Who’s behind it: More than a year after 22-time Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Picasso closed, Carbone Riviera has opened in its place at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, with the same stellar views of the Bellagio Fountains and a waterfront terrace for al fresco dining. Coming from Major Food Group (the force behind Grand Award winner the Grill, New York City hotspot Carbone and 10 other Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners), Carbone Riviera is a pivot from the original, Italian-American, “red sauce” Carbone, offering a seafood-centric menu pulled from Italian coastal cuisine.
The restaurant is another feather in the Bellagio’s impressive culinary cap; the resort houses seven Restaurant Award winners, including Spago by Wolfgang Puck, Prime Steakhouse and Le Cirque.
When it opened: Nov. 7
[article-img-container][src=2025-11/restaurant-opening-carbone-riviera-las-vegas-lobster-pasta-111325_1600.jpg] [credit= (Nico Schinco)] [alt= Lobster pasta dish from Carbone Riviera next to a bottle of wine][end: article-img-container]
The wine list: The massive new wine list, stocked with 1,365 selections, debuted with particular strengths in French, American and, naturally, Italian wines. Douglas Kim, executive director of wine for MGM Resorts International, which encompasses nearby Grand Award winner Joël Robuchon Restaurant, told Wine Spectator, “We’re especially excited about the fresh, seafood-driven approach of Carbone Riviera. It allowed us to elevate our white and sparkling wine offerings—including 75 selections of Champagne by the bottle.”
By-the-glass whites include Failla Chardonnay from Sonoma, Carricante from Sicily’s Benanti and Vincent Delaporte’s Sancerre. Among reds, Joseph Phelps’ Insignia is available by-the-glass, along with Fontodi Chianti Classico and F. Tornatore Nerello Mascalese.
The menu: Major Food Group co-founder Jeff Zalaznick isn’t shy about the culinary goals of Carbone Riviera: “Our intention is to create the greatest fish restaurant this country has ever seen.” The menu spans crudo appetizers, shellfish-adorned pastas and even a few steaks, but the star of the show is the ever-changing selection of whole roasted fish, carved and served tableside. These shareable platters—such as Dover sole, turbot and branzino—are prepared with different cooking styles, with some grilled over Japanese charcoal and others baked in a salt crust. In a nod to the restaurant’s origins, Carbone Riveria still offers classics like the spicy vodka sauce rigatoni and Caesar salad “alla ZZ.”
[article-img-container][src=2025-11/restaurant-opening-carbone-riviera-las-vegas-interior-111325_1600.jpg] [credit= (Douglas Friedman)] [alt= The interior of Carbone Riviera in Las Vegas][end: article-img-container]
The design: The ornate 240-seat space was designed by Martin Brudnizki, whose other clients include Restaurant Award winners Carne Mare, Sexy Fish and Café Boulud. While Brudnizki fully redesigned the interior with swirling earth tones, gold accents, polished marble surfaces and eye-catching plant arrangements, the restaurant still features a few Pablo Picasso artworks from the Picasso restaurant collection, as well as pieces by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Joan Miró.
One major addition to the experience is the Fortuna—a 33-foot yacht docked at the restaurant’s waterfront terrace, which takes invite-only guests on spins around the 8.5-acre “lake” of the iconic Bellagio Fountains. The sleek, wood-paneled boat is a notable addition to Vegas’ replica repertoire, bringing a slice of the glamorous Lake Como lifestyle right to the Strip.—Greg Warner
Union Square Hospitality Group to Debut Restaurants in Detroit Next Year
Mega-restaurateur Danny Meyer’s New York City–based Union Square Hospitality Group announced on Oct. 30 that it will expand to Detroit in 2026. The additions will be the group’s first in the Midwest, arriving in collaboration with Hudson’s Detroit, a new 1.5 million-square-foot, mixed-use development project in Downtown Detroit.
“Detroit is brimming with culture, creativity and pride,” Meyer said in a press release. “Expanding here—and joining such a dynamic neighborhood—gives us the opportunity to grow and innovate alongside a city that’s constantly in motion. As a proud native Midwesterner, I couldn’t be more excited to plant our flag in Detroit.”
The luxury dining group—which boasts high-profile Manhattan restaurants such as Grand Award winner the Modern and Best of Award of Excellence winner Gramercy Tavern—has been expanding beyond its hometown of New York City; in the coming months, USHG will enter the Boston market with a second location of Best of Award of Excellence winner Ci Siamo.
[article-img-container][src=2025-11/restaurant-openings-union-square-hosptiality-group-detroit-111325_1600.jpg] [credit= (Courtesy of Bedrock)] [alt= Hudson’s Detroit in Downtown Detroit.][end: article-img-container]
Hudson’s Detroit is being developed by the real-estate firm Bedrock, with two main structures: A 12-story building hosting offices, retailers, event spaces and a public plaza, called Nick Gilbert Way, alongside a 45-story tower, which will host the Detroit Edition Hotel and the Residences at the Detroit Edition, opening in 2027. The 12-story structure will host a rooftop bar and restaurant, while the larger tower will offer dining on the first floor. The dining concepts that USHG will be opening in Detroit have yet to be announced.
“Bringing USHG to Detroit reflects our deliberate, value-driven approach to growth,” said USHG CEO Chip Wade. “This opening, and our partnership with Bedrock, represents more than just a new restaurant; it’s an opportunity to invest in and contribute to a great American city.”—Julia Larson
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