Vetri Cucina at Palms was at a high when it closed in 2020, along with the property, during the pandemic, with the venue on the 56th floor drawing a capacity crowd every night. Disappointment was high when Palms and Vetri Cucina remained shuttered—and many a foodie rejoiced when the Italian restaurant reopened along with the resort, in 2022.
The restaurant, from Philadelphia’s James Beard winner Marc Vetri, brought back many favorites to its carefully curated menu, with shareable dishes and small plates, as well as an extensive wine menu.
When you arrive, stop in the bar and grab a cocktail like the Aperol spritz or a Negroni, which are also featured on the restaurant’s aperitivo hour menu (as are a variety of stuzzichini—little bites—as well as prosciutto and spaghetti all’amatriciana), then get seated. The dining areas are filled with brickwork, wooden floors and ceiling beams, and windows, which mean great views.
The sweet onion crepe with truffle and Parmesan fondue is one of the most delicious dishes you will ever have. It’s rich and slightly unctuous, visually striking, and you will either polish it off immediately or refuse to allow it to be cleared.
Other smart starters include the foie gras pastrami, laid on toasted brioche with mostarda—now that’s a twist on a pastrami sandwich you’ve probably never tried before. Inventive chilled lobster salad comes with salsa verde and horseradish, while bluefin tuna crudo is served with mango, preserved lemon and Sicilian pistachios. Plus, you can get stuzzichini to munch on as well: prosciutto di parma and melon; Sicilian anchovies and roasted peppers; and whipped baccalà (Italian salted cod) and smoked trout roe.
For a second course, try the spinach gnocchi with ricotta salata (it’s been aged and salted) and brown butter. It’s a really pretty dish, with the bright green gnocchi set against the butter. One of the sheer joys of dining in an Italian restaurant when you aren’t Italian is the discovery of yet another pasta shape, and Vetri Cucina doesn’t disappoint. You can order almond tortellini (a stuffed, ring-shaped pasta) with Parmesan and white truffle; corzetti (stamped pasta discs) with diver scallops, corn and cherries; and paccheri (large tubes) and seafood with Calabrian chili butter, plus several others.
For the main event, sharing is a good idea. The salt-baked branzino is intended for two, and the 32-ounce prime dry-aged ribeye is large enough for the whole party. But you don’t have to share, and grilled wagyu bavette steak or grilled Green Circle chicken may be more to your liking. And have an adventure—try the tasting menu, where you’ll find goat.
Finish the meal with a chocolate praline tart or bomboloni with blueberries, stone fruit and sweet mascarpone, or add to that good ending with an amaro.
Palms, 866.942.7777
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