After Croatia's War of Independence, Niko left his hometown of Dubrovnik with dreams of a better life for his young family. He learned English while washing dishes in one of Calgary's notable restaurants. Hard work and dedication saw him quickly learning the culinary arts, eventually acquiring the title of head chef.
In 2006, Niko realized yet another dream - his own bistro. Niko has called Kensington home for his Bistro for almost 15 years. Located minutes away from downtown Calgary, just down the road from the Jubilee Auditorium. Niko's is an excellent choice for your business lunch, pre theatre meal, and of course: a delicious dinner.
In 2006, Niko realized yet another dream - his own bistro. Niko has called Kensington home for his Bistro for almost 15 years. Located minutes away from downtown Calgary, just down the road from the Jubilee Auditorium. Niko's is an excellent choice for your business lunch, pre theatre meal, and of course: a delicious dinner.
Reviews (24)
Michelia Alba
Jan 18, 2022
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I like this restaurant. It's not too big but the ambient is good. I ordered Spaghettini Frutti di Mare. The porsion is good enough, not too big and not too small. The taste was great, it has all seafood such as shrimps, squids, clams, etc. They also have a lot of wine selection. The staffs were also really nice. The service was great.
T. Win
Dec 11, 2021
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Great and friendly service.
I quite enjoyed the mussels as they were tender and flavourful from the sauce. The gnocchi was al dente and very rich. The portion size of the gnocchi was very generous and I had to pack it to go.
I was here to celebrate an anniversary and requested a special note or message on the dessert but I was told they don’t do that. We tried tiramisu and also the Apple streudel. The Apple streudel was not the texture we were expecting and the taste was kind of ordinary. The tiramisu was pretty good - moist and more cake-like.
I quite enjoyed the mussels as they were tender and flavourful from the sauce. The gnocchi was al dente and very rich. The portion size of the gnocchi was very generous and I had to pack it to go.
I was here to celebrate an anniversary and requested a special note or message on the dessert but I was told they don’t do that. We tried tiramisu and also the Apple streudel. The Apple streudel was not the texture we were expecting and the taste was kind of ordinary. The tiramisu was pretty good - moist and more cake-like.
Amanda Robertson
Nov 30, 2021
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Preet K. D.
Sep 29, 2021
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Honestly, this is by far one of the most misleading places when it comes to the reviews. If it is for the food alone, fine that's fair - the food is pretty good. But service? Service is horrible. Try pulling out your wallet to give a tip in cash when the waiter starts questioning whether you believed in tipping because he's THAT impatient for a tip and just because you didn't give it through the transaction machine. The nerve man. The audacity. You CANNOT ask your customers that and then expect to be tipped! Ridiculous how these places exploit tipping culture. Will NOT be going back after this
Samira Ratnani
Jun 14, 2021
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Best food, best service. It's very rare to find amazing tasting meal cooked to perfection that tastes like home cooked meal with elevated flavors that satisfies your palate and stomach 100%. After few years of knowing about Nikos bistro we finally made it this week for the first time, that too we went twice this week. We have tried 6 dishes of their menu plus 2 desserts and not a single item has disappointed us. And the service is beyond great. We were served by Victoria both times and she is very hospitable and welcoming like a friend. This will be my Italian restaurant to go from now on and will
Samuel Lau
Jan 20, 2021
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Chandra Leach
Jun 14, 2020
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Sandra F.
Dec 02, 2019
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It was a cute little Bistro.
The waitress was pleasant, we had a nice bottle of red to go with our pasta for $50. The entrees were warm. The canilloni which I had was stuffed with ground veal and had cheese on top. It tasted mild and good. I expected more texture to the dish tho. Thought it was okay. Overall food was decent, a bit pricey overall.
The waitress was pleasant, we had a nice bottle of red to go with our pasta for $50. The entrees were warm. The canilloni which I had was stuffed with ground veal and had cheese on top. It tasted mild and good. I expected more texture to the dish tho. Thought it was okay. Overall food was decent, a bit pricey overall.
Patricia Shackley
Jun 09, 2019
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Kristina M.
May 24, 2019
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We came here for a quiet delicious dinner and it was exactly what we found! Our meal was cooked by Niko himself. They have a menu offering a nice variety of dishes for vegetarians and meat lovers alike.
The restaurant is very clean and staff were very friendly.
The restaurant is rather small, so reservations are a good idea. But the small space creates a nice intimate, quiet ambiance.
The restaurant is very clean and staff were very friendly.
The restaurant is rather small, so reservations are a good idea. But the small space creates a nice intimate, quiet ambiance.
Lynne H.
Apr 13, 2019
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Rod M.
Feb 24, 2019
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This little gem of a place is in the same block as Kensington Wine Market. If you blink you could miss it. The word bistro perfectly describes this place and the menu is outstanding with lots of choices. Combine this with the wine list and you see the richness of the experience that is about to unfold.
The Antipasto presentation was amazing. We don't eat bread so amongst the antipasto was fresh vegetables. This dish burst with flavours. An excellent place to share a meal together and great date night spot.
The only challenge, and not a big one, is the seating times. We arrived for 5:30
The Antipasto presentation was amazing. We don't eat bread so amongst the antipasto was fresh vegetables. This dish burst with flavours. An excellent place to share a meal together and great date night spot.
The only challenge, and not a big one, is the seating times. We arrived for 5:30
Eric S.
Jan 30, 2019
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Wow! What a wonderful jewel in the heart of Kensington. While visiting from Texas, we wanted Italian and our hotel (Hotel Arts Kensington) referred us - a brief 2 minute walk from there. Boy oh boy, this was truly an amazing dinner that was highlighted with customized suggestions from Niko and his staff! We enjoyed every single dish! We can't wait to get back to Calgary and you can bet that Niko's will definitely be a part of our dining rotation! Chow!!!
Holly H.
Dec 03, 2018
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Had the special: chicken with penne. It was delicious! It would be nice to have a hot roll with it. The coffee was disappointing. Quite weak and tasteless. Service was quick although the server was not very friendly. We were not asked if we wanted to have separate cheques so had to do the math by hand. It's a cute little place.
Gordon C.
Jul 08, 2018
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What a great neighborhood Italian restaurant. Food was great and service was good. Great prices too. Four appetizers/salads, 6 glasses of wine. 4 entrees, and four desserts all for a little over $200. We had the chicken special, manicotti, cannelloni, and a fourth dish I don't recall, but the person eating it loved it (it was chicken). The desserts were good, but not great. Very friendly staff.
Krista N.
May 05, 2018
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Great small restaurant with great service in Kensington. Thankfully you can tell its not a chain and Niko himself walks around and checks on his customers.
This was our first time here. Wanted to try something new - and enroute to the Jubilee. We were happy we came!
We got seated in a small corner - was kind of cramped initially but we moved the table out a bit. It was loud but once we were there we seemed to adjust.
Wines were reasonably prices.
We ordered a caprese salad to start. It was sub par. Nothing to write about and not very big or good really.
But then the pasta came. Hubs had the
This was our first time here. Wanted to try something new - and enroute to the Jubilee. We were happy we came!
We got seated in a small corner - was kind of cramped initially but we moved the table out a bit. It was loud but once we were there we seemed to adjust.
Wines were reasonably prices.
We ordered a caprese salad to start. It was sub par. Nothing to write about and not very big or good really.
But then the pasta came. Hubs had the
Skeptical D.
Apr 23, 2018
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Kasey G.
Jan 10, 2018
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Food was very poor quality. My Caesar salad was soggy and the croutons were soft. The calamari was ok but nowhere near as good as many others are saying. And the "sauce" on the calamari is more of a seasoning.
I also ordered the penne alla vodka which was the worst dish of them all. At first glance, it did not appear to have any sauce on it. The sauce that was on there was very thin and watery. It seemed as though they were running low on sauce and just added a bunch of water to it.
I ordered this meal as takeout and ended up throwing away the entire thing. Would not recommend this
I also ordered the penne alla vodka which was the worst dish of them all. At first glance, it did not appear to have any sauce on it. The sauce that was on there was very thin and watery. It seemed as though they were running low on sauce and just added a bunch of water to it.
I ordered this meal as takeout and ended up throwing away the entire thing. Would not recommend this
Karly T.
Jun 14, 2017
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Gabriel R.
Jan 17, 2017
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Great service and very nice presentation on the antipasto.
The wine was excellent.
On the taste, the best part was the cheese, excellent. The venaison, salad, bruschetta were ok although way too spicy for Italian food (but ok course the tomatoes are not grown in Italy so there is need to compensate ;)
Overall a very good address.
The wine was excellent.
On the taste, the best part was the cheese, excellent. The venaison, salad, bruschetta were ok although way too spicy for Italian food (but ok course the tomatoes are not grown in Italy so there is need to compensate ;)
Overall a very good address.
Nikki H.
Feb 09, 2016
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I have never gone out of my way to write a negative review (Yelp or otherwise) about service I've received, but this experience was terrible enough that I felt compelled to do so.
There's nothing like waiting an hour for your food (and not being checked up on), receiving rude service, AND being made felt it was your own fault to make you never want to return to a restaurant again. On top of that, we were told that they couldn't split the bill. Only after we complained (fed up/in shock by the horrible service), that the bill was split, but incorrectly. It was just a series of compounded
There's nothing like waiting an hour for your food (and not being checked up on), receiving rude service, AND being made felt it was your own fault to make you never want to return to a restaurant again. On top of that, we were told that they couldn't split the bill. Only after we complained (fed up/in shock by the horrible service), that the bill was split, but incorrectly. It was just a series of compounded
Kourosh A.
Mar 05, 2015
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Steven N.
Jan 15, 2015
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Madly searching for a restaurant for a last minute dinner date.
"Where oh where should I go?"
"Niko's" says my Yelp app.
And so we went!
Bruschetta was great. Calamari was all right. Not as mind-blowing as other reviewers may suggest.
Pastas were wonderful though. I had the Spaghettini with homemade Italian sausage. And yes, it was divine.
Portions are great. Prices are great. Service stellar.
Can't wait to be back!
"Where oh where should I go?"
"Niko's" says my Yelp app.
And so we went!
Bruschetta was great. Calamari was all right. Not as mind-blowing as other reviewers may suggest.
Pastas were wonderful though. I had the Spaghettini with homemade Italian sausage. And yes, it was divine.
Portions are great. Prices are great. Service stellar.
Can't wait to be back!
Mike L.
Aug 09, 2013
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