Restaurant Review – Nicco Restaurant & Bar
Set in the heart of Pride Park sits a refreshingly new dining experience. Tall glass doors open into a jaw-dropping, spacious restaurant with touches of glamour, high lights and low lighting, marble tables and comfortable seating. Across half of the back wall, floor to ceiling, the cocktail bar displays more drinks than I can give a name to and on the other side you can see straight into the kitchen where the chefs are hard at work. Centre stage sits a gnarled and twisted olive tree, just a nod to the varied menu on offer.
The building, on Wheelwright Way, Pride Park was formerly a restaurant however they have embarked on a total restoration that included stripping every wall back to the bare blockwork and extending one side to bring more light in. On our visit I found it a quite surreal experience to be in the city and yet to look out on to the changing autumn trees across the way.
Sanj the owner, named the restaurant after his son Nicco which gives just a hint at the relaxed atmosphere here. The menu is created with all tastes in mind from young to old and of course those in the middle. Sanj explained to us how the menu came about, “It was quite simple really, I took my top chef on a tour of my favourite places to eat and pointed out things on the menu that I enjoyed from many different dining experiences around the world”.
It was obvious from what followed that Sanj has a wide range of tastes where food is concerned and that whilst Nicco’s is a Contemporary Indian Dining Restaurant & Cocktail Bar the menu at Nicco’s is definitely a fusion of dishes from varying countries. Sanj employed the services of a top-class development chef with restaurants in London and Switzerland, setting high standards for both the menu, presentation and service. From A La Carte dishes to salads, grills to a ‘naanwich’, this is an exciting menu, it dips into Indo Chinese, Tibetan, French and European cuisine. And if you’re wondering… a naanwich is a classic naan served with either chargrilled chicken, onion bhaji, herb paneer and masala chips. The dessert menu really exemplifies the best of traditional dishes from around the world.
Nicco’s opens at 12 o’clock midday and with a variety of small plates and grills to choose from, is perfect for a light lunch with friends, business meeting or just a break away from the office. Refreshingly there is a great selection of vegetarian dishes, which when most of us are becoming ever conscious of conserving our environment is really welcoming to see. There’s also an innovative children’s two course menu which has obviously been created with great thought.
‘At night the Cocktail Bar comes into its own and after your meal becomes somewhere to extend the evening, relaxing with friends and enjoying good company.‘
Live music evenings at the weekends are scheduled and something to look forward to. Nicco’s is definitely somewhere to put on your radar, to try at different times of day and somewhere to make a regular favourite place to be.
