I think Circo is the only fine dining establishment in the Bellagio without a AAA 4 or 5 Diamond rating, and I can see why. It's not that it's bad. It's just not stellar, which is what you should get for these prices. The dining room is beautiful - colorful and playful, somehow casual and elegant at the same time, with terrific views of the fountains through the windows. The service is friendly and attentive. But the food is just okay. It started on a good note, with three kinds of homemade bread in the bread basket, all fresh and flavorful, but it went a bit downhill from there. The caprese salad was one of the most expensive I've seen it anywhere ($18) and also the smallest (a single slice of tomato and mozzarella) - the mozzarella was okay (burrata would have been better) but the tomato was pale and unappetizing. For entrees, we ordered the mezzaluna special, the ravioli, the pasta with shrimp, and the sea bass. All of the pastas were very good but, again, quite overpriced for what you're getting. The sea bass was just awful. I'm not even sure it was really sea bass. If it was, it was the most thin and flavorless sea bass I've ever had. By the time the server came around to ask if we wanted dessert, we were all in agreement that we'd get dessert elsewhere. They brought some mini biscotti, a nice touch, and then brought a complimentary creme brulee, since it was one of my dining companion's birthday. The creme brulee was great, although some found it too sweet. Overall, I just wasn't impressed by the food. With so many spectacular restaurants in the Bellagio, let alone on the Strip, good just isn't good enough, especially not at these prices.
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