July 11, 2023

Brera Osteria was the first restaurant we dined at in the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas upon arrival. We were pretty exhausted after a long day of rope-dropping the San Diego Zoo, and then a five-hour drive to Las Vegas after that, so we were looking for something, close, easy, delicious, and not too expensive. This restaurant was actually recommended to me by the social media folks at Venetian Resort after I had commented on one of their posts on Instagram – they are super helpful, and I have to say, make really great recommendations! If you have any questions about reservations or need suggestions, definitely reach out to the Venetian via social media!

Brera Osteria is located in the Saint Mark’s Square area of the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Resort. This area is home to a whole bunch of restaurants, and is really bustling, even on a Tuesday evening. As the night wears on, the lights in the space dim, giving you a sense that the sun is going down while you’re eating on the plaza.

The atmosphere here is fun and lively, as is the service. We had great service here, as our server was very well acquainted with the menu, and was able to give really good suggestions. He was jovial and attentive. The pacing of our meal was perfect, and after the disaster steak house experience from the night before in San Diego, it was so refreshing to eat at a place where you don’t feel like they’re trying to get rid of you.

To start, we ordered the Fritto Misto, which was abundant, and the best we had all trip so far. I actually managed to get a photo before we ate it all. We also ordered glasses of wine which came out quickly, which was much appreciated after the long day.

For the mains, Eli ordered the gnocchi, which were fluffy, creamy, and super cheesy. Brian ordered the Braised Pork Shank, which was an enormous amount of meat, and he was really dying over it. It was served over a bed of parmesan risotto, which was creamy and firm.

I had the Pappardelle with truffles and braised wild boar sugo, which was honestly one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a while. The menu says that it is $50, which is a lot for pasta even with truffles, but on our bill they only charged $36, which I’m not sure if that was an error or if the menu is incorrect, or maybe I didn’t get as many truffles as usual. I thought it was plenty of truffle, and I absolutely adored this dish, and I highly recommend trying it! The pappardelle was al dente and delicious, and the braised wild boar was plentiful and slightly sweet.

We saved dessert for later, as there are a ton of gelato places around the resort. Brera Osteria was a breath of fresh air after a difficult few nights of eating out in the San Diego area. Honestly, the food you get here is actually better than most of the food you would get in actual Venice, Italy, based on my experiences there a while back. If you’re looking for a fun, casual, and mid-range price dinner in Vegas, I would highly recommend Brera Osteria!