estiatorio Milos Las Vegas — Restaurant in Paradise

I searched my brain for something, anything at all, that I possibly didn’t like at Milos. The only thing I could come up with was “how about more romantic lighting”. And that was a stretch.

I’m rating this place 5 stars and here’s why:

AMBIANCE The place is super elegant without being stuffy and arrogant. The space feels large but our table was just rightly intimate enough to have nice conversations without worrying about the neighbors. It was covid too so the spacing was actually more than 6ft.

The lighting was grand. It reminded me of being at a seaside Greek restaurant bathed in the Mediterranean sun and bordered by the Adriatic. A symphony of harmonious hues permeated the entire place. And it was so gracious, airy and relaxing at the same time.

One awesome feature at Milos is the old Greek jars, some seeming as though they were only found recently, having been dormant for centuries under grounds ravaged by battles. These jars were used to ferry goods across the Adriatic centuries ago as commerce boomed. Others were used as home refrigerators, filled with grain and oil, buried to remain cool. These jars added a touch of authenticity to the place and gave it a unique touch. Very classy.

Also, you can pick your own fish. They walk you to the ice mound adorned with various fish and shellfish, arranged in an ocean scene but frozen in time, and looking succulents fresh. Even though it felt very rehearsed, and certainly not very important to me (I trust the food is fresh, guys), I thought it was a nice touch for the ambience.

SERVICE From the host, to the waiter to the bus boy to the sommelier to the chef, we were handled like VIPs all the way. They were attentive without being overbearing. They were mindful of our eating rhythm, and not shoving drinks down our throats after every sip.

They were expeditious in performing their duties, and they were courteous in their delivery of the entire service, keeping us in focus the entire time. Food came out when it did, which might be longer than you’re used to, but normal if you were at that restaurant in Greece on the water. But truly, this gave us only more time to admire and enjoy the surroundings.

I love when wait staff is dressed up. It means they are here to work, they have immersed themselves into the job, and they are focused on their customers. And, they looked very professional. It conveyed trust for me, and made me feel that much more special.

FOOD

The food itself is delicious. I had the lobster pasta, the iconic shellfish split in two over a bed of al dente Athenian pasta, oysters and I don’t know what else. But every thing I ate was cooked to perfection, with the perfect portions.

EXPERIENCE My experience was top notch for all the factors above. This place is a must see, even if only from the outside from the Venetian Tower hallway in Vegas. It looked so beautiful, it drove me to make reservations.

LOCATION It’s in Vegas at arguably the best resort in town - that should already tell you their status. The hotel is gorgeous, clean, pleasant, well lit, and not smelling like old casino ashtrays. The signage and decor Are all appropriate and very well designed. The place is roomy without seeming like a warehouse.

BOTTOM LINE If you want this VIP 5-star experience for yourself, be ready and willing to pay for it. I found the check to be very reasonable given the quality of the experience-about 40% cheaper compared to the chi-chi’s and the frou-frou’s all about town. For a full meal with some wine, apps and dessert, we topped out at $380. I would have paid $500 for the entire experience. Save your money, and then spend it at Milos. It is worth...

Ahh, I've had my eyes on estiatorio Milos for several years while it was located at The Cosmopolitan. However, this time, I squeezed in a Power Lunch date with my husband at Chef Spiliadis' restaurant when I heard they relocated to The Venetian in the former space of Aquaknox. I made lunch reservations via OpenTable for its first seating time at noon and was sure glad that I did so. When we arrived, there were several other couples and small groups already seated, but within 15 minutes of our seating, a large group of conference attendees filed into the restaurant.

Our server, Drago, immediately introduced himself and his team, who attended to our table during our dining experience. There was always a staff member to refill our water glasses or bread basket or change out our eating utensils and dishes. Drago was friendly, attentive, and professional. He asked if we had any dietary restrictions or allergies and any questions about the lunch menu while adding that their whole menu was available or any of the fresh seafood on display. Also, because we were seated with a seafood view, he invited us to look where he or the fishmongers would assist us with any selection(s).

We informed Drago that we were interested in the 3-course prix fixe lunch that we had heard so much about. Our eyes zeroed in on the same entrées and dessert, but my husband and I differed on our starters. He kindly described the Greek Meze items to my husband even after I tried to. Hrumph! I guess my husband wouldn't take my description of htipiti (spicy roasted red pepper & feta dip), which I explained was similar to muhammara (spicy red pepper + walnuts dip) that I love to make at home. Anyway, we quickly informed Drago that we were ready to order the prix fixe 3-course lunch menu to beat the rush of orders from the conference attendees. We also ordered the Greek fried calamari after seeing other servers passing by with serving bowls of the fried squid and those delicately fried zucchini towers (Milos Special). The calamari was lightly battered, well-seasoned and we squeezed the lemon wedge over to enhance its flavors.

FIRST COURSE; My husband chose the Greek Meze Platter featuring pita wedges and three generous portions of Greek dips: taramosalata (salted & cured cod roe mixed with garlic, olive oil, potatoes or breadcrumbs), tzatziki (salted and strained yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice), and htipiti (spicy roasted red pepper & feta).

I chose The Greek Salad that was a delicious fresh mix of sweet, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, salty olives, bell peppers, and a wedge of aged Feta cheese to start.

SECOND COURSE: Both of us selected the Dorade Royale, a perfectly grilled and simply seasoned whole Mediterranean sea bream. The sea bream was boned, and the server warned us to be careful of tiny bones along the dorsal fin. The clean and delicate flavor of the dense white-fleshed fish was juicy. The sea bream's meatiness was very satisfying without being a heavy gut-buster.

DESSERT: We selected the Karydopita with a daily selection of ice cream. Karydopita is a cake made from ground walnuts, semolina flour, eggs and flavored with cinnamon and cloves. The cake is then soaked in a cinnamon-clove-lemon-infused syrup. The cake was topped with an ice cream that complemented yet offset the sweet syrup.

This Power Lunch was a super deal at only $38 per person, and we wouldn't mind returning for dinner. Our paced lunch gave us a chance to build up our "strength" to get back out to the...

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