At A Glance
In this review of Scarpetta, one of our contributors heads to The Cosmo to try a long-standing Italian restaurant that originated in New York.
- Overall Rating: 2.75 out of 5
Our overall rating factors in what you get for the price relative to other restaurants on the Strip. We also put more weight on certain dishes, which we deemed more critical.
- Highlights: Calamari Fritti, Ambiance
- Room for Improvement: Scampi, Rack of Lamb, Service
- Would Recommend: Meh
About Scarpetta
Location: The Cosmopolitan (third-floor restaurant area)
Phone: 702.698.7960
Hours: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm Daily
Pricing: Our meal for two people, which included three drinks, one entree, one pasta dish, one appetizer, and one salad, plus tip/tax, was $305.
It had been about a decade since our contributor last ate at Scarpetta. So it was time to try this fine-dining Italian restaurant again.
Scarpetta is the vision of restaurateur and Cornell Hotel School graduate John Meadow. (It is unclear if there is any relation to Meadow Soprano.) In 2008, Meadow opened the original Scarpetta in the very-hip Meatpacking District of New York and got a coveted James Beard nomination for ‘Best New Restaurant.’ The Vegas location at Cosmo opened, to much fanfare, soon after.
Due to its early success in New York and then Vegas, there are now eight Scarpetta-group restaurants globally, including The Hamptons, Rome (gasp!), London, Tokyo, Doha and Philly.
Scarpetta focuses on seasonal ingredients and bold Italian flavors. It does not fence itself to one type of regional Italian cuisine.
Nice Ambiance and Views
Scarpetta is tucked away in a quiet corner of Cosmo’s busy third-floor restaurant row. This quieter corner is noteworthy because it has spectacular views of The Bellagio Fountains.
Some of the tables along the window have views of the fountains, and the website allows you to pay an upcharge to guarantee a seat at one of these tables. We did not pay the upcharge but were still lucky enough to sit at a table along the window.
Upon entering the restaurant, there is a large bar with a handful of small lounge tables.
The atmosphere is not overwhelming. It doesn’t feel like an in-your-face Italian restaurant and doesn’t have a clubby vibe like some Cosmo restaurants, including Superfrico. So, if you are middle-aged, you will find the environment at Scarpetta comfortable.
Food: It Was Just Ok
For this meal, the two of us shared everything.
Before the meal arrived, they brought a bread basket with a variety of breads–all of which were delicious.
What we liked:
- Calamari Fritti (5/5)
- Insalata Mista (3.5/5)
Room for improvement:
- Tagliolini Agli Scampi (2/5)
- Colorado Rack of Lamb (3/5)
Appetizers
Our first appetizer was the Calamari Fritti (in other words, your standard fried octopus). But this calamari was anything but average. The breading was absolutely perfect, and both the red and white accompanying sauces added to the flavor. The fish itself tasted great. This dish was perfect, and as you can see, we forgot to take a picture when the dish arrived (oops, we did it again!).
Our second starter was the Insalata Mista. This was a standard salad with carrots, cherry tomatoes, and a red wine shallot vinaigrette. The salad itself and dressing were fine–albeit not inspiring for a restaurant of this caliber. Our rating reflects that sentiment.
Calamari Fritti – Split Portion
Insalata Mista – Split Portion
Entrees
For pasta courses, diners should note that Scarpetta only offers one pasta with a red sauce—its signature spaghetti.
Since we were at Scarpetta, we had to get a pasta dish. So we decided on the Tagliolini Agli Scampi. The dish should have gotten a very high rating, as the small prawns were perfect, and the thin pasta noodles were awesome.
However, the disappointment came from the fact that the lemon in the garlic butter sauce overpowered the dish. You couldn’t have them sprinkle enough parmigiana on top to mask it. What a waste!
For our entree, we shared the medium rare Colorado Rack of Lamb. The preparation of the two big pieces of lamb was perfect, and we had no complaints about the lamb itself.
However, it lacked flavor without a strong sauce. The lamb comes with crushed potatoes coated with a pecorino cheese crust. They were just ok.
Tagliolini Agli Scampi – Split Portion
Colorado Rack of Lamb
Dessert
After the ho-hum meal, we decided to grab ice cream elsewhere and did not order dessert. The dessert options included some items that looked interesting, as well as cheese options.
Drinks
Scarpetta has around ten signature cocktails. However, instead of cocktails, we stuck to bubbly beverages. We ordered champagne, prosecco, and Moscato throughout the meal. We had no complaints, and compliments to the sommelier for their choices!
Staff and Service
We made a 5:15 reservation for a Saturday night about a week out. Many time slots were still open, but we ate early.
Scarpetta emails a reminder two days out and then sends a text asking you to confirm your reservation on the day of.
Upon entering Scarpetta, the host greeted us. We had to wait a minute or two for the second host to arrive and be seated.
The service was attentive and pleasant but very stiff and not personable. The dishes were all served promptly and cleared promptly (maybe even a little too promptly, as we felt a little rushed and were in and out in about 75 minutes). They should give diners a bit more time to relax and enjoy the view, especially since we did not have any time sensitivities.
Final Thoughts
When it opened, Scarpetta was the hottest Italian restaurant in Vegas. However, the meal was not as good as what our contributor had remembered Scarpetta being when last dining there about a decade ago. Other Italian restaurants on the Strip, such as GIADA and Mother Wolf, have since passed Scarpetta.
Interested in other reviews of restaurants at The Cosmopolitan? Check out our review of LPM Restaurant & Bar.
DISCLAIMER: This review was written by a real Las Vegas local. If you are interested in writing reviews for Premier Vegas, please contact us here.
