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Valentino’s interior décor sets an elegant stage for executive chef Luciano Pellegrini’s traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine. The entrance to the Las Vegas restaurant showcases a glittering red wall, while the intimate dining space features baby blue tablecloths set against the neutral tones of the rest of the decor. Mirrors and pinches of color channel the vibrancy of the food in the classically styled space. Tables are set with blue napkins, white plates and brown leather chairs, which all play a part in making Valentino feel more secluded and cozier than its casual sister restaurant, The Grill at Valentino.

Especially within The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino’s restaurant row, Valentino is one of the more romantic restaurants the hotel offers, if only because its main dining room sits far enough off the row to muffled the constant buzz of the hall’s dining and gaming guests. The Las Vegas outfit of chef Piero Selvaggio has a more intimate feel than many restaurants in Las Vegas, thanks to its smaller physical size and lower ceilings — which make it feel pleasantly warm. Valentino’s classic Italian menu and vast selection of wine help the romantic cause, too — we think you’ll feel the amore.

The desserts at Valentino — as with the rest of the menu — feel familiarly Italian, but with a few surprises to keep things inventive and fresh. Choose from the caramelized puff pastry napoleon with Nutella filling, or the signature tiramisu with white chocolate and Frangelico, or opt for the Gianduja pistachio and nougat cake with amaretto gelato. Other decadent options include the hocolate filled frittelle with vanilla sauce and coconut gelato, or the chocolate ravioli with berries and mint soup. And of course, you can’t go wrong with the daily soufflé — always light as air. All the desserts at Valentino come with the same price tag — $16. Your challenge will be in picking just one.

Valentino doesn’t have a kids’ menu, though the Las Vegas restaurant can certainly reduce portion sizes to accommodate your youngsters. If you’d like to try the classic Italian cuisine, but can’t find a sitter for the kids, you might want to try The Grill at Valentino instead, which serves a separate menu, still crafted by executive chef Luciano Pellegrini. You’ll be able to enjoy your food in a more relaxed atmosphere as well, with a laid-back dress code and casual vibe that might be more comfortable for kids. But if your littlest diners can sit still and already enjoy the finer things in life, go ahead and make an early reservation in Valentino’s main dining room so they can try the refined Italian cuisine.

Valentino has a bar — and actually, it has a whole second restaurant with its own distinct menu and vibe. Before you formally enter Valentino, you’ll pass through The Grill at Valentino, a more casual spin on the Las Vegas restaurant’s Italian cuisine, brought to you by the same executive chef, Luciano Pellegrini. At the bar, immediately to the right of the entrance, you’ll be able to order from the menu at either restaurant, giving you twice the number of Italian favorites to choose from. From the bar, you’ll feel the energy of The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino’s restaurant row — Valentino sits cushioned between the end of the hotel’s gaming floor and the beginning of its string of restaurants. You can also sit in the casual lounge area, where you don’t need a reservation, or dressed-up clothing. So if you’re looking for an altogether more casual experience, but still want Valentino’s elegant Italian food, just grab a stool and ask for a menu.

You won’t have to look far to find the best table at Valentino. Right up against the restaurant’s entrance, where you’ll spot the Valentino name upon a glittering red wall, you’ll see a lone table — the best in the house. From this vantage point, you’ll be able to gaze out onto two dining spaces; the back section, where Valentino has its main dining room, and the front, where The Grill at Valentino has its bar and lounge areas. Your table serves as a fulcrum between the two worlds, putting you in the culinary spotlight — though we think you’re focus will shift to Valentino’s traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine the moment you take your first bite.

Valentino, the Las Vegas sister-restaurant of Valentino in Santa Monica, offers a menu filled with traditional and contemporary Italian delights, with a number of different à la carte and tasting menu options to keep your taste buds on their toes. On the a la carte menu, you’ll find elaborate appetizers such as la cappesante, a dish made with bay scallops wrapped in pancetta and drizzled with a white wine butter caper sauce, and pastas such as saffron-topped risotto with smoked salmon scaloppini. Traditional seafood dishes include cioppino, a stew of mixed seafood and shellfish with garlic bruschetta, and you can also order meat entrees such as the Australian Wagyu steak. You’ll also find daily specials listed on a separate menu, with ever-changing options such as tuna tartare or a pan-seared opah with tomato vinaigrette.

The tasting menus at Valentino allow you to sample some of the restaurant’s best dishes at set prices. Options include a four-course menu of the restaurant’s classics in the Sample from Valentino’s Cookbook menu, the six-course Chef’s Extravaganza menu, or the five-course Taste of Our Menu option — a feast made of luxury ingredients.

Valentino, the Las Vegas outpost of James Beard award winner Piero Selvaggio’s Santa Monica restaurant, serves traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine in an elegant environment inside The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. Here’s our list of the five best things to order at Valentino:

1. Carpaccio. It’s not guaranteed to be on the menu, but the beef carpaccio with shaved black summer truffle and crispy ciabatta is a well-executed classic and a delightful meal opener.

2. Le cappesante. Sea of Cortez bay scallops are wrapped in pancetta and served with a white wine butter caper sauce, with delicious results.

3. I garganellineri. This black, house made pasta is tossed with lobster carbonara, for a taste of the best the sea (lobster and sea urchin) and land (bacon and egg yolks) have to offer.

4. Bistecca. If you like steak, you’ll have a tough time finding a cut better than Valentino’s Australian Wagyu flat iron steak, served with arugula and zucchini.

5. Chocolate ravioli with berries and mint soup. There’s not a lot more to tell you here — this fresh and playful dessert gives you chocolate, fruit and mint for a mix of light and decadent.

Valentino’s interior décor sets an elegant stage for executive chef Luciano Pellegrini’s traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine. The entrance to the Las Vegas restaurant showcases a glittering red wall, while the intimate dining space features baby blue tablecloths set against the neutral tones of the rest of the decor. Mirrors and pinches of color channel the vibrancy of the food in the classically styled space. Tables are set with blue napkins, white plates and brown leather chairs, which all play a part in making Valentino feel more secluded and cozier than its casual sister restaurant, The Grill at Valentino.

Valentino has a business casual dress code. While the Las Vegas restaurant requests guests dress in a refined style, The Grill at Valentino lets you wear more casual clothing. Even so, the more sophisticated, fine-dining atmosphere in Valentino lends itself well to dressing up, if only just a little bit. We think it’s worth your while to at least wear a collared shirt or a stylish dress for dinner at Valentino; the inspired Italian cuisine from chef Luciano Pellegrini boasts enough pomp and circumstance that you’ll want to greet the cultured cuisine in a smart style.

The price range for a meal at Valentino depends on how you plan to dine; the Las Vegas restaurant offers a choice between à la carte ordering and tasting menus. On the à la carte menu, appetizers cost around $18, with pastas between $18 and $24. Seafood dishes will have you shell out between $32 and $38, whereas meat entrées range between $34 and $45.

You can also choose from four- to six-course tasting menus. Trying signature dishes from the restaurant’s cookbook in the four-course menu will cost $65, while the six-course chef’s extravaganza menu runs $79. Two or more diners can order the five-course Taste of Our Menu offering, which costs $85. Wine pairings can be added to each menu for another $30 to $45.