 |
Best Restaurants in Vegas
Valaer Murray June 20, 2007
VEGAS DELUXE GUIDE »
Article Controls
Forget the free buffets. The profile of Vegas' dining scene is skyrocketing along with its chic factor—call it a return to high-rolling glamour. Top resorts are working feverishly to provide upscale restaurants for their increasingly upscale clientele. Nowadays there's no single best table in a resort—there are at least ten.
Case in point: guests at places like Wynn Las Vegas (which was recently named a Top 15 Foodie Hotel by Forbes Traveler's expert panel) can dine in a different restaurant every night of their week-long stay (which would be fine with Mr. Wynn). They would still have a couple restaurants left to try on their during their next visit.
What makes many proclaim Steve Wynn the Las Vegas visionary is his attention to detail, commitment to service, and ability to scheme on a grand scale. All of these characteristics are on display in Wynn's impressive dining repertoire. Albert Herrera of Virtuoso Travel noted that Wynn "has developed chefs to be the benchmark."
Herrera points out that Mr. Wynn has succeeded in actually creating celebrity chefs, rather than recruiting them, as other Vegas resorts like the MGM Grand (Le Cirque) and Caesars (Wolfgang Puck's Chinois) have done.
Not to say that those celebrity chef restaurants aren't worth a visit. Wolfgang Puck almost single-handedly revolutionized the Vegas' dining landscape when he opened a version of the famous L.A. eatery, Spago, at Caesars. Its 1992 opening sparked a renaissance of fine dining in the land of $8.99 steak and egg special. Now Puck is king, with four different restaurants including Trattoria del Lupo in the Mandalay Bay and Postrio at the Venetian.
Newcomer Joël Robuchon, who was recently named Chef of the Century by France's respected Guide Gault Millau, also tops our list for best celebrity chef. His restaurant, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand, also has outposts in Paris, London, Hong Kong and New York.
See our slideshow of the Best Restaurants in Vegas.
Forbes Traveler interviewed several travel agents about their favorite Las Vegas dining experiences. These vacation experts helped us group the countless options into handy categories, so that you can tailor meals to your type of vacation. Every mood deserves its own restaurant.
Our panelists recommend the Wynn's Alex and Le Cirque at the Bellagio for romantic tête-à-têtes, when you're looking for an intimate dinner. Alternatively, when you're with the kids and want to keep a low-profile without forsaking great food, head to Diego at the MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay's Burger Bar.
Aside from celebrity chefs, another characteristic that really sets Vegas dining apart is the highly-stylized architecture and interior design. In terms of dramatic design elements, perhaps the most jaw-dropping is the four-story wine tower at the Mandalay Bay's Aureole, filled with 9,865 bottles of vino which are fetched by "wine angels" attached to mechanical hoists. Innovative, sexy, and totally Vegas.
From foie gras to cheeseburgers, we've pinned down the 10 best restaurants in town, according to our esteemed panelists.
See our slideshow of the Best Restaurants in Vegas.
SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand.
Concierge Manager Jessica Ragin joined SKYLOFTS in 2005 after working for two years as a concierge at MGM Grand's VIP Lounge.
BEST RESTAURANT
Firefly.
BEST GIFT FOR A SPOUSE
For men: A professional shave at The Art of Shaving, at Mandalay Place.
BEST GOLF COURSE
Shadow Creek.
BEST DAY TRIP
Raft the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon.
READ MORE »
Find Airline Tickets on Yahoo Travel»