From its inception at the gloriously metropolitan Aria resort in December 2009, Julian Serrano has served as sublime standard-bearer for Spanish food in Las Vegas, and a love letter from its eponymous chef to his native cuisine. Serrano already was a restaurant legend on the Strip for creation of the iconic Picasso at Bellagio; with the casual, tapas-centric Aria eatery, he’s serving a mix of colorful, traditional small plates and other more creative dishes you won’t find anywhere else.

In fact, that’s the best way to eat at Julian Serrano. Since everything is perfectly shareable, incorporate a beautiful blend of your favorites with the newer, more boundary-pushing dishes coming out of this innovative kitchen.

First things first: since the paellas here take about 40 minutes to prepare, whether or not to order one of these traditional, flavorful rice dishes is your initial decision. Keep in mind that the portion is designed for two but can actually feed three or four, and you can always add gambas, juicy garlic-and-chile-sautéed shrimp, to any paella.

The favorites are the Valenciana, saffron rice loaded with tender chicken, rabbit and pork chorizo, and the mixed paella, with a little bit of everything. The new stuff? Paella Serrano has morcilla sausage and baby back ribs, and there’s a duck leg and artichoke combo, too.

On to the tapas. A meal here would be incomplete without chilled lobster gazpacho, a sampling of Spanish ham and the chef’s very favorite dish, huevos estrellados—thin cut French fried potatoes topped with fried eggs and imported chorizo. If you’ve ever eaten this way before, you’ve probably encountered these classics. Rest assured that Serrano’s takes on each are as good as it gets, but why fill up on dishes you know so well? This is the place to experiment. Get a few favorites and move on to other refined delectables like supple salmon with truffle béchamel and portobello mushroom; seared monkfish with pisto sauce of eggplant, tomato and zucchini; and the decadent black pig pintxo, tender, luscious shoulder of Iberian pork with caramelized onion.

Among the newer, more explosively flavored dishes are jalepeño rey, a spicier take on jalapeño poppers with shrimp wrapped in Iberico lardo, and a “lollipop” of rabbit leg crusted in pistachios and herbs. The more curious these items look on the menu, the more rewards you will reap when they arrive at your table. Another experimental favorite at Julian Serrano are the tuna-raspberry skewers, cubes of deep red ahi tuna with “molecular” raspberries—fruit formed into something entirely different—with sesame and wasabi.

If you’re looking for something more substantial to share with your party, Julian Serrano can do that, too. Favorites from the platos grandes portion of the menu include Colorado lamb chops with rosemary sauce and potato and onion confit, and a top-notch surf and turf option with filet mignon and head-on shrimp a la plancha. This is one Vegas restaurant where a truly customizable dining experience awaits.

Aria, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 877.230.2742