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Carmine’s Las Vegas: Family-Style Italian at the Forum Shops
Big platters built for sharing, right in the middle of the Strip’s most beautiful shopping center, and a sundae that comes out with sparklers.
Find Things to Do NearbyI’ve sent more birthday groups to Carmine’s than almost any other restaurant on the Strip, and it’s because the portions genuinely surprise people. One order of chicken parm or lasagna can feed three or four adults comfortably, so a big table can share five or six dishes and walk out stuffed. It sits right inside the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, so you can wander past the fountains and the Bellagio view before or after dinner. My advice every time: order less than you think you need.
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The Vibe
Loud, Warm, and Made for Groups
Carmine’s is a New York transplant, a Southern Italian family-style spot with a big open dining room, private banquet rooms, and the kind of energy that makes it perfect for a birthday table. It doesn’t feel formal even though it sits inside one of the most upscale malls in the world. It feels like Sunday dinner at a big Italian family’s house, just with better lighting and a wine list.
What to Order
Portions That Have to Be Seen to Be Believed
The chicken Carmigiana, lasagna, penne alla vodka, and meatballs are the dishes people talk about after they leave, and every one of them is served in a portion meant to be split. Start the table with the Caesar salad or fried calamari, then order two or three mains for a group of four and let everyone pass plates around. If someone in your group wants a steak, the porterhouse holds its own against any steakhouse on the Strip.
The Titanic Sundae, With Sparklers
If you’re celebrating a birthday, tell your server. The Titanic sundae comes out lit up with sparklers and is genuinely enormous, plenty for the whole table to share while everyone sings. It’s one of my favorite birthday-dessert moments in the whole city, and it photographs beautifully.
Before You Go
Location, Hours, and Reservations
Where: Inside the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, 3500 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109.
Hours: Open daily, 11am to 11pm. Hours can shift around holidays and big events, so it’s smart to check before you head over.
Dress code: Casual. No jacket required, just come as you are.
Reservations: Recommended, especially for larger birthday groups, since it gets busy most nights. Walk-ins are welcome, but you may wait. Family-style pricing is built around a full table splitting several dishes, so plan your order as a group rather than per person.
This is one of my 39 favorite spots in my Las Vegas birthday dinner guide, and it’s an easy pick if you want a big, shareable meal without leaving the Forum Shops.
Make a Day of the Forum Shops
Something fun to do before or after dinner, right in the same building.
The Escape Game Las Vegas: 60-Minute Adventure at The Forum Shops
A highly rated escape room in the same complex as Carmine’s, a fun way to work up an appetite or burn off the birthday sugar rush afterward.
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Lori Ballen
REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty Las Vegas, leading The Ballen Group. A lifelong Las Vegan sharing the best of the valley.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site are affiliate links. Portions of this content are generated by AI.
