Las Vegas is more about fine food than it is about gambling these days. I might get a lot of sideways looks and accusations of poor mental health for suggesting that, but the evidence abounds.
In this age of economies struggling, governments stumbling and disposable incomes shrinking, travelers to the Nevada desert have a different take on Sin City. If they’re going to take a vacation and drop $500, $1000 or $10,000 in Vegas, they want the assurance of taking something home with them besides an empty wallet and credit card debt thanks to a sour run at the Craps table.
Tourists want a memory of a once in a lifetime show, an adventure thanks to a zip line or a dune buggy or an elite shopping experienced. And, they want to take home the lingering pleasure of a truly great meal. Las Vegas has become the epicenter of “event dining.”
Overall, there might be more world class restaurants in New York City. There might be more famous restaurants in New Orleans. But, nowhere on Earth are more dazzling and satisfying restaurant choices than in the relatively compact confines of Vegas from Fremont down The Strip.
The following list is a list of my favorite destination restaurants in Vegas. Unlike other journalists who try to make their listing some empirical pantheon of global wisdom, I’m telling you straight out this is my list – packed with all of my dining prejudices and predilections. I think you should run out into the hot sands and try any or each of these restaurants until the money runs out – or until you’ve eaten so much you can’t feel your legs. But, no doubt there’s a foodie under every rock in the Mojave with a different opinion.
The list is in no particular order. I deliberately put together a mixed grill in both culinary and financial terms. There are joints on this list that will set you back well north of $150 to $300 per plate, depending on your entrée choice and how many bottles the winemaster delivers to your table. There are also diners where you can grab epicurean joy for less than $20. There’s even Vegas’ two best buffets to offer the biggest menu hungry eyes could absorb.
Heading for Vegas? More Sin City Travel Tips!
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Take Your Folks to Las Vegas: Part One — Hotels
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Take Your Folks to Las Vegas: Part Two — Shows
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Take Your Folks to Las Vegas: Part Three — Dining
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10 Destination Restaurants in Las Vegas
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Culinary Dropout at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
I confess this is my favorite Las Vegas spot for it’s unpretentious atmosphere, elite comfort food and affordable prices. Culinary Dropout is the perfect destination restaurant for the Hard Rock Hotel as a tofu and free range kelp appetizer on crystal lotus leaves doesn’t fly amidst leather, denim and rock n’ roll. Make sure to try Yesterday’s Soup. Seriously.
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Sensi at the Bellagio
An elite mix of four distinct kitchens serving Italian, Asian, American Grill and seafood cuisine. specialties take leading roles, Sensi takes a unique approach to gourmet faire in Las Vegas by vowing (according to Sensi’s own literature) a commitment to “sustainably grown and naturally raised products.” An ambiance of freshness flourishes through all of its entrées, and the varied menu make Sensi a restaurant anyone could enjoy on trip after trip.
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Eat.
Compared to Sensi, Fleur or Lakeside, Eat is the David amongst Goliath(s) on this list. Located away from the strip on the downtown side of Las Vegas, chef Natalie Young took a lifetime’s expertise feeding her own loved ones and built a modern American, soul food-inspired restaurant. The atmosphere is as absolutely friendly and open as your own mom’s kitchen. Any diner looking to get away from the bright lights and big price tags should hustle to Young’s Eat.
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Holsteins at the Cosmopolitan
This HQ for wholesome burgers, gourmet milkshakes and ice cream drinks sits across the Cosmo upstairs lobby from Marquee, the highest rated nightclub in the United States and the hottest late night ticket in Vegas. Personally, let the poseurs fill up on Gray Goose Red Bull while destroying their Tympanic membranes. I’ll be enjoying the fresh cut fries at Holsteins.
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Fleur at Mandalay Bay
Directed by internationally famous Master Chef Hubert Keller, Fleur is arguably the gem in Mandalay Bay’s restaurant crown. Like every other spot Keller touches, the menu is diverse, yet traditional – making it not so much a question of find what you might like, but rather a struggle to choose a path. Every item from salads and soups through entrées to desserts, every dish is made with impeccable attention to details. Keep an eye open because I managed to meet Chef Keller himself during my meal.
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Caesar’s Palace Bacchanal Buffet
The Bacchanal was recently redesigned and renovated into a modern vision of what a Vegas buffet should look like. Bright, modern and easily accessible, the Bacchanal also is changing how buffet diners are fed. The faire is top shelf across the board – all elite restaurant quality. But, it’s presented in smaller amounts to avoid waste – offering gourmet items in small, individual portions. Regardless of presentation, no one leaves this place hungry.
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Lakeside Seafood at The Wynn
While this venue might be more famous for its proximity to The Wynn’s Lake of Dreams multimedia tech show, Lakeside Seafood is always in the running for the best lobster and oyster dishes in Las Vegas. It’s also easily one of the most visually stunning destination restaurants in town. When I put it out there that visitors to the best hotels and casinos now want to take back a sensory overload memory when they come to town, Lakeside Seafood at the Wynn fits that to the letter.
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Las Vegas Buffet at the Aria
It’s a neck and neck race for best current buffet in Las Vegas between Caesar’s and the shrine to wonderful indulgent gluttony at the Aria. The Aria buffet also uses the smaller, individual serving rule with its outstanding food from multiple international and cuisine-themed stations. The dessert bar alone requires a map to navigate all of the options.
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Piero’s
Set away behind the step and away from downtown, this is a restaurant frequented by locals who really know where to eat. Piero's is warm, dignified and quiet with an ambiance that somehow survived from the glory days of the Rat Pack – event though it wasn’t built until 1982. It’s been there serving the finest steaks, Italian faire and traditional cocktails since then and is a joint where you and your buddies can go for a bachelor party dinner or for a classy date with a choice lady. If you’re not going to be whiney and all PETA about it, I strongly recommend any of the veal entrées.
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Mr. Lucky’s 24/7 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Most of the major hotels in Las Vegas have at least one “open an all night” restaurant. It makes sense when you consider the casinos pump oxygen onto the floor to keep gamblers awake and gambling. When they stumble from the tables and find themselves starving, they just need food at 3 a.m. But, Mr. Lucky’s serves such satisfying dishes that it warrants a visit anytime. In fact, stop in for a massive breakfast any morning.
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Honorable Mention: Bellagio Employee Dining Room
This eleventh and final entry is a little bit of an unfair psych-out because you can’t eat there unless you’re an employee at the Bellagio. Beneath the hotel and casino’s grounds, the massive, hidden Bellagio “back of house” contains a full buffet and dining room where any Bellagio staffer can eat free of charge. On their honor, they’re asked not to take three squares a day there, but the spread rivals what you’ll find on the buffet tables at many of the hotels around town.
