Valentino

Discriminating

by biznessman2 at Citysearch

I live in Las Vegas and wanted to treat some friends from Europe to Valentino. We hade reserved for 4 people. We were early and decided to have a bottle of champagne outside on their tiny terrace. We order a bottle of Veuve Cliquot. The waitress had no class. She poured THE WHOLE BOTTLE one shot into 4 champagne glasses. Each glass was overflowing. Then she brought the bill without us having finished to drink or even asking for it. THEY APPLIED 18% SERVICE CHARGE, probably because they heard a language that wasn't English. The law says that you are supposed to PRINT on the menu/wine list that you are applying service charge. No such thing on their wine list or menu. When I complained to their obnoxious "manager", he said that it was house policy to do that on every bottle of wine sold. So be aware if you go there. Then he walked away. Not only we cancelled the reservation on the spot but I will never go back and I will do my best to spread the word. We then went upstairs to Postrio were we spent $400+ and had a blast. Business must be booming at Valentino. The do not care about $400 and certainly about customers.

Great place for authentic Italian cuisine

by FoxyM at Citysearch

My fiancé and I went to Valentino for our two year anniversary and it was definitely the best place for a romantic and unforgettable food and wine experience. I had an impeccable dining experience with exquisite and artistic presentation in an opulent setting. The food was delicious! Valentino's had an extensive wine list and service was impeccable. For our appetizer, we had the Bruschetta and Carpaccio alla Cipriani. They were both fantastic! For our entrées we had the Potato Gnocchi with meat sauce which was by far the best thing I have ever had! My fiancé ordered the Cappellacci with Spinach and Ricotta and he loved it so much that he ate everything on his plate. With every course we became more impressed with the food, both in taste and presentation. I would definitely recommend.

• Pros: Best Italian food in town!
• Cons: None

Absolutely Perfect!

by deviousmuse at Citysearch

I dined here this past Monday with my boyfriend, best friend and her husband. We were celebrating completing our first marathon, so everyone was in the mood to splurge a bit. We started with a round of champagne and followed with a recommended bottle of pinot noir (which was one of the best bottles I've ever had). We ordered appetizers (house salad with greens, purple heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese, a caprese salad, and.. well, I don't remember the 3rd appetizer), which came out promptly, and everything tasted wonderfully fresh.

For the main entree, I had the tri-color gnocchi with a cream demi-glace - they were accommodating to sub asparagus for the mushrooms (I don't like fungi), which created a wonderful texture between the doughy pasta and the crisp asparagus. There was also a pumpkin ravioli, which was buttery and just slightly sweet. Lamb tenderloin, perfectly cooked and served with garlic mashed potatoes, and a spicy prawn dish in a tomato sauce. Everything was perfectly salted, each dish was a decent portion without being too overwhelming if paired with a salad, and I could've easily ordered any one of those and been perfectly happy.

Dessert was also great - the platings were so pretty, I actually took pictures! Tiramisu encased in a delicate chocolate shell, a warm chocolate torte served with bourbon sorbet, and a pecan crunch cake with a warm buttery sauce.

I think on top of the excellent meal, the service and timing were perfect. We were never rushed between courses, but allowed to linger and enjoy every moment of the meal - there was enough time between our plates that everything could digest a bit and we could appreciate all of the flavors without feeling overwhelmed.

A must try at the Venetian!

• Pros: Amazing food, impeccible service, nice escape from the casino floor

Overpriced, below-par taste, ended up sick!

by tillywaller at Citysearch

I'll start off by saying that the service was wonderful in the restaurant, and that it was absolutely beautiful inside. But then, the cocktails were overpriced. They were about 50% more expensive than other cocktails in Vegas, don't taste as good, and won't even get you a buzz. The food was not that great either -- and, it has the potential to make you violently ill! My friend spent the rest of the night after eating there extremely sick with a horrible upset stomach, and I spent the whole next day hugging my toilet, and I hadn't even been drinking; completely ruined my Vegas trip because I was too sick to do anything else for the rest of my vacation. I had much better meals for the same price elsewhere. UGH!

• Pros: service, atomosphere
• Cons: food

Superb food and dining!

by Julie20 at Citysearch

Cafe Giorgio located at Mandalay Place inside the Mandalay Bay is a great spot for lunch and dinner. Went there for lunch with friends and shared the Antipasto Combo appetizer, which included a nice sampling of prosciutto, olives, and tomato bruschetta with basil. Loved the pasta rigatoni with fresh mozzarella on top. The atmosphere is light and breezy and is a great place for people watching as it is located right by all of the shops.