Nina's Ristorante

I swear the food was shipped over directly from Italy to my table in minutes! Such an upscale atmosphere with just amazing food. I've only been 3 times as its not very close to my house but I crave the food every day. I have also had the courtesy to meet Nina herself who honestly must love what she does because it shows in her food. Best Italian food in Raleigh! more

We have loved this restaurant since it opened. The food is great and wait staff wonderful. Excellen atmosphere and price is very reasonable. Go...no RUN to Ninas for a great meal. more

We went there Friday night. Went to the bar, had a great bottle of wine. We met the great bartenders and were finally seated. That was it, completely forgotten about except for the staff member that filled our water glasses. Waited and waited for a waiter to at least acknowledge he would be serving us, nothing. We decided to leave and on the way out we told a staff member we were leaving and would never return. You should have seen the look on his face! Then went to Bruno's in Wake Forest and had the best steak and experience ever in a restaurant. Don't bother with Nina's. more

Everything about Nina's is special. The staff are top notch. The ambiance is lovely. The place has great energy and spririt. The food is always super fresh. Then, Nina adds love to her dishes. We will return time and time again. A great time! more

We love Nina's -- it is also a great option for take out -- call in order and pick it up at the bar. more

It started out with just me and two of my kids and as texting goes, another one joined us 30 minutes later, followed by another one after that. The waiter was great and accomodating, working with the kitchen for timing our food and adding extra chairs and place settings. The salmon and crab special was fabulous and, because everything is made to order, my son was able to have the Polla Donna Anna without mushrooms with out a fuss!\r \r Of course, the wine pairing was excellent as usual.\r \r (Michael was our waiter, by the way) I highly recommend him and Nina's for any occasion. more

Our family goes here for that special occasion. Both kids always pick Nina's for birthdays, etc.. Atmosphere and service truly compliment the fare! Bellisimo! more

I ate there with my family and ordered a creamy spinach soup and an angel hair pasta mussel dish. The soup was overly salted and bad, and the pasta was not flavorful at all. I would reccomend another restaurant called Bella Italia. I can over look food since I have ordered wrong in the past, however I got a wine glass that had lipstick and my sister got a wine glass that had bits of food in it. Since the restaurant was not good and our waiter made us wait for half an hour I would not recommend this place. more

Having lilved in Europe for 14 years I'm very picky about italian food. Nina's was super close to the real thing taking into account the fact that the raw materials they have to work with here in the US are not the quality of Italy. I have dined there twice in two months once eating at the bar which the bar tender/waitress in this case was extremely attentive. Both times the featured item sounded amazing and was when it came. However the last time we ate there we waited for a table in the dining room.(about 15 min we had no reservation) The service in that area was lack luster. My expection of service is typically based on meal price. Being that they are in the higher end I expected and hoped to see a more polished service, less excuses and better timing. Salads should never come before app, and if you say I'll bring you some bread out ""do it"" don't make me ask for it. Bottom line go on a slower night, feel free to order the special and sit at the bar!!!\r Hopefully one day they will move to a larger place, but only if the kitchen staff can continue to turn out the amazing food they are now. Thank You Pros: Excellent food and service at the bar Cons: Service in the main dining area more

I am astonished at some of the reviews I'm seeing. I have eaten there 4 times and will continue to dine there because the food is authentic, cooked perfectly, and the service is unbeatable. Every detail has been looked after, from the ambiance, the personal attention you receive from the waiters, to the food itself. The wine list is extensive, and just in case you want something that's not on the menu, they can accommodate your request. If anyone would ask me where to go for a ""fancy"" night out and wanted authentic Italian, I would wholeheartedly recommend Nina's!! It's definitely the best in Raleigh. Pros: Fine Food, Personal Service, 5 Stars Cons: Plan on Making a Reservation on Weekends and Holidays more

We were just there for dinner last night and once again, I have to say everything was outstanding!! Nina ALWAYS impresses us with her culinary expertise. The wine pairing was amazing and we truly had an incredible evening out. Thank you Thank you and we'll be back soon!! Pros: Best food & service in town! Cons: A little hard to find, but SSSOO worth it more

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! more

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. \r 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).\r 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). \r 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 more

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 more

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.\r 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.\r \r Nick & Barbara Fallucca\r Greenville, NC more

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 more

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! more

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 more

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. more

The last trip to Nina's was just average. The Bruschetta is still super, the ambience is good, but the wine list needed updating and the menu has not changed significantly in a long time. We used to consider this as our favorite Italian restaurant in the Triangle, but have others now. Pros: Above average food, but not on par with what it once was. Cons: Wine list is seriously outdated. more