The Five Best Ways to Enjoy Fine Dining in Las Vegas

Las Vegas may be known among some as one of the more affordable vacations in the United States, but make no mistake: this is a city made by and made for high rollers. Sure, you can get a cheap motel room off the strip, play the nickel slots, happily accept the watered-down complimentary cocktails, watch the free and family friendly hotel entertainment, and eat fast food, but that’s missing out on some of the best that Sin City has to offer.

Specifically, Las Vegas has become, in recent years, one of the biggest foodie destinations in the world. Highly respected chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, and even Gordon Ramsay have opened fine dining establishments in the bigger name hotels in the past decade, and there are even a handful of restaurants with one or more Michelin Stars.

Of course, to be seated and served at one of these gustatory heavens, you’ll need pretty deep pockets. But, if you’re ready for the most luxurious and elevated dining in Sin City, it’s ready for you. So, tuck a couple dozen Benjamins in your wallet along with your American Express Black Card and head to one of these top five high end restaurants in Las Vegas.

Joël Robuchon

Widely considered to be the best dining experience in all of Las Vegas, French restaurant Joël Robuchon in the MGM Grand has an impressive list of accolades: five AAA Diamonds, Forbes Five Star designation, Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, and an astonishing three Michelin Stars. Put on your finest formal wear before you go, as guests are expected to dress for a true evening out.

Come hungry, and come with an open mind that’s ready to taste the best ingredients transformed into some of the best dishes in the entire country. The lush four-course dinner tasting menu starts off with Oscetra caviar and king crab, then moves to plate choices that include everything from langoustine to foie gras to sea urchin to truffles. Perfect wine pairings are, of course, available and encouraged.

When you have dinner at Joël Robuchon, you have a full-on sensory experience. The presentations are true works of art, with the textures, colors, and overall aesthetics balanced perfectly. The art deco-inspired decor is gorgeous, with marble floors and tons of greenery. As for cost, you can expect the bill for dinner for two, with wine, to be over $1000, but the overall experience is priceless.

Restaurant Guy Savoy

This French establishment in Caesar’s Palace is nothing short of extraordinary. From the impeccable service to the pristine decor to the incredible cuisine, a night at Restaurant Guy Savoy is one you’ll not soon forget. The food itself is nothing short of astonishing, featuring the world’s finest ingredients, the most ideal preparations, and the most perfect flavor combinations. You will, of course, pay for the experience. The extravagant tasting menu is around $900 for two, and that’s without wine; the a la carte menu, which is considered to be the most expensive a la carte menu in the US, will run you more for a full multi-course meal.

Guests are continually wowed by the entire Guy Savoy experience, and so are the critics. The restaurant boasts two Michelin Stars, a Wine Spectator Grand Award, as is currently considered one of the 40 best restaurants in the entire country.

Guests may notice that unlike many other high end restaurants, there are no flowers in Restaurant Guy Savoy. This is entirely intentional: the chef is so insistent that diners are able to enjoy the rich and intense aromas of the dishes that he does not want scents competing with the kitchen’s wizardry. Employees of the restaurant are not allowed to wear perfumes or cologne, either, and if you are privileged enough to dine at Restaurant Guy Savoy, you might want to avoid wearing any as well.

barMASA

Masayoshi Takayama’s Las Vegas restaurant in the Aria Resort bills itself as “modern Japanese,” but to food fans the world over, the name Masa means one thing: sushi. And not just any sushi — some of the most delectable sushi in the entire world, prepared fresh and served simply.

The fish used at barMASA is flown in daily from Japan, ensuring authenticity and quality, so while the names of the fishes and dishes on the dinner menu may look familiar, the way they taste is a true revelation. A yellowtail and scallion make at barMASA, for example, is considerably more refined than the one you’d eat at an ordinary sushi bar. And in addition to the sushi and sashimi, barMASA offers a full hibachi selection of plates like beef tataki, Chilean sea bass, and Peking duck and foie gras tacos.

Wine and sake pairings are available, and reservations are encouraged. What you’ll pay for dinner at barMASA is largely dependent on what you eat. Expect to spend no less than $150 per person with wine, tax, and tip; be prepared to spend more.

CarneVino

It just wouldn’t be a list of extravagant Las Vegas restaurants without a top notch steakhouse, and CarneVino in the Palazzo is the cream of the crop. Run by big name chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich (son of Lidia), CarneVino impresses upon first sight with its old world Italian ambiance and over the top decor. But really, it’s the steaks that are the star here.

Sure, start with a pristine Caprese salad and maybe some grilled octopus, but then go for the beef. CarneVino has some of the priciest steaks in Vegas, like a dry-aged bone-in ribeye for $152, or a Florentine porterhouse for $170, but can you really put a price on the best steak you’ll ever eat?

Unlike a lot of other more high end restaurants on the Vegas strip, CarneVino offers a three-course prix fixe pre-theatre menu at 6:30 every night. This allows diners to sample some of the best that the restaurant has to offer and still make it in time for the opening curtain. No matter when you go, do not miss the extensive wine list.

Fleur

Tucked inside Mandalay Bay is renowned French chef Hubert Keller’s Fleur. The decor is opulent earth tones, and the lighting helps to highlight the beauty of the dishes, but the real draw of Fleur is the selection of global small plates. Flavors from countries like Peru, Italy, France, Japan, and of course the USA inform sharable dishes like beef hearts, rock shrimp, escargot, and more.

If you’re with a date or with a date plus two more, consider Fleur’s Tour of the World, which is Hubert’s version of omakase. The chef will serve up a selection of the night’s best small dishes for $150 per couple or $310 for a foursome. Pricing on the individual small plates and the dozen or so entrees on the menu is fairly high but not outrageous. Well, with one exception.

Fleur has the distinction of offering the most expensive dish in the entire United States: the Fleur Burger 5000. Yes, a burger! It’s made of Wagyu beef and is topped with foie gras and truffles, plus it’s served with a bottle of 1995 Chateau Pétrus Bordeaux. For the modest sum of $5,000, it can be all yours.