Olives at The Bellagio Offers Sophisticated “Mediterranean Contemporary” Menu
Chef Todd English's "Olives" at The Bellagio is a great bet for lunch.
Don’t be fooled by the location or first impression of Olives at The Bellagio, Las Vegas. It’s open to the walkway through the tony shopping arcade and at first glance appears trendy-casual. And while it is marketed as one of the resort’s casual eateries, Olives at The Bellagio is actually a paragon of culinary consistency and excellence.
Once inside, it’s also pretty nifty looking with rich, dark hues, luxurious furnishings and over-sized arched windows leading out to a lovely patio overlooking the fountain.
The briskly professional staff sweeps to the table with water, menus and the most seductive bread service ever. An artisinal assortment is accompanied by both mellow, satiny black and green olive tapenades and glistening, giant whole olives. Warning — don’t overdo — the dishes that follow are equally spectacular.
Celeb chef/owner Todd English has assembled a crack culinary staff to produce a roster of dishes that could best be described as “Mediterranean contemporary.” Ingredients and flavors are direct and emphatic, preparations careful and sophisticated.
A rich, warm interior complements the excellent cuisine at Olives at The Bellagio.
Among the starters are a gently dressed, textural squid and octopus salad. Rosy as prime beef, tuna carpaccio is light but satisfying. Beef carpaccio is paired with an assertive Roquefort polenta that adds plenty of oomph to the blandish meat. All the lamb dishes are good – especially so the seductive little crusty, rare riblets.
Olives pizzas and flatbreads are thin and crackly yet have a pleasingly elastic texture that’s an ideal foil for toppings like earthy Portobello mushroom, Fontina cheese and truffle oil or, profoundly rich, sweet and salty fig and prosciutto.
No flagging with the entrees from delicate tortelli stuffed with butternut squash and moistened with brown butter and sage to duck “three ways” with a killer peach reduction that brings out the natural muskiness of the meat.
Having always opted for two starters rather than a dessert, we’ll assume that category is just as stellar as the rest of the menu.
The wine list is high-end and high-priced. With appetizers ranging from $15 to $20 and entrees going from $30 to $50 at dinner, lunch at Olives is a relative bargain. But bear in mind, reservations – lunch and dinner – have been a must.
Where: The Bellagio
Hours of Operation:
Lunch and Dinner Daily
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Dinner: 5:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Reservations:
Suggested by calling 866.259.7111 or 702.693.7223
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Tags: Bellagio restaurants, cuisine Las Vegas, Las Vegas dining, lunch Las Vegas, Olives at the Bellagio, restaurants Las Vegas, Todd English
September 14th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
[...] love the restaurant selection at the Bellagio: Olives by Todd English (read our review of Olives here); Palio for a quick breakfast; the decadent Jean-Philippe Maury patisserie; the Bellagio’s own [...]