For someone that loves tapas, and loves modern / molecular gastronomy even more, Julian Serrano was total bliss. From the moment we sat down, everyone was super accommodating and friendly. The waitress obliged our many questions about the dishes. Even when we asked probably dumb questions to the sommelier, he seemed just genuinely excited to talk about wine. Definitely not the usual smug a*hole you find at most expensive restaurants.
From the rather dark and cave like ambiance of the Aria Hotel's casino floor, Julian Serrano (JS) is a pop of very bright colors and trendy styles. There are decorative sound barriers between the casino floor and the restaurant, so you are sheltered from all the noise and smoke of the casino.
The tapas dishes were the second best tapas I'd ever had, second only to Jose Andres. The traditional Spanish dishes are tasty, but you can generally get them at most Spanish tapas restaurants. Branch out, and try the dishes from the "Modern" section of the menu. These are the hallmarks of Julian Serrano's creativity, not just a mastery of traditional Spanish dishes.
Best Dishes:
The molecular mozzarella with pork belly was fantastic.
The rabbit and garlic mash dish was very garlicy and delicious.
Huevos Estrellados: This dish was a heart attack we had no chance of finishing, but it was delicious. French fries, fried eggs, and chorizo. Wrap your head around that one.
Not so great dishes:
While I love lobster, and I love pineapple, the lobster-pineapple skewer was too salty/rubbery, and not my favorite.
The gambas/shrimp dish was just cooked shrimp in a bowl of garlic-flavored butter. Really nothing to write home about.
Dishes run about 10-15 dollars each. Total bill at the end of the night was under $200 for two of us after a bottle of wine (average price, not vintage, not the cheapest on the menu), enough tapas dishes to really fill us up, and a split dessert.