Star power is back on the Las Vegas Strip in a major way with the recent return of Giada De Laurentiis’ eponymous restaurant at The Cromwell. Fans of the celebrity chef missed her unique takes on Italian cuisine, along with some truly historic desserts and unforgettable cocktails. It’s a combination of her family traditions and California-inspired twists, and it’s led to Giada’s emergence as one of the Strip’s must-visit restaurants.
One visit to the dining room will be enough to make you begin planning your return visit. It’s a wide-open space with floor-to-ceiling windows that afford fantastic views of much of the Las Vegas Strip at Flamingo Road—no matter where you sit, you’ll feel instantly energized.
But don’t stop there. Make sure to order one of Giada’s signature cocktails, including the Serpico, a delicious mix of Angel’s Envy port cask-aged bourbon, Lustau Pedro Ximénez sherry and Carpano Antica vermouth. There’s also the classic Cosmo Bianco, a great way to get those tastebuds ready for the delights to come, featuring Ketel One Citroen vodka, white cranberry lemonade, white vermouth and an amarena cherry.
You’ll want to start your Giada adventure with an Italian standard, and it doesn’t get much better than bucatini pasta, which is done here two ways: The standard, featuring Calabrian chili pomodoro and fresh ricotta cheese, or the cacio e pepe bucatini, an oh-so-tasty blend of pecorino Toscano, crostini and black pepper. Both are guaranteed to fill and warm your belly, although we certainly wouldn’t dissuade you from choosing risotto with crab and scallops, ravioli with lobster or spaghetti with shrimp.
If you’re a red meat fan and are looking for a “Giada Classic” (yes, it’s denoted throughout the menu), the no-brainer here is the 28-ounce bone-in Tuscan ribeye, topped with a sunny side-up egg and arugula. But other favorites on this menu section include the veal chop saltimbocca (served Milanese style, meaning the thin pieces of meat are covered with eggs and seasoned bread crumbs before frying), and the petit filet, served with a loaded sweet potato, escarole and an amarone-maple sweet-and-sour sauce.
Seafood lovers will find plenty to enjoy here as well, from the seafood tower that could feed an army with its selection of shrimp cocktail, king crab, Maine lobster and oysters, to the branzino, succulent and served with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and lemon butter sauce. With any course, make sure to pair them with sides like smashed and fried lemon potatoes and broccolini, roasted with Parmesan, garlic and lemon zest.
Please, please, please, make sure to save room for dessert. Giada has some of our favorite sweet treats on the Las Vegas Strip, especially those lemon ricotta cookies—heaven! But any of the choices here are a wonderful end to a meal, from the lemon basil or raspberry prosecco-flavored sorbetti to the salted caramel gelato. If you’re feeling extra hungry, order the mascarpone cheesecake, which features an almond biscotti crust, raspberry sauce and mascarpone whipped cream.
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