Nicola’s, the beloved Italian restaurant opened by Nicola Pietoso almost 30 years ago on the border of Over-the-Rhine and Pendleton, will relocate to the old Pigall’s space at 127 W. Fourth St., Downtown, in 2026.
Owner Cristian Pietoso, who took over the restaurant from his father several years ago, confirmed the move to The Enquirer. “This is an evolution,” he told me. “We wanted to find a space that is appropriate for a restaurant like Nicola’s, and it was not an easy task. We knew that it had to be in the city; we didn’t want to move to the suburbs.”
The Fourth Street space, which has been empty for about 15 years, was originally a residence owned by the Sinton and Taft families. In 1963, it opened as Pigall’s, a French restaurant that eventually earned a Mobil five-star rating. It was one of three local Mobil five-star restaurants at the time, the others being The Maisonette and The Gourmet Room. It closed in 1990. In 2004, the late chef Jean-Robert de Cavel reopened the restaurant as Jean-Robert at Pigall’s, which closed in 2009.
Cristian Pietoso, who also owns Forno and Via Vite, intends to honor the Pigall’s legacy at the relocated restaurant. He also plans to honor his father, who, against all odds, kept Nicola’s open through several trials and tribulations.
When Nicola’s opened in 1996, the idea that the Over-the-Rhine area would become the eclectic dining destination it is today was nothing but a pipe dream. But despite the proliferation of newer, perhaps trendier spots in the area, it remains as popular and relevant to the Cincinnati dining scene as ever.
“The survival of this restaurant is a tribute to my dad,” Pietoso told me. “Thirty years ago, Over-the-Rhine was not a cool space to open a restaurant, especially a fine dining restaurant. I don’t know how he made it through the riots or the financial crisis or Sept. 11. But somehow this place survived.”
“This is a big deal for us,” he continued. “In many ways, I felt like it was meant to be.”