Casa Nicolini — Restaurant in Barbaresco

Our experience was extremely disappointing at Casa Nicolini Restaurants. We went to this high-end restaurant for the view, the food and the wine pairing. We were prepared to pay for the experience--expecting all of it to be as great as the food/wine we'd been eating in Italy for the previous 2+ weeks. Not so.|Upon arrival for our reservation, despite the fact that there were several tables available where both seats had the view, we were shown to one that had a seat facing the opposite way looking into the entry of the restaurant. We asked for a different table and were allowed to move, but the waiter seemed annoyed.|My partner ordered the 4 course degustation menu with the wine pairing, while I ordered separate antipasto, primi and secondi courses with wine by the glass. When I asked the waiter for his suggestion on pairing, he offered none, but asked me what kind of wine I wanted. Back and forth once or twice, I finally just picked one of the 5 options he offered (from the wine by the glass list, not with any commentary). The same thing happened when I wanted a different wine for a new course. Then the pour for that wine was substantially short (probably by an ounce or more) compared to the pour of the same wine my partner received as part of his package.|We hoped that the food would save the day, but it was, to say the least, uneventful. Each dish was fine, but there was nothing special about any of it. We had been eating incredible dishes for half the price that had much more flavor. To top it off, we opted for the specific "Extra Truffle" since it is prime truffle time and truffle country. Priced by the gram with a minimum purchase of 4 grams (6 Euros/gram), we were offered a tray of truffles to choose from and selected a 6 gram truffle. The truffle was weak-flavored and completely lost no matter what dish we used it on. Another (expensive) disappointment.|The service was spotty at best. Our wine and water glasses were empty several times while the waiter was either not around or bustling at a table of 12 that had arrived after our seating. He never came by the table to check if things were fine or if we needed anything. A woman appeared to seemingly help him, and she was at least very pleasant, but the young man continued to be aloof and dismissive. |After dessert, we waited for the traditional offer of coffee/espresso. Wine and water glasses were again empty. My partner intended to have a coffee, but after a 20 minute wait, decided against it. Two and a half hours after we arrived, we left with a decidedly negative feeling about the whole...

Our experience was extremely disappointing at Casa Nicolini Restaurants. We went to this high-end restaurant for the view, the food and the wine pairing. We were prepared to pay for the experience--expecting all of it to be as great as the food/wine we'd been eating in Italy for the previous 2+ weeks. Not so.|Upon arrival for our reservation, despite the fact that there were several tables available where both seats had the view, we were shown to one that had a seat facing the opposite way looking into the entry of the restaurant. We asked for a different table and were allowed to move, but the waiter seemed annoyed.|My partner ordered the 4 course degustation menu with the wine pairing, while I ordered separate antipasto, primi and secondi courses with wine by the glass. When I asked the waiter for his suggestion on pairing, he offered none, but asked me what kind of wine I wanted. Back and forth once or twice, I finally just picked one of the 5 options he offered (from the wine by the glass list, not with any commentary). The same thing happened when I wanted a different wine for a new course. Then the pour for that wine was substantially short (probably by an ounce or more) compared to the pour of the same wine my partner received as part of his package.|We hoped that the food would save the day, but it was, to say the least, uneventful. Each dish was fine, but there was nothing special about any of it. We had been eating incredible dishes for half the price that had much more flavor. To top it off, we opted for the specific "Extra Truffle" since it is prime truffle time and truffle country. Priced by the gram with a minimum purchase of 4 grams (6 Euros/gram), we were offered a tray of truffles to choose from and selected a 6 gram truffle. The truffle was weak-flavored and completely lost no matter what dish we used it on. Another (expensive) disappointment.|The service was spotty at best. Our wine and water glasses were empty several times while the waiter was either not around or bustling at a table of 12 that had arrived after our seating. He never came by the table to check if things were fine or if we needed anything. A woman appeared to seemingly help him, and she was at least very pleasant, but the young man continued to be aloof and dismissive. |After dessert, we waited for the traditional offer of coffee/espresso. Wine and water glasses were again empty. My partner intended to have a coffee, but after a 20 minute wait, decided against it. Two and a half hours after we arrived, we left with a decidedly negative feeling about the whole...

We stayed here as a stopover en route down from Switzerland, hoping to eat truffles at the end of the season and to sample the wine in a beautiful setting. Casa Nicolini provided the perfect accommodation for this. We had a room with a gorgeous view over the vines and to the village of Barbaresco (we were given the suite, jacuzzi included, at a very reasonable price). The decoration is slightly dated and the amenities are basic, but this is a 3* hotel. The breakfast was served with a smile, and included fresh orange juice, fruit from the valley, and different types of non-dairy milk, so it exceeded our expectations. The staff were super friendly and accommodating to our requests. We can’t comment on the restaurant as we didn’t stay for dinner, but the number 1 restaurant in the region (as per tripadvisor) is in walking distance, so we were able to leave our car behind for the evening. Overall a highly recommended experience! Congratulations...