Dining Like a Roman Emperor
When Caesars Palace opened on August 5, 1966, Jay Sarno's vision was total immersion in Roman imperial grandeur. Nothing embodied that vision more completely than the Bacchanal, the resort's signature restaurant and the most theatrical dining experience Las Vegas had ever seen. Guests didn't simply eat at the Bacchanal — they were transported to an ancient Roman feast, complete with cushioned reclining benches, marble columns, and a staff of young women dressed in flowing togas who served as personal "wine goddesses" for each table.
The experience began the moment you entered. Hostesses in Roman dress escorted guests to low, cushioned banquettes arranged around intimate tables. Each party was assigned a wine goddess who would pour wine, hand-feed guests grapes, and tend to their every need throughout a multi-course meal that lasted two to three hours. Caesar salad was prepared tableside with dramatic flair. Rack of lamb arrived on silver platters. Desserts were flambéed at the table, filling the room with the sweet scent of burning brandy. It was dinner as spectacle, and for 32 years, no restaurant in Las Vegas could match it.
Peak Vegas Excess
The Bacchanal was the kind of place that could only exist in Las Vegas. The concept would have been absurd anywhere else, but on the Strip, where fantasy was the product being sold, it was perfect. High rollers booked tables weeks in advance. Celebrities requested the best wine goddesses by name. Convention-goers blew their entire expense accounts on a single evening at the Bacchanal, staggering back to their rooms having consumed more food and wine than seemed physically possible.
By the 1990s, the restaurant world had changed. Fine dining was moving toward minimalism and farm-to-table concepts. The Bacchanal's toga-clad theatrics began to feel dated. In 1998, after 32 years of service, Caesars Palace closed the original Bacchanal and repurposed the space for more contemporary restaurants. In 2012, the resort opened the "Bacchanal Buffet" — a massive 25,000-square-foot all-you-can-eat operation that is consistently rated one of the best buffets in Las Vegas. The name survived, but the experience is unrecognizable. No togas. No wine goddesses. No grapes. Just a very good buffet.
Key Facts
The Wine Goddesses
Each table was attended by a toga-clad hostess who poured wine and hand-fed guests grapes and delicacies throughout the evening. The role became one of the most coveted waitress positions in Las Vegas.
32-Year Run
The Bacchanal operated from the opening of Caesars Palace in 1966 until 1998 — one of the longest-running signature restaurants on the Strip, outlasting dozens of competitors.
The Menu
A multi-course Roman feast featuring tableside Caesar salad, rack of lamb, lobster thermidor, and flambéed desserts. The meal lasted two to three hours and was more performance than dinner.
The Bacchanal Buffet
In 2012, Caesars opened the Bacchanal Buffet on the same site. At 25,000 square feet with 250+ dishes, it's one of the world's largest buffets — but a completely different experience.
What's There Now
Visiting the Bacchanal Site
Address: 3570 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV (Caesars Palace)
Status: The original Bacchanal closed in 1998. The space has been repurposed multiple times.
What to See: The Bacchanal Buffet (opened 2012) uses the legendary name but is a modern all-you-can-eat buffet — no togas, no wine goddesses, no reclining benches. Caesars Palace itself still channels the Roman theme throughout its Forum Shops, pool complex, and lobby.
Nearby: The Flamingo, the Mirage site, and Bellagio are all within walking distance along the Strip.
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