Chef Julian Serrano is bringing a fresh approach to social dining to the Las Vegas Strip with Lago, his second restaurant at Bellagio, opening this spring. Lago marks Serrano’s first Italian concept, featuring a small-plates menu and a refined mixology program designed to complement a lively, shareable dining experience.
Departing from his established Spanish and French influences, Serrano has crafted Lago as a distinctly Italian restaurant. The menu highlights familiar Italian favorites such as carpaccio, bruschetta and handmade fresh pasta, presented in creative small plates meant for sharing. The restaurant’s design draws inspiration from the early 20th-century Italian Futurismo movement: a 15-foot-tall entrance mosaic showcases an aerial view of Milan, while a geometric back bar pays homage to Italian fashion and the bold patterns of designers like Emilio Pucci. Lago will also offer an open-air patio and some of the most spectacular views of Bellagio’s iconic fountains on the Strip.
Serrano is a longtime Las Vegas culinary figure. He first introduced his Mediterranean-French cuisine to Bellagio in 1998 with Picasso, a two-Michelin-star restaurant that has earned the AAA Five Diamond Award 14 times. Picasso’s menu draws on regions that inspired the artist for whom it is named, and Picasso’s artwork graces the dining room. In 2009 Serrano expanded his Las Vegas presence with Julian Serrano, a Spanish restaurant at ARIA Resort & Casino.
Born in Madrid, Serrano trained in some of Europe’s most respected kitchens, including Lucas Carton and Hôtel de France in Paris, Chez Max in Zürich and L’Aubergine in Munich. He later worked in Miami and Nashville before assisting with the opening of Masa under Chef Masataka Kobayashi in San Francisco. These varied experiences shaped his refined technique and global culinary perspective.
What three go-to ingredients are always in your home kitchen?
Olive oil, tomatoes and salt — and always a bit of love in the cooking.
What’s your favorite season for cooking, and why?
I favor the fall-to-winter period for its superior seafood, poultry and seasonal vegetables such as winter squash. Late fall also brings truffle season, which makes it a luxurious time of year; at Picasso we offer a special truffle menu to celebrate this bounty.
Aside from your current position, what’s the best job you’ve ever had?
I’ve been a chef for more than 40 years and consider my entire career a privilege. My first job set me on this path, and I’m grateful it evolved into a lifelong vocation.
What’s the first meal you ever cooked?
I prepared Christmas dinner at my mother’s house. The meal turned out well, but my mother warned me it was the first and last time I’d be allowed to cook in her kitchen because of the mess I left behind.
What are your first thoughts when you hear “farm-to-table”?
Farm-to-table isn’t a trend to me—it’s fundamental. I have always cooked with fresh, high-quality ingredients, and that approach is, in my view, how every meal should be made.
LAGO
Bellagio Las Vegas
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
tel 866 259 7111
bellagio.com