Nicoletta’s Table is Giving "Home for the Holidays" Vibes All Year Round

Where Lake Oswego feels just a little bit more like Italy's Lake Como

Step in from the Lake Oswego drizzle and through the doors of Nicoletta’s Table & Marketplace and it feels like you’ve ducked off a busy piazza into a neighborhood trattoria somewhere in Italy—only this one happens to be tucked into a shopping area in Lake Oswego. By day, Nicoletta’s is part Italian café, part gourmet market, part gathering spot. By night—especially during the holidays—it’s warm lights, clinking glasses, and the kind of convivial buzz that makes you want to linger over one more course.

A seat for every mood
One of the charms of Nicoletta’s is that it has a space for every mood. There’s the lively marketplace side, with its wood-burning oven, bar seating, and a front-row view of pizzas sliding in and out of the flame. There are elegant private spaces—perfect for holiday dinners, book clubs, or team celebrations. Our favorite, though, is a cozy corner private room you pass where chairs are draped in soft sheepskins. It's a little Alpine moment that has all the Northern  Italy apres ski vibes. In milder weather, the back patio opens up, and well-behaved pups are welcome to join. Inside, you can belly up to the bar, tuck into a quiet corner, or sit at the chef's counter and watch the awesome kitchen team at work. However you like to “do” dinner, Nicoletta's has a spot that fits.

On many evenings, a musician settles in at the grand piano or plays guitar, adding a live-music soundtrack that’s become part of the Nicoletta’s lore and a draw for date nights.  

Pasta that tastes like a plane ticket
Nicoletta’s describes itself as a trattoria with an Italian soul and local roots, and the menu backs that up. Hand-pulled pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and generous antipasti are the stars here. On any given visit you might spot:

• A bread board loaded with house-made focaccia, crackers, roasted garlic confit, and whipped herb butter.
• Golden arancini—crisp risotto balls filled with mozzarella and served with red sauce.
• Classic salumi and formaggio boards with artisan meats, cheeses, and all the trimmings, ideal for sharing with a holiday cocktail.

The pastas are where the kitchen really shines. Fresh ravioli and long, silky strands of house-made pasta arrive with thoughtfully balanced sauces not heavy blankets of red "gravy" (shout out fellow east-coast transplants!). There’s also a standout gluten-free option that’s so good even non–GF diners order it by choice.

And yes, there’s pizza. Baked in that glowing wood-burning oven, Nicoletta’s pies are quietly in the running for some of the best in town—more on that in an upcoming Lake O Magazine pizza round-up (sign up here to get your free copy!)

Dessert might mean sorbetto or gelato from the market case, an olive oil cake, or a rich chocolate something that pairs nicely with a digestivo from the bar.

Take home holiday magic 
If your December calendar is heavy on school concerts and office parties but light on time to cook, Nicoletta’s Gourmet2Go section is a holiday lifesaver. The marketplace stocks fresh pastas, sauces, hand-made lasagnas, charcuterie, and other ready-to-bake dishes, along with focaccia, sweets, and Italian pantry treasures like olive oils, vinegars, and specialty salts.

It’s also a go-to source for hostess gifts—think a bag of fresh pasta and pesto, a bottle of good olive oil, a gorgeously wrapped panettone (Italy's version of fruitcake) or a little assortment of Italian sweets for your “hostess with the most-est”  list this year.

Carolers, cocktails, and a visit from the Grinch
For the holidays, Nicoletta’s leans all the way into festive. Expect twinkling décor, seasonal spritzes and cocktails on the drinks list, and a lineup of events that has included everything from roaming carolers to visits from Santa and the Grinch himself. This year’s schedule may vary, so check their website for dates and details.

Whether you’re popping in for a “conscientiously sized” lunch from their very reasonable midday menu, settling in for a long dinner with live piano, or swinging by to pick up fresh pasta and focaccia for a cozy night at home, Nicoletta’s has a way of making room for one more—one more person, one more story, one more course.
And really, that’s what the holidays are about in Lake Oswego: a place at the table, good food, and the feeling that, for an evening at least, we’re all family.