Hugo's Cellar is indeed in a cellar, or at least below street level in the Four Queens hotel. No, they aren't ashamed of it -- quite the opposite. This is a gourmet restaurant, and it is highly regarded by the locals. Each female guest is given a red rose when she enters the restaurant -- the first of a series of nice touches. The restaurant proper is dimly lit, lined with dark wood and brick. It's fairly intimate, but if you really want to be cozy, ask for one of the curtained booths against the wall.

The meal is full of ceremony, perfectly delivered by a well-trained and cordial waitstaff. Salads, included in the price, are prepared at your table, from a cart full of choices. (In Vegas style, though, most choices are on the calorie-intensive side.) A tiny cup with a palate-cleansing sorbet prepares you for the main course. Unfortunately, despite the high regard, the main courses are not all that novel (various cuts of meat, seafood, and chicken prepared different ways) and can be disappointing. Promising choices include the chicken "Hugo" (with basil and pine nuts prepared in a cream sauce), and the rack of lamb with Indonesian spices. Vegetables are included, as is a finish of chocolate-dipped fruits with cream.

The service is impeccable (you have little-to-no wait between courses), and it really makes you feel pampered. The fact that salad, the small dessert, and so forth are included makes an initially hefty-seeming price tag appear a bit more reasonable, especially when compared to Strip establishments that aren't much better and can cost nearly twice as much. While the main courses aren't spectacular, the salads and desserts are fine. It's not worth going out of your way for the food, but perhaps it is for the whole package.