Vegas - fine dining?
 

You know what's wrong with the fine dining experience in Vegas? The service & the food. Honestly, I just don't feel like I can justify paying $150-250 for two people for dinner and being seated at a crappy table, near an aisleway with servers who don't even know what the specials are, and take forever to fill my water glass when it's empty. Two weeks in a row now we've been in Vegas, and we've come home dissatisfied with our "fine dining" experience. Two weeks ago we went to Charlie Palmer at the Four Seasons, a steakhouse. They ran out of halibut. Huh? My husband's steak was definitely not medium rare - more like medium well. This past weekend we went to Capitol Grille (at Fashion Show Mall) and my medium steak which was supposed to be a hot pink center, had no pink whatsoever, and the au gratin potatoes were soooo salty! Blech!

We'll be in Vegas again in two weeks and I'm at a loss as to where we can get this "fine dining" people talk about. Any suggestions?

I can relate to your experiences. We've been to Las Vegas several times and some of the restuarants we experienced and paid big bucks for was just awful. Frankly, we've stopped going.

We enjoyed the Eiffel Tower at the Paris, The Steak House at Circus Circus, Red Square at Mandalay Bay (food only at MB as the service is terrible), and Drai's at the Barbary Coast

We've been to Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris, Olives at the Belliago and Emerils at the MGM based on several recommendations and thought the food was just horrible.

We've also have several dining experiences that the food and/or service was OK, but didn't justify the hefty $$.

We feel that the buffets in Las Vegas have to be worst tasting and most expensive dining choice we've found. Low-end AI properties in Mexcio/Caribbean do better buffets.

It's difficult to give restaurant recommendations as every person expectations of service and food quality differ greatly.

Fine dining in Vegas for us has been :
Bellagio- Prime
Circo
Venetian - Pinot Brasserie
My mind has gone blank, it has been a year now since I have been in Las Vegas..weep.

Michael Mina at Bellagio

Craftsteak at MGM

The problem is you are going essentially high end chain restaurants. Two of the best meals I've ever had were at the above mentioned places.

Dear Simone

Don't give up on your search for a fine dining experience in Vegas. Try Zeffirino's at the Venetian. We had a table over looking the canal. The service and food was fantastic. We paid much less then your $150.00 and were pampered beyond belief. The food was incredible. We are returning to Vegas next month and will eat there again.

Thank you for posting Simone. This too is a question on my mind. We have an evening of theatre planned, and now I must plan the WOW THAT WAS AN AMAZING FOOD EXPERIENCE... dinner for another night. $$$ not even considered, I'm at a loss, as every place I visit has such conflicting revues. Let's just consider the3/04 edition of Wine Spectator. They chose the top as
Picasso
PS Valentino
Aqua- now M Mina's
Aureole
Le Cirque
Renoir - closed?
B Ogden
Nobhill
808
Osteria del C
I thought our night might be memorable at Charlie Palmer 4S...or Prime....
Simply everywhere I've looked each and everyone of these gets trashed for either mediocre food or bad service. My husband and I are getting tired of paying for mediocrity. Last great meal at Union Square turned into a dismal return do to a pompous ass waiter. Food grand as ever, evening celebration mediocre due to PA. When, and surely we can all recognize them within a few moments......can we call over the manager, and request a different server.....seriously considering this the next time I am willing to open my line of credit for something amazing. If I could be guarenteed of an amazing meal this night, I would be more than happy eating 99cent hot dogs and steak and shrimp at the hardrock. I just NEEED one great meal......is that so wrong???? is that so much to ask with a city filled with the grandest of chef names? Perfect Food, Perfect Service, Perfect Atmosphere....at whatever price it takes for a lifetime gathering memory. HELP US!!!

Wow, you go to Vegas alot!

'Vegas fine dining' is an oxymoron in my opinion. All of these 'name' restaurant outposts of their flagship properties are in name only. Not the same chefs, not the same service, not the same ambience. All a facade, like the rest of Vegas.

Want to gamble and see some shows? Go to Vegas. Want fine dining? Go to NYC, SF, New Orleans, Chicago, etc.

By the way, I agree with the post above that Zefferino at the Venetian is one of the best meals/evenings/values you'll get in Vegas. Nice atmosphere as well.

We had a great meal at the Palm with a large party. I have to admit most of the time that I go and eat in Vegas I have had a few drinks and we are with friends so I don't really notice the service. We are having a good time and that is what matters.

I have never been that dissapointed in the meals. We have had very nice meals and service at Emeril's, Spago's, some Italian place in the Venetian, Mon Ami Gabi (steak and frites were OK, the wine was better) and the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Mandaly Bay, not sure if that is a Spago. We were happy with the meal and service at all aforementioned establishments.

I've had nice experiences at:
Aureole in MB
Aqua - now Michael Mina
Mon Ami Gabi
Andres in the Monte Carlo
Picasso - Bellagio
Rosemarys at the Rio

We had a very memorable meal at Olives in October. Attentive friendly service and very very good food. I can still remember the butternut squash ravioli appetizer, and it was uphill from there. I had high expectations (it was a friend/client's birthday meal and I was treating her) and it was just wonderful.

I have to agree w/tcdtcd. We've also been to most of the "fine dining" restaurants in Las Vegas. There's just a lot lacking. Alain Ducasse is opening a restaurant, I think in The Hotel (or it could be open already). You might want to try it. His NY restaurant is superb.

Hand's Down! Hugo's Cellar at the Four Queens downtown.You've gotta go and let me know.

ask these questions at www.chowhound.com for up-to-date answers from those who live there (not one year old reviews).

Yea, if you have several hours to spend, go to Chowhound, the most user unfriendly site on the internet. After realizing that there is no board for Las Vegas, you have to sift through the comments mixed in with all the Southwest. Denver restaurants mixed with Las Vegas? So as you read posts that say "Has Sophie's gotten better?" you have to click on, wait to download and then find out that Sophie's is actually in Podunk, New Mexico. If you post a question, you may or may not eventually get an answer, but even finding it will be a challenge. At least with the Chowhound New York board you know the comments refer to one city, but this generic "Southwest USA" thing is absurd at best.

We had excellent service and food at NobHill (chef=Michael Mina) at the MGM--a great experience, worth the price. At Circo, we found the service to be good, but the food was poor--a bad night? Certainly poor quality control. In any case, part of the problem in this thread is how to define "fine dining"--some of the places mentioned are, IMO, casual, and while they may be overpriced, I would not expect world class food and service from them.

patrick, I have always thought the same thing whenever chowhound is recommended. Lots of info, but totally unusable.

I've never had bad service or food at Prime (Bellagio) or N9ne (Palms). We feel soooo pampered at both restaurants that it's worth the $$. Plus, the food is always excellent- they're both steakhouses and understand the meaning of medium-rare.

On the flip side, I was so upset with the way we were treated at Zefferino I was in tears. I had made a reservation for a canal view 3 months in advance. We got there and they shuffled us to a back table next to the kitchen - awful. The only redeeming factor was the food. It really was excellent, but we hesitate to go back because of the service.

I was also not impressed with Craftsteak. I felt ignored because we were seated next to a large table of men. (Which brings me to my next problem....) It felt like a boy's club restaurant. While there's nothing wrong with that, I didn't feel like it was romantic at all.

There are good restaurants in Vegas and it drives me crazy when every buffet or every restaurant gets marked as bad, just because of 1 bad experience. No, this is not NYC, but the restaurants are still higher class than chain restaurants. And one more thing - all of Vegas is not a facade. It's like any other city that has tourist areas and local areas. (Stepping off of soapbox now.)

There's also many off-strip restaurants that are delighful and worth the trip. Don't give up Simone, but don't put up with lesser service than what you deserve. :)

Thanks Patrick, i thought it was just me since it seems everyone recommends Chowhound. i can't find anything on it, and there is no search function like there is here.

I've been going to LV for 20 years, my favorite was Piero's. It's off the strip across from the LV Hilton, however it seems the last couple of years it has been hit or miss. The atmosphere is very nice, their specialty is veal ossobucca if you go on an On night it's excellent.
We always would go to the steak house in Circus Circus, but you can forget about that place. Circus Circus is a dump hotel, and now so is the steakhouse.
I still like Stefano's in the Golden Nugget nice atmosphere, food is very good and singing waiters. But I have not been there since the hotel changed owners.
Aureole in mandaly bay was very nice.
Kokomo's in the mirage also.

I have always had a wonderful experience dining in Las Vegas. Where did you go that was so bad. I want to avoid it and we are going next week.