Visit Las Vegas
These days in Las Vegas I'm happy to report the food and drink options are off the charts. We entertain a lot and this is our go-to list. Please enjoy!
Legend
🔥 = "muy caliente" special recommendation from yours truly
🏠 = home base — it's reliable and we visit a lot
🌞 = has outdoor seating
👔 = warning! dress code in effect
☝️ = pro tip!
👧🏻 = wifey offers sometimes dissenting opinion
🆕 = new or updated suggestion
🏨 Anchors
- Cosmopolitan — Featuring many recommendations listed below. If it's too crowded, you can walk to ARIA, Paris, Bellagio, or Park MGM.
- Venetian/Palazzo — Good hang. Lots of stuff going on at all hours.
- Fontainebleau — Quite grand. Some of our favorite food, drink, and entertainment. ☝️ Free valet with validation from restaurant or cocktail bar.
- South Point Casino — Cheap locals fun! $3 drinks! Movies, bowling, prime rib! Looks like a Trump property that lost its license! 👧🏻 Janeé says: "I don't want to know how little the champagne cost"
🍸 Lounges & Cocktails
Recommended
- 🔥🌞 Legacy Club (Circa, Downtown) — Best cocktails in Las Vegas. Amazing 60th floor views of the strip. Outdoor patio deck. 👔 "Sports attire, athleisure / casual loungewear, and swimwear are not permitted."
- 🔥 Rosina (Palazzo, The Strip) — Excellent cocktails in a beautiful speakeasy setting. ☝️ Limited hours; if closed, the Juliet Cocktail Room is run by the same group and just 5 min walk away.
- 🏠 Vesper (Cosmopolitan, The Strip) — Excellent cocktails, better than Chandelier Bar. ☝️ Best seating is behind the bar. Open 24/7.
- 🆕 Collins (Fontainebleau, The Strip) — Award-winning cocktail bar that has recently appeared on several "best of" lists. ☝️ Free valet parking; validate at bar.
Honorable Mention
- The Golden Tiki (Chinatown) — Best tiki bar ever. ☝️ Don't look in the peep hole. Or do. It's a free country.
- 🌞 The Local (Green Valley Ranch, Henderson) — If you're in the suburbs, it's a nice local cocktail spot with outside seating and frequent wine tasting events.
- Ghost Donkey (Cosmopolitan, The Strip) — Tiny hidden cocktail bar focused on tequila & mezcal. ☝️ Gets crowded sometimes.
- Chandelier Bar (Cosmopolitan, The Strip) — Offers a famous off-menu Verbena cocktail involving Sichuan pepper.
Less Classy
- Frankie's Tiki Room (I-15 & Charleston) — Old service industry favorite. ☝️ 40 years of cigarette smoke still inside!
- Piazza Lounge (Tuscany, Off-Strip) — Wants to be a classy night-time jazz lounge, but jello shots are readily available, and women in their 70s get into fist fights. In other words, perfect.
- 🌞 ReBAR (Arts District) — Strongly resembles the great dive bars of Portland. Good food, patio out back... Mystery shots!!
🌚 Late Eats
- 🏠 Noodle Asia (Venetian, The Strip) — Delicious Chinese noodle dishes. A favorite among friends. ☝️ Stick to the Chinese stuff.
- 金元寶廚坊 ("Ping Pang Pong") (Gold Coast, Off-Strip) — Solid dim sum despite the ridiculous English name.
- Brass Fork (Palace Station, Off-Strip) — Very good diner/café-style food. ☝️ Open 24 hours. Basically a renamed Lucky Penny (Green Valley Ranch, Henderson) / (Red Rock Casino, Summerlin).
Steak
Recommended
- 🏠🌞 Oscar's (The Plaza, Downtown) — "Named for former alleged mob attorney and former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman", it's not pretentious; it's great old Vegas. ☝️ Closes occasionally for events; recommended to call ahead.
- 🔥 Gordon Ramsay Steak (Paris, The Strip) — Very good. Recommended: sliders, risotto, beef wellington, filet (which I've been advised by staff is Gordon's steak of choice). Excellent cocktails and wine. ☝️ Tables in the bar almost always available without reservation.
- Don's Prime (Fontainebleau, The Strip) — Recommended: Snake River Farms American New York Strip (hybrid wagyu). ☝️ Free valet parking; bring your ticket to validate.
Honorable Mention
- 👔 Scotch 80 Prime (Palms, Off-Strip) — Recommended: Ribeye cap, one of the best steaks I've ever had. 👔 No ball caps.
- The Palm (Caesar's Forum Shops, The Strip)
- Wolfgang Puck Cut (Palazzo, The Strip)
- Barry's Downtown Prime (Circa, Downtown)
- Hank's (Green Valley Ranch Casino, Henderson)
- STK (Cosmopolitan, The Strip) — It's fine, and built for your natural celebrity— there's a back door they can sneak you out of if you drink too much.
亞食 Asian
See also "Late Eats" above.
Recommended
- 🔥 Best Friend (Park MGM, The Strip) — My favorite restaurant in Las Vegas— LA-style Korean BBQ fusion and elevated street food by Chef Roy Choi. Intense & delicious flavors. Recommended: chef's menu. ☝️ For best flavor compliment stick to soju, avoid cocktails and slushies. 👧🏻 Janeé says: too intense!
- 🔥 義美豆漿 Taiwan Café (Chinatown) — 太棒了，是 legit Taiwanese breakfast in Las Vegas !!! 🇹🇼🇺🇸😄
- 🔥 Weera Thai (Multiple locations) — Bold, outstanding Thai dishes. Strongly recommended: boat noodles w/ beef, nam khao, rad nar. 👧🏻 Janeé says: too intense!
- 🔥🆕 大Dan哥西安風味 (Chinatown) — Awesome James Beard nominated Xi'an style noodles. ☝️ Located inside SF Supermarket. 👧🏻 Janeé says: too spicy! As reviwed by @paletteprovisions and Somebody Feed Phil.
- 🏠 Osaka (Anthem, Henderson) — Izakaya-style neighborhood joint with hibachi and tatami rooms and extensive menu. The good vibes evoke the simple enjoyment of small alleyway restaurants in Taiwan and Japan.
Honorable Mention
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Bāng Bar by Momofuku (Cosmopolitan, The Strip) — Maybe the best rice bowl I've ever had.
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KYU (Fontainebleau, The Strip) — Sort of a Japanese steakhouse. Recommended: all grilled meats.
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🏠 Block 9 Thai (West Henderson) — Solid suburban Thai food. 👧🏻 Janeé says: good!
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Tim Ho Wan (Palms, Off-Strip) — Michelin starred BBQ pork buns & other dim-sum items; a Hong Kong staple.
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Lotus of Siam (Multiple locations) — A famous local Thai institution.
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Momofuku (Cosmopolitan, The Strip) — Fusion by David Chang. Why don't I come here more often??
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The Noodle Man (Southwest) — Hand-pulled Chinese noodle dishes in the suburbs.
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85°C Café (Chinatown) — Solid Taiwan-based bakery, with coffee and tea to go, and newly opened seating area.
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🌞 杏記甜品 Sweethoney Desert (Chinatown) — HK style desserts and snacks. Delicious!
Avoid
- 鼎泰豐 Din Tai Fung (ARIA, The Strip) — NOT RECOMMENDED. This is unfortunately the worst branch of one of the world's best restaurants. Please visit the Taiwan, Seattle or even Portland locations instead.
🇲🇽 Tacos / Mexican
- Toca Modera (ARIA, The Strip) — Self-described "Mexican Steakhouse". Upscale and pricey, but all very good. ☝️ Happy hour discounts!
- Tacos El Gordo de Tijuana B.C. (Multiple locations) — Famous street taco institution. Meat is carved fresh off rotating spits.
- Tacos El Pastor (Palace Station, Off-Strip) — Delicious pastor tacos. ☝️ Open late-ish.
- 🏠 Roberto's (Multiple locations) — Iconic San Diego taco shop you can find all over the valley; easy. ☝️ Open 24/7 or very late.
La Mona Rosa (East Fremont)— CLOSED- Flecha (Town Square) — Mark Wahlberg's place. Free mini cocktail upon arrival. Quite delicious! ☝️ Open for brunch.
- 🆕🌞 Alebrijes by Chef Paco (Downtown) — More of a party/event spot, but good! Extensive third-floor outdoor bar facing Freemont. ☝️ Open until midnight. Head west into Freemont pedestrian area, take first right into the plaza and up the escalator.
🇫🇷 French
- 🏠🌞 Mon Ami Gabi (Paris, The Strip) — Beautiful patio brunch (our favorite in town) facing the Bellagio fountains and excellent inexpensive steak options at dinnertime. ☝️ There's a wait on weekend mornings, but probably worth it.
- Bardot Brasserie (ARIA, The Strip) — Especially enjoy the weekend champagne brunch at the bar.
🇮🇹 Italian / Pizza
- 🔥🌞 Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana (Green Valley Ranch, Henderson) — Real wood fired Napoli style pizza, very delicious, great negronis and charcuterie.
- Wolfgang Puck's Caramá (Mandalay Bay, The Strip) — Very solid pasta dishes and salads; excellent cocktails including barrel aged selections.
- Grimaldi's Pizza (Palazzo, The Strip) (Multiple locations) — A go-to for American style pizza.
🇹🇷 Turkish
- Nukha (Town Square) — YUM. I'm not extremely hyped on the cocktails and don't smoke, but all of the food is superb.
🇮🇳 Indian
- 🔥 Naan & Curry (Anthem, Henderson) — Really delicious yet low key AYCE Indian lunch buffet. If you like Indian food, I haven't had better in a long time.
🇺🇸 American, I guess
- 🏠🌞 Tommy Bahama's Marlin Bar (Town Square) — Very good food and drinks; the preferred quisine of rich old white men in the know. ☝️ Covered patio has misters and is comfortable all day long. 👧🏻 Janeé hates to admit she loves it.
- 🌞 1228 Main (Arts District) — Bakery restaurant with very good food and full bar.
TODO!
A list of places I've gotten tips on, but haven't tried myself or needing re-review.
- The Vanderpump Hotel
- Alebrijes by Chef Paco — repeat visit
- Caramá — repeat visit, for pizza
- Nowhere lounge
- The George patio happy hour M-F 3-6
- The Bootlegger
- Oscar Goodman night @ Oscar's
- F1 Grand Prix Plaza
- Olivera street rolled tacos
- Mother Wolf
- Sartiano's Italian Steakhouse
- Milpa
- Esther's Kitchen
- Ada's Food + Wine — supposedly moving to Arts District
- Pink Monkey (La Mona Rosa replacement)
- With Love Always burgers (Red Rock)
- Jazz @ Vic's (Circa)
- "Two Hands" Korean Corndogs
- Boulder City Downtown
- Tacos La Carreta
- Carson Kitchen
- Mas Por Favor
- Ramen Sora
- Michael says: Star Piano, Moonshiners
- Don't Tell Mamas
- Dispensary Jazz Club
- The Front Yard
- Echo & Rig
- Giordano's and Rosati's for Chicago style pizza
- "Fluff Ice" （台式？）
- Polaris Street Café — Local breakfast spot
- Venetian lobby bar
- Golden Steer
- Hugo’s Cellar
- Peppermill
- Italian American Club
- The Pinky Ring lounge
- @cheongdamfoodhall @ryusauce
- Pine Bistro
- Herbs & Rye
- Mama Bird
- Popparoti
- Firefly
- Taco Chinatown
- Nora’s
- KiSS Mini Golf
- Toca modera Tuesday
- Baguette Café / Easy’s lounge
Recommended by Craig at Legacy Club—
- Roma Deli
- Panino
- Casa di amor
- Cabinet of Curiosities (Horseshoe)
Referrals for Residents
- First Class Handyman— Christian
Landscape Maintenance
- "Rudy" Rudescindo Diaz in SoHi (referral from Cody Sanders)
- Felipe in Henderson (referral from Cody Sanders)
- Adrian (referral from First Class)