A lavish sanctuary of gourmet dining at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is the Bacchanal restaurant. Named for Bacchus, the mythical god of wine and revelry, the Bacchanal re-creates a Roman feast in the atmosphere of a private villa from the time of the empire's golden era.

The menu is a six-course feast of continental cuisine -- a prix-fixe fantasy of crudites, pasta, soup, salad, entree and dessert, followed by coffee. Included are three wines, poured into ornate chalices by exotically clad "wine goddesses." Middle Eastem-style dancers sway to modal melodies, and an elaborately costumed "Caesar" and "Cleopatra" personally welcome honored guests to their domain.

A Las Vegas attraction since Caesars Palace opened on Aug. 5,1966, the Bacchanal is widely recommended as a place where dining is an entertaining, festive experience, long remembered by its patrons.

Guests enter the Bacchanal through brass-framed glass doors flanked by giant murals. Two golden stone lions guard the foyer. Scenic murals, created by Southern California artist Ivo Petko, open the room to vistas of ancient Roman countryside, transforming the dining room into the portico of an Italian villa. A faux colonnade with Ionic capitals lines the walls and creates a frame for the guests' view.

Central to the two-tiered dining room is a bronze statue of a vestal virgin pouring water into a marble reflecting pool. Marble for the pool, flooring and the balustrade separating the upper and lower seating areas was imported from Italy. The carpeting creates a mosaic effect on the floor, while upholstered fabric in the booths echoes the pattern of an ancient Roman fence. Overhead, a stylized grape arbor loops among the ceiling beams.

In autumn 1991, the restaurant design was enhanced with such additions as the interior Petko murals, strobe and special lighting effects, a sophisticated sound system and other amenities. In December 1998, the Bacchanal lounge and entrance were redesigned.

"The Bacchanal is wonderfully decadent," says Aram Stepanian, head of the Southern California design firm Integra, which was responsible for the 1991 interiors. "Before beginning the project we researched the Roman feast and how the guests were treated," Stepanian says. "We wanted to go back to the original intent of the Bacchanal. The murals were the most radical change in the design concept. We found that these festivities were usually created around water and that they were often held on a patio. The entrance facade takes guests from villa walls, through the portals, to a patio." Today's Bacchanal restaurant at Caesars Palace carries forth the tradition stablished when the restaurant was first conceived -- to make a meal a party and entertain visitors in royal style, befitting the guests of a mighty emperor.

Serving dinner only, the Bacchanal is open Tuesday through Saturday. Seatings are 6, 6:30, 9 and 9:30 p.m. The price is $69.50 per person, including wines and dessert, excluding cocktails, tax and gratuity. Guests should allow approximately two hours for the Bacchanal experience. Advance reservations recommended. Phone 731-7731.