Don't Believe the Hype.\n\nFirst, and most importantly, the food. Visited in mid-September 2009. Ate at the bar since I was dining solo. Started with a vesper cocktail, which was well-made. Moved on to the soup of the day: roast pumpkin. It was perhaps more seasonally appropriate to the Northern California Bouchon location, but it was still tasty. However, I know that squash soups generally turn out OK so long as you don't burn the squash and you use a ton of cream (and it was clear from the coloration of the soup that a ton of cream had been used). \n\nThe main course veered off from my expectations by presenting me with trout amandine that tasted like cat food. I'm not exaggerating: cat food. To the restaurant's credit, the bartender realized that something was up and comped an order of fries for me after I had them take the trout away, but the magic was gone and my expectations definitely didn't connect with reality.\n\nSecond, the location. I don't know who thought putting this in the Venezia tower was a good idea, but they should be shot. With the Palazzo built, the Venezia is now the overlooked middle sister of the Venetian properties. As a result, you have to really know where this is, otherwise you'll never find it. And even if you know how to get there, it's still a complete mystery as to exactly where in the universe you are, which is a tad disconcerting. \n\nThird, the service. The main bartender was competent but was also saddled with two trainees when I visited. He also disappeared for about 30 minutes in the middle of the dinner rush on a Friday, and the trainees stood with their backs to the bar for the entirety of that time sampling wines. Thank goodness for the other bartender (whose name I unfortunately didn't catch), who was very friendly and the hardest-working person I saw during my visit there. Aside from that guy, the staff seemed a bit full of themselves, which is off-putting in a supposedly relaxed bistro-style setting, and also unjustified considering the quality of the food they're dishing out.
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