Best Italian Restaurants in University

Had a reservation and was seated immediately. Wait staff was extremely professional, kind and prompt. Manager (I’m assuming) stopped by to check on us. Good was excellent. It is a bit on the pricey side, but well worth it. Will definitely return on our next vacation

Old school Italian restaurant with too many great choices. Our server (Rob) was attentive and a lot of fun. We ordered a salad, 2 main entrees and dessert for 6, plus 1 bottle of wine (Chianti) and that was enough food without any leftovers. Tried 2 new items - the Rigatoni country style and the Italian cheesecake - and they did not disappoint. Veal Parmigiana and Ceasar Salad (including anchovies on the side) were also very good.

We sat at the bar and had an amazing time. She was the only lady bartender. She was very knowledgeable, friendly and took care of all guests professionally. Food was great and came out quickly. My only criticism are the hostesses that seat you need to engage and smile more.

This was my first trip to Vegas in over 30 years. We came specifically to check out the restaurant scene. Esther's Kitchen was the only restaurant we selected that was off the strip, and boy was it worth the (very short) trip. We came for lunch, were greeted by friendly staff and seated immediately. The vibe is hip, casual, and super comfortable. I ordered the roasted mushroom pizza and the pear and radicchio salad. The pizza may have been the best I have ever tasted (and I've eaten A LOT of NYC pizza). The crust was heavenly and the combination of mushroom, cheese and garlic was perfection. But wait, that salad; I'm still dreaming about it!! It had the most incredible sherry vinaigrette and roasted hazelnuts with blue cheese. Hubby ordered the charcuterie board and the kale salad. The board had an abundance of delicious salty meats, fine cheeses, picked vegetables and grilled sourdough bread with butter and strawberries in saba. Just delicious!!! We ordered way too much food for the two of us, but managed to finish most of it. You could EASILY split a pizza and a salad and be completely satisfied. Next time we're in Vegas, we will DEFINITELY come back to Esther's.

Make sure to reserve beforehand. We came the week of Christmas and made a reservation. We overheard the lady at the front desk say that the wait would be an hour at the time (7pm). There are three sections- front, with a couple tables and the bar, then the wide middle, with a view of the kitchen, and then the back, with a view of the fresh fish. Portions are pretty small but every dish was wonderful. Focaccia is off the menu- we saw other tables order it and we wanted to try it. Focaccia is super hot and fresh and served with whipped ricotta, definitely one of my favorite of the night. Their pesto and ricotta gnocchi- it comes in a ceramic dish so piping hot- and was extremely fresh and good. Their caramel tiramisu was a bit too sweet due to the caramel, but otherwise OK. Fish stew is served in a shallow bowl so it gets cold very quick. Ambiance was really nice, our server seemed a little rushed that day maybe due to a lot of tables but that was alright.