Carbone Riviera is open at Bellagio Resort & Casino, occupying one of the most storied dining rooms in Las Vegas: the former home of Picasso, set directly against the Fountains of Bellagio. The restaurant is a collaboration between Major Food Group co-founders Mario Carbone, Jeff Zalaznick, and Rich Torrisi and MGM Resorts International, and it arrives with considerable ambition. As Zalaznick put it at opening, the goal is nothing less than creating the greatest fish restaurant the country has ever seen.
The room, designed by Martin Brudnizki, makes a strong case that the setting is already among the best in the business. The interiors draw on the Mediterranean and on Picasso’s sun-soaked Vallauris years, rendered in terracotta, gold, and clay tones offset by the blues of the sea. Guests enter through a custom sea-inspired mosaic portal and move through an abstracted citrus grove, where a plaster arcade of sculpted branches and lemon-shaped sconces leads to a richly mosaic-clad vestibule. The main dining room, seating 240, features deep terracotta leather mirrored banquettes, swirling mosaic archways, and custom Murano glass chandeliers. Two terraces extend the space outdoors, with unobstructed views of the fountains below. Works by Miró, Picasso, and Renoir hang throughout. On the patio, a custom 33-foot Riva yacht named Fortuna, one of only 18 in the world from the limited-edition Riva Anniversario collection, offers select guests a private vantage point for the fountain show.
The menu, true to Major Food Group form, is structured as an event. The meal opens with an ever-changing selection of crudo and delicate preparations built around premium ingredients flown in daily. On any given night, that might mean Nantucket Bay Scallops with Brown Butter and Shaved White Truffles, Lightly Grilled Chu Toro with Aceto Balsamico and Crispy Leeks, Scottish Langoustines in a Green Acqua Pazza, or Freshly Baked Zeppole finished with Golden Osetra Caviar. The antipasti, fritti, and salad courses follow, with standouts including Lobster Polpette Fra Diavolo, Grilled Octopus Peperonata, a delicate preparation of Calamari, and the cheekily named Mario’s Famous di Mare Salad, appearing on a menu for the first time.
Pasta is its own act. The macaroni program introduces new expressions including Linguine Vongole Rosso, Cappellini Crab AOP, Ricotta Gnudi with Caviar, and a signature two-pound lobster arrabbiata served with hand-crafted fettuccine. For those who need the classics, the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka and Caesar alla ZZ, both Carbone signatures, appear throughout the menu as well.
The centerpiece of the dining room, however, is the whole-fish program. Each night, a rotating selection of Sea Bream, Red Snapper, Dover Sole, Branzino, Turbot, and rarer varieties arrive from oceans around the world, offered in varying weights and prepared to order: grilled over Japanese charcoal, roasted al forno, or baked in a salt crust. Each fish is deboned and presented tableside by service captains in a ceremony that is very much part of the meal. An extraordinary selection of steaks from Snake River Farms rounds out the savory offerings, and dessert brings Carbone’s takes on Italian classics, including a Stracciatella Tiramisu and Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake.
The wine list merits its own visit. It concentrates on Champagne, White Burgundy, and coastal Italian whites designed to move alongside the crudo and antipasti, with a robust selection of reds from Tuscany, Piedmont, Burgundy, and the Rhône. The cocktail menu channels the Italian coast with new signatures such as the Pistachio Colada, made with absinthe, pineapple, pistachio, and amaro, and the Strawberry Pomodoro, combining rum, bergamot, strawberry, and mint.
Carbone Riviera is open seven nights a week from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations are available through Bellagio.com or by contacting Bellagio Concierge at (702) 693-6705.
