Nunzio Ristorante Rustico
A Collingswood, NJ Restaurant Rating and Review

Nunzio Ristorante Rustico 706 Haddon Avenue Collingswood, NJ (856) 858-9840
Price Expensive Fare Italian Restaurant Ratings Food 3.0 Stars Service 2.0 Stars Decor 2.5 Stars Overall Rating 2.5 Stars	New Jersey Leisure guide is the largest single source of complete and impartial NJ restaurant reviews. Unlike other sources that review restaurants on the basis of a single visit by a restaurant critic, or on the basis of restaurant diners, our restaurant ratings and reviews take into account a wider audience and are the result of a compilation of many sources, including restaurant critics and diners who have eaten there. Learn more about the process we use to rate New Jersey restaurants.
Restaurant Review
Nunzio Ristorante is a very popular BYOB dining establishment serving up well prepared Italian dishes with fresh ingredients. Owner/ Executive Chef Nunzio Patruno has impressive culinary credentials and was formerly the chef at the upscale Monte Carlo Living Room in Philadelphia before leaving to open Nunzio Ristorante Rustico in downtown Collingswood. He has formal training as a culinary chef and in his early years honed his skills in the Italian Riviera, and later spent seven years in Monaco on the French Riviera. The ambiance at Nunzio Ristorante is lively, rustic and casual. As you enter and pass through the large foyer, you will encounter a faux piazza with stucco walls in a pale adobe color that suggest doorways and windows surrounding the main square, distressed brick, and high blue-sky ceiling with white puffy clouds and seaside murals with small houses that are native to Apulia, Patruno’s birthplace. The restaurant accommodates 120 patrons and is spread over four dining rooms divided by half-walls. This is not a place to come to for a cozy dinner and quiet conversation. It's biggest downside is the poor acoustics and closely spaced, crowded tables, that create a very high and sometimes deafening "noise level". Though not at all quiet, the least deafening seats in the restaurant are in the alcove immediately to the left of the foyer. Nunzio Ristorante is also a great place for South Jersey people watching who come dressed in a variety of outfits, from discount store duds to designer finery. Your dining experience begins with your server presenting you with an offering of freshly baked Italian foccaccia bread accompanied by pungent pesto dipping sauce. When available, the popular dinner starters are: the Imported Buffalo Mozzarella Wrapped with Parma prosciutto, Roma tomato, baby arugula, extra virgin olive oil with balsamic reduction; the Gamberoni Adriatico Sauteed shrimp with plum tomato, Gaeta olives over grilled eggplant; and the Carpaccio di Manzo Thinly sliced beef dressed with lemon, extra virgin olive oil, arugula and shaved parmigiano cheese; When available, the popular dinner entrees are: Fish of the Day, Branzino or Dover Sole; the Capellini e Granchio con Zucchini Angel hair sauteed with sun dried tomatoes, crab meat, fried zucchini, garlic & oil; the Calzone di Vitello Veal medallions stuffed with spinach, prosciutto, garlic and sharp provolone in a white wine reduction; and the Osso Buco. The desserts are mostly traditional. Try the very tasty Vanilla Panna Cotta with egg less vanilla custard served with caramelized orange and berries; or the Bombato Cioccolatino Hot chocolate souffle cake served with vanilla gelato. Parking in downtown Collingswood is metered and sometimes difficult to find a spot, use of the public lots is recommended.