Review of Postrio at the Venetian – A Wolfgang Puck Restaurant
Postrio is located among the Grand Canal Shoppes in the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. For reservations or for more information, call (702) 796-1110 or visit www.venetianlasvegas.com
Food: On the basis of our meal, I can say that Wolfgang Puck puts his name to a delicious and creative menu. In all honesty, we were expecting even more “creativity”, perhaps for its own sake, but were pleased to find that fresh, familiar offerings were prepared with equal measures of care and flair.
We began with a wonderful lobster bisque, prepared with cognac and crème fraiche ($14). Tender morsels of lobster meat melted in the mouth, and the broth was pleasingly thick and smooth.
With some reluctance, we shied away from the popular 24 oz. Grilled Bone-in Rib Eye Steak. Following our server’s recommendation, we tried the quail, with an apple-smoked bacon stuffing, and sweet potato gnocchi ($27) and the grouper in a rich lemony sauce, dusted with black truffle, and served with baby asparagus and assorted root vegetables ($32). Both dishes were outstanding. The quail was succulent and delightfully infused with the apple-smoked taste of the stuffing. The grouper was tender and light, perfectly paired with the creamy lemon sauce and tender crisp vegetables. With these entrees as the measure, there is no doubt that the Grilled Rib Eye would have been phenomenal as well.
For dessert, we had an assorted cheese plate with candied nuts ($12) and vanilla crème brulee with variously flavored homemade shortbread cookies ($9). There was some confusion surrounding the identity of the cheeses, particularly regarding what the server claimed was Stilton but could not possibly have been. We must attribute this to the busyness of the restaurant, which detained our own very knowledgeable waiter and forced less experienced staff to do our waiter’s duties (see more under “Service”).
Wine: Pegau 2000 ($110)
Exceptional Features: While the food was a feature in its own right, we were also impressed by the décor. Rich burgundy and red colors, subdued lighting, and glass work on the wall in the same jewel tones created a striking atmosphere that was both elegant and contemporary.
Service: Our server was friendly, professional and extremely knowledgeable about the menu. His entrée recommendations were excellent. Unfortunately, as the evening progressed, the restaurant became very crowded with large, boisterous groups. Not only did this take away from the intimacy of our dining experience, but also it became increasingly apparent that Postrio was understaffed for the crowd it garnered that night. While there seemed to be no shortage of wait staff refreshing water glasses, our own waiter was practically run off his feet and was unable to attend properly to all of his tables.
Décor: The red and burgundy color scheme at Postrio is rich, romantic and very elegant. The walls are painted in these dark, jewel-like tones recalling traditional notions of fine restaurant elegance. This feeling is effectively offset by an intriguing and very contemporary mosaic of glasswork, also in reds and burgundies, which dominates the wall in the main dining room. Our table was located in a smaller side room which was initially more intimate than the larger main dining room, but soon became uncomfortably close-quartered with the arrival of several large, loud conference groups. In fact, toward the end of our meal, the whole restaurant was so crowded with similar groups that it was actually both difficult and awkward to navigate through the snug sea of chairs to find the restrooms. The cramped atmosphere and noise level were definitely detractions from our dining experience.
Dress Code: Business or resort casual would work well here. Jackets are not required, and you will see a range, typical of Las Vegas dining, in clothing styles, from casual to semi-formal.
Price: Expensive, with entrees in the $30 range. The food was certainly delicious and both creatively and beautifully presented.
Reservations: Reservations are highly recommended. The restaurant filled up considerably with large groups throughout the evening. To make reservations, call (702) 796-1110.
Overall Dining Experience: Very Good.
