The Must-Make Restaurant Reservations in Las Vegas

This summer the country’s hottest celebrity chefs are converging on Las Vegas in a premier grudge match of fancy food one-upmanship. From Giada to Guy, Bobby to Boulud, and beyond, you will need more than a weekend to enjoy all that Vegas dining has to offer.

image

Giada in the Kitchen. Courtesy of Caesars Palace.

The Vegas Celebrity Standoff

Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis stakes her claim to Vegas in May with the debut of her very first namesake restaurant. Located inside the new luxury boutique hotel and casino, The Cromwell Las Vegas (formerly home to Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon), GIADA will allow guests to indulge in prime views of the Bellagio fountains while gorging on its signature dishes like lemon spaghetti and Marsala herb chicken meatballs.

image

Bobby’s Burger Place offers more casual dining than the Mesa Grill. Photo courtesy of the restaurant

On the culinary flip-side, over at The Quad, Guy Fieri is taking his move into Las Vegas quite seriously with his brand spankin’ new Vegas Kitchen & Bar. Menu highlights include a macaroni and cheese bacon burger and the General Tso lollipop chicken wings, which you can finish off with a little something from the wide selection of “frozen shots” on tap, including the Jägermeister and the Fireball cinnamon whiskey shot.

image

The Venetian Hotel. Photographed by Pedro Szekely

These two newbies are joining an already crowded playing field. Bobby Flay has been a longtime Vegas sensation with both Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace and his more casual Bobby’s Burger Palace at The Shops at Crystal’s. For those fancying French fare, there’s Daniel Boulud’s DB Brasserie, which brings refined but accessible French food back to Vegas at The Venetian. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas features no fewer than three José Andrés spots: China Poblano, Jaleo, and the eight-seat é by José Andrés.

Fun Fact: é by José Andrés only takes reservations by e-mail for its two nightly seatings. Email them at reserve@ebyjoseandres.com.

image

Crispy Flat Bread at DB Brasserie. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Surf & Turf on the Strip

For those high-rollers who hit it big, there’s no better way to celebrate a win at the casino than by diving into the perfect steak. Red meat gets its very own celebrity treatment with Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas, Jean-Georges Steakhouse at ARIA, Mario Batali’s CarneVino at The Palazzo, and Michael Mina’s Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay.

image

Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare offers fine dining beside a reflection pool. Courtesy of the Wynn Las Vegas.

If you prefer the “surf” in surf and turf, there’s no shortage of spectacular shellfish at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas. And don’t miss the Greek fish feasts at Estiatorio Milos at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

image

Bartolotta’s Brodetta di Vongole E Porri. Photo by Average Betty.

More Than a Menu

Looking for a side of entertainment with your entree? Check out the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ Rose. Rabbit. Lie. supper club, where diners can chow down on caviar tacos while watching a Spiegelworld show.

New Yorkers have been all up in arms about “what it means” that the Brooklyn Bowl has opened up an outpost in Vegas at The LINQ, but until they come to some kind of existential consensus, it’s a pretty good spot to watch live music while savoring fried chicken from the famed Blue Ribbon restaurant group.

Don’t want to be in da club until the wee hours of the morning? Go for a taste instead. Most of the city’s top nightlife operators have restaurants that offer palate-tickling food before midnight: Tao at The Venetian, Lavo at The Palazzo, and Hakkasan at MGM Grand.

Beyond the Strip

Of course, Vegas dining isn’t limited to just hotels and casinos. Saipin Chutima’s Lotus of Siam on East Sahara Avenue is rightfully considered one of the best Thai restaurants in all of America. Try to stop by Vegas’ version of Chinatown: Spring Mountain Road, which gives its counterparts in New York and Los Angeles a very serious run for their money. Chef Mitsuo Endo’s Aburiya Raku and Sweets Raku are famed Japanese dinner and dessert destinations, while next door’s Kabuto is where sushi chef Gen Mizokuchi offers raw-fish tastings that rival the world’s finest omakase experiences.

Fun Fact: Make sure to arrive early at Palace Station Oyster Bar to enjoy their wonderful seafood pan roasts. There is almost always a line for their coveted 18 seats.