Best Restaurants in Vegas

High-end Restaurants in Las Vegas

There are so many of them, that knowing which one to choose for a memorable gastronomic or overall experience is important, especially if you have limited time and cannot sample them all!  We’ve added a little surprise mid-page because, well, it’s a not-so-obvious choice but it deserves a crown of its own.

♦ Top of the World at the Stratosphere Las Vegas Blvd South (North Strip). Top-class dishes for all tastes, a great atmosphere, a great service and a phenomenal view. A must-go, even if it means going to the North side of the Strip; well worth a bus ride (the 24 hour Deuce or the elegant express bus cover all main tourist areas) or a cab ride.

♦ Jasmine at Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South(mid Strip) Las Vegas. If you like Chinese food, this is the best Chinese food you can find in Vegas; it also features a mix of modern and traditional Cantonese as well as the ‘nouveaux Hong Kong cuisine of Chef Philip Lo). Here you will truly enjoy the most creative, modern interpretation of Chinese food and, significantly, this Chinese fare is served in a romantic, elegant environment, in true harmony with the Bellagio resort; from this elegant Vegas restaurant you can enjoy the fabulous Bellagio’s fountain show. The service is excellent and attentive, delivering top quality food. Excellent choice if you love this cuisine and, of course, you are not on a budget: you can easily pay $80+ per person.

♦ Andre’s at Montecarlo. 3770 Las Vegas Blvd (mid-Strip), Las Vegas.
Located in a mid-range resort, this is actually a very good Vegas restaurant. The service is excellent, the wine list is extensive and caters to the finest of palate, and the food is, of course, delicious. You can enjoy the best steak, the best lobster, the best Dover sole (Sole Grenobloise), the best venison, the best dessert or even indulge in rare dishes such as escargot. Of course, like all top Vegas restaurants, you will pay a top price. However, the portions are generous, thankfully.

♦ Restaurant Guy Savoy, Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South (mid-Strip). Trying to evoke the idea of traditional, romantic Parisian life and dining experience this restaurant is relatively small (75-seats) and its style has been described somewhat minimalist yet ‘focused’. Here you will enjoy original & traditional Parisian dishes and of course you’ll have a breath-taking wine choice.

♦ Alex at Wynn, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd South (Mid towards North Strip). The grand entrance leads to an award-winning gastronomic ‘feast’, a mix of French and Italian dishes with organic options (still rarity in Vegas and indeed in most restaurants); it has been claimed that the food here is supplied by small farms in nearby states, thus providing fresh, organic, seasonal choices. Of course it’s expensive but there are ‘fixed-menu’ options which are a little more affordable yet varied and delicious. Its decor is elegant with attention to detail. The wine choices are remarkable and the service is highly professional.

♦ Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South (towards South Strip). Described as ‘intimate and upscale’, here you will enjoy a variety of French menus but of course they are expensive. If you prefer to save your dollars, you may opt for the more casual (but much larger) ‘Atelier’: here of course you won’t enjoy the intimate ambiance of Robuchon (in fact you can even sit at the long-table, bar-counter style, wrapped around the open kitchen), but the food standard is just as high.

♦ Bartolotta at Wynn, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South (towards North Strip). Boasting seafood and fish imported all the way from the Mediterranean (where, because of the specific sea ‘chemical ingredients’, fish is always much tastier than in the larger oceans), which you can choose from yourself before having it cooked and dressed in delicious Italian styles.

Here you can also enjoy a large variety of delicious pasta dishes and of course, if you don’t like fish, poultry and meat. Not cheap, it’s probably however one of the more affordable of the top 12 restaurants in Las Vegas (still, about 40+ dollars per entrée).

♦ Aureole (Mandalay Bay resort, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd South) – Aureole has become the place to go for wine lovers; a modern, sleek-and-chic place with dishes to suit. A ‘signature’ restaurant combining International, French and modern American dishes, starting from around 25 dollars per dish.

Following Mandalay Bay’s new direction in an effort to attract a ‘modern’, young crowd, Aureole restaurant is trying to raise the bar when it comes to wine tasting and gourmet dining, set in a modern yet elegant atmosphere towered by Aureole’s wine ‘monument’, a wine ‘temple’ made of sixty thousand wine bottles framed through a modern metallic structure: the result is a 4-storey tower structure filled with wine bottles.

Now something not so obvious;  for those seeking the best Japanese restaurant in Vegas, the answer is in a tucked-away, average looking place off-Strip (around 15 minutes from Bellagio by car):  Raku (5030 W Spring Mountain Rd #2), where people flock for an authentic Japanese menu of cooked and grilled dishes.  This is not where you come for Sushi, but for bit-size gourmet Japanese delicacies.  The price is quite high, especially considering the portions.  Now, back to ‘grand’ gourmet, high-end Vegas restaurants: 
Beyond the ‘grand entrance’, its main area, the Swan Court, offers an overall more intimate atmosphere, ideal for couples seeking a touch of ‘chic’, elegantly overlooking a pond and a fountain; besides this area there are 3 private rooms which, combined with the Swan Court, can seat a total of 300 guests.

Since Aureole is a wine-lover haven, wines are smartly paired with individual dishes; however, you can pick your own wine but, if you choose to do so, you may be surprised by their electronic menu, which includes suggestions and recommendations for those who are not wine connoisseurs.

There are two main type of ‘food offerings’ here: the first one is a seven-course fixed-price extravaganza of ‘chic’ dishes, from ahi tartare over pear chutney, to seared tataki with ginger cilantro, to a multi-cheese ravioli dish with Dungeness crab, to grilled escolar fish, seared foie gras, seared filet mignon and so forth. A cheese-tasting experience follows, accompanied by a cinnamon-swirled brioche, followed by pear tarte Tatin with chocolate fondue.

The second type of ‘food offering’ is a little more casual. This ‘casual’ menu is available in the main dining room and at the bar; it includes the very popular sirloin sliders (served with crispy bacon and a guacamole chipotle sauce), nicely-dressed scallops, sole with crispy bacon, fresh and delicious oyster and other nice dishes, some more popular (or more ‘accomplished’) than others. For dessert, you have eleven choices, ranging from the more ‘complex’ to a simple fudge brownie.

Aureole has certainly something to offer for all palates and, if you are not on any budget, a visit may be a good experience, especially if you are after a romantic or chic setting.

♦ Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd South. Ideal if you like a steakehouse and love meat. Here meat is served in a variety of ways, all cooked to perfection in a unique style thanks to its wood-burning grills and its six circulating, slow-poaching chambers. Amongst its signature dishes are its Certified Angus Beef and its American and Japanese Kobe. Not the most expensive eatery in Vegas but still 40+ dollars per entrée). If you happen to decide at the last minute that you prefer fish, here they serve seafood too.

Expectations -The location is perfect for special occasion albeit not on the Strip: it’s on the top floor of the Palms Resort & Casino, one mile north of the Las Vegas Strip off.

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Part 1 of Best Vegas Restaurants – Best Burgers in Vegas  Best Hotels in Vegas