Carbone Riviera is THE Definition of “A Night Out” – Absolutely Amazing

I am a fan of Carbone. Despite some issues with some of my past visits, the positives outweigh the negatives, and I was really excited to check out the new Carbone Riviera at the Bellagio. It did not disappoint like some other new recently hyped openings like BOA and Bazaar Meat. Carbone’s new restaurant focuses on seafood and is located where the Picasso Restaurant (also very good) used to be.

Right away, the entrance is visually stunning and lets you know you are about to enter a special place:

The dining room is elegant with the music at the perfect volume. When making the reservation, I was wondering whether to sit outside or inside. The pros of outside are the beautiful views of the Bellagio Fountains, the cons are the weather. You can still catch glimpses of the fountains from the inside, even though we weren’t at a window seat. Its a tough choice. Leave a comment below if you have questions that I can answer to help you decide.

The meal started with some pickles, bread and bean dip. The focaccia was good as were the sesame breadsticks, especially if you are a fan of sesame, you will love these. The bean dip was good but nothing out of this world.

The drink service started a bit slow and our first round of cocktails took some time to arrive, but the timing gradually improved throughout the night. The first course we ordered were the Santa Barbara uni with an apple type salsa. It was perfectly executed. The salsa (I’m calling it this but I don’t remember the exact description from the menu) enhanced and complimented the flavors of the uni. It rounded out the sweetness and brine from the uni. Each bite was smooth and luxurious.

The next dish was the Caesar salad prepared tableside. I have an extremely high standard for Caesar salads and this was good but not outstanding. It needed more garlic, lemon, and I would of incorporated the anchovy into the sauce instead of on top. The positives though were the amazing croutons, which others have raved about, and were the perfect texture (crunchy exterior but maintaining a semi-soft interior that was bursting with butter), and the generous shower of freshly grated parm.

Between the salad and the pasta course there was a long pause, but unlike the service at BOA or Bazaar, it wasn’t intolerable. There are a number of reasons for this. One, the service here was genuinely good. Our server was good, but her support team was outstanding. Water was always refilled, and drinks were always offered. There was one gentleman, who I regret not getting his name, that could be a poster for star employee. He was extremely knowledgeable about wine, drinks and food, and everything he recommended while we were waiting for our food was amazing. Between speaking with this individual, people watching (most people were very well dressed), peeks at the fountain show, enjoying the gorgeous surroundings with my wife, and just being happy to be there, the time passed pleasantly.

After some time the pasta arrived. It was a crab pasta. The flavor itself was spot on. Lots of acidity through a bit light on the crab portion. The heat from the jalapenos was perfect. Just a touch of heat. The problem with this dish is a common issue with pasta in Vegas. Overcooked. I think restaurants should start asking people how they want their pasta cooked, just like they do for steaks.

For our main, we had the dover sole. It was de-boned tableside. This dish was heavenly as was the side dish we ordered with it. The fish was fatty, moist and meaty. The sauce was perfect to complement it. I had it for lunch the next day and it was just as amazing. The potatoes were scalloped style with butter and rosemary. They were full of flavor from the herbs, had good texture from the crunch on the edges, and made rich by the butter. Perfect pairing with the fish.

For dessert, we had the tiramisu which was good but not amazing. Very light.

After dinner, one of the managers gave us a tour of the outside which was stunning.

The tour included a peak at the yacht which is by invite only to ride.

Overall, this was as close to perfect a dinner as possible despite some flaws. The service, food, and surroundings all come together in a harmonious symphony. Its like a perfectly executed show, with you in it. Its not just dinner, its the definition of a night out. Almost any restaurant in Vegas is going to have a tough time topping this. I highly highly recommend you check it out, and I already have my next RSVP booked on my way out!