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Chef Barry Dakake made a name for himself in this town with his work at N9NE Steakhouse inside the Palms (back when the Palms was at the forefront of cool). This new eponymous restaurant, on the lowest level of Circa Las Vegas, is a mix of old and new, blending classics from N9NE with modern dishes and a variety of fish and shellfish. Big parties love the bone marrow appetizer, which includes the opportunity to drink a shot of vodka through a hallowed-out bone. Another crowd favorite: seafood towers, which come in a variety of sizes. Cocktails here are strong and creative; some are made tableside by scantily clad mixologists working different cocktail carts. The dining room at Barry's is swanky and sophisticated, with plenty of hidden alcoves. Perhaps the only demerit: sometimes the music can be deafening.
8 Fremont St., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101, USA
Known For
- Dry- and wet-aged steaks
- Stellar cocktail program
- Celebrity sightings
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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This restaurant, the crown jewel of the Sahara Las Vegas, is decorated in a subtle jungle motif and is clearly all about meat. There's an emphasis on shared plates, such as famed Chef José Andrés's signature cotton-candy foie gras and Ferran Adria olives, a nod to the legend's molecular gastronomy. Choose from steaks sold by the pound, such as wagyu/Black Angus and grass-fed rib steaks, smaller cuts such as skirt steaks and flat-irons, quarter or whole suckling pigs (the latter of which has to be ordered ahead), Chateaubriand, rack of lamb, and Iberico pork. Plus there's a raw bar, with choices such as oysters, shrimp, and the chef's signature caviar cone, as well as a meat bar, with three tartares, two carpaccio, and more. Besides the à la carte menu, there are five- and six-course tasting menus and vegetarian and pescatarian menus.
2535 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Meat in every form possible
- Whole suckling pig
- Jungle-theme atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch
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When chefs name their idol, more than a few will cite French Laundry chef Thomas Keller, the star behind this stunning, capacious French bistro in the Venezia Tower. Soaring Palladian windows, antique lighting fixtures, a pewter-topped bar, and colorful tile lend a sophisticated take on French country design, a fitting setting in which to dine on savory, rich cuisine. Menu options include classics such as escargots de Bourgogne, steak frites, mussels with white wine, and an extensive seafood bar, and selections of cheese and caviar. Finish with profiteroles or crème caramel. A charming garden outside is perfect for an alfresco dinner or postmeal stroll. Return for brunch from 8 am to 1 pm Thursdays or 8 am to 2 pm Fridays through Sundays, when you might try roasted chicken with a bacon-chive waffle, Croque Madame, or seared foie gras. There's a freestanding Bouchon Bakery near the Venetian Theatre, offering breads, pastries, and confections.
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Thomas Keller's bistro interpretations
- Classic French-bistro atmosphere
- Patio overlooking Venezia Pool
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Wed.
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This sleek restaurant may be decorated primarily in neutrals but don’t be fooled; the food by James Beard–nominated chef Nicole Brisson brings plenty of color. Brisson’s updated Italian classics include Tuscan carne cruda with lemon, capers, and shallots; beef-cheek ravioli with European butter and aceto; a whole branzino; and 170-day dry-aged 42-ounce bistecca di Fiorentina. When the weather’s grand, dine on the lovely expansive patio, which is surrounded by olive trees saved from the old Stardust.
3000 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Rising chef Nicole Brisson
- Classic dishes with original takes
- Expansive patio with olive trees
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Top Chef star and James Beard Award–winning chef Tom Colicchio presides over this streamlined spot tucked into a corner of the MGM Grand’s Restaurant Row. The menu is as sophisticated as the surroundings, with an emphasis on top-shelf beef, including Japanese Certified A5 Wagyu as a rib eye or New York strip, plus domestic Wagyu, dry-aged and prime beef, and seafood, including lobster, diver scallops, a raw bar, and a tower. Combine the two in a surf and turf, or opt for the three-course menu.
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Broad selection of seafood
- Beef, including certified A5 Wagyu
- Tom Colicchio's Top-Chef cuisine
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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The best Italian food in Las Vegas these days might be at Esther's Kitchen, a hip and lively restaurant in the Las Vegas Arts District southwest of Downtown. Chef James Trees, a Las Vegas native, churns out house-made pastas such as rigatoni carbonara with guanciale, tagliatelle with braised duck, and black fettucine with lobster. Pizzas change nightly, and the fried cauliflower appetizer is addicting. Locals also swear by brunch items such as the ricotta pancakes and the pork and beef meatball sandwich. At the bar, mixologists deliver spins on classics and seasonal drinks made with what's fresh. Trees named the restaurant after his Aunt Esther, who wrote the check for him to go to culinary school.
1130 S. Casino Center Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89104, USA
Known For
- House-made pasta
- Creative cocktails
- Long wait times for those without reservations
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The rare Greek restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip certainly doesn't disappoint, although you'll pay well for the experience. Chef Costas Spiliadis flies in fresh fish from the Mediterranean; you pick out the piece of fish at market price and select how you'd like it prepared. Starters such as Greek bottarga are a nice complement to the main course. Also worth sampling: the Milos Special, lightly fried zucchini with eggplant, tzatziki, and saganaki cheese. Lunch, mid-day, and a four-course tasting menu are also available. And the aesthetic experience matches the cuisine, the architecture echoing ancient Greece with stone, wood, and marble. The Greek gods would approve.
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Fish from the Mediterranean
- Updated Greek classics
- Evocative Greek atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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This venerable restaurant dates to the Rat Pack era. The "cellar" aspect (it's about a half-flight below ground) gives it a cozy feel, as do Old Vegas touches like table-side salad preparation with every dinner (you choose what you want from the cart), a red rose for each woman, and formal, impeccable service. The menu presents a 1960s vibe, with dishes like Duck Anise Flambé, chateaubriand and lobster for two, and table-side cherries jubilee and bananas Foster. But entrées are prepared with modern sensibilities and are joined by new-era choices like a grilled stuffed portobello mushroom and other vegetarian entrées.
202 Fremont St., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101, USA
Known For
- Cozy, semi-underground location
- Lots of table-side service
- Menu of old Las Vegas classics
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | |
The Lake of Dreams is the crown jewel of Wynn Las Vegas, and Lakeside is the setting. If the weather’s pleasant, opt for a waterside table with a view of the outdoor water show and the resort’s pine forest. You’ll find lots of classics on this menu, such as bouillabaisse, roasted lobsters, and king crab, as well as an array of steaks. Caviar is served with warm blini and toast points for that authentic experience.
3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Dishes such as bouillabaisse, roasted lobsters
- Outdoor tables line resort's lake
- Polished, elegant service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Noodles are the house specialty at this intimate restaurant in the Fremont East district of Downtown. Although most of the dishes are Thai (try the Awesome Noodles; the name isn't hyperbole), others lean more toward Chinese and Japanese influences. Also worth trying: the three-color curry, and the decadent Short Rib Fried Rice. Whatever you order, request "spicy" dishes at your own risk; chefs here spice things up the way they'd like to eat them, not the way you'd like to eat them. The restaurant itself is truly tiny, with only a handful of tables and seating at the bar, but a large patio with pergola covering is complete with misters for summer and heaters for winter. The patio hosts a DJ and serves a late-night menu Thursday through Sunday. (Le Thai's success led to Chef Dan Coughlin opening a sister restaurant, 8 East, inside the new Circa Resort & Casino.)
523 Fremont St. E, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101, USA
Known For
- Tiny spot with expansive patio
- Some other Asian influences
- Awesome Noodles really are
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sun.
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$$$ | East Side |
This simple Thai restaurant has attained near-fanatical cult status, leaving some to wonder what all the fuss is about. It's simply that everything is so very good: Don't miss the starter of garlic prawns, sautéed with shells on; for a main course, try dishes like charbroiled beef liver mixed with green onion and chile, or the chicken and vegetables with Issan-style red curry. Be warned—several plates here can be some of the spiciest food you'll ever try. But another of Lotus's surprises is the phenomenal wine list of 300-plus choices, on which you might find a vintage to cool your palate. The original Commercial Center location at 953 E. Sahara Ave. was undergoing extensive renovations in early 2023 with plans to return, and a third location opened in Red Rock Resort in early 2023.
620 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89104, USA
Known For
- Spicy Issan Thai cuisine
- Garlic prawns
- Cult following
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Tues.--Thurs.
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$$$$ | |
When "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto opened his restaurant in what he proudly called "the most famous city in the world," it marked his first foray into teppanyaki, sure to be popular with conventioneers. There's also sushi, of course, and some of his standbys: braised black cod with a ginger-soy reduction, and tuna pizza with anchovy aioli, olives, and jalapeños. The menu includes oysters with foie gras and uni, as well as ishi yaki chashu bop and ishi yaki buri bop—pork or yellowtail-rich dishes cooked at your table in a hot stone bowl. It's all served in an expansive, streamlined spot on MGM Resort's restaurant row. Morimoto After Dark is the place to go for small bites and cocktails with a DJ, from 10 pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Food by the original Iron Chef
- Sushi, teppanyaki, and conventional dining
- Dramatic black-and-white interior
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Hong Kong street food comes to life at this lively and architecturally stunning restaurant inside The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. The first U.S. outpost of the Hong Kong restaurant of the same name, it features specialties such as applewood-roasted 42-day Peking duck ( Order it as far in advance as possible.), as well as dim sum, lobster prepared like mapo tofu, and imported Wagyu beef. The restaurant’s design is notable; put together by Joyce Wang in collaboration with Maximal Concepts, the vibe blends urban industrial with Chinese Imperial elements. Be on the lookout for the circular table with a roulette wheel in the center.
3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Smoked Peking duck
- Excellent dim sum
- Lobster mapo tofu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$$ | |
Grandiose, spectacular, and heart-stopping are three words to describe NoMad Library, the restaurant at NoMad Las Vegas. Inspired by the celebrated library of NoMad New York, the restaurant has 40-foot ceilings and is ringed with shelves of books—a backdrop that creates an intimate and sophisticated vibe. The food is worthy of this setting. Most dishes are communal, meaning they're designed to share. A signature dish is an American Wagyu prime rib (rubbed with porcini and black garlic) for two. Towers of seafood from the raw bar are nice starters, and tuna tartare is prepared tableside. Next door, in the NoMad Bar, a more casual menu is available for dinner and late-night bites. On weekends, there's jazz brunch, too.
3772 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Breathtaking atmosphere
- Delicious communal dishes
- Jazz brunch in the bar on weekends
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$$$$ | |
Adorned with some original works by Picasso, this restaurant raised the city's dining scene a notch when it opened in Bellagio in 1998. Although some say executive chef Julian Serrano doesn't change his menu often enough, the artful, innovative cuisine—based on French classics with strong Spanish influences—is consistently outstanding. Appetizers on the seasonal menu might include warm quail salad with sautéed artichokes and pine nuts, or poached oysters with osetra caviar and vermouth sauce. Roasted milk-fed veal or sautéed medallions of fallow deer with romanesco are other potential entrée choices. Sometimes a seasonal specialty menu may feature Alba white truffles. Dinners are prix-fixe, with four or five-course options; a vegan menu also is available.
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- Artworks by the master
- Julian Serrano's award-winning food
- Overlooking Lake Bellagio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch, Reservations essential, No children 5 or younger permitted
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$$ | West Side |
Seating is at a premium in this softly lighted strip mall robata, a favorite of almost every chef in town. At 5 pm sharp every day but Sunday, doors open for small-plate offerings of creamy house-made tofu, fresh sashimi (no sushi), and savory grilled meats, fish, and veggies (cooked over charcoal imported from Japan) that reflect the culinary mastery of its Tokyo-born owner-chef. An efficient waitstaff will visit your table to describe the spendy chalkboard specials and also to suggest which seasonings—which include five soy sauces, three salts, and four sugars—will best accent a particular dish. An ample list of sake (including a monthly sampler of three) and à-la-carte menu items, such as the sashimi salad, Kobe beef liver sashimi, and steamed foie gras egg custard, is also provided. Raku also offers omakase, which showcases the chef's choice of the best dishes each day. Raku Sweets, in the same shopping plaza, offers a few elaborate desserts and some savory dishes.
5030 W. Spring Mountain Rd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89146, USA
Known For
- Agedashi tofu, robata foods
- Daily specials
- Cozy atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch
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$$$$ | |
In an ultraswank dining room on the second floor of the Augustus Tower, Michelin three-star chef Guy Savoy introduces diners to his masterful creations, such as roasted turbot with beet and garlic. The seven-course 5 Star Celebration Menu features signature dishes like the artichoke-and-black-truffle soup and hazelnut-crusted sweetbread. Prices are a little lower if you opt for the à la carte menu. The selections from Savoy's 15,000-bottle wine cellar only add to this restaurant's epicurean mystique.
3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
Known For
- One of Las Vegas's best
- Caviar room
- Krug chef's table
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch
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The Tea Lounge may be right off the main lobby, but it’s still a sea of serenity (with the addition of fabulous 23rd-floor views)—this is the Waldorf Astoria, after all. Service is formal but not stuffy, and the afternoon tea is done in the classic English style. There's also a children's tea, with a hot-chocolate option and dishes designed to appeal to the younger set. There are three seatings on Wednesdays through Sundays, and reservations are usually necessary.
3752 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89158, USA
Known For
- Variety of fresh fruit Bellinis
- Wide selection of teas and tisanes
- Reservations necessary most days
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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In a town where restaurants come and go almost as quickly as visitors' cash, the longevity of this steak house, which opened in 1958, is itself a recommendation. Both locals and visitors adore the classic atmosphere with red-leather seating, polished dark wood, and stained-glass windows for the huge slabs of well-prepared meat. Steak, prime rib, lamb chops, Dover sole, and Italian classics such as veal parmigiana and chicken of the angels are particularly popular, as are tableside preparations of Caesar salad, bananas foster, and cherries jubilee. Some of the booths are reputed to be the same ones where Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and other members of the Rat Pack—not to mention some infamous mobsters—used to sit.
308 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89102, USA
Known For
- Rat Pack–era vibe
- Dark, opulent atmosphere
- Table-side preparations
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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Palace Station has for years flown under the radar of most visitors, although a 2018 refurbishment gave it new life, especially its restaurants. One holdover is the justly popular Oyster Bar, which has a cult following among the cognoscenti, not to mention long waits during peak hours (reservations aren't taken for the limited seating area). You won’t go wrong with chilled seafood or steamers, but the pan roasts are truly sublime, with a base of brandy-infused tomato creating a seafood stew. It’s open 24/7, so avoid the long lines by going at an off-hour.
2411 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89102, USA
Known For
- Palace pan roast with shrimp, crab, chicken, and andouille
- Cioppino
- "Bouill-Roast" (like a bouillabaise), a former secret-menu item
