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Las Vegas is fairly good for Italian but lags behind other cities for fine dining and especially for Pizza. There are some good choices for fine dining and a few for big eaters and locals.
 Our top choice is B&B at the Venetian based on unique flavors and combinations such as beef cheek ravioli not found in other Italian restaurants (except Babbo in NYC). It is also one of the best choices if you are visiting Vegas to hit a celebrity restaurant (Molto Mario, Iron Chef Mario Batali). It is not recommended for those looking for spaghetti and meatballs.
The Vegas Valentino (Venetian) wine bottle inventory is not even 1/4 the size as the Valentino’s in LA but is still a great list that leaves everyone else in the dust. They mark up their wine about 2-2.5X which is actually very low for Vegas which averages about 3-4X up to 8X the wholesale price.
If wine is important to you, you will probably prefer Valentino’s. Their food is also very good with gnocchi and veal particularly strong. Similar to B&B, this is not a spaghetti and meatballs joint.
Bartollotta’s at Wynn has fish flown in from the Mediterranean daily. They price it in a similar way to Bradley Ogden and Okada’s per ounce pricing of Kobe beef except that you always have to get the whole fish. It is the top choice for Italian seafood in Vegas. The tomato based sauce for the whole fish is recommended.
Osteria del Circo or just Circo at Bellagio has a great view of the fountains and very good lamb and ravioli dishes. It is owned by the same owner of Le Cirque. They have recently inched up some prices but it is still very much worth the large amount of money (though less than Le Cirque). If you want a view and excellent Italian, this may be the best combination for you in Las Vegas.
Il Mulino fills you with complimentary appetizers and brings on good sized main courses starring chops, lobster and ravioli. If you like garlic, cream, butter, etc. a bit on the heavy side, which many do, this may be the best fit. If you prefer mastery of nuances, B&B and Valentino have the edge. Abruzzo purists may wonder about the heat and authenticity.
Alex Stratta of Bartollota fame has taken over Corsa Cucina (Wynn) which was actually not bad before. If willing to take a chance on a restaurant after a chef change, this may be a great gamble but Vegas Made Easy.com has not had a chance to update its review. Corsa Cucina is on our watchlist for a possible upgrade.
- B&B (Venetian)
- Valentino (Venetian)
- Bartollota’s (Wynn)
- Circo (Bellagio)
- Il Mulino (Caesars Forum Shops)
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