you’re in Italy.

We dined here twice and have left very satisfied and content. Their pastas are amazing from the spaghetti, baked ziti, ravioli and more. The restaurant is very elegant and sophisticated, which makes it a true gem in the El Barrio (East Harlem) neighborhood.
Their wines and Bellini cocktails were a great accompaniment to the (pasta, steak) dishes and overall atmosphere. The waiter comes to grate fresh cheese over your pasta. The waiters and waitresses are very polite and professional.
There was a time when we waited a while for the check, after we had asked for it (about 30 minutes wait). We were not sure if they forgot about us or wanted us to stay longer, because the restaurant was not as busy.
However, I loved the candlelight at the tables and the romantic Italian main courses, desserts and drinks. I highly recommend any of their pastas or appetizers!

Everything about this place is perfect. I came here with a bunch of my friends when it just opened. The waiter was friendly and enthusiastic about the meal choices and shared his suggestions with zeal. The place was a good size enough not to me to loud and you can have a good conversation with out feeling like you are in a loud club. The food was excellent. My favorite dish was the goat cheese ravioli and the sausage pasta dish. The goat cheese ravioli was light fresh and tart with spice I loved it.

After sorting through reviews of various Italian places my family decided we meet here on a Friday night early February. My aunt had made a reservation for the six of us for 5:30. There wasn’t a lot of people in the place but the staff was very friendly and attentive throughout the whole evening.
When everyone got there we ordered a bottle of Malbec and one of us had the peach bellini — very pungent citrus taste with a sweetened additive of peach schnapps. Along with drinks we had a few appetizers including beet salad with goat cheese, fingerling potatoes in a lemon herb rub, octopus salad with a side of couscous, head of lettuce Caesar style and stuffed mushrooms. Everything was delicious and well seasoned. Homemade bread and EVOO with pesto sauce is available with table service. For the entrees, everyone got something different: butternut squash ravioli, gnocchi with lamb ragu, NY Sirloin steak, pasta bolognese, cheese ravioli and someone got fish. Nocciola prides itself on their homemade pasta which was for most perfect but I agree with previous posts in regards to the gnocchi. It looks and tastes like a long fat piece of pasta dough was cut into thick slices and cooked. Not really what I’d expect but will go to their pasta shop and buy it and make it home to see if there’s a difference — stay tuned!
The price for appetizers, entrees and drinks seemed fairly reasonable for NYC restaurant pricing. The ambiance was romantic and rustic with a lot of wood and dimmed lighting. Warning for the technology inept: the bathroom has an automatic trash bin, no need to touch the buttons on the top just simply wave one’s hand over it and it will open by itself. The location is in what I think is considered Spanish Harlem, above the Upper East Side. Seems like a nice neighborhood. Lots of street parking is available but metered. We came on a Friday and one of us got a spot right outside the restaurant. Overall, I would recommend trying this place out if you’re in the area.

Nocciola, I finally made it! Tucked away in East Harlem, this intimately-​lit, cozy restaurant is bursting with flavor. It features a very narrow bar, incredibly friendly staff, heavenly short rib ravioli, and lots of exposed brick. It would be an adorable place for a date night. It’s very reasonably priced, but I can’t speak for the alcohol since we weren’t drinking.
I stopped in last Sunday, with the lovely Mardory V., for a delightful dinner after my hellish afternoon in the Emergency Room… don’t worry, my toe didn’t turn out to be broken.
It was fairly crowded when we arrived, and the only two tables unfortunately were directly in front of the door. It was freezing outside, and once the other parties began to leave, my companion and I were stung by the brutal draft. But that was probably the worst thing we encountered here, so that’s not horrible. I wouldn’t recommend coming here if you’re in a hurry because service was lagging a bit between courses, and it wasn’t too swift when we were trying to grab the check. Again, for these to be my biggest grievances, this place is doing pretty well.
Now, the food was absolutely delicious! For starters, we had the house focaccia served with arugula and walnut pesto. The pesto was great– light, nutty, and not too much cheese. The bread was a bit dry and I hope that’s not the norm, but it was still full of rosemary and overall, not bad.
Mardory and I shared a small plate of Short Rib Ravioli (5 pieces), which was absolutely amazing! The short rib was perfectly done, and so tender. The ravioli were bathed in a delicious savory jus, topped with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan… mmm. I will admit the jus was A TAD under-​seasoned, but honestly less than one smidgen– I mean an actual smidgen, measured– of salt needed to perfect this. I would return solely for this dish, but everything else was truly amazing.
I had the chicken saltimbocca, which has prosciutto and sage, and is served in a bed of polenta with a bit of broccolini. The chicken breast was tender, the sauce was what I wanted out of the short rib jus– this was perfect. I was much too full to eat all of the creamy polenta on the plate but that was really a great complement to the other flavors on the plate. Mardory had the salmon, which was also mouth-​watering. I could go on and on, but I’d just make myself hungry for another night at Nocciola. Can’t wait for round two!

Been here for brunch a couple of times, unlimited mimosas and steak and egg whites YUM!
I got a medium well steak, it was GREAT! Nice size and seasoned well. Very juicy! I just loved every bite! My eggwhites were perfect too! Fluffy and went great with the side of arugula they added.
Haven’t been for dinner yet I’m so looking forward to having one of their pasta dishes!
I do have pix, recommend this place as well!
Attentive staff and food is on point! Bonus that it’s walking distance from my place :-) yay me!

Came to this little place in East Harlem with a small group of friends for one of our friend’s birthdays. There wasn’t too many people there, but again the restaurant was small. There was a comfortable ambiance about the dimly lit restaurant that I liked.
After we ordered, bread and pesto was brought to our table. The nicely seasoned focaccia went perfectly with the pesto, a good start to our food experience. However, the food took a longer time to get to the table than we expected, which did not go over too well with my hungry self.
When the food finally got to the table, all was well. I ordered the gnocchi with lamb ragu, which was delicious. The homemade gnocchi was incredibly pillowy, paired with the lamb ragu made a perfect match. The rest of my table seemed fairly satisfied with their dishes of short rib ravioli and carbonara as well.
Overall, I would definitely recommend coming to this place because of the great food, just come with a bit more patience than I did cause the service might be slow

Nous nous sommes régalés. Pâtes cuites à la perfection. Assaisonnement précis. Copieux. Possibilité de choisir des demi parts. Un bon moment. Seule la carbonara n’a pas tenue ses promesses, pourtant cuisinée sans crème comme en Italie. Agréable à manger tout de même.
Service soigné et de bon conseil.
Salle jolie mais petite environ 30 couverts
Je recommande ce restaurant.

The pasta here is so delicious! I was here earlier tonight during the happy hour. I got the meatballs off the happy hour menu. It came in a tomato based sauce with two pieces of bread. It was delicious and flavorful. I also got the spaghetti cabenero which had speck, egg and onion. Highly recommend. I would highly suggest coming here for the happy hour which is $ 4 for a variety of drinks and also small food dishes.

came here on a weeknight, fairly late. I believe we arrived at 9:00.
The service was attentive for the first half hour or so, although not very knowledgeable.
We ordered a few small plates and one large plate… the bar tender, who was serving us asked how we wanted to course out the meal, and made a suggestion, which we agreed to…
The first course came, and was quite tasty… then half an hour and finally our second course came… then another half an hour, and then another course… I had enough at this point… it was a school night, and it was getting quite late, so I ended up cancelling our last course…
What made it worse was someone who appeared to be the owner, or at least the manager pulled the bar tender aside and started reprimanding him in ear shot of us, the patrons… Very poor manners.
All said and done, the food was above average, and pretty tasty, the wine list was very reasonable, but the execution was terrible. They need to get their act together before I would try it again.

Normally I get good food from Noccola but this time was one of thee worst experiences I’ve had with them. Not only did they take over an hour to deliver my food. But when it came… it wasn’t even fully cooked! See the picture below of my medium rare meatballs!
Sorry but I doubt I will order from you again

I just realized that though we have been here many times, I have not shared my love for this place on Unilocal!yet. My bad.
My man and I have been coming here since they opened about a year ago, and it’s always very good and for the quality, not too expensive. This very charming romantic place really stands out on 116^th St… It’s funny watching people walk by outside and peek in like they are seeing a mirage… since it is a little surprise gem on that pretty unattractive street. Once you are seated inside, all the grunge and stress of the area is gone. Immaculately clean (even the bathroom!!) which is always appreciated. They even have a very nice back room for parties and overflow when its very busy… it’s a very well done space. Check it out!
Very nice wines, amazing complimentary focaccia bread with home made pesto always to start… Always very nicely done apps, and the pastas and entrees are consistently mouth watering… Hope this fall/​winter they bring back the Pork Chop with this amazing apple reduction and served with (I started doing this at home after. never eaten before– you gotta try them to appreciate it!) roasted radish’s… who knew they could be like a potato, but better/​healthier !?
We usually don’t have room for desert so can’t comment on that.
If you live anywhere uptown, especially East Harlem, you really should give it a try… It’s a real stand out restaurant for our area, and deserves all the love we can give it!

Believe the hype!
What you need to know:
Delicious Food
Stellar Service
Fair Pricing
GO!
In more detail:
We went on a Friday an hour before closing. Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. She recommended a good wine for my boyfriend. We were started with foccacia bread and pesto.
We ordered the roasted mushrooms with polenta as an appetizer. It was hot and flavorful. The creamy polenta perfectly combined with the roasted well seasoned mushrooms.
My boyfriend got the NY Strip steak, it was well seasoned and came with an amazing green sauce, asparagus and a side salad. He got a chardonnay which was light and well balanced. (Props to the waitress on her knowledge of wine!)
I got the Gnocchi with the lamb ragu. Oh Dear God… it was heaven. The lamb was cooked to tender perfection and the gnocchi was pillowy-​potato-​perfection.
All in all, with an appetizer two entrees, a glass of wine, and a glass of sangria, the bill came to about $ 75. Left a generous tip for the lovely waitress.
The décor is lovely, great place for date night, also good for a first date. Food came out fast, fresh, and hot!
Will definitely be going again!!!

What a treat! What a find! Highly recommended for date night. Bae and I came here on a whim and were pleasantly surprised to find knowledgeable service staff and delicious food.
They make their own pasta in house. We had gnocchi with lamb and pasta carbonara as appetizers. You can get their pastas either entrée or appetizer sized portion.
As an entrée, we had branzino, which came with an arugula salad and roasted potatoes.
Go on a date or with friends. You’ll love it

Most of Spanish Harlem cuisine is about grading on a curve. Nocciola is true 5-​star food and service with a casual vibe and neighborhood feel.
We started with the Cesar salad. The Cesar was a little underdressed. I prefer when every leaf has a light coating of dressing massaged into it. However, the dressing was bright and tangy. It came with fresh anchovies and a surprisingly delightful crunchy bread crumb on top.
And followed it with a three course pasta tasting:
Goat cheese ravioli — herbal, buttery, creamy
Pappardelle with bolognese — broad flat noodle drenched in tender meat sauce.
Gnocchi with lamb ragu.
They change the plates and cutlery in between courses. Not to be hyperbolic but I would have gladly paid double for the pasta, it was that good.
I love that Nocciola gets that neighborhood restaurants should be all about the food. You want something you can’t make at home for a reasonable price.
A total gem. The casual décor highlights the impeccability of the service.
Got chocolate cake with ice cream to go. Tucking into it right now.

Dieser Italiener ist von den Besitzern über die Küche bis zum (sehr netten) Bedienungspersonal fest in mexikanischer Hand, eben so, wie es sich für die Gegend gehört. Da ich kein ausgesprochener Freund der italienischen Kochkunst bin, war die positive Überraschung groß.
Auch der Gastraum (mit netter Bar) gefällt. Einen extra Stern gibt es dafür, dass es relativ ruhig zugeht, und man sich von daher unterhalten kann — was ja in dieser Stadt wirklich die Ausnahme ist.
Bravo !