Julian Serrano's Exquisite Lago Splashes Down on Saturday Night

Lago
Address: Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Phone: 702-693-7111
Status: Opens Saturday night. Hours are Mondays through Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m. and until midnight on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Reservations: OpenTable

Julian Serrano debuts his third Las Vegas restaurant on Saturday night when Lago unleashes its contemporary Italian fare and small dishes. The restaurant taking over the former Circo space at the Bellagio has a patio where diners can practically feel the spray of water when the Fountains at Bellagio dance, a bar dominating the entryway and a decor inspired by Milan’s 20th century Italian Futurismo movement. It’s hard to miss the massive mosaic of colored glass and metal all backlit when you approach the restaurant. The 100 by 15 foot mural replicates the streets of Milan. Emilio Pucci, the Italian fashion designer, even gets a nod to his kaleidoscope of geometric patterns in the bar area.

But it’s the menu that will keep diners coming back. Serrano wanted to try his hand at Italian and says the women wearing tiny dresses don’t want to eat a lot of food, so small plates with four or five bites eat reign. Take your fish raw in a crudo or grilled whole. The arsenal of Italian fare including pastas and pizzas make the menu. And for those who want a true Vegas experience, the whole suckling pig, osso bucco and one-pound bone-in rib eye will fill.

The entire Lago menu is here.