Picasso at the Bellagio

Well, so far our only 2 Michelin star experience has been at Pied a Terre in London, at which we had a really SUPERB experience. So, we were really looking forward to our dinner at Picasso, a 2 star restaurant in the Bellagio hotel on the Vegas strip.

Well it all started off well as we walked into the Bellagio - one of the posher hotels on the strip. The interior was rather more tasteful than some of the others; some lovely touches - glass umbrellas suspended from the ceiling, a garden of fountains and flowers in the conservatory. It was lovely. We wandered through the hotel and got to the restaurant. A bit early, but we thought we'd get a drink at the bar to kill time if needed. There was no need. "Would you like to sit outside?" the Maitre d' asked. Did we ever! All the reviews of the restaurant had said 'try to get a table outside on the balcony' so we really didn't need asking twice!

We were shown to the table. It really was the best in the house. As you can see; right on the lakeside with a great view back down the strip (we could even see the Eiffel Tower!)

So we were given the menu - we already knew we were going to have the menu degustation (with the accompnying wine menu) and then all we needed to decide on was which of the lovely bread options were we going to have!

The sommelier came out and painted such a wonderful picture of the wine we were about to taste with the first course, that we were completely transfixed. Then the 1st course was placed in front of us. At that exact moment, the music started and the fountain display began. It was so perfect that I have to confess to a small amount of emotion (what a surprise!) we clinked our glasses and vowed to remember everything about it.

The taster menu consisted of several small courses...

Maine Lobster Salad
with Apple-Champagne Vinaigrette
2006 Morgadío, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain

Pan Seared Sea Scallops
with Potato Mousseline and Jus de Veau
2006 Domaines Schlumberger, Les Princes Abbés, Pinot Gris, Alsace, France

Sautéed "A" Steak of Foie Gras
with Roasted Peaches, Vanilla, Muscat and Crushed Almonds
2004 Maculan, Torcolato, Breganze, Veneto, Italy

...then a choice between

Sautéed Filet of Halibut
with Sautéed Royal Trumpet Mushrooms and Roasted Sunchokes
2005 Château La Nerthe, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhône Valley, France

or

Roasted Aged Lamb Chop
with Ragout of Flageolets and Mushrooms
2005 Dominio De Tares, Baltos, Bierzo, Spain

I had the halibut and Dan had the Lamb, in the only choice of the menu. Nick also had the Lamb and Laura had the veggie menu - which, it has to be said, was every bit as wonderful as the other menu.

OK so how do I describe the food - and more than that, how do I describe the combination of the food and the wine. It's really difficult unless you've experienced this sort of thing before. When we went to Pied-A-Terre, we had a similarly amazing experience with a couple of the food wine combination. Some are good, but some actually blow your mind!

Imagine food being placed in front of you which is so beautifully presented that it's like a work of art. It's almost too good to eat! Then take a forkful of food and it's the nicest thing you've ever tasted. You try to eat slowly to make the flavour stay in your mouth longer! Then, with the food flavour still in your mouth, you take a sip of the wine, and BOOM, the 2 flavours explode into the most sublime combination. It's hard to explain!

Anyway, this meal was like that. Every course. With music. And Fountains!

I'm sorry now that we didn't take pictures of the food courses. We were a bit reluctant because in Pied-a-terre they'd specified no cameras. However we did take pictures of the desserts and noone said a thing so possibly it'd have been OK throughout the meal.


These were Nick's (left) and Laura's (right) desserts.

I haven't got the flowery descriptions from the menu - just to say Nick's was full on chocolate fondant, and Laura's was a coffee pyramid!

Dan's was a panna cotta (bottom left) and mine was a grapefruit cream soda (bottom right)

Each one was a work of art.

All the way through the evening, the fountains coordinating with each course, highlighting a fact that I never knew before; that Michelin star food could be enhanced by music and fountains!