VegasChatter

Location

First things first – if you’ve got money to burn, the room alone is worth the price of the meal. You’re right in front of the Bellagio fountains so if you string out the brunch for a couple of hours, as we managed, it’s like getting a private watery concert. The only problem is that although the loudspeakers in the restaurant click onto whatever music the fountains are dancing to, when you go outside onto the terrace, you can’t hear it anymore. We’ve watched the fountains from the terrace of the Fontana Lounge before, and were blasted by the sound, so we’re not quite sure why they don’t have loudspeakers on this one. Also, be prepared for significant sprayback while you’re posing for pics.

All the tables in the room have views of the fountains, but request a table as close to the windows as possible when you book. We were on the upper level, two tables away from the terrace, and had a plum view.

Atmosphere and service

Refined. So refined we actually found ourselves sitting up straighter than normal, talking quieter and engaging in more rarefied conversation than we nomally go for on a Sunday morning. The service is quiet but attentive and old school (although our Dining Companion objected to being called “sir”), as is the decor – although it’s quite chintzy, it worked with the setting.

Also, though it’s a fairly small room (capacity’s 110), they haven’t crammed the tables in, so you get enough space to pig out with privacy. Score Bellag.

Food

Dining Companion, who’d been to this brunch before, had already told us that the Peking Duck was to die for. What he’d neglected to mention was that it gets carved at the table from a real duck body, so we had a total Aria flashback when we were confronted with the carcass. It wasn’t as overt as Aria's suckling pig – they had a napkin over the neck, and DC said the head had been covered when he’d had it before – but we were still queased out.

Onwards and upwards, though. The spread included your staples of shellfish, sushi, fancy salads (we liked the green beans and curried chicken one), posh nibbles like cherry tomatoes filled with soft cheese and lemongrass pannacotta with crystallized wasabi and hot stuff like bacon, sausages and an organic egg station (manned by a lovely lady called Olympica, who whipped us up the crab omelette she’d made for Rachael Ray).

Good mix of Chinese food as well: dumplings and dim sum. We liked that a lot.

Dessert was in a separate room: a table crammed with chocolates, petit fours, and little biscuits, and a fondue station with dark and milk chocolate, and marshmallows, strawberries and rice crispy cakes for dipping.

Oh yes, and it all tasted as good as you’d expect.

Drink

Small selection of cocktails (they cost extra) but they’re good ones – think Bloody Marys and breakfast juices with a slug of vodka. The jasmine tea we finished with enabled us to digest and stand up from the table.

Upsides

The food - delicate but delish – and the setting – pretty matchless. Special mentions go to the chorizo sausages, the awesome cheese selection, the bacon (carved off a great hunk, weirdly melt in the mouth, and totally unlike American bacon) and Olympica from the egg station.

We loved the little touches, like the waffles and butter pats engraved with the Bellagio logo. Also, we strung it the whole thing out over a couple of hours and nobody batted an eyelid.

Downsides

DC felt that the food selection was slightly limited – that what was there was excellent, but there should have been more choice. We take his point – if you’re looking for miles of counters decked out with every dish under the sun, you’ll be disappointed – but we were more than happy with the offerings (mainly because we always have to sample everything on a buffet, so this was kinder on our waistline).

Our only personal peeves: the duck body, and the desserts, which could have been a bit more adventurous. Although by that stage, we could barely manage a chocolate-dipped strawberry, so we’re hardly complaining.

Bottom Line

Definitely the place for a special occasion, or if you need to temper your Strip excesses with a spot of refinement. If you’re after quality, not quantity (as in options, not amounts of food), you’ll be more than happy.

Fountains brunch is available at Jasmine on Sundays, 11am-2.30pm.

*Disclosure: our brunch came courtesy of Jasmine.