About the Restaurant
NICO is an upbeat oyster bar serving French cuisine carefully prepared in a wood-fired oven. With ingredients sourced from the waters of the Lowcountry and a curated selection of the country’s most coveted raw oysters, French Master Chef Nico Romo offers a fresh take on seafood for Charleston’s iconic Shem Creek.
Hours
Monday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM
Tuesday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM
Wednesday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM
Thursday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM
Friday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 10:30 AM – 10:00 PM
About the Chef
Nico Romo has directed Patrick Properties Hospitality Group’s celebrated culinary programs across four historic venues since 2007, artfully crafting fresh, seasonal ingredients into vibrant interpretations of classic French cuisine with delicate Asian touches.
Chef Romo’s signature approach underscores a charismatic blend of raw passion and an eye for creative detail, cultivated over the course of an international career alongside leading names in the industry. Not that his singular talent has gone unnoticed: widespread praise has garnered invitations from prominent food and wine events that include the Culinary Vegetable Institute (CVI) Earth to Table Dinner and a De Gustibus Cooking School showcase, as well as a sold-out dinner at New York’s James Beard House and top honors from his native France.
The classically trained chef is the youngest ever to be awarded the coveted title Master Chef of France – joining an elite assembly regarded as the most highly skilled in techniques and traditions of the French culinary art. Chef Romo shares the distinction with only 52 recipients nationwide, and is the only Master Chef in South Carolina. The accolade is furthered by Chef Romo’s recent place among the American and Canadian delegations of l’Académie Culinaire de France, totaling 1,080 members worldwide, where he again makes history as the youngest US member since the renowned organization’s founding in 1879.
Born in Lyon, France, Chef Romo graduated from the Helene Boucher Culinary Art School in Vénissieux at age 19. He refined his skill under the tutelage of French Master Chef Patrick Henriroux at Hotel and Restaurant “La Pyramide” in Vienne, France, before rising to prominence among the United States’ finest hotels. Chef Romo’s career has spanned roles at Chez Philippe in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN, and the Ritz Carlton, Atlanta, GA. Chef Romo opened the third location of B.E.D. restaurant at The Glenn, Atlanta’s first boutique hotel.
Now in Charleston, Chef Romo delights guests with his warm candor and inspired menu of locally harvested cuisine. He also dedicates his time and talents to community organizations such as WINGS for Kids and Louie’s Kids, serving as team mentor in the annual Big Chef Little Chef Challenge. In his commitment to local farmers, Chef Romo collaborated with area chefs to spearhead two barn raising events that collected a total of $40,000 in aid toward rebuilding efforts.
