The Best Restaurants in Las Vegas
In just a couple of years, Las Vegas has seen the opening of some of the best restaurants in the country. I haven't come close to eating at every place in town, but I have managed to eat at many of the top spots. Here are my choices for the top three.
The Winner: Joël Robuchon
The Chef of the Century has set up shop in Las Vegas, and created a masterpiece. The atmosphere is elegant without being stuffy, and the service is nearly flawless. Of course, the most important thing is the food. And what food it is! The sixteen course tasting menu is a stunning representation of what Robuchon has to offer. The food is not only excellent, but frequently surprising - "surprising" in the sense that I expected not to like a dish (e.g., "I don't eat that"), but found it to be delicious. Presentation is also a strong point; each dish is displayed like a work of art, in a way that no other restaurant in Las Vegas comes close to matching.
Second Place: Bar Charlie (at Restaurant Charlie)
Bar Charlie offers 8 and 14 course kaiseki style meals at a food bar. Until recently, I placed Bar Charlie behind Robuchon, Guy Savoy and Alex. I somehow felt it didn't fit the mold of a typical fine dining establish..but so what? I've enjoyed my meals at Bar Charlie immensely: the food matches my personal preferences very well; I like the food bar concept, especially being able to hold lengthy conversations with chef Hiroo Nagahara; I get very attentive service. Bar Charlie is the only one of the uber expensive restaurants in town to which I return again and again.
Third: Guy Savoy
Guy Savoy is another French legend who opened a restaurant in Las Vegas. The atmosphere has a more modern feel than Robuchon, but the food is slightly more traditional. The ten course Menu Prestige is an impressive display of the kitchen's talents. However, to me it falls short of Robuchon. The service at Robuchon is a little smoother and a little less obtrusive, and the food at Robuchon has more surprises (in the good sense of the word). Still, Guy Savoy is a very fine restaurant indeed.
Honorable Mention: Alex
When it opened in early 2005, Alex probably was the finest restaurant in town. Among the restaurants listed here, only Alex is run by its named chef. Alex Stratta, formerly of Renoir, presides over the kitchen on a daily basis. Service is about on a par with Guy Savoy, although not quite as personable. The food is also about on a par, but Guy Savoy gets the nod due to its even greater use of luxury ingredients like truffles and caviar. But Alex fans need not feel bad. The prices at Alex are only about half that at either Guy Savoy or Joël Robuchon, making Alex a relative bargain in the super luxury category.