I have gotten such great recommendations about shows to see in Vegas (keep 'em coming, by the way, on the Vegas Shows post), time to move on to food.

Staying at the Bellagio for 4 nites over Thanksgiving weekend. Thinking of doing one buffet (is the one in the Bellagio the best or is there another we should try instead), one upscale restaurant, and a couple of moderate ones.

What do you Vegas experts recommend? The one thing I ask you to keep in mind is that I'd love not to have to pack a jacket and tie even though I know this eliminates many great places.

Thanks in advance for your help!

IMHO, the Bellagio's buffet is the best. We never miss Mon Ami Gabi either. There's a good Italian restaurant at Bally's called El Dente that's very good. You don't need to wear a jacket at any of these restaurants. I just remembered Canneletto's and Postrio at The Venetian too. Enjoy.

Hi Doug, good timing with this question, I just got off the phone with all those excellent Las Vegas restaurants that we will be eating in Thanksgiving week!
Here is what we are doing:
Mon Ami Gabi,Paris Hotel. no jacket needed.
Pinot Brasserie, Venetian Hotel. French bistro, no jacket.
Circo, Bellagio. We always eat here, never fails to please. Jacket I think is required, my husband wears one anyway when we go to most of the better restaurants.
Onda, Mirage. Italian , and we are eating there for Thanksgiving. They don't have the set menu yet, but they do allow you to order ala carte, Picasso does not. Picasso also charges a set price for a 4 course dinner on Thanksgiving, $110-per person + wine. Other nights it is $85.00 pp.
Zefferino, Venetian. Italian seafood.
Re: jackets, I just talked to the reservations ladies at the hotels about this, they are all getting more strict with what they do and do not allow to be worn in their establishments. No sneakers, no shorts and no tee shirts. One lady said that the Fanny Pack brigade has to have this explained to them. And that the two year old should be left at home
If you go to the different hotel sites, you can look at the restaurants and menus and they will tell you if they require jackets.
Good luck and have a great time~

Hey Scarlett,

Thanks for all the great recommendations...hope you don't mind if I copy one or two of them (or three or four ;-) ).

Anyway, on the Bellagio website it says Circo is business casual. I was taking that to mean a nice shirt and slacks, rather than a jacket. Guess I'll just call up and ask.

What made you choose the others you listed? Have you been?

I was actually a little concerned about what we were going to do about Thanksgiving nite. In your investigation, did you find that most places are like Picasso with a set menu? Think I'd rather do ala carte as well.

Thanks again for your help!

Anybody else out there with a must-dining experience?

Hi Doug,
We go to Circo each time in LV and we have been to Mon Ami Gabi often.
We wanted to try some new places this trip, so most of these are first times for us. Onda is beautiful, we looked inside one time, we enjoy Italian food, so Onda and Zefferino should be good.
Circo is really nice and most people dress, I think a few more men wear jackets than don't.(in November, you might need some kind of jacket anyway if you leave the hotel) They will tell you now when you call for reservations.
Onda did not have the Thanksgiving menu yet, they will probably do a set menu plus the ala carte. Picasso just has the $110pp menu. That plus wine ~
At first we wanted to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but after thinking about it, it really did not matter that much.
I just wanted to get these reservations made, as the desk at Bellagio told me last month that we should book well in advance, as many people come from LA for the weekend and the restaurants are booked solid.
We also looked at Renoir and Aqua, but they did not appeal to us tonight~
Finally, my list from past stays:
Emerils, don't love it like I used to.
Voodoo Lounge in the Rio Hotel, very good food, amazing view.
Buzios,at the Rio, seafood, excellent!
Circo, always good.
Olives, always good but sometimes quite crowded and noisy-we stick with lunch there now.
Mon Ami Gabi is also great for lunch.
That is it for now...my mind just went blank
See ya in Vegas~

I never cease to be amazed at the double standard regarding dress in some restaurants.
A man must wear a jacket. So a guy in a 1970's polyester leisure suit is fine. But a guy in designer slacks and a $250 designer shirt is not allowed.
Meanwhile nothing about women. So next to the guy who must wear a jacket, a woman can enter (and often does) wearing her fleece jogging suit from K-Mart.

Scarlett, thanks again for the quick response and great info. Made reservation at Circo last nite....lady said business casual is fine (i.e., no jacket needed). You were right, though, about them getting stricter about the dress code .... she specifically mentioned no shorts, t's, sneakers.

My wife and I love Italian as well....will definitely look into Onda and Zefferino. And maybe we'll try Olives and/or Mon Ami Gabi for lunch as we're running out of nites for dinner.

And, thanks, Tobin about the Rio buffet suggestion. Have heard good things about it, but is it worth going off the strip for (since I've heard equally good things about the one in the Bellagio where I'm staying)?

Other recommendations are welcome by one and all.

Thanks......

Good morning Doug!
We have never eaten at any of the buffets but the Bellagio has a very long line at theirs every night!
I think you will enjoy Circo, ask for a table by the window! Their service is excellent.
Patrick, I know what you mean but at the same time, it is more a problem with the people than the restaurant..along the line somewhere, Americans started thinking that getting dressed for dinner meant a clean tee shirt and if you have been in Las Vegas, you know how the Florida Early Bird outfit is prevalent in all the hotels! These places are charging a LOT of money and they want people to dress accordingly, and I suppose after dealing with it day after day, they realized that they had to spell it out for some.
At the same time, there are some nice people out there who don't live in the big city and think that their leisure suit is the height of fashion and love that color of blue! Who are we to say that they should not be treated as equals to those of us who have a difficulty in getting out of that black suit/dress? So at least the hotels are trying, they remind people to dress for dinner, that is all we can expect, people have to start figuring the rest out for themselves.And maybe as a man, this is what you see..I see women in dresses or half way decent outfits with men in wrinkled jeans and a belly hanging just below the tail of his shirt, so don't get me started on the women vs men fashion sense

Hi Doug, just got back from Vegas. We went to Mom Ami Gabi, liked it. Went to Emeril's Fish house...did not like it AND sent lukewarmed food back! Bertoloni's was very good, but waiter had a trouble with the timing of the food. Trattoria del Lupo, was good, BUT it had a Way too pricey wine list, resorted to wines by the glass,,,the fritto misto was to die for. We went to the Mexican restaurant Taqueria Canonita in the Venetian for lunch and we LOVED it...would recommend it big time,,,,had lunch by the "Canal" and it was a great to be able to listen to the Gondoliers. FYI, Judy

Doug - Antonio's at the Rio has the best Italian food that I've had in Vegas.

Also - you might want to check out Buzio's as one of your moderate picks - good, fresh seafood in a pretty cool setting (high celings, very open, lots of wood).

No bad day at work, Tobin -- just calling it like I see it. And funny you call it the "Florida early bird" look, Scarlett Yep, I live in Florida and that's where I see this double standard all the time. Of course it is a people problem, not a restaurant problem. I just try to imagine this woman telling her husband he has to wear a coat and maybe a tie to the restaurant, and then putting on her grocery shopping or jogging duds and going with him. I think the restaurant says "jacket required" as a signal to women as well as men -- women should be able to translate that into appropriate dress for themselves as well.

Scarlett, do I call up now and put in for a window-seat or wait until we get there that nite?

Judy, we love Mexican as well and will definitely look into Taqueria Canonita. Great food and a nice setting....sounds like a can't-miss. And a third vote for Mon Ami Gabi....will definitely try to eat here. Were you there for lunch or dinner?

And sunshine/scarlett/judy, if we go to Mon Ami Gabi (or anywhere "nice" for that matter) for lunch, would we need a reservation? Or are reservations really only needed for dinner.

Tom, if we decide to venture off the strip to the Rio (a hotel I've always wanted to see), will definitely check out Antonio's and Buzio's.

Thanks for all your guys help! Any more out there?

Hi Doug: If you get to Mon Ami Gabi just before they open for lunch, you don't need a reservation. People just wait outside the door. We've only had lunch there, so I'm not sure about dinner reservations.

Hey Doug,

Was in Vegas in August. I enjoyed Al Dente (Italian) at Bally's as well. Good food at reasonable prices (for a moderately upscale Italian rest). No jacket required.

One thing you might consider if your wife enjoys shopping is to take her to the Fashion Show (huge mall on the strip). Have lunch at the cafe at Neiman Marcus, a very cool, modern atmosphere with decent views (if you don't mind seeing a bit of nearby construction).

Good choice on the "O" show. A perennial LV favorite that is worth seeing. Enjoy staying at the Bellagio. Also rec having lunch at Olive's (in the Bellagio shopping arcade).

Have a blast on your trip!

HI Doug,
Ok, heres my two cents just got back from Vegas....

RumJungle In Mandalay Bay..Brazilian steak house that was out of this world...I highly recommend..

Paris Buffet..it was pretty good..but the prices were up there..for saturday night..they charged $ 25.00..

Pink Taco in the Hard Rock Hotel/Casino...very good mexican in a hip/fun environment...

Mirage Cafe at the Mirage by the pool for lunch..very relaxing and a great atmoshphere to sit outside,have a light lunch..in a tropical setting..

Watch the Bellagio light show at night in the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower..this was worth the price of entry..

Hope these tidbits help and have a great trip!

Doug,
Please consider Rosemary's in the Rio Hotel(one of two locations). My husband and I enjoyed an anniversary dinner there in August. Decided on the tasting menu, and every one of the five courses and accompanying wine was unbelievable, and my husband usually prefers steak or seafood, but he came away thoroughly impressed and even promised a return visit. Customers were dressed nicely, though not stuffy or over-the-top. I wore black rayon dress pants and a sheer blouse over a camisole. Husband wore nice pleated khaki slacks, light dress sweater over polo shirt(air conditioning turned up high everywhere). Our server was polite and easygoing, with good advice on the menu and wine choices. Ended with a fabulous dessert with a candle for the special occasion. It was memorable, it was worth the money, and we have told many friends about our best meal during a six day visit. You can also see their menu online, and they will call you to confirm a reservation. Quite friendly! Do book ahead, as they have some days blacked out in advance for groups. J.

To answer your question about the Bellagio buffet - yes - it is worth it - worth the price and worth the wait in line. The Mirage buffet is good also, but not as good as the Bellagio (IMO).

If you're interested in some great entertainment at a reasonable price - check out the Society of Seven at the Aladdin. They are soooo good! They are from Hawaii and put on a terrific show - lots of laughs, great harmonies and very talented. They have cocktail shows ($35 or $45 pp) or dinner shows ($55 pp) - I don't know what the food is like in there, and since you've got more than enough restaurants to choose from you might want to just skip dinner and see the show.

Have a good time in our fair city.

Bonsoir Doug!
I made reservations for Mon Ami Gabi for dinner because we were warned of the business of that week. And I hate to be told no when I decide on eating somewhere..we have eaten lunch there a few times, just walked in.
We really liked Buzios at the Rio..the best lobster salad! There seafood buffet is supposed to be famous ! One thing you don't have to worry about in Las Vegas is eating good

The best meal I had in Vegas was at Le Provencal. The dress code was slightly relaxed and the food was top notch.

By the way, I have heard that you get a great view watching the sun set over Vegas from the Rio. I didn't get to do that, but maybe you will.

Have a wonderful time!

Doug=

The BEST meal I have had ( in almost my life! ) was at Le Cirque at the Bellagio...Since you are staying at the hotel it will be way easier to get reservations..You DO need a jacket..service and food are to die for! and the decor is awesome!!

Dining RESERVE ONLINE OR CALL 1-800-864-9587


Le Cirque
Bellagio - 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV, 89109
Call For Reservations:
(702) 693-8100


Cuisine: French
Cost: $35 or more
Payment types accepted AMEX, VISA, MASTERCARD, DISCOVER, CASH
Hours: Open daily, 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Reservations: Reservations Optional
Visa, MC, AMEX, and Discover cards accepted. Checks not accepted.

Review: Le Cirque is a 2003 Epicurean Award winner for best French.
Creating a new standard of excellence in French food, Executive Chef Marc Poidevin and Pastry Chef Patrice Caillot push the envelope nightly with such succulent offerings as black-tie scallops (tied with black truffles), consomme de boeuf with foie gras ravioli, salade mesclun, roasted duck with a honey-spice fig glaze, and roasted lobster in a port wine sauce--all of which are simple, exotic and perfect. Follow these with ethereal desserts like the trio of crème brûlées, bomboloni (Italian doughnuts filled with vanilla cream) or a dense, warm chocolate fondant. Coat and tie are mandatory for gentlemen. -- Las Vegas Life
More Info: A jacket is required for dinner (tie optional). No children under 12 years old. No cell phones, cigars or pipes.