Olives, in the opulent Bellagio Hotel, is yet another hit for celebrity chef Todd English. The menu of Mediterranean cuisine has received many accolades and features influences from not only Italy, but all over the Mediterranean. One taste and there’s no question – Olives is sleek, and their food is consistently true to its roots. Servers are efficient and friendly, and an extensive, ever evolving wine list ensures that even the most exacting wine drinker may find something unique. Olives delightfully offers beautifully prepared, fresh, flavorful dishes, just waiting for the curious diner to revel in.
Read More ...Olives at the Bellagio Hotel is a Todd English venture, and one of six Olives locations worldwide, including Tokyo. Todd English himself helms the Charlestown, Massachusetts location. The Las Vegas Olives opened more than five years ago, and is headed by Executive Chef Isaac Carter, who has worked for English for over ten years. Carter and English have an established history together in executing English’s creations successfully, and it shows.
English’s rustic Italian cuisine is an ideal complement to the backdrop of the Bellagio, with its elegant adornments within and beautiful scenery all around.
One enters Olives from within the Bellagio’s shopping area. Above, in the corridor, are whimsical oversized blown glass butterflies and skylights. The only division between the restaurant and the walkway is a wrought iron wall, which lends an open-air feeling to the restaurant, if making it a bit less private. In front of the restaurant is a podium, where a formally dressed staff member checks reservations, and hands diners off to efficient hosts and hostesses. The interior of the restaurant is warm and intimate, and the décor features dark woods, and golden tones. One of the main features in the dining room is the large bar, as well as the view of the fountains and Lake Bellagio, both from the dining room as well as the terrace.
Olives is representative of many of the restaurants on the strip, where space comes at a premium and tables are closely spaced. The exception to this rule is the terrace, which is spacious, and has a breathtaking view. As the sun begins to set, the Bellagio’s fountains become even more spectacular, as they become illuminated. The interior restaurant can get quite busy, and the noise level varies considerably between the dining room and the terrace. Reservations are recommended – strongly recommended.
We dined at Olives on a Tuesday evening with an early reservation. However, if one arrives at the podium promptly at five, it’s possible to be seated on the terrace, facing Lake Bellagio and the fountains. It was very quiet and serene. The atmosphere between the dining room and terrace is night and day—the interior dining room is electrified, a place to people watch, and come before and after shows. In contrast, the terrace cries out to be a ‘date night’ destination.
Olives is designed to take diners to Engish’s Mediterranean roots, if but for a short while. Chef Carter explains he wants diners to feel they’ve been “whisked away to Lake Como.” The food is spot-on with Italian flavors. Each dish, from the appetizer, to the pasta, to the entrée, takes the diner on a journey through English’s world of authentic Mediterranean cuisine, the destination being the return home.
The tables are spotlessly clean granite, set with imported Italian silverware. The plates are rectangular and immaculate white. Service for each table begins when the server delivers a basket of assorted bread, and black and green olive tapenade. The basket includes a particularly delectable caramelized onion foccacia bread. It’s savory, moist, and the tapenade is robust, and a wonderful combination.
Our server, Chris, was knowledgeable and helpful. When we asked, he offered recommendations regarding menu items; when we pondered just how many cranes were on the horizon from all of the construction going up in the area, he knew just how many. He offered up helpful facts, and took the extra step to ask how, and specifically in what order, we wished our food delivered. This extra attention meant everything.
We began our meal with the Beef Carpaccio. The meat was flavorful and paper-thin, and served very simply. It was served on and around a small haystack of greens, and had three sauces drizzled on top. It was also topped with an abundance of shaved parmesan, and adorned with cipollini onions. This dish was topped with a Roquefort crema, as well as polenta, and a dark, balsamic sauce. It was amazing – every bite brought something different. The meat spoke for itself, but tried with greens, or with onion, or one sauce, or a different sauce, or with more of the parmesan, or less, it changed the mood of the dish. The ‘perfect bite’ means something different to everyone, and this dish had so many.
Next to arrive was the Caesar Salad. This was a traditional Caesar, made with crisp and fresh Romaine, and Roma tomatoes, gently tossed with the dressing. It was topped with homemade olive oil croutons and grated parmesan cheese. This salad was fresh and simple. Good food doesn’t have to be fussy or complicated – it can be just that: good.
Our final starter was one of Olives’s signature flatbreads, the Portobello. Olives is renowned for their fabulous artisinal flatbreads, and this did not disappoint. The flatbread was spread with wild mushroom puree; sprinkled with herb-roasted Portobello mushrooms, red onions, and Fontina cheese; then drizzled with white truffle oil and baked to creamy perfection. It was very rich, and tasted particularly naughty. I could taste every ingredient, from the earthy wild mushrooms, to the delicate Fontina, to the hint of white truffle. All of the flavors were there individually, but they married beautifully.
The staff at Olives makes 2000-3000 pieces of pasta daily, on a single pasta machine. It’s more than just strict technical expertise that creates these dishes. This staff cares about creating something special for their clients. We ordered Butternut Squash Tortelli with Brown Butter Sage sauce. The large, stuffed tortelli were brought in a white bowl, with parmesan cheese on top, garnished with a deep-fried sage leaf. This pasta was like candy. The squash filling had some sweetness to it, and the sauce was rich and savory with the sage. This was such a departure from the mundane spaghetti with meat sauce of our collective childhood. This was pasta for grownups. It combined sweet with savory, was silky smooth, and was one of the true high notes of our meal.
Lastly, we received our Grilled Double Cut Pork Chop. It was perfectly cooked, served on top of a bed of spicy pork chili, and accompanied by a twice-baked Vidalia onion pudding. The use of balsamic smoked tomato marmalade tied the dish to its Italian-Mediterranean roots, for the most part. My only criticism of this dish, however, was that served on a bed of chili, it didn’t neatly fit the restaurant’s overall theme of rustic Italian/Mediterranean cuisine. This was a dish designed to ‘push the envelope.’ The dish was nicely prepared, though, and the chili went quite well with the onion pudding – but the pork chop didn’t need it.
Our meal was top notch. Olives is exacting about the menu, the preparation, and the service. The restaurant is a hotspot (complete with requisite hotspot volume), though their terrace is a welcome, quiet oasis. It is about atmosphere, and quality of food, all working together to create something special. Come to Olives for the reputation, and come back again and again for the food and the service.
Copyright © Restaurant Agent Inc.
Todd English's Olives
Olives Interior Dining Room
Bellagio Fountains
Grilled Double Cut Pork Chop with spicy pork chili and twice baked vidalia onion pudding
Entrance to Olives
we ate on the terrace and were able to watch the gorgeous fountain/light show set to music in the lagoon. The Eiffel tower was lit up in the background! Wow! What a memorable meal. Not sure what I ate because I was so enamored with the ambiance.
Outstanding
Make this a must try !!!
We had a terrific time...well worth the wait to get a table on the patio. Completely different experience. Service was terrific and food amazing. Good size portions for fine dining and good value. A memorable evening for all~
great ambiance and very good food..would go back
we had dinner tues sept 21/10 at olives at first we seated in the main area - we had requested a patio table- the hostesses were great in accomodating this for us at a later time which did not bother us in the least the appetizer was wonderful the oso buco perfect and the wine excellent if you have the chance to experience the bellagio fountains from the patio you will not forget it you are so close you can feel the spray this was one of the most incredible evenings we have had and we have been to more than our fair share of restaurants and locations thank you for having us
Incredibly well prepared meal and very attentive wait staff made the whole experience special. Take your favorite person with you and enjoy the evening. Try to get close tot he window or dine outside for a full view of the water show.
Restaurant was recommended by my cousin, they live in Las Vegas and recently celebrated a wedding anniversary at Olives. It was a very good choice! We wanted a very nice dining experience and this was it. We sat on the patio next to the railing and had a great view of the water shows. The food and service was excellent! I would highly recommend this place if you're looking for something special.......and make sure to wait for a patio seat, well worth it!
My friend and I recently had lunch at Olives. We thought the menu had good diversity and the wait staff was efficient. Our only problem: Too much food! Neither of us could begin to finish our meals (sandwich for me, salad for her). I would suggest, for lunch, to cut back on the portions. The food was quite good and served in an efficient and tasteful manner. Just too much!
From the moment we arrived, the host was so friendly. We easily got a table outside. Reservation at 6, arrive at 5:30. That was our strategy. Two waiters outside. Kind, made wonderful recommendations, fun with personality. Wine recs were great. Food was fantastic although we don't eat heavy dinners, so we couldn't tell you alot about the food. The calamari was very tasty as was the butternut squash soup. Delicious breads. Experiencing the fountains was fantastic. I highly recommend it and when you drive/walk by the fountains, you'll have such a great memory. I'm from New Orleans and I'm telling you Olives is the BEST!
We had a wonderful experience. The food was excellent and the outside water view was beautiful. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Las Vegas.
Superior dining experience. Don't miss the Carpaccio
Wonderful, flavourful food! Very large portions (for a gourmet restaurant)! Friendly, efficient staff (without being too formal or stuffy). We went at 5 pm and had tickets at Bellagio for a 7:30pm show and had no trouble enjoying our meal and getting to the show on time. I like the fact that they didn't "nickel and dime" you for extras like side dishes. Even the wine list was reasonable. We felt like we got good value for an excellent meal. I would highly recommend it.
we requested a table outside so we could watch the fountain but when we arrived we were told that there were no outside tables.....we were also told that people line up at 5:00 to get those tables. I explained that this was a special birthday and I was disappointed but we were seated at an indoor table with great service and food. The Manager then came to us and told us she was so sorry about our not getting the requested table and promised that we could have dessert outside. They moved us in time for dessert and that just made the evening perfect. Excellent food, excellent service and excellent consideration for patrons' requests. Also, the Bellagio is so incredibly beautiful that it makes the decision to eat at Olive's even more special.
We had an amazing meal, presented by an amazing waiter! Within the group of us we had fish, chicken, and beef. Everything was perfectly cooked. Everything tasted great and everything was hot. The service might be a little slow, but that maybe because we were tight to get to a show. The food was so good though, it is hard to complain. We'll definitely be back and definitely recommend it to our friends!!
Great food great staff LOVED IT!!!!!!
Overall dining was very nice and pleasant. Menu had a wide selection of meals to meet all my guests requests. Would reccommend this restaurant to other business partners for entertaining guests.
We stopped in for Lunch and really enjoyed the service, food, our table. Overall, very impressed with Todd English's Olives restaurant.
First time out to dinner with my 2 , over 21 kids. Picked a great, classy, place!!
Excellent Restaurant with excellent food and service.
Fantastic food--great service--amazing ambiance--reasonable prices--great view of Bellagio Fountain Shows and Paris'Eiffel Tower! Book it--you won't be disappointed!
We were all blown away by how wonderful the food here was! We had the duck, flatbread, scallops and roasted chicken and all our dishes were absolutely heavenly. The price was steep, we paid over $200 for 4 entrees, 2 drinks and 2 desserts, but it was worth every penny!
We got there 20 minutes before our scheduled resv. and were able to get a seat in the patio. We witnessed a fantastic water display. Highly recommend.
The food was amazing, and the service fantastic. The experience was made even more enjoyable being able to have desert and drinks on the patio terrace overlooking the fountain show.
My friend and I were on a (not so tight) budget and we wanted to eat in a good Vegas restaurant that was at least under $50 per entree and we found this at the Bellagio. It was wonderful! I would recommend this place. Just dont order the butternut squash tortelli. My friend had it and it was drowning in vanilla extract. Other than that, everything was amazing. The foie gras was to die for.
Location, food, service makes for a really good experience.
Great place with moderate pricing. Food was very good and lots of wine to select from.
We have eaten at Olives before, so when we are in Las Vegas we always go back. We can always count on getting our money's worth. In an atmosphere of many restaurants to pick from, this is the one we go back to.
a view of the bellagio fountains, amazing olives, tapenade and bread brought to every table, friendly, knowledgable, honest service. i had the shrimp-crusted swordfish with mushroom risotto - YUM. my boyfriend had the roasted free-range chicken, also good. and perhaps the star of our meal - KOBE BEEF TARTARE APPETIZER. period.
Service was great, food options were plentiful, and the wine/bar list was second to none. Great value for the amount and quality of the entree items. Would definitely return the next time I am in Las Vegas!
This is a pretty good place, the ambiance is ok, the service is good, the menu is diverse, the setting (especially outside) is very nice and the prices are more in tune with reality. If you are staying at the Bellagio, there is no need to go anywhere else, this place can satisfy your hunger and your wallet.
We sat out on the balcony and it was absloutely amazing!! Try if you can to get out there, it may be a longer wait but it is worth it! Especially at night so you can see the fountains. The food was good, a bit pricey but the atmosphere and the quality of the food reflects the price. I would highly reccommend Olives if you have something to celebrate as the service is spectacular, especially if you are celebrating! My family and I were celebrating and our waiter, Paul, gave me a special "Congratulations" plate with truffles! It made it really special, especially since he didnt have to do that! The flatbread appetizers are huge - enough for 4 people! The Fig & proscutto (sp?) flatbread is amazing! I was a bit skeptical at first because its an odd combination but oh my, was it ever good! Overall I highly reccommend Olives if you want a truly decadent night out!
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The food was wonderful and so was the service. Wish they had decanted our wine.
I chose this restaurant for a dinner with friends because I have been here before and have excellent memories of fine cuisine. This time, however, was quite a letdown. I was only marginally satisfied with my meal, and my friends were not impressed or even satisfied with theirs. They are not interested in returning to this restaurant, especially for the prices, and I will not recommend it again. So very disappointed.
Good ambiance. Some items are delicious. Striped bass special was not great, too bland. Consider but not a must see.
Our overall experience was fine, we were looking for something with a little more intimacy and was hoping to have had a better table selection.
If you are lucky enough to get a table on the balcony, then it's worth every amount of money you can afford. However, if you are inside the restaurant, then it's a little pricey and too dark. The main dish recommended by our waiter was 2 pasta dishes at 40$ each....that is quite some money for pasta. Fish will run you the same amount. My 2 cents, waiting for the balcony seating is worth the wait!
From the online reservation system, it wasn't clear that you need to arrive early for outside seating. The outside patio is first come, first serve, regardless of a reservation.
olives was highly recommended to me by my nephew who knows of the Chicago location....I thought the entree was poor, salad was poor, appetizer was very good and the drink was excellent....but how can you mess up grey goose on the rocks! All in all, I would not eat there again!~
The food and service was excellent, as it has been on the other 3 times I visited. What was different this time? Our patio seating and view of the famed Bellagio Fountains was unfortunately marred. Immediately before each Fountain show, guests from the bar would line along the rail. All we saw were assorted butts! Also, the paid photographer chose to pose patrons from the interior restaurant along the wall, so we also had to view the photographer's butt as a silhouette by her flash photography. What a disappointment! I spoke to the Manager but received only platitudes. I will NOT choose to repeat this expensive experience.
The kobe burgers at the Fix in the Bellagio BLEW the olive burgers away ( even with the truffles ). And, the fix burgers were less expensive. Met others at tables around us and they agree to skip this one too. There was NO top chef working here on Valentines day!!!
Wanted this to be a special night because my wife and I were celebrating our 10th anniversary on Aug 26th. I made reservations TWO MONTHS prior and requested to be seated on the patio. I was told to arrive 30 min before our reservation. When we arrived we were told that it would be a 2 HOUR wait for patio seating. Don't offer patio seating if you can't reserve or guarantee it. We had tickets for the 10pm Cirque show so we could not and did not want to wait. We were seated at a very small table sandwiched between two other tables. Could not carry on a conversation with my wife because of the noise level with people sitting only inches away from our table. Not very romantic! Food was nothing special! Have had better food at Olive Garden. STAFF HAD A COULD CARE LESS ATTITUDE! VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! Should have gone to Delmonico in the Venetian where you are treated like Royalty and the food is awesome. Todd English should be ashamed to have his name associated with this restaurant. The customer service SUCKED. Don't waste your time and money on this place. Go to Craftsteak in the MGM or Delmonico at the Venetian.
used to be a great experience with tremendous service and wonderful food. now its just a turnstyle...get em in and get em out- very sad.
