The Venetian’s concierge recommended Vergnano as a hip, up-and-coming Italian restaurant, found near ‘St Mark’s Square’ on the casino’s third floor.

Hip? Nope. Up-and-coming? Doubtful.

The service was friendly from the get-go at this ‘modern Italian’ restaurant, with smiling greeting staff and relaxed table service. The option of outdoor seating wasn’t a bad start either, though, this being the Venetian, the ‘outdoors’ part is only an illusion. Don’t be fooled by the painted, cloudy blue skies above – it’s a recipe for a broken heart. However the square-side seating offers views of the nightly entertainment: singers, dancers, mimes dressed in white suits and standing very still. You know the drill.

But that’s about where the highlights end. The appetiser, an antipasto platter, was unremarkable and overpriced ($168), even though it contained all the standards: Parma ham, smoked salmon, olives, roasted capsicums, and the like – unfortunately, the ingredients lacked any kind of freshness or zing.

The menu is extensive, full of typical Western offerings: spaghetti with clams and seafood linguine headed the pasta line-up, while braised lamb shank and Australian veal were among the more tempting meat dishes. We opted for the Angus sirloin ($278) and crab tortellini ($188). We were to be disappointed.

The fatty sirloin steak, served with mashed potato and vegetables, was cooked satisfactorily – medium rare – but proved to be a worthy opponent to digestion. Attacking this baby with a knife was a mission of both perseverance and strength. We had fewer complaints about the tortellini – but then, there’s not much complimentary to be said about it, either. It was a pasta, with shredded crabmeat, slightly creamy texture – and that’s really about as interesting as it got.

Vergnano has a tough task ahead, surrounded as it is by other, more enticing restaurant options – FogoSamba, 3 Monkeys, and the soon-to-open 456 Modern Shanghai Cuisine. If you’re looking for a recommendation, our advice is to check one of those out instead.

Vergnano, 3/F The Venetian Macao, Cotai Strip, Macau. Meal for two: $800.