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| - One of the best parts of the Zeffirino experience is opening up their dessert menu and seeing a picture of Nicolas Cage looking back at you. Since it is well documented that Cage excels in being "awesome" personified, his presence in the menu for this place confirms that you are in for a treat. And for the most part, you are! Cage would not steer you wrong! Nor would I! Nor would any of the staff here, provided they come around to your table on a more frequent basis.
Las Vegas is not lacking in dining options. Shoot, The Venetian itself probably has somewhere around 73,000 restaurants inside of it alone, making your choice of eatery even more daunting. But Zeffirino deserves your attention for sheer ambience, deliciousness and overall experience. And the whole package starts before you even get inside the door. Well, actually, wait - you probably end up seeing this place before you can get to it: it stretches several storefronts on the second floor, so you'll see blue awnings adorned with the name of the place over shops while diners sit above and look out the windows at the gondolas going by and the desperate tourists trying to convince themselves this is actually Venice, a feat no amount of alcohol or goofy bachelorette photos will achieve. The door leading in is around the corner.
Now then... when you arrive, a duo of hostesses greet you with a level of personality and poise that is great to behold. These ladies either really care about each guest coming through the doors, or are great actresses. Me? I chose to think they liked seeing us, but then again, I live in denial regularly. Anyway, our hostess walked us up a flight of stairs past an opulent bar and lounge area, through another smaller lounge and into an elongated dining room that went around the corner to the windows where the other guests probably vie for seating. We had a party of five and settled in for a booth, and this was one of the nicest booths I've had the pleasure of sitting in. For one thing, the booth backs go up past your head, considerably. It lends a degree of privacy. For another, they're comfy!
We were waiting for the remaining guests in our party to arrive when a waiter showed up to take our drink order and fill us in on the specials. We ordered and settled on a bottle of wine per his recommendation - and he made a great choice, one of which escapes me completely as I type this. Our last guests showed up and the wine was poured, the entrees were ordered and an appetizer platter was prepared. The platter itself was decadent: prosciutto, melon, mozzarella, etc. Each piece was delectable, and ditto the calamari, too. The appetizer price, $78, was not so delectable. Pricing can be a bit egregious here, so be warned.
And then the entrees arrived. Simply put, this is masterclass dining. Everything from the pounded chicken to the risotto and my personal entree, some seafood pasta that made me consider masquerading as Aquaman interviewing for a position as a chef with this place, were outstanding. Food of this scale is known for landing people in comas but at least we were flirting with a comatose status with a smile on our faces. After all, desserts had to still be ordered! And that was how Nicolas Cage reaffirmed that everything was going to be okay with the world.
And for the most part, everything here is okay. We were seated in a great dining room, the food was outstanding and a violinist even stopped by at one point for entertainment. But just as he put in an appearance and moved on with his duties, so, too, did the majority of the waitstaff. Service here, as other reviewers have mentioned, drags... And drags some more... And maybe that's their way of not rushing you and letting you enjoy the full Zeffirino experience. That's fine, but I would like to do it with my after dinner scotch. I'm not sure how long it takes to grab a scotch from the bar but apparently it is an epic quest bordering on the Homeric side of things. And then when it arrived, it was skimpy, at best. If that's what ordering it "neat" gets you, you might want to save your booze budget for somewhere else. You're certainly not lacking in options.
But to lose sight over the greatness in the face of service sidesteps is missing the point. This is a wonderful choice to host a private event or try to impress a date at. You've got delicious food, an ambience practically lifted off the streets of Italy and the world's friendliest bathroom attendant! At least, I think that's what he was. I'm not sure... There was a guy I'm assuming employed here standing in the hallway on the way to the bathroom who was quick to open the door to the room and stand by outside. I mention this because, well, why not? If he can be more prompt in his service than some of the other members of the staff, good for him. Hats off to the kitchen, the hostesses and the bathroom attendant!
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