Two weeks ago I joined a friend for dinner at the Scarpetta Italian restaurant at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. Dinner was perfect and our view to the north of the Bellagio fountains was lovely.

I had been to the Five-Star Cosmopolitan Hotel years ago, but my memory of it was blank. My before and after-dinner journeys were like being a first-time Las Vegas visitor.

Lots of glitter–and a huge chandelier–3 floors tall with a large bar in the middle. Lots of shopping and drinking opportunities. Lots of machines on the ground floor and lots of restaurants (some 20 restaurants) on the second and third floors. I took a bunch of pictures (below).

After my visit I read up a little on the Cosmopolitan and was reminded of its history. Yes, it is “wrapped” around the Jockey Club timeshare building in parts. Its signs are way above eye level so drivers (like me) don’t immediately see which driveway is the one to take to get into the resort. The entrance to the parking garage is unique in this city, in terms of glam.

Scarpetta is on the third floor of the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Tower. You enter the restaurant through a long bar area and then find it’s a big restaurant with many tables having good views of the Bellagio fountains.

The Cosmopolitan opened on December 15, 2010 and was the most expensive resort ever built at that time. Early on, the developers who planned a condo/hotel defaulted on a loan; the condo plans were eventually dropped though some of the units remain for tourists. Ownership changes were frequent, eventually going to The Blackstone Group. Blackstone’s renovation eventually brought the first quarterly profit to the Cosmopolitan in 2015. The resort operations were sold to MGM in 2022 with Stonepeak, Cherng Family Trust, and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. owning The Cosmopolitan’s real estate assets and MGM operating the casino/hotel. See more about the various hotels and their ownership here.

Aside from its signature restaurants, Cosmopolitan is known for its two large pools, its Marque Nightclub and, during the winter, the Boulevard Pool area is transformed into an ice skating rink. The rink will open next month. It is also renowned for the extensive art collection found on the common areas on floors 2-3. One of the unusual aspects of this common area is sections with ample places to sit with virtually background ambient noise. It is also known for the purchasable art found in the old cigarette machines located throughout the property. For a couple of years, the founders of Living-Las-Vegas.com supplied some of the art found in those machines. All of the games like fuzzball, Jenga, etc. are free for guests to play. And there is a “no-name” pizza restaurant that is a favorite of locals and visitors alike. The hotel is also home to the Egg Slut, one of the imaginative breakfast places found in Las Vegas.

It’s an old wag from some locals “I never go to the Strip.” Fortunately my friend does go to the Strip and I was lucky to join her and have a re-introduction to The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. Photos below: