BUFFETS
Le Village Buffet
Main Street Station Garden Court


Le Village Buffet
Paris Las Vegas
(888) 266-5687
Breakfast $15; lunch $18; dinner $25; Sun brunch $25. Free for children 3 and under
Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Sunday – Thursday / 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday

One of the more ambitious buffets, with a price to match — still, you do get, even at the higher-priced dinner, a fine assortment of food and more value for the dollar than you are likely to find anywhere else. Plus, the Paris buffet is housed in the most pleasing room of the buffet bunch. It’s a Disneyland-esque two-thirds replica of your classic French village clichés; it’s either a charming respite from Vegas lights or it’s sickening, depending on your tolerance level for such things.

Buffet stations are grouped according to French regions, and though in theory entrees change daily, there do seem to be some constants: In Brittany, you’ll find such things as made-to-order crepes, surprisingly good roasted duck with green peppercorn and peaches, and steamed mussels with butter and shallots. In Normandy, there’s quiche and some dry bay scallops with honey cider. The carving station shows up in Burgundy but distinguishes itself by adding options of Chateaubriand sauce and cherry sauce Escoffier. Lamb stew is a possibility for Alsace, while Provence has pasta to order and a solidly good braised beef. The salad station isn’t strong on flavors, but the veggies are fresh, and there is even some domestic (darn it) cheese. You can skip the dessert station in favor of heading back to Brittany for some made-to-order crepes, but you might want to try the bananas Foster.


Main Street Station Garden Court
100 North Main Street
(702) 387-1896
Breakfast $7; lunch $8; dinner $11-$16; Sat-Sun champagne brunch $11. Free for children 3 and under
Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Set in what is truly one of the prettiest buffet spaces in town (and certainly in Downtown), with very high ceilings and tall windows bringing in much-needed natural light, the Main Street Station Garden Court buffet is one of the best in town, let alone Downtown. It features nine live-action stations where you can watch your food being prepared, including a wood-fired, brick-oven pizza (delicious); many fresh salsas at the Mexican station; a barbecue rotisserie; fresh sausage at the carving station; Chinese, Hawaiian, and Southern specialties (soul food and the like); and so many more we lost count. On Friday night, it has all this and nearly infinite varieties of seafood, all the way up to lobster. We ate ourselves into a stupor and didn’t regret it.

RESTAURANTS

Alex
Alizé
Andre’s
Aureole
Bartolotta Ristorante Di Mare
Border Grill
Bouchon
Burger Bar
Cathay House
Charlie Palmer Steak
Daniel Boulud Brasserie
Delmonico Steakhouse
Dona Maria Tamales
Fix
Fleur De Lys
Hugo’s Cellar
Isla
Le Cirque
Lotus of Siam
Mesa Grill
Mix
Mon Ami Gabi
Nine Five Irishmen
Olives
Pamplemouse
Payard Patisserie and Bistro
Pink Taco
Rao’s
Red Square
Rosemary’s Restaurant
Salt Lick BBQ
Second Street Grill
Sensi
Spago
Valentino


Alex (#83 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">Continental</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Tues-Sun 6-10pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Wynn Las Vegas, <span style="color: #000000;">North Strip</span></span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations strongly recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Jacket recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">888/352-3463, 702/248-3463</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.wynnlasvegas.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3-course prix-fixe menu $145; 7-course tasting menu $195</span>
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Alex Strada (possibly familiar to you from his stint on the American “Iron Chef”) followed his once and present boss Steve Wynn from The Mirage, closing his Renoir venue to open this eponymous one instead. A dramatic room, all swooping drapes and inlaid wood, it’s about two fussy steps away from true elegance but still a place where grown-ups come to dine, while appreciating the venture as “occasion.” Strada comes from a cosmopolitan and international background; add to that both some years working under Alain Ducasse and a general sense of food as pleasure and art, and you have one of the most special dining experiences in Vegas. The menu changes regularly — Chef Alex is as exacting as a chef should be, and so the readiness of seasonal ingredients dictates any particular evening’s selection. If in a European restaurant, the result would almost certainly earn a Michelin star.

Diners have their choice of two set tasting menus or a three-course prix-fixe choice of appetizer, main course, and dessert. Expect starters such as carpaccio of Santa Barbara prawn topped with osetra caviar, or roasted scallop with basil purée, and don’t neglect to ponder touches such as tiny vegetables ever so lightly cooked so crunch and flavor come through, the whole topped by translucent fried zucchini flower. Porcini gnocchi dissolves in the mouth, a terrine of foie gras is paired with the chef’s interpretation of Waldorf salad, a main course of squab and sautéed foie gras, rhubarb, and spiced pineapple is deep, rich, and bold. Even the palate cleansers are serious, such as apricot gelée topped with coconut granita ringed by passion fruit, or strawberry gelée with lemon-grass crème fraîche. As for wine, Master Sommelier Paolo Barbieri’s thoughtful list includes over 1,000 labels, many of them French, with some 200 burgundies alone. Those on a budget should fear not, as the list includes innovative treats like a “splash” of Chateau d’Yquem, which is plenty to accompany a foie gras starter and quite affordable. Desserts are of such gorgeous complexity that we cannot describe them adequately, but know that the construction is not served to the sacrifice of taste. You are in a master chef’s hands; enjoy it.


Alizé (#117 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">French</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Sun-Thurs 5:30-10pm; Fri-Sat 5:30-11pm, last reservation at 10:30</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">4321 W. Flamingo Rd</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Palms Casino Resort, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations strongly recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/951-7000</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/951-7002</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.alizelv.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Entrees $34-$67; 5-course tasting menu $95; 7-course tasting menu $125</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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Just a perfect restaurant, thanks to a combination of the most divine dining room and view in Vegas, not to mention one of the best chefs in Vegas. Situated at the top of the Palms Hotel, three sides of full-length windows allow a panoramic view of the night lights of Vegas; obviously, window-side tables are best, but even seats in the center of the room have a good view (though seats on the right are now bedeviled by the recent Palms tower addition). Many great chefs have restaurants locally but are rarely in their kitchens (Emeril and Wolfgang, we love them, but they can’t be in 25 different places at once). This operation is carefully overseen by Andre, he of the eponymous (and excellent) restaurants Downtown and in the Monte Carlo. The menu changes seasonally, but anything you order will be heavenly.

We’ve rarely been disappointed in either the appetizer or main course department. For the former, look for a shrimp and artichoke timbale trimmed with avocado and cucumber relish, or a tissue-thin Kobe beef carpaccio with dark pesto topping and tomato comfit. The foie gras can come in a pink-grapefruit-and-citrus-honey reduction, a tangy combination. Fish can be a little dry here, so we suggest either the stunning New York steak with summer truffle jus and potato herb pancakes, or the meltingly tender lamb chops with some shredded lamb shank wrapped in a crispy fried crepe. Desserts are similarly outstanding and often of great frivolity, such as sorbet in a case of browned marshmallow, floating in raspberry soup. Yeah, we’re going over the top on this one, but we bet you won’t think we’re wrong.


Andre’sFrommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">French</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Tues-Sat 5:30-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">401 S. 6th St</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">At Lewis St., 3 blocks south of Fremont St, Downtown</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations required</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/385-5016</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.andrelv.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $33-$68</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, MC, V</span>
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Andre’s has long been the bastion of gourmet dining in Vegas, but with all the new big boys crowding the Strip, it runs the risk of getting overlooked. It shouldn’t — Andre may not have a show on the Food Network, but he ought to be a household name. Besides, his first restaurant still dominates Downtown. This is also a celebrity haunt where you’re likely to see Strip headliners. One night, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and James Spader were all spotted joining some pals for a bachelor party. The staff played it cool, though. In a small, converted 1930s house, you’ll find an elegant French provincial atmosphere, overseen by owner-chef Andre, who brings over 40 years of experience to the table. Much of the waitstaff is also French, and they will happily lavish attention on you and guide you through the menu.

The food presentation is exquisite, and choices change seasonally. On a recent visit, an appetizer of Northwest smoked salmon mille feuille with cucumber salad and sevruga caviar was especially enjoyed, as was a main course of grilled veal tournedos with chive sauce accompanied by a mushroom and foie gras crepe. You get the idea. Desserts are similarly lovely, an exotic array of rich delights. An extensive wine list (more than 900 labels) is international in scope and includes many rare vintages; consult the sommelier.

Note: An additional branch of Andre’s is in the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino, 3775 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/798-7151), and is also highly recommended, as is their slightly different take, Alizé, in the Palms.


Aureole (#236 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">Nouvelle American</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Sun-Thurs 6-10:30pm; Fri-Sat 5:30-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Mandalay Bay, South Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations required</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">877/632-1766</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.aureolelv.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Prix-fixe dinner $75; tasting menu $95</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DISC, MC, V</span>
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This branch of a New York City fave (it’s pronounced are-ree-all) run by Charlie Palmer is noted for its glass wine tower. It’s four stories of probably the finest wine collection in Vegas, made even more sensational thanks to catsuit-clad lovelies who are hoisted on wires to reach bottles requested from the uppermost heights. Amid this Vegas-show glitz is one of the better of the fine-dining experiences around. The menu is a three-course prix-fixe, though if you are winsome enough, they might send out luxurious extras such as pâté on brioche topped with shaved truffles or an espresso cup of cold yellow-pepper soup with crab. Otherwise, expect such marvels as a tender roasted lamb loin and braised shoulder, or a rack of venison accompanied by sweet-potato purée and chestnut crisp. Everything demonstrates the hand of a true chef in the kitchen, someone paying close attention to his work and to his customers. Service is solicitous; on a recent visit, with one diner not feeling up to an actual meal, the concerned server presented special clear consommé and mild sorbets. Desserts are playful, including a bittersweet chocolate soufflé with blood-orange sorbet and a Bartlett pear crisp with toasted cinnamon brioche and lemon grass foam. There is also an excellent cheese plate. Oh, and that wine tower? You can navigate it from your table with the innovative and highly engrossing handheld computer that not only helps you through the vast depths of the list but also makes suggestions for you, based on your meal choices.


Bartolotta Ristorante Di Mare (#33 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">Italian, Seafood</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 5:30-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Wynn Las Vegas, North Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">888/352-3463, 702/248-3463</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.wynnlasvegas.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses dinner $20-$58; family-style tasting $135 per person; Grand Seafood Feast served family style $155 per person</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Paul Bartolotta trained in Italy under master chefs before opening his highly acclaimed Spiaggia in Chicago. Now he’s here, in this eponymous (and Best New Restaurant 2006 Beard finalist) kitchen, yet more proof that celebrity chefs are all very well and good, but it’s not the same as having them on the premises. In this case, the result is as authentic Italian food as one can find outside Italy. Determined to produce just that, Bartolotta went to his boss, Steve Wynn, and insisted that his fish not just be ultrafresh but also be flown daily straight from the Mediterranean to his Vegas kitchen, saying “I can’t make authentic Italian food with American fish.” Wynn’s response? “Give the man his fish.” (And you will be introduced to the results after you sit down!)

Bartolotta is nonchalant about what goes on here; all you have to do, he claims, is know what you are doing, and then do it with the best ingredients — best olive oil, best tomatoes, and best fish. He’s right. It works, and so well that this is the restaurant we are currently most likely to tout in Vegas; as in, go here, do. You can choose your whole cooked fish right from that day’s batch (you can get them big enough so one can be split among several people), which may include new-to-you (they were to us) possibilities like orata and purple snapper, each topped with a chunky “sauce” of sweet pachino tomatoes, arugula, garlic, and red onion. Pastas are perfect, as well, especially the delicate sheep’s milk ricotta handkerchief-style ravioli, made both sweet and savory with a veal Marsala wine-reduction glaze. Spaghetti allo Scoglio comes with large chunks of lobster, langoustines are grilled to charred smoky rightness, seared scallops with porcini mushrooms in browned butter are what scallops should be — and all because this Italian staff learned their lessons well, and they are passing that knowledge on to you.

Meanwhile, Sommelier Claudio Vilani, who honed his skills in his native Italy, created and oversees the (almost) all-Italian list. Those in the know will leave themselves in his capable hands, as he pairs a regionally appropriate wine with the seafood cuisine. The space itself is perhaps the nicest in the hotel, which has done well by all its restaurants, a multilevel construction that gives a cafe feeling on the top level, a more elegant dining area down below (accessed by a dramatic curving, sweeping stairway), and, best of all, outdoor cabana seating by a small pond filled with reflecting balls, so fine for a long (as the Italians like to do it), sultry evening meal. A jewel box of a place for cooking that is a treasure.


Border Grill (#56 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">Mexican</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Mon-Fri 11:30am-11pm; Sat-Sun 11:30am-10pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Mandalay Bay, South Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/632-7403</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.bordergrill.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses lunch $15-$24, dinner $21-34</span>
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For our money, here’s the best Mexican food in town. This big, cheerful space (like a Romper Room for adults) houses a branch of the much-lauded L.A. restaurant, conceived and run by the Food Network’s “Two Hot Tamales,” Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. This is truly authentic Mexican home cooking — the Tamales learned their craft from the real McCoy south of the border — but with a nuevo twist. So don’t expect precisely the same dishes you’d encounter in your favorite corner joint, but do expect fresh and fabulous food, sitting as brightly on the plates as the decor on the walls. Stay away from the occasionally bland fish and head right toward rich and cheesy dishes such as chiles rellenos (with perfect black beans) and chicken chilaquiles (a sister to the taco), or try new items such as mushroom empanadas. Don’t miss the dense but fluffy Mexican chocolate-cream pie (with a meringue crust).

In Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S. tel. 702/632-7403. www.bordergrill.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses lunch $15-$24, dinner $21-34. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-11pm; Sat-Sun 11:30am-10pm.


Bouchon (#70 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">Bistro</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 7-10:30am and 5-11pm; Sat-Sun brunch 8am-2pm; oyster bar daily 3-11pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In The Venetian, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations strongly recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/414-6200</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.bouchonbistro.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $10-$20 at breakfast, $22-$45 at dinner; Sat-Sun brunch $21-$25</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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Thomas Keller made his name with his Napa Valley restaurant French Laundry, considered by many to be the best restaurant in the United States. Bouchon is a version of his Napa Valley bistro. We had mixed expectations. On the one hand, he’s a certifiably genius chef. On the other hand, he’s not going to be in the kitchen, which will be producing bistro (which is to say, not innovative) food and, what’s more, based on the rather lackluster Napa Bouchon.

Our negative expectations were confounded by the right, left, and center of the menu — yeah, we’ve tried nearly all of it and can report that humble though these dishes sound, in nearly every case they are gold-standard versions of classics. Someone is certainly keeping a close eye on this kitchen, and that someone has learned the lessons well. Ever wondered why people get worked up over raw oysters? The sweet and supremely fresh (kept in water until the moment they are served to you) Snow Creek oysters will enlighten you as they seem to melt on contact with your tongue. Fifty dollars seems like a lot for pâté, but here a complex multiday preparation produces a buttery whip that is so rich, it’s an appropriate — and highly recommended — appetizer for four. Don’t miss the bacon and poached-egg frisée salad, or the cleanly seared salmon over poached leeks, prepared to such perfection it doesn’t need the accompanying sauce. Gnocchi is earthy and assertive, a peasant version of an Italian favorite, while beef bourguignon is exactly as you expect it to be, in the divine perfection sense. Leg of lamb has all chewy bits excised before cooking, leaving it a garlic-permeated bit of tenderness. This is a superlative Vegas restaurant, and while it may be hard to reconcile the prices with the apparent simplicity of the food, recall that it takes serious skill to make even the most humble of dishes correctly, as your palate will reassure you.


Burger Bar (#52 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Sun-Thurs 10:30am-11pm; Fri-Sat 10:30am-2am</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3930 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Mandalay Place, South Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/632-9364</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $8-$24 (burgers start at $8, depending on kind of beef; toppings start at 65¢ and go way up)</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DISC, MC, V</span>
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See how Vegas is? They know you might be watching your budget or just wanting something simple but not boring, so they give you a place that specializes in hamburgers “your way,” as the ads go. We love this concept, but we can’t help but wince when we see how loading up a basic burger into a personalized creation turns a humble patty into a check for $15, and that’s before we order fries and shakes. But we will eat at Burger Bar again because they start with Ridgefield Farm (most recommended) and Black Angus beef, and all the toppings (the usuals, such as bacon and avocado, but also six kinds of cheese, prosciutto, chopped scallions, and even anchovies and lobster, for Pete’s sake), plus a choice of bun. It adds up to a hilarious and, if you have a deft touch, delicious experience (though we have not yet gotten them to prepare the doneness of the burgers to our proper specifications, so we advise you to be very clear about your pink-to-gray meat ratio preference).

Shakes are creamy, fries aren’t bad (we like the skinny ones better than the fat ones), though if you haven’t before, try the sweet-potato fries. One of the most clever desserts in town lurks on this menu, a “sweet burger” — a slab of really fine chocolate pâté “burger,” on a warm donut “bun,” topped with cunningly crafted strawberry “tomato” slices, mint “lettuce” and translucent passion-fruit “cheese.” Note the weekend late hours. And skip the highfalutin’ burger options — Kobe beef is too soft to use as burger meat, while foie gras is just wasted in this context. In other words, don’t show off, but do have fun.


Charlie Palmer Steak (#130 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 5-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3960 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In the Four Seasons Hotel, South Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/632-5120</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.charliepalmersteaklv.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $30-$42</span>
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There are many, many steakhouses in Vegas, as if there were some natural law stating that any hotel without one will suffer from entropy and eventually collapse into a black hole. Discerning palates know there can be a significant difference between steakhouses; discerning wallets might not care. If you find yourself among the former, do try Charlie Palmer’s, probably the best of the costlier shrines to beef. Those with the latter can be reassured that with entrees weighing in at around 22 to 45 ounces each, diners can legitimately — and in the name of decency ought to — share portions, which makes this a much more affordable experience than it might appear at first glance. And why not? Those enormous slabs o’ meat are as tender as anything because with the big bucks, you do get the best cuts. We prefer the flavorful rib-eye to the other favorite, the Kansas City. Be sure to try the spinach salad topped with truffled fried egg and warm bacon vinaigrette as a starter (it gets a plus for presentation), and split sides like citrus-braised asparagus or a truffled potato purée (we are such suckers for what we call “gourmet baby food”). Desserts are stylish creations, and the entire thing is set in a generic fancy Vegas restaurant space that can be a bit noisy and crowded, so if romance is on the agenda, ask for one of the two-person tables in the back. Charlie Palmer, by the way, is the chef mind behind Aureole on the other side of Mandalay Bay; this makes two-for-two for this one celeb chef.


Daniel Boulud Brasserie (#112 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Bistro</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 5:30-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Wynn Las Vegas, North Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">888/352-3463, 702/248-3463</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $26-$44</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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Best known as the man who gave New York City the $29 hamburger (because it was filled with foie gras, short rib meat, and truffles), which is a mistake you should not make — not the hamburger itself, which is on this menu, and is fine, if extremely silly and now much imitated — but because there is more to his cuisine than burgers. This is classic French bistro food, and while Boulud himself is not in the house, he does have a superb French chef (at this writing) running the show, and very well. Still, you can always tell when someone is cooking off another master chef’s menu, as opposed to working their own magic (especially when compared to, say, Alex or Bartolotta, here at Wynn itself).

But the cuisine here is still lovely; look at the beautifully composed salads, as roasted beets are laid out in precise order with endive and bleu cheese, or the stunning tartin du tomato, a whole reconstructed roasted tomato layered on goat cheese and puff pastry. The foie gras chaud is two fat lobes of liver on grilled pineapple, topped with a nearly see-through thin pineapple chip. Lean toward the slow-cooked dishes, such as braised short ribs Bourguignon with pomme mousseline and spring ramps — earthy and hearty. Save some room for a cheese plate and go through the evening’s artisanal selections with your server. This restaurant is one of only two that allows viewing of the Lake of Dreams show at night. A way to get around some of the high-end cost is to work with the appetizers — cheese and charcuterie (try the duck confit terrine) are filling — because the entree is a little too small to split satisfyingly.


Delmonico Steakhouse (#49 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Creole, Steak</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 11:30am-2pm; Sun-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In The Venetian, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations strongly recommended for dinner</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/414-3737</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.emerils.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $40-$50</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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You might well feel that Emeril Lagasse is omnipresent. This incarnation is a steakhouse version of his hard-core classic Creole restaurant; this ever-so-slight twist is just enough to make it a superior choice over the more disappointing New Orleans locale. It’s set in two dining rooms; the left one is ’70s den ugly — choose instead the Neutra/Schindler-influenced right side.

You can try Emeril’s concoctions, plus fabulous cuts of red meat. You can’t go wrong with most appetizers, especially the superbly rich smoked mushrooms with homemade tasso ham over pasta — it’s enough for a meal in and of itself. The same advice holds for any of the specials, or the gumbo, particularly if it’s the hearty, near-homemade country selection. If you want to experiment, definitely do it with the appetizers; you’re better off steering clear of complex entrees, no matter how intriguing they sound (such as a 1-night special of foie gras-stuffed ahi tuna). The tableside-made Caesar was dubbed “transcendental” by one astute diner. We’ve found the entree specials to be generally disappointing; the deceptively simple choices are more successful. The bone-in rib-eye steak is rightly recommended (skip the gummy béarnaise sauce in favor of the fabulous homemade Worcestershire or A.O.K. sauce). Sides are hit-or-miss — the creamed spinach was too salty, but a sweet-potato purée (a special, but maybe they’ll serve you a side if you ask sweetly) is most definitely a winner. Too full for dessert? No, you aren’t. Have a bananas-Foster cream pie, butterscotch crème brûlée, or the lemon icebox pie, a chunk of curd that blasts tart lemon through your mouth.


Dona Maria Tamales (#139 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Mexican</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Sun-Thurs 8am-10pm; Fri-Sat 8am-11pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">910 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">At Charleston Blvd, North Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/382-6538</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.donamariatamales.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $8-$12 breakfast; $8-$12 lunch; $12-$15 dinner</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, MC, V</span>
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Decorated with Tijuana-style quilt work and calendars, this quintessential Mexican diner is convenient to both the north end of the Strip and Downtown. The cooks use lots of lard, lots of cheese, and lots of sauce. As a result, the food is really good — and really fattening. Yep, the folks who did those health reports showing how bad Mexican food can be for your heart probably did some research here. The fat just makes it all the better, in our opinion. Locals apparently agree; even at lunchtime, the place is crowded.

You will start off with homemade chips and a spicy salsa served in a mortar. Meals are so large that it shouldn’t be a problem getting full just ordering off the sides, which can make this even more of a budget option. Naturally, the specialty is the fantastic tamales, which come in red, green, cheese, or sweet. They also serve up excellent enchiladas, chiles rellenos, burritos, and fajitas. All dinners include rice, beans, tortillas, and soup or salad. Sauces are heavy but oh-so-good. For dessert, they have flan, fried ice cream, and Mexican-style pumpkin pie.


Fix (#28 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">American</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Sun-Thurs 5pm-midnight; Fri-Sat 5pm-2am</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Bellagio, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/693-8400</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $29-$75</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, MC, V</span>
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A just-right synthesis of gourmet dining, fun dining, and accessible dining, created by the people behind Bellagio’s The Bank nightclub. Looking, as one visitor described it, like a “giant clam opening up toward the casino,” the menu continues this playful vibe. Look for the silly presentation called “Forks,” appetizers of smoked salmon and caviar skewed on forks and served tines in the air. Or desserts like “Shake and Cake” (espresso shake and a brownie), a peanut butter and jelly crème brûlée (misconceived? Or an idea whose time has come? You decide!), and delightful banana sugared-doughnuts with chocolate-and-peanut butter dipping sauce.

But before those clever conclusions come particularly good (in a town not known for same) fish selections, including scallops stacked with a crust of potatoes on applewood-smoked bacon, and “The Ultimate Shell,” a selection of seafood (from clams to lobster) that comes in an XL size of dreamy decadence. Best of all are the steaks, which are grilled over cherrywood, giving the meat a smoky yet fruity flavor, reminding you that meat is supposed to have dimensions to its taste. From the trendy “small plates” to hamburgers, this is one complete menu, all right. All in all, a good compromise fancy location for a special occasion or just a treat of a meal: not so froufrou that basic eaters will be dismayed, not so simplistic that foodies will feel cheated, and not in the least bit stodgy or intimidating. Given the late hours and the origins, though, expect a lively and young crowd, especially as the night wears on.


Fleur De Lys (#23 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">French</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 5:30-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3930 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Mandalay Place, South Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Jacket recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/632-7200</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3- to 5-course menu $79-$99</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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One of the most sophisticated restaurants in Las Vegas, this is an offshoot of a highly regarded San Francisco establishment run by Chef Hubert Keller. Continuing the tradition of visually show-stopping restaurant spaces in Mandalay Bay, most tables are set in the semicircular two-story interior consisting half of ’70s-style stone brick walls, half of billowing drapes, behind which are concealed a few dining booths. The tasting table is in the “wine loft” above the action, allowing fortunate diners a candle-framed view of the action below, surely the choicest table at what we consider one of the choicest restaurants in town. The entire thing is just sexy, right down to the playful, fanciful composition of the food. It’s one of the few places in Vegas where you ought to dress up to dine, but in a good way.

Although the bustling servers do seem to know the difference between prompt care and unctuous crowding, it does feel a bit rushed — this is food you want to linger over. At this writing, one orders from a three-, four-, or five-course tasting menu (including a well-thought-out vegetarian option), featuring seasonal choices such as delicate seared ahi tuna with a gelée of chili and garlic, a silly appearing but hearty ocean “baeckeoffe” (a collection of seafood options, such as a sort of seafood burger-style crab cake on a brioche), pan-seared diver scallops with parsnip fries served in a cunning mini flower pot, perfect roasted Maine lobster with an artichoke purée soup, and roasted guinea hen breast and leg confit topped with crispy basil. Our descriptions won’t do these playful, sexy dishes justice. Despite the presence of a perfect white and dark chocolate mousse on the “Chocolate Feast” sampler plate, you owe it to yourself to try the fresh fruit minestrone — basic sorbet, raspberries, and poppy seed langue de chat, all strong fresh fruit flavors that harmonize beautifully. There’s no fat, and you won’t care.


Hugo’s Cellar (#16 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">International</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 5:30-11pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">202 Fremont St</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In the Four Queens, Downtown</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations required</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/385-4011</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.hugoscellar.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $36-$52</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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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 their pride and joy, and it is highly regarded by the locals. This is Old School Vegas Classy Dining. 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, ranging from chopped egg and bleu cheese to pine nuts and bay shrimp. Still, with a honey-orange-walnut vinaigrette, it’s good enough to consider paying the $14 a la carte fee and just sticking with it. Unfortunately, the main courses are not all that novel (various cuts of meat, seafood, and chicken prepared in different ways), but on a recent visit, not one of six diners was anything less than delighted. The filet of beef stuffed with crabmeat and wrapped with bacon is over the top for us, but others loved it, while the roast duckling rubbed with anise and flambéed at the table is a guilty pleasure, just the right effect for this Old School Vegas dining experience. The T-bone steak was tender enough to cut with a fork. Vegetables and excellent starchy sides are included, as is a finish of chocolate-dipped fruits with cream.

The service is impeccable, 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 compared to Strip establishments that aren’t much better and can cost the same for just the entree. While it’s not worth going out of your way for the food (though here we admit that well-prepared Old School is better than careless nouvelle any day), perhaps it is worth it for the entire package.


Isla (#77 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Mexican</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Sun, Mon, Thurs 4-10:45pm; Wed, Fri-Sat 4-11:45pm; Tues 4-10:30pm. Limited bar menu served 24 hrs</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In TI-Treasure Island, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">866/286-3809, 702/894-7223</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $12-$30</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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We tend to get a little snobby about Mexican restaurants, particular those in casinos, because so often they seem careless. But unless you absolutely do not consider Mexican food anything other than a specific form of Southern California burrito, you really should try this establishment specializing in “modern Mexican cuisine.” This means dishes both traditional and with potentially dangerous twists, but since the place starts with handmade tortillas and heads right to guacamole made on demand, it’s all trustworthy, even if some of that guac contains lobster and passion fruit (it’s a sweet and curious take on tradition). Roast pork pipian with tamarind marinade and pumpkin-seed sauce is a lovely dish, as are the needlessly fried (though pleasantly crunchy) beef empanadas with dried cherries and chipotle tomato sauce — a mix of sweet and spiced. For the more timid, there is a nice assortment of particularly good tacos and burritos. They also have a charming dessert menu, with Mexican themes both culinary and visually, such as a chocolate cactus stuck into a fudge hill, to complement the caramel cupcakes. The collection of 118 brands of tequila and a slightly modern nightclub interior remind you that dining in Vegas is still a gimmick.


Le Cirque (#59 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">French</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily seating 5:30-10pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Bellagio, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations required</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Jacket preferred; no jeans, shorts, t-shirts, or sneakers</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">877/234-6358</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.lecirque.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Prix fixe dinner $105 or $145</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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The influx of haute-cuisine, high-profile restaurants in Vegas means there are ever so many places now where you may feel like you have to take out a bank loan in order to eat — and you may wonder why you ought to. Though generally we always feel free to spend your money for you, we actually are going to suggest that you hold on to it in the case of Le Cirque, unless someone else is doing the buying. It’s not that the food is bad — quite the contrary — but it’s not the very best in town, and it is among the most expensive. And remember what we said about most of Vegas being quite casual? Here, forget it. If you didn’t bring your nicest black, you are going to feel very uncomfortable.

The surprisingly small dining room (you may be virtually rubbing elbows with your neighbor, so keep inflammatory secrets out of the conversation) is decorated with murals of quaint bygone circus themes and a ceiling draped with gay fabric meant to evoke the Big Top. The busy decor adds to the cramped feeling. The menu changes seasonally, but you can expect genuine French cuisine — heavy, with lots of butter, though a recent visit brought a duo of cold cucumber and heirloom tomato soups that were so refreshing, every restaurant in this desert town ought to serve them. The lobster salad is sweet and tender, with a perfect black-truffle dressing; risotto is French style, almost soupy, perfect with fresh morels (in season) and Parmesan. The filet mignon is, oddly, not as good a cut as served elsewhere, but it does come with a generous portion of foie gras. For dessert, we loved the white chocolate cream (solid but not overwhelming), layered with banana and wrapped in phyllo, along with a milk chocolate dome with crème brûlée espresso.


Lotus of Siam (#137 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">Thai</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Mon-Thurs 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-9:30pm; Fri-Sun 5:30-10pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">953 E. Sahara Ave</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In the Commercial Center, East of the Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations strongly recommended for dinner; call at least a day in advance</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/735-3033</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.saipinchutima.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Lunch buffet $9; other dishes $9-$20</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, MC, V</span>
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So we drag you out to a strip mall in the east end of nowhere and you wonder why? Because here is what critic Jonathan Gold of Gourmet magazine called no less than the best Thai restaurant in North America.

What makes this place so darn special? First of all, in addition to all the usual beloved Thai favorites, they have a separate menu featuring lesser-known dishes from northern Thailand — they don’t routinely hand this one out (since most of the customers are there for the more pedestrian, if still excellent, $9 lunch buffet). Second, the owner drives at least twice a week back to Los Angeles to pick up the freshest herbs and other ingredients needed for his dishes’ authenticity. That’s dedication that should be rewarded with superlatives.

You might be best off letting them know you are interested in Northern food (with dried chiles and more pork; it’s not un-Cajunlike, says the owner) and letting them guide you through, though you must assure them that you aren’t of faint heart or palate (some customers complain the heat isn’t enough, even with “well spiced” dishes, though others find even medium spice sufficient). Standouts include the Issan sausage (a grilled sour pork number), the nam kao tod (that same sausage, ground up with lime, green onion, fresh chile, and ginger, served with crispy rice), nam sod (ground pork mixed with ginger, green onion, and lime juice, served with sticky rice), jackfruit larb (spicy ground meat), and sua rong hai (“weeping tiger”), a dish of soft, sliced, and grilled marinated beef. If you insist on more conventional Thai, that’s okay, in that it’s unlikely you are going to have better mee krob noodles or tom kah kai (that beloved soup can also be served northern style, if asked, which is without the coconut milk). If in season, finish with mango with sticky rice, or if not, coconut ice cream with sticky rice, something you would find at many a street stall in Thailand.


Mesa Grill (#32 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Southwestern</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Mon-Fri 11am-3pm and 5-10:30pm; Sat-Sun 10:30am-3pm and 5-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Caesars Palace, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/731-7731</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $12-$24 for brunch and lunch, $23-$45 for dinner</span>
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Food Network darling Bobby Flay has his fans and his detractors, and we aren’t going to mediate that argument here, especially since the man isn’t cooking in the kitchen any more often than most celebrity chefs in this town. More significantly, regardless of where you fall in the debate, this is a worthy restaurant, if, like so much in Vegas, a bit overpriced. Just about every well-spiced entree is over $30, and sometimes well over.

Still, there is so much that is fun here; blue-corn pancakes with barbeque duck, even the chicken quesadilla (made in a special dedicated oven) comes with garlic crème fraîche. Presentation is over the top — yes, yes, this is playful food, we get it, now stop it — but those who are a bit on the wimpy side when it comes to spices will appreciate how each entree comes with its own cooling element (the aforementioned crème fraîche, for example). Desserts are equally frivolous, though not particularly theme-intensive (unless you consider an exceptional raspberry and white-chocolate cheesecake “Southwestern”). Those wishing to try it without breaking the bank should either come at lunch or consider splitting appetizers as a light meal.


Mix (#234 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Nouvelle American</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 6-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In THEhotel, South Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/632-9500</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.chinagrillmgt.com/mixlv</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $39-$60</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DISC, DC, MC, V</span>
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This is highly revered French chef Alain Ducasse’s first Vegas venture, and such a Big Deal needs a Big Deal setting, in this case, on the 64th (by their counting) floor of THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. It’s yet another spectacular restaurant space in a hotel full of them, this one white on white on silver, a futuristic fantasy including a set design sort of like a giant beaded curtain made of blown-glass balls, which envelopes a curving stairway plopped down in the middle. Some tables are set in silver “pods” that remind one of Woody Allen’s Sleeper. It looks like where the Jetsons might eat. It also has drama outside, thanks to top-of-the-tall-hotel Strip views.

The playful yet hip attitude is reflected in the food, which is a little self-conscious. Still, it’s hard to resist a place that starts with bread flavors such as ketchup or bacon, with a side of homemade peanut butter. But it’s the sort of meal that grows progressively less “wow” as the evening wears on; early courses of melting amberjack sashimi topped with osetra caviar and a little lemon and salt are superb, as are the lovely foie gras terrines with nifty accompaniments. The signature Ducasse pressed chicken with foie gras in black truffle sauce probably would be just that much better if Chef himself were making it. Fish dishes are solidly good but not transcendent, and by the time the meal gets to, say, the rack of lamb, you may be thinking “Well, this is excellent, certainly, but not mind blowingly so.” Which sounds like terrible nitpicking, but given the remarkable things going on in some other kitchens around town, and given the prices here, it’s a fine line worth delineating. Still, the setting may make up for it.


Mon Ami Gabi (#7 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Bistro</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Mon-Fri 11:30am-11pm; Sat-Sun 11am-midnight</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3655 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Paris Las Vegas, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/944-4224</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.monamigabi.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $18-$40</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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This charming bistro is one of our favorite local restaurants. It has it all: a delightful setting, better-than-average food, and affordable prices. Sure, it goes overboard in trying to replicate a classic Parisian bistro, but the results are less cheesy than most Vegas attempts at atmosphere, and the patio seating on the Strip (no reservations taken there — first-come, first-served, but a recent addition of 70 more seats probably helps matters) actually makes you feel like you’re in a real, not a pre-fab, city. You can be budget-conscious and order just the very fine onion soup, or you can eat like a real French person and order classic steak (the filet mignon is probably the best cut, if not the cheapest) and pommes frites (french fries). There are plenty of less expensive options (which is why we listed this place in the “moderate” category, by the way). Yes, they have snails, and we loved ’em. Desserts, by the way, are massive and should be shared (another way to save). The baseball-size profiteroles (three or four to an order) filled with fine vanilla ice cream and the football-size bananas-Foster crepe are particularly recommended.


Nine Five Irishmen (#151 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Irish, Pub Fare</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 11am-11pm; bar daily 11am-3am</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3790 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In New York-New York, South Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations suggested</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/740-6969</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.ninefineirishmen.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Dinner main courses: sandwiches $9-$12, entrees $18-$30</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, MC, V</span>
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Travelin’ foodies swear the once-maligned food in Ireland has improved enormously, so perhaps it’s justified to have an Irish restaurant in the pantheon of new Vegas foodie destinations, though given our not-so-secret love of insta-decor, the interior of this one, mocked up to look like a rambling old Irish manor house, is enough for us. (Though once we start thinking about the complicated relationship the Irish have to New York City and vice versa, and the meta-implications of a faux-Irish restaurant set in a fantasy Irish house in the middle of a Vegas casino homage to NYC, our heads begin to hurt.) We will say that the caramelized apricot and pork sausage on a bed of potatoes was sweet and tangy and the Irish stew a right honest interpretation, complete with soda bread. Protestants and monarchists might want to try the beer-battered fish and chips, served as God and Queen intended, in a newspaper cone. You’ll find bacon rashers at breakfast and a large selection of Irish beer most of the time. Desserts are more silliness, including items such as the Dunbrody Kiss, fluffy chocolate mousse on a crunchy caramel base.


Olives (#80 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Italian, Mediterranean</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 11am-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Bellagio, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/693-7223</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.toddenglish.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $17-$25 at lunch, flatbreads $15; $24-$52 at dinner, flatbreads $17</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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If there were an Olives in our neighborhood, we would eat there regularly. A branch of Todd English’s original Boston-based restaurant, Olives is a strong choice for a light lunch that need not be as expensive as you might think. Here’s how to enjoy a moderately priced meal here: Munch on the focaccia bread, olives, and excellent tapenade they give you at the start, have a lovely salad (maybe of Bibb lettuce, Maytag bleu cheese, and walnut dressing), and then split a flatbread — think pizza with an ultrathin crust (like a slightly limp cracker), topped with delicious combinations such as the highly recommended Moroccan-spiced lamb, eggplant purée, and feta cheese, or our other favorite, fig, prosciutto, and Gorgonzola. They are rich and wonderful — split one between two people, and you have an affordable and terrific lunch. Or try a pasta; we were steered toward the simple but marvelous spaghettini with roasted tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan, and were happy with it. The constructed, but not too fussy, food gets more complicated and costly at night, adding an array of meats and chickens, plus pastas such as butternut squash with brown butter and sage.


Pamplemouse (#463 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">French</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm; dinner daily 5:30-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">400 E. Sahara Ave</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Between Santa Paula and Santa Rita drs., just east of Paradise Rd, East of the Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations required</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/733-2066</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.pamplemousserestaurant.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses lunch $12-$21, dinner $27-$58</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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A little bit off the beaten path, Pamplemousse is a long-established Vegas restaurant that shouldn’t be overlooked in the crush of new high-profile eateries. Evoking a cozy French-countryside inn (at least, on the interior), it’s a catacomb of low-ceilinged rooms and intimate dining nooks with rough-hewn beams. It’s all very charming and un-Vegasy. There’s additional seating in a small garden sheltered by a striped tent. The restaurant’s name, which means “grapefruit” in French, was suggested by the late singer Bobby Darin, one of the many celebrity pals of owner Georges La Forge.

Your waiter recites the menu, which changes nightly. The meal always begins with a large complimentary basket of crudités (about 10 different crisp, fresh vegetables), a big bowl of olives, and, in a nice country touch, a basket of hard-boiled eggs. Recent menu offerings have included out-of-this-world soups (French onion and cream of asparagus, to name a couple) and appetizers such as shrimp in cognac cream sauce and Maryland crab cakes with macadamia nut crust. Recommended entrees include a sterling veal with mushrooms and Dijon sauce and an even-better rack of lamb with pistachio nut crust and rosemary cream sauce (all sauces, by the way, are made with whatever the chef has on hand that evening in the kitchen). Leave room for the fabulous desserts, such as homemade ice cream in a hard chocolate shell.


Payard Patisserie and Bistro (#177 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">Bistro</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 6:30-11:30am, noon-7:30pm, 9-11:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Caesars Palace, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/731-7110</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Breakfast $16, lunch entrees $16-$26, evening desserts $15, prix-fixe dinner $45</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, MC, V</span>
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Breakfast here offers one of the few real remaining bargains in Vegas, given quality-to-price ratio. Surely it can’t last, considering the state of things in modern-day Vegas. But with some luck, this is what you have to look forward to — a continental breakfast like no other. $16 gets you cereals, fruits, yogurt, lox and bagel and, most significantly, all the breakfast pastries you can eat. Since the chef has his roots in Paris, these buttery bits of brioche and croissant perfection are as good as any you could consume by the Seine. One can easily spend that much on a breakfast buffet or a lunch entree elsewhere in town, but there is no comparison for quality. Lunch is light and of the French variety, while evening brings dessert tastings of delicate, inspired flights of sugary whimsy. Both are of particularly high quality and worth investigating, but it’s the breakfast that has already earned it a strong reputation, and justly so.


Pink Taco (#313 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Mexican</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Sun-Thurs 11am-10pm; Fri-Sun 11am-midnight (bar stays open later)</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">4455 Paradise Rd</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, East of the Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations not accepted except in cases of 10 or more</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/693-5525</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.pinktaco.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $7.50-$15</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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A mega-hip Mexican cantina, this folk-art-bedecked spot is a scene just waiting to happen, or rather, has already happened. There are no surprises in terms of the food; you know the drill — tacos, burritos, quesadillas — but it’s all tasty and filling, and some of it comes with some surprising accompaniments, such as tapenade, along with the usual guacamole and sour cream. This is hip Mexican as opposed to a mom-and-pop joint, and it’s a good place to eat on this side of town.


Rao’s (#342 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Italian</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 6am-3pm and 5-11pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Caesar&#8217;s Palace, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">877/346-4642</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $18-$40</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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This is a meticulous recreation of the famous 110-year-old East Harlem restaurant, which is notorious in equal measure for “Uncle Vincent’s lemon chicken” and the near-impossibility of getting a seat (there are only 10 tables, which are reserved a year in advance!). It was thoughtful of Vegas to replicate it at more than three times the size, allowing common folks to check it out (though keep an eye out for famous homesick New Yorkers holding court). On the other hand, since this isn’t revelatory Italian cooking, you may justly wonder what all the fuss is about, especially since the “family portions” are smaller than that phrase implies. Expect comfort food — sweet Italian sausage, ravioli with ricotta and brown-butter sage sauce. A safe and budget way to go is to try that lemon chicken, which really does live up to the hype, and split one of their “sides” of enormous meatballs (toss in some of the complimentary bread and you’ve got a meatball sandwich), along with expectation-fulfilling pot au crème and gelato. That is, assuming you can get in. Reservations here are at a premium, too!


Red Square (#104 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Continental, Russian</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 4-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Mandalay Bay, South Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/632-7407</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $22-$46</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, MC, V</span>
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The beheaded and pigeon-dropping-adorned statue of Lenin outside Red Square only hints at the near-profane delights on the interior. Inside you will find decayed posters that once glorified the Worker, cheek by jowl with a patchwork mix of remnants of Czarist trappings, as pillaged from toppled Bolsheviks and Stalinists. It is disconcerting to see the hammer and sickle so blithely and irreverently displayed, but then again, what better way to drain it of its power than to exploit it in a palace of capitalistic decadence? And then there’s the ice-covered bar — all the better to keep your drinks nicely chilled. After all, they have 150 different kinds of vodka, perhaps the largest collection in the world. It’s all just one big post-Communist party (sorry, we had to say it).

Anyway, if you can tear your eyes away from the theme-run-amok, you might notice that the menu is quite good, one of our favorites around. Blow your expense account on some caviar (we found we liked nutty osetra better than stronger beluga), properly chilled in ice, served with the correct pearl spoon. Or, more affordably, nosh on Siberian nachos — smoked salmon, citron caviar, and crème fraîche. The chef’s special is a Roquefort-crusted tender filet mignon, with some soft caramelized garlic and a fine reduction sauce; it’s a grand piece of meat, one of the best in town and more cheaply priced than similarly ranked places. We also very much liked the pan-seared halibut with a roasted beet vinaigrette and basil oil on a mushroom risotto. Try a silly themed drink, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is Rain vodka, dark rum, sugar-cane syrup, and lime juice, or better still, take advantage of that vodka menu and try a tasting flight of four kinds, joined by theme (in our case, the “Ultimate Flight” paired Polish, Russian, Scottish, and Estonian vodkas). Desserts are not so clever but are worth saving room for, especially the warm chocolate cake with a liquid center and the strawberries Romanoff.


Rosemary’s Restaurant (#1 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Exceptional

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  <span class="body-sm">Nouvelle American</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm; Sat-Sun 5:30-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">8125 W. Sahara</span>
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  <span class="body-sm"> West Las Vegas</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations strongly recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/869-2251</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.rosemarysrestaurant.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Lunch $14-$17; dinner $27-$42</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DISC, MC, V</span>
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No visitor would be blamed for never leaving the Vegas Strip — it’s the raison d’être of any Vegas tourist — but a true foodie should make a point of finding the nearest moving vehicle that can get them to Rosemary’s Restaurant. A 15-minute (or so) drive down Sahara (hardly anything) is all it takes to eat what may well be the best food in Las Vegas. (Certainly, it is consistently voted the best food in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s annual poll, by food critics and readers alike.)

The brainchild of Michael and Wendy Jordan, both veterans of the New Orleans food scene (Michael actually opened Emeril’s here in Vegas), Rosemary’s Restaurant (named for Michael’s mother) shows more than a few NOLA touches, from the food to the service, in a room that’s warmer and more inviting than most others in Vegas. Note that you can get seats at the bar overlooking the open kitchen, great fun for foodie interaction and not a bad choice for singles, or for couples looking for an unusual romantic evening.

The cuisine covers most regions of the U.S., though Southern influences dominate. Fifty local farmers help supply products. Seared foie gras with peach coulis, candied walnuts, and vanilla bean-scented arugula is like a quilt, with distinct flavors that all hang together nicely. Interesting sides include ultrarich bleu-cheese slaw, slightly spicy crispy fried tortilla strips, and perfect cornmeal jalapeño hush puppies. A recent visit found the crispy striped bass fighting it out with the pan-seared honey-glazed salmon for “best fish dish we’ve ever had.” Desserts are similarly Southern — lemon icebox pie! — and most pleasant.

There is a nice little wine list with a broad range, especially when it comes to half-price bottles. They also specialize, unusually, in beer suggestions to pair with courses, including some fruity Belgian numbers; this is such a rare treat, if you drink, you must try some of their suggestions.


Salt LickFrommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Barbeque</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Sun-Thurs 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-11pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">10972 W. Charleston</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Red Rock Resort, West Las Vegas</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/797-7535</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $9-$17</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, MC, V</span>
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An outpost of the much-beloved Austin barbeque spot, this looks both not at all like the Driftwood original and yet related in a double-first-cousin kind of way, with the same heavy pine wood tables and more importantly, the same heavenly smell. Many believe Salt Lick serves the platonic ideal of barbeque. That’s not the case here. The meat is smoky, and the dry rub has its kick, but the results aren’t as tender or as memorably flavorful. The sausage and ribs are better than the brisket, which is sublime back in Texas. Still, the all-you-can-eat plate is a good deal, and you can do takeout either on your way to a picnic in Red Rock Canyon or to munch back in your hotel after a long day of hiking.


Second Street Grill (#13 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">International, Pacific Rim</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Sun-Mon and Thurs 6-10pm; Fri-Sat 6-11pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">200 E. Fremont St</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In the Fremont Hotel & Casino, Downtown</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservation recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/385-3232</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $17-$30</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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Our categorization notwithstanding, Second Street Grill calls itself “Continental American with Euro and Asian influences.” And, yes, that translates to a bit of a muddle, culinary-wise, but the portions are extremely generous, and it’s hard to resist a place that plants two long potato chips in a pile of mashed potatoes, thereby creating a bunny rabbit. You are probably best off with grill dishes (various steaks and other cuts of meat), though here might be your best ratio of quality to price for lobster tail. Play around with the Hunan pork and beef lettuce wrap appetizers, and the Peking duck and shrimp tacos — don’t wince, the shell was a won ton wrapper. The waist-conscious will be very pleased with the bamboo-steamed snapper in a nice broth, while others may want to try the grilled salmon with goat cheese Parmesan crust. Desserts are disappointing, unfortunately. Overall, a nice place for a family event dinner Downtown, and certainly more affordable than fancy places on the Strip.


Sensi (#50 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Eclectic</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Daily 11am-2:30pm and 5-10:30pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Bellagio, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">877/234-6358</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $14-$22 at lunch, $22-$44 at dinner</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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It’s usually a truism, as far as restaurants go, “jack of all trades, master of none.” Sensi seems to be an exception, given that its menu is made up of Italian (fancy pizzas and pastas), wood-grilled American options (burgers, fish, chicken), and Asian-influenced dishes (and they mean “pan-Asian,” thus tandoori and sushi both). And yet, it does it all very well indeed. You are probably best off here at lunchtime, sampling pizza al prosciutto or wok-fried shrimp, for more moderate prices than found at dinner. Best of all is the “Sensi 41,” a healthy take on the bento box, featuring such things as miso-glazed Chilean sea bass, some tender sashimi, piquant rice, and, disconcertingly, mozzarella salad. They finish it up with two small, cunning servings of fancy ice cream in wee cones. And do try that homemade ginger ale. A fun menu in a fun-looking space, laid out to surround one very busy and versatile kitchen.


Spago (#115 Trip Advisor)Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Asian, California</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Dining room daily 5:30-10pm; cafe Sun-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In Caesars Palace, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations recommended for the dining room, not accepted at the cafe</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/369-6300</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.wolfgangpuck.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Dining room main courses $28-$68; cafe main courses $15-$33</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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At this point in the game, Spago represents both the best and the worst of the celebrity chef phenomenon. If you eat at the Beverly Hills location, you might well have the very best meal of your life, and almost certainly something that demonstrates the reason why such a fuss is made about creative cooking. The problem is that Wolfgang Puck, the man who virtually invented the Chef-as-Household-Name concept, and certainly had as much to do as anyone with California cuisine becoming a viable food genre, has stretched himself too thin — seven restaurants in Vegas alone. No one can keep a personal watch on that many locations, and the result is that this one, the first sign that Vegas was becoming a viable restaurant destination, is now simply not our first, nor even second, choice for you to spend your hard-won jackpot money.

The inside menu changes seasonally, but the signature — and reliable — dish is a Chinese-style duck, moist but with a perfectly crispy skin. It’s about as good as duck gets, served with a doughy, steamed bun and Chinese vegetables. Our other suggestion is to come here for lunch, and that’s still not the worst plan. Salads, sandwiches, and pastas are all pretty and generously portioned, and the signature Puck pizzas, like prosciutto and goat cheese and pear, are still quite good (ask for the off-the-menu and legendary “Jewish pizza,” with salmon and crème fraîche). Nothing is all that innovative, however (braised leek and ham quiche with apple-smoked bacon — good, but you’ve seen it before), and nothing stands out. Desserts can actually be so poor — such as a dry chocolate cake — we won’t even bother finishing them.


Valentino Frommer's Highly Recommended

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  <span class="body-sm">Italian</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Valentino daily 5:30-11pm; The Grill daily 11:30am-11pm</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">In The Venetian, Mid-Strip</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Reservations strongly recommended</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">702/414-3000</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">www.pieroselvaggio.com</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">Main courses $20-$49; tasting menus $70-$95, with wine pairing, $110-$145</span>
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  <span class="body-sm">AE, DC, DISC, MC, V</span>
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Valentino was long considered the best Italian restaurant in L.A., and even the best in America (per Bon Appetit, and we suppose they oughta know). But this branch (with generic nice restaurant decor) isn’t quite as successful as its Southern California counterpart, with complicated offerings that too often just miss the mark. Quail stuffed with snails and served with white-and-yellow polenta, for example, or house-smoked shrimp with crispy veggies and an apple-balsamic sauce — they’re all interesting, but the combinations don’t quite work. Working entirely well, however, are the four-cheese ravioli with truffle-cream sauce and fresh truffle shavings — we shamelessly mopped our plate with our bread — and the wild-rabbit loin in rhubarb-encrusted prosciutto. Their wine list is superb.