13 Best Restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is one of America's hottest restaurant markets. Nearly every big Strip property has at least one and often two or more celebrity-chef restaurants. Away from the Strip, the unprecedented population growth in the city's suburbs has brought with it a separate and continuous wave of new eateries, both familiar chains and increasing numbers of legitimate destination restaurants.
Casino-resort dining basically falls into one of three categories. In the top echelon are the properties that have a half dozen or more bona fide star-status restaurants: Aria, Bellagio, Caesars, The Cosmopolitan, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Venetian/Palazzo, and Wynn/Encore. At the next level are those resorts with one or two stellar restaurants and a smaller range of worthwhile but not quite top-of-the-line options. On the Strip, these include The Cromwell, Mandarin Oriental, Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York–New York, Paris, Planet Hollywood, SLS Las Vegas, and Treasure Island. Off the Strip, you can add the Lucky Dragon, Palms, the Hard Rock, M Resort, The Rio All-Suite Hotel, Green Valley Ranch, the JW Marriott, and Red Rock Resort. Then there's everybody else: casino-resorts with maybe a decent eatery or two but that simply aren't known for great food.
Downtown Las Vegas has seen a big revitalization in the past several years, and that extends to restaurants. Although Downtown still lacks a destination restaurant, notable spots are Carson Kitchen, Therapy, Turmeric, Le Thai, and La Comida in Fremont East; and Pizza Rock and the older Triple George Grill in the Downtown 3rd District. There also are a number of good restaurants in the Downtown Container Park.
Outside the tourism corridor, Las Vegas has a number of marquee restaurants with increasing cachet among foodies from out of town—places such as Todd’s Unique Dining, Marché Bacchus, Nora's Italian Cuisine, and Lotus of Siam. There's great food to be had off the beaten path in Las Vegas, and you'll pay a lot less in these areas, too.
If you haven't been to Vegas in a few years, you'll notice some major changes. Names like Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, and Emeril Lagasse still have plenty of pull in this town, but the Vegas chefs commanding the most attention are French imports such as Pierre Gagnaire, Joël Robuchon, and Guy Savoy, along with vaunted U.S. chefs like Giada De Laurentiis, Charlie Palmer, and Mario Batali.
There's also a trend toward high-minded restaurants with exclusive-nightclub vibes. Note the success of see-and-be-seen Pan-Asian hot spot Hakkasan and Tao Asian Bistro & Nightclub, the youthful late-night haunts LAVO and FIX, and bordello-chic establishments such as Strip House—to name just a few. Elsewhere in town, Las Vegas's growing international—and especially Asian—population has created a market for some of the best Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Pan-Asian restaurants in the country.
1228 Main
Celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck got in early on the rise of the Arts District when he opened this casual bar and café in 2023 (the name is pronounced "Twelve Twenty-Eight"). The restaurant side is a full-service bakery, cranking out breads and pastries all day long. It also serves food for three meals a day, as well as brunch on weekends. The bar side is a typical Las Vegas cocktail room, and is a welcoming spot to pass time while you're waiting for a table. Arrive early for weekend brunch as the place gets packed.
Anima
Anima means “soul,” and the unique fusion of Italian and Spanish cuisine found at this upscale eatery certainly has it. The boldness of the menu is mirrored by the eye-popping octopus mural that adorns a dining room wall and a charcuterie bar positioned in the front of the house. In the The Gramercy apartment complex, Anima is the latest creation from the team behind the acclaimed EDO Gastro Tapas & Wine in Chinatown, and some favorites originating there can be found at Anima, including the "Bikini" (a pressed ham and cheese sandwich). Entrees include vegan mushroom risotto as well as the the must-try braised short ribs, served with semolina gnocchi, maitake mushrooms, and black pepper sauce. There’s also a spirited selection of spirits, from a deep wine list with an emphasis on Italian and Spanish offerings to an extensive array of amaro varieties to try.
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Bellagio Patisserie
Chocolate—dark, white, and milk—flows from a tall glass fountain at the entrance of this stunning pastry shop just off the Bellagio's famed conservatory. This artful homage to chocolate has decadent desserts, including cakes, cookies, macarons, gelato, hand-dipped chocolate candies, and particularly memorable crêpes (try the one with Nutella sauce inside and out, candied hazelnuts, and whipped cream), as well as salads and sandwiches Seating is limited. It's open late, until 10 pm daily.
Dominique Ansel Las Vegas
Dominique Ansel Marché
Dominique Ansel may have found fame as the creator of the "cronut" and the chocolate-chip-cookie shot, but he proves he has far more to offer in this new boite at Paris Las Vegas. All of his bakery favorites are served here, of course, including fine pastries, crêpes, and fruit tarts. But Ansel carries out the French sidewalk-café spirit of this place by adding such savory choices as rotisserie chicken, turkey, and porchetta, in addition to sandwiches, salads, flatbreads, and more
Famous Foods
Food halls have replaced buffets in several Las Vegas casino-resorts, but nobody does it as well as Resorts World, which has one with more than a dozen mini-restaurants and even a pour-it-yourself bar. Famous Foods is inspired by the street markets of Southeast Asia, and the cuisine skews in that direction, with dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, clay-pot rice, ramen, sushi, and sashimi among the main offerings. But you’ll also find fish and chips, Mediterranean foods, Texas barbecue, and Marcus Samuelsson’s Nashville-style hot chicken.
Gäbi Coffee and Bakery
This is maybe the best example of a Las Vegas adage, "Never judge a place by its ugly strip-mall facade." In a shopping center you'd usually drive by lies a coffee and tea house that's about as beautiful as they come. An indoor greenhouse covers the central kitchen area, amid a well-appointed warehouse feel with plants, art, and cozy seating and a singular three-tiered reading and browsing area (shoes off, please) in back. The coffee's first rate as well, and it's not unusual for customers to take way too long to ogle the display case of delicious-looking pastries or read the full menu of specialty-drink temptations. There's a soup, sandwich, and quiche menu for those who want to extend a coffee break into a meal. Gäbi now has a second location in Henderson (136 N. Stephanie St.).
Grand Lux Cafe
Warm earth tones, soft music and lighting, cloth napkins, and marble-topped tables are an elegant milieu in which to enjoy a glass of wine and mélange of appealing, freshly cooked flavors and textures—Asian nachos, double-stuffed potato spring rolls, stacked chicken quesadillas—24 hours a day. Located right off the main casino floor, this convenient chain eatery offers eclectic menu items and familiar crowd-pleasers: pizza, pastas, barbecue ribs, burgers, BLTs, and even wood-grilled filet mignon or rib eye. The "Lux" operates as a subsidiary of the Cheesecake Factory, so not only is it a reliable option for a more casual meal, it also offers its signature cheesecake for dessert. (You can also get one to go in the adjoining bakery, as well as coffee and pastries.) And there's another location in the Palazzo.
Illy Caffe
Swoop into this authentic, cozy Italian coffee bar in The Palazzo's Waterfall Atrium for richly brewed premium beverages, flaky pastries, and warm panini. This smart, colorful nook offers 36 flavors of glorious, creamy gelatos, as well as fresh dessert crepes, soups, and salads. Bonbons, truffles, and chocolate-dipped fruits are also available.
Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
Drop by this bustling branch of the famed South Miami Beach restaurant for, at the very least, a pile of fresh stone crabs and a beer. But Joe's is worth a try whether for a full meal or a snack to remember. (And the stone crabs are available here year-round, unlike at the flagship location.) There are gluten-free/vegetarian, kids' and carryout menus as well. Carnivores won't go hungry here, considering the leviathan bone-in rib eye or double-cut Colorado lamb chops, and there's a bar-food selection of burgers and sandwiches. For dessert, save room for Key lime pie or banana-cream pie with Foster sauce.
Luv-it Frozen Custard
Walking distance from The Strat, this tiny take-out stand offers unbelievably delicious, velvety smooth frozen custard. The flavors change daily (check the website for the schedule), and sundaes are a popular offering. Those with larger appetites should certainly try the ever-popular Western, with hot fudge, caramel, and pecans, or a Fruit Boat, with peach, pineapple, cherry, banana, marshmallow, and peanuts. It's been goin' strong since 1973, and is open most days until 10 pm, 11 pm on Friday and Saturday.
Netflix Bites
Las Vegas has had restaurants themed for Motown, ESPN, Star Trek, magic, Hello Kitty, and more over the years, so this zeitgeist-grabbing spot feels inevitable. The energy of the casino floor carries into the neon-bedecked restaurant, where you'll find food and drink inspired by Netflix favorites, such as "Eggs Benedict Bridgerton" (with smoked salmon) "Stranger Wings" (with Buffalo, lemon pepper, or bbq sauce) "Orange is the New Mac" (mac and cheese with hot Cheetos), or drinks like the "Dalgona Rum Buzz" or "The House of Usher." Or indulge in the full Bridgerton Regency Tea, with finger sandwiches, scones, and everything else Lady Whistledown would expect. This is a pop-up that is expected to last into early 2026, but maybe it'll get a second season. It closes from 2 to 5 daily.