Nove Italiano

In Las Vegas, a city well-known for its extravagance, one restaurant sits above the rest as an outstanding dining experience. Nove Italiano, located in the Fantasy Tower of the Palms Casino, is Italian dining at its absolute finest.

The menu is traditional Italian, served with a unique and modern twist. Think crusty breads and delicious cheeses, cured meats, seafood, freshly-made pasta, sauces both subtle and hearty, light and fresh salads, tender meat dishes, fine wines and even finer desserts.

The standout hit on an all-round spectacular menu is the ‘carne cruda’ or beef tartare with quail egg. This consists of the most delicious pieces of tender beef, sliced and served raw with subtle spices and a quail egg cracked over the top. Paired with a crusty cracker, this is a taste and texture explosion you have to try to believe!

Equally delicious is the Nove spaghetti, a divine mix of lobster, crab, scallop, calamari, shrimp and basil in a delightful lobster reduction. The delicate flavours in this dish are so perfectly balanced that the result is truly sublime!

For dessert, a Nutella-flavoured semifreddo melts in the mouth, another winning taste-texture combination. For those who like to share their dessert, the cannoli platter comes adorned with more toppings than you can poke a pastry at and makes for a fun and tasty communal dish.

However, it’s not just the food that’s a winner here. It’s the whole experience. From the moment you are whisked up in the elevator, to your first glimpse of the million-dollar view, you know this will be one of those unforgettable meals. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, combining old-world Italian charm with 21st Century Vegas glamour. Here you’ll find Swarovski crystal chandeliers and candles next to LED lights and mirrors. There are large stately tables and intimate booths with elegant furniture. The walls are full of electronic art displayed on plasma screens in gold-gilded frames. The glittering view of the Strip is visible through flame-lined windows. The service is impeccable too, everything you would expect at a fine restaurant.

The only downside is that the food comes with a predictably high price tag. The applauded spaghetti is $43 for a smallish dish. But to those who say they’d never pay for expensive Italian (because pasta is cheap, right?), I say just shell out the $43 and see what Italian food is meant to taste like. This is no $2 packet of spaghetti with a jar of tomato sauce. This is the exquisite combination of fresh ingredients and inventive recipes, prepared by people who really know what they’re doing with food. I would pay it again, that’s for sure. Besides, this is Vegas, and everyone deserves a little splurge once in a while!