Dinner At Nicco Restaurant & Bar, Pride Park, Derby
Published On Sunday 22 Jun 2025 by Sticky Beak
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The Man and I have eaten in Pride Park before, but this was our first visit to Nicco Restaurant and Bar. I’m happy to say that the car park is a decent size and we found a spot for the jalopy with no hassle at all. Outside the venue there are planters of Bamboo and Olive Trees, and covered terraces either side of the wide entrance; and what a statement entrance it is! Swanky, engraved double doors open into a foyer area decorated with striking modern lights and orchids in lanterns.
Walking through the second pair of doors, we confirmed our reservation at the front-of-house desk and were escorted over to our table, which was one of the trio of booths that formed a circle under the spectacular, faux Olive tree that was festooned with fairy lights and blooms of all colours and sizes. There is a mix of seating styles, from banquettes, to free-standing mid-back chairs in rich jewel tones, and raised chairs to pair with the higher-level tables at the sides of the restaurant. What I really liked, though, was the nice spacing between each table; you could have a conversation in private without having to whisper. The upbeat background music was pitched at the perfect level to provide ambience without stinting social interaction.
Décor-wise, the walls were predominantly kept a neutral cream tone, accented with pale blue and gold marble-effect to the ceiling panels and the upper wall edges. Tying the space together, tables were the same marble-effect, though either in a dramatic dark tone or pale grey (like ours) and garlands of foliage, similar to the ones above our table, were draped around the varying eating areas. We had a great vantage point of the open-plan kitchen and its expansive pass; perfect for keeping an eye on all the action, and to savour the faint aromas that wafted across.
Nicco offers a fantastic range of drinks, whether you fancy wine, beer, lagers or cocktails. I opted for a glass of Australian Chardonnay and His Nibs had a pint of Beavertown Brewery’s Neck Oil. If you do like Cocktails, you’ll be spoilt for choice…and there are some juicy mocktails for designated drivers, abstainers and minors. The menu offers a great flexibility of dining options, so whether you want some nibbles or Tapas/Small Plates and a drink for a speedy post-work catch up or a relaxing, multi-course feast with family and/or friends, Nicco has got you covered.
Whilst we browsed through the menu, The Man and I nibbled on a platter of Papadums and Chutneys (£5.25). Served on a deep blue, rectangular platter, the Papadums had been broken into manageable pieces and stacked tidily; the chutneys (Spiced Mango, Green Chutney, and Tamarind) and Onion Salad were all housed in individual bowls and arranged in pairs either side of the Papadums. This could easily have been mistaken for a meal, the presentation was that good. The Papadums were wickedly crunchy and no trace of oiliness was detectable, and the Chutney selection covered all the taste bases.
To start, I chose the Prawn Koli Wada and His Nibs went for one of the new dishes, Lucknowi Kebab; both dishes were priced at £9.95. I was served a trio of large, butterflied Black Tiger Prawns that had been lightly battered and fried to crispy perfection, their fragrantly sweet flesh paired with Pink Peppercorns, Ginger and Chilli. Chef had been judicious with his use of these spices to ensure that, whilst they certainly made their presence known, they didn’t swamp the delicate seafood. A thick Aioli and Lemon wedge were the only accompaniment to this surprisingly filling starter, though if truth be told, nothing else was needed.
Lucknowi Kebab turned out to be juicy patties of minced Lamb (still rose pink in the middle) that encased a centre of melted cheese; proper tasty, comfort food. The Onion, Garlic and spices that had been used to season the Lamb paired with it beautifully, balancing the sweet notes of the meat. Adding a gorgeous pop of flavour on the palate was the same Green Chutney that had come with the Papadums, and His Nibs tucked in enthusiastically.
Our server had checked that we were enjoying our starters, and when she came back to clear away the empty plates, took a moment to re-lay fresh cutlery and napkins in readiness for our mains. After asking whether we needed more drinks, she left us alone until her return with our next course.
Keeping up his micro-trend of ordering new dishes on the Nicco menu, The Man had chosen Laal Maas (£15.95), a dish of hunter-style, slow-cooked Lamb with Kashmiri Chilli and whole spices. I also fancied Lamb, so went for Awadhi Lamb Curry which is Mughlai Lamb (known for being very tender) cooked with Shallots, Brown Garlic and Yoghurt. The creaminess was absolutely divine, roiling over my tongue and lingering on the inners of my cheeks, and I was more than happy to discover that it was definitely a more ‘savoury’ curry. The cubes of Lamb melted in my mouth and married harmoniously with the other elements of the dish.
I had a quick dib of His Nibs’ curry and this was more akin to the ‘standard’ curry flavour profile, being lighter and sweeter than mine. Kashmir Chilli is less potent than other Chilli varieties and punches less on the Scoville scale of heat and spice; it doesn’t mean that it is any less flavoursome though, and its kick was clearly running through the sauce. As with my Lamb, The Man Bird’s had been cubed and was incredibly soft and juicy in the mouth. Both dishes hit the bulls’ eye with us.
To go with our curries, we’d ordered some Mushroom and Garlic Rice (£4.75) and a Truffle Naan (£4.25). Both ‘sundries’ were terrific; the fluffy grains had a gentle breeze of Garlic and plenty of earthy, sliced Mushrooms running through them. His Nibs even went so far as to have some of the mushroom on his plate…and liked it!! We both liked the fact that the Naan bread had been ready-cut into quarters; it just saves so much faffing about, doesn’t it? The soft bread had been zhuzhed with Truffle Oil (not too much, though) and the unmistakeable taste washed over our palates, adding a touch of indulgence.
Having efficiently cleared away the assortment of plates and bowls used with our mains, our server re-laid dessert cutlery and fresh napkins after ascertaining that we wanted a third course. Er, yeah, course we did – is the Pope Catholic?! Nicco offers a marvellous selection of sweet temptations, providing a mix of Asian, Indian and Western items; examples include Chocolate Brownie with Rose Petal Ice Cream, Gulab Jamun, and Kulfi.
His Nibs and I decided to play nicely, so shared the ‘East meets West’ Trio (£8.95), a feast of Cinnamon Apple Samosa, Milk Chocolate Samosa and Gajjar Halwa Spring Roll, served with Rose Petal Ice Cream. The Ice Cream was housed in a separate bowl to prevent it melting too quickly by coming into contact with the warm Samosas and Spring Roll, and its fragrant taste reminded us of Turkish Delight. Delicate yet strong, its intoxicating fragrance was beguiling, and surprisingly irresistible – we both said we could eat this by itself, quite happily.
The Samosa and Spring Rolls were perfectly crisp and golden on their outers, and the Cinnamon Apple filling was piping hot; remember when you used to burn your mouth on Maccy D’s Apple Pies? Yeah, we relived that memory! Chocoholics will be singing with joy at the amount of cocoa crammed into the other Samosa – and there was extra chocolate sauce drizzled across the dish. Gajjar Halwa is a mixture of grated fresh Carrot that is cooked with milk, sugar and Cardamom; not that you’d guess vegetable was in this dessert, thanks to its definite sweetness. Everything about this trio of minxes was excellent, so I would heartily recommend that you give it a whirl when you visit Nicco.
Throughout our evening, the guest care we received was spot-on; check-backs were done, our drinks kept an eye on (water was replenished with another carafe, without us needing to ask), and our servers were friendly and polite. We would certainly return, and come with friends, too, so Hot Wings are unreservedly awarded to this marvellous Pride Park Restaurant and Bar.
Nicco is open Monday-Friday Noon-11pm, and Saturday-Sunday 9am-11pm. To book a table call 01332 229220, or visit www.niccorestaurant.com and hit the ‘book now’ button on the top right-hand side corner.
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