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Top 10 Las Vegas Restaurants
Related Guides: Top 10 Buffets   Las Vegas Restaurants 
 
1 Picasso
Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-693-8105

make a reservation
 
Famed chef Julian Serrano gave up San Francisco to be chef at this restaurant where guests are surrounded by paintings---not reprints, but $50 million worth of the real thing---by Picasso. The room is posh and serene, with vaulted ceilings, glorious floral arrangements and elegantly dressed tables set comfortably apart. Since Picasso spent much of his life in the South of France and Spain, those are the influences Serrano follows. What’s on the plate is dramatically presented and delicious enough to distract your attention even from all those Picassos. Surrender to such delicacies as warm lobster salad with mangoes; langoustine pulled live from a tank, and then grilled and drizzled with porcini oil; sautéed foie gras with Madeira sauce; squab breast cut into tiny slices and moistened with jus spooned from a tiny copper pot; and truffle-crusted lamb with Parmesan potatoes. In a town full of splendid fine-dining restaurants, this one is hard to top. The main reason is that it’s in contrast to most of Vegas’ other “imports,” which are associated with a famous chef but the famous chef himself is not necessarily cooking. At Picasso, Serrano is the guy in the kitchen. That’s not the only good news, though: the lake view also makes this one of the most romantic spots in town.
 
 
2 Aqua
Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-693-8199

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With a Robert Rauschenberg on the wall and the team of Mark LoRusso and consulting chef Michael Mina in the kitchen, this elegant restaurant delivers among the very best cutting-edge cuisine on the Strip. How such pristine dishes manage to explode with flavor wows us every time. For starters, it’s hard to decide among the black mussel soufflé with Chardonnay, garlic and parsley; the sautéed Atlantic skate with tempura langoustine, fennel purée and shellfish cream; and the seared sea scallops and domestic foie gras with rhubarb pie and red endive. It’s equally difficult to pick an entrée when the choices range from smoked bacon and herb-crusted turbot with fingerling potatoes, spring onions and spicy mustard sauce; and truffle butter-poached wild salmon with shrimp and pea lasagna, and summer truffles. We therefore suggest ordering a five-course tasting menu, one of which is vegetarian. That’s the fastest way to acquire Aqua bliss. Among à la carte sweet finales are a dessert sampler, and a marbleized chocolate cheesecake. Sommeliers Caleb Dial and Joe Phillips oversee the exciting wine list.
 
3 Le Cirque
Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-693-8100

make a reservation
 
Sirio Maccioni and sons bring their elegant ambience from New York to the Strip in this handsome mahogany-paneled restaurant complete with a lush big top designed by talented Adam Tihany. The contemporary cuisine is sophisticated and attractive, though not always up to the high quality of its New York counterpart. Always tops when offered are foie gras, risotto and petit fours or dishes like striped bass stuffed with vegetables, wrapped in lettuce and steamed in a truffle sauce. Marc Poidevin was chef de cuisine at Le Cirque 2000 in New York and takes the reigns as executive chef here and its more casual sister Osteria del Circo. He previously distinguished himself at New York’s Maxim’s and Tavern on the Green. This is a grand setting in which to spend your winnings, and there’s a view of Lake Bellagio with its water-and-light show to boot. That’s a nice backdrop against which to sip any one of 400 excellent domestic and international wines.
 
   
4 Valentino
Venetian
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Sands Ave.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-414-3000

make a reservation
 
 
Valentino is the best Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, so Las Vegas is lucky to get this elegant cousin with its warm wood-paneled walls and several intimate dining rooms. Expect Italian dishes that you might not find elsewhere, plus excellent versions of classics: The appetizers run from lobster salad to bacon-wrapped snails with white asparagus and soft polenta. The lasagna is made with duck, the risotto with fresh-water shrimp. Main courses include the likes of Sicilian-style swordfish rolls with couscous and lamb osso buco. We highly suggest choosing one of the several-course tasting menus to make the most out of a splendid dinner here. As with the Los Angeles location, the outstanding wine list is a major attraction.
 
5 Nobu
Hard Rock
4475 Paradise Rd. (Harmon Ave.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-693-5090

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Award-winning Nobuyuki Matsuhisa has replicated the décor and menu of his (and Drew Nieporent and Robert DeNiro’s) Nobu in New York’s trendy Tribeca. The superb sushi bar just inside the entrance seats 16. The dazzling 150-seat restaurant features bamboo pillars, wooden birch trees, a black river rock wall and a seaweed wall. Burnt ash tabletops appear to match the bamboo features, a black rock at each table setting to hold chopsticks seems to complement the black rock wall. Enjoy the mini-mountain of edamame while perusing the menu. Try the new-style sashimi (whitefish marinated in garlic, chives and ginger purée and seared in hot olive oil) created for Beverly Hills customers who prefer their fish cooked. You’ll like the tuna tataki with ponzu, a South American-inspired salsa. The specialty of the house is black cod with miso (a sweet mirin saké sauce) served in butter-lettuce cups topped with an edible flower and garnished with grated daikon. For dessert, try Nobu’s Asian pear bread pudding with ginger ice cream and brandy caramel sauce.
 
6 Lutèce
Venetian
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Sands Ave.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-414-2220

make a reservation
 
 
Long a New York outpost of elegant fine French cuisine, Lutèce in the desert replicates the quality and style of the original, with a more modern and dark wood-trimmed décor. Classic dishes with modern touches, fine wines, elegant service---everything you expect but seldom find anymore. From appetizers to desserts, dishes are presented with creative flair, adding to their subtle blending of tastes. The signature dish is sautéed foie gras with chocolate sauce and orange marmalade; the roasted foie gras terrine with port sauce, butternut squash salad and saffron vinaigrette is equally sublime. Sautéed lobster “risotto” is paired with English pea purée, tarragon and lobster sauce; sautéed salmon with asparagus and sunchokes purée is enhanced by bouillabaisse jus and saffron essence. Dover sole meuniere on a potato cushion with basil and baby bok choy is a Lutèce classic, as is grilled côte de boeuf with bordelaise jus, artichokes, bone marrow, spinach and black truffle casserole. The irresistible vanilla crème brûlée is garnished with strawberries marinated in balsamic vinegar. Among soufflés, the Grand Marnier is served with orange salad and anglaise sauce.
 
7 Renoir
Mirage
3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Spring Mountain Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-791-7353

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With original Renoirs from hotelier Steve Wynn’s art collection gracing the walls of this restaurant, an evening here is both a visual and culinary treat. The chef is Alessandro Stratta, who won accolades in his previous post at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, and whose modern French cuisine is as artistic and flavorful as any you’ll try. The room is elegant, and so should you be for a special dinner indeed. If you can’t decide among the offerings, try the chef’s special five-course tasting menu, which often includes a sauté of foie gras with aged balsamic vinegar, one of the signature dishes. A four-course vegetable tasting menu capitalizes on fresh seasonal produce to provide specials such as asparagus cannelloni with spinach and morel mushrooms. Both tasting menus are paired with fine wines from the excellent cellar. Truly a great dining experience.
 
8 808
Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-731-7604

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808 (the area code for Hawaii) was inspired by French-born and raised chef-restaurateur-consultant Jean-Marie Josselin, who honed his skills at the Culinary School of Paris. An Asian-inspired antiqued gate opens into the 100-seat eatery decorated with the exotic grain pattern of Tamo ash woods and internally lit honey onyx. A simulated riverbed of brushed copper pebbles extends from the entrance to the gleaming exhibition kitchen that seats ten at its counter. Glass walls laminated with rice paper create an eight-seat private room. Appetizers are served in the lounge and bar inside the entrance. This exquisite restaurant features Josselin’s classical European-Asian fare. Credited as the founder of Hawaiian regional cuisine, he combines the freshest seafood of the Islands with French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Indian techniques. Try the savory Thai-style crawfish soup with chile crème fraîche, mushroom ravioli and artichoke chips ladled tableside from a copper pot. We like the New Wave bento box of assorted appetizers---ahi sushi, day boat scallops, firecracker salmon and a pot sticker. The sublime mahi mahi is served with lime-ginger beurre blanc and Asian-style fried vegetables. Go for the seared beef filet with sweet Hawaiian shrimp, roasted garlic relish, crispy sun-dried tomato polenta and cèpes-port sauce. The extensive menu lists a suggested wine with each choice. Save room for the tropical lumpia: banana-rum ice cream-filled crêpes with fruit consommé. Josselin’s own blend of Kona coffee varieties are dramatically French-pressed to order tableside. Complimentary petit fours are presented on a silver tree.
 
9 Aureole
Mandalay Bay
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Tropicana Ave.)
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-632-7401

make a reservation
 
Dine here just to see the unique four-story "wine tower," which showgirl-pretty wine "angels" ascend with the help of cables and pulleys to choose your trophy bottle. The sleek Adam Tihany décor with lots of water and glass and sophisticated blacks and whites will make you feel like a winner. So will the contemporary cuisine by Charlie Palmer (of New York Aureole fame), with chef Robert Kirchoff. The changing menu features such upscale comfort-food dishes as shell steak with caramelized onion-potato tart. A pepper-seared tuna arrives with green-onion risotto, and the popular filet mignon often is accompanied by a marrow and parsley custard. Choosing dessert may be difficult---the chocolate torte with a warm liquid center and coffee Kahlúa ice cream is tempting but wouldn’t it be fun to order one of the notable dessert wines and watch the "angel" rappel the tower with your choice?
 
10 Spago
Forum Shops at
Caesars Palace
3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Flamingo Rd.)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-369-6300

make a reservation
 
The first of the fine-dining “imports” to come to Vegas from elsewhere, Wolfgang Puck’s Spago is still one of the best. Modern art adorns the multilevel high-ceilinged space where there’s always a buzz. Though Wolfgang himself is known to pop in to man the stoves, his protégé and executive partner here, David Robins, turns out reliable and sophisticated fare in the Puck tradition. We’re always happy with such dishes as buttery-sweet foie gras two ways; steamed black grouper with spring fennel ravioli; baby spinach and truffle butter; and tender grilled lamb chops with a Provençal tart. Greg Harrington, at 28, is the youngest Master Sommelier in the country, and he knows his way around the excellent wine list from which you can choose many a “splurge” bottle after winning at the slots. The front Café is good for casual, no-reservations dining.
 

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