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Legendary Strip restaurant reveals closing date
Julian Serrano, the Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chef, has helmed Picasso at Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip since October 1998. The restaurant is closing after service on Aug. 16, 2024, as the chef retires. (MGM Resorts International)
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ByJohnathan L. Wright/Las Vegas Review-Journal
July 26, 2024 - 4:05 pm
Updated July 30, 2024 - 6:43 pm
Picasso, the legendary French restaurant overlooking the Bellagio lagoon where celebrated chef Julian Serrano presided over the kitchen for almost 26 years, leading to the award of two Michelin stars, will close after service on Aug. 16, MGM Resorts said in a statement Friday.
The restaurant debuted when Bellagio opened in October 1998, and Serrano became one of several famed chefs launching signature restaurants in the new megaresorts of the late 1990s.
Picasso was known for its mood of voluptuous opulence: swagged windows, thick carpeting, white tablecloths, polished service and exquisite, labor-intensive French food (with Spanish moments) served over multiple hours and courses.
The restaurant took its name from the artist, 11 of whose works — nine paintings and two ceramic pieces — were displayed for years in Picasso, having been collected by Steve Wynn, former owner of Bellagio. The artworks, long a draw for the restaurant, were auctioned off in 2021 for almost $110 million.
Serrano, who is 74, had earlier announced his retirement from the restaurant. MGM has not yet announced what will be replacing Picasso. From Sept. 3 through November, Prime Steakhouse will serve from the former Picasso as Prime undergoes renovation.
A special Aug. 9 dinner, a tribute to chef Serrano, has sold out. On Aug. 16, Serrano will be in the kitchen at Picasso, as he has most nights for more than a quarter century.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.
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