Cafe Gelato

A glass case of Italian gelato is the first thing you see, and for most people it is the whole reason to stop. Cafe Gelato is Bellagio's quick dessert counter, arranging espresso drinks, smoothies, pastries, salads and sandwiches around the scoops.

Gelato first, espresso beside it

Gelato is the centre of the operation, presented as luscious Italian ice cream and displayed in a large case of assorted flavours, so the choice gets made by looking rather than by reading. Mango is the flavour worth asking about, made with enough real fruit character to taste of something other than sugar. Coffee sits beside the dessert rather than replacing it: espresso drinks, a latte, or an affogato that puts the two together in one cup, which is the single order that uses both halves of the counter. Smoothies extend the drinks into cold and blended territory, which matters in a room where everyone is already thinking about ice cream.

A quick stop inside Bellagio

The role is practical. This is a counter for guests moving through the resort, and it works in the gaps: a pause between the casino floor and the art museum, a cold drink on the way to or from the pool, a breakfast that does not require sitting down to a meal. There is a small outdoor seating area for anyone who wants to stay put for a while, but the format is quick rather than lingering. It has been running that way since at least 2008, when the same glass case and coffee drinks were already the draw and the counter already felt like a quiet corner of a very large hotel.

Order gelato, then add a latte or a smoothie

Begin with the gelato if dessert is the point, and choose from the case rather than from a menu. Mango is the named flavour, but the assortment is the attraction and it tends to change what you feel like ordering. For a coffee pairing, a latte works, though the affogato of espresso over gelato is the more interesting version of the same idea. If the stop has to do the work of a meal, the pastries, salads and sandwiches give it a light-food function, and a smoothie covers the cold drink. Nothing here takes long, which is exactly what it is for.