Italian in Las Vegas: the lay of the land
Italian is the cuisine the Strip does with most confidence, because it suits the city's idea of a night out: big rooms, red sauce, tableside theatre, a bottle of Barolo and a bill to match. The best Strip Italian rooms are genuinely excellent; several are also spectacular examples of paying for atmosphere rather than cooking. Off the Strip, the last decade has produced a wave of chef-owned pasta restaurants — led by Esther's Kitchen in the Arts District — that make better pasta than most of the big names for half the price. This guide ranks both, explains what each room is for, and gives 2026 price ranges. Always check the restaurant's site; menus and prices change.
The Strip's big rooms, ranked honestly
Carbone at ARIA is the hardest table and the most fun: tuxedoed captains, spicy rigatoni, veal parm for two, Motown. Expensive ($120–200 a head) and worth it once. Scarpetta at The Cosmopolitan has the fountain view and the famous spaghetti; calmer and cheaper than Carbone. Cipriani at Wynn Plaza does the Venetian Harry's Bar canon — bellinis, baked tagliolini, vanilla meringue cake — in a serene room with a patio; a favourite for lunch. Sinatra at Encore is the romantic one, with a garden patio and Frank's Oscar on display. Rao's at Caesars Palace is the only place on earth you can reliably get a table at Rao's; the meatballs and the lemon chicken are the point. Brezza at Resorts World is the newer, lighter, Italian-coastal room with a serious pasta programme, and Amalfi by Bobby Flay at Caesars covers the seafood side.
For more scene than substance, Superfrico at The Cosmopolitan pairs decent pasta with circus performers — see our guide.
Off-Strip pasta: where the value is
Esther's Kitchen on Main Street in the Arts District is the city's best pasta restaurant, full stop: house-made cacio e pepe, sourdough with a cult following, an Italian wine list mostly under $70. Ferraro's on Paradise Road, a family institution since 1985, is the old-school choice — osso buco, a huge Italian wine cellar, a happy hour locals love. Piero's next to the convention center is where the city's old guard has eaten since 1982; it appeared in Casino and still serves the osso buco the film's characters ate. Monzù in the west valley does Sicilian-leaning cooking and wood-fired pizza. Osteria Fiorella at Red Rock in Summerlin brings Marc Vetri's pasta programme to the locals' casinos. Expect $60–120 a head at any of these with wine. See off-Strip favourites and downtown dining.
Pizza
The city's pizza is better than its reputation. Pizza Rock Downtown, by world champion Tony Gemignani, does Neapolitan, New York, Sicilian and Detroit styles under one roof and is a strong late-night option. Good Pie in the Arts District is the local favourite for New York and grandma slices. Secret Pizza at The Cosmopolitan — an unmarked corridor on the third floor — sells New York slices until late and is the Strip's worst-kept secret. Metro Pizza is the long-running neighbourhood chain locals grew up on. Eataly at Park MGM has a proper Neapolitan oven and is the easy family stop. Slices run $5–9 and whole pies $20–35 as of 2026.
Italian by occasion
- The big celebration: Carbone, booked at release; Sinatra if you want quiet romance.
- View dinner: Scarpetta's window, timed for the fountains.
- Best pasta, any price: Esther's Kitchen.
- Lunch with a bellini: Cipriani at Wynn Plaza.
- Old Vegas: Piero's or Ferraro's.
- Family and walk-in: Eataly at Park MGM; Pizza Rock Downtown.
- Late-night slice: Secret Pizza — see late-night eats.
What Italian costs in 2026
Ranges only, subject to change: Strip pastas $30–60, mains $50–150, with a full dinner running $120–200 per person at Carbone and $90–150 at Scarpetta, Cipriani or Sinatra before tip. Off-Strip pastas $20–36 and full dinners $60–120 per person. Pizza $5–9 a slice. Wine mark-ups are the biggest variable — a $40 retail Chianti is $90–120 on the Strip and $60–75 in the Arts District. Concession fees of a few percent apply at Caesars and Venetian properties; automatic gratuity applies to large parties everywhere.
Booking, dress and mistakes to avoid
Carbone requires booking the moment reservations open, about 30 days out; everything else on this page is available a week ahead on weekends and a few days on weeknights, with Esther's and Ferraro's filling Thursday to Saturday. Dress is smart casual at the Strip rooms and anything-goes off-Strip. Mistakes: ordering three courses each at Carbone (share); booking Scarpetta without requesting the window; assuming Rao's is a walk-in (it is not); skipping the Arts District because it is a rideshare away; and paying Strip prices for a plain pizza when Secret Pizza is a floor away. For the broader picture see best restaurants.
