Las Vegas offers hundreds of top-notch restaurants to choose from, making it easy to spend a lot of time researching where to dine. Perhaps you’re eyeing a renowned chef who recently opened a hot new restaurant. Maybe you’re seeking the vintage Las Vegas atmosphere and looking for a trendy dinner club. Or perhaps you’re after hidden gems off the Las Vegas Strip to experience the local lifestyle. Whatever your motivation, the location is just one part of the equation. Once you’ve decided on the menu, it’s time to consider the highlights!
What are you hungry for? Are you in the mood for something adventurous or exquisitely plated? Want to share something special? Looking to impress your date? Here’s a starter list of some iconic highlights from the destination’s menus that will make you want to plan your culinary journey around them.
Flambe
Flambe dishes blend romance with drama. These dishes, where flames are a primary ingredient, will immerse you in heat.
Dinner includes a performance at Azure Villa when you order Pâtes Flambées Dans Une Meule de Pecorino. If you don’t speak French, let’s translate: This exquisite pasta is made with a 12-month-aged wheel of Pecorino cheese at your table, melted with a touch of flames and some Martell VS cognac (yes, even more flames go into this list). Finished with a delicious mushroom sauce, you’ll remember this dish forever. If this doesn’t get you excited about the menu at The Palazzo restaurant in Las Vegas, we don’t know what will!
For a taste of vintage Las Vegas flair, head to Scotch 80 Prime at Palm Casino Resort. It’s a classic steakhouse with modern charm, equally impressive with seafood and fine meats. The charcoal-grilled seafood platter includes the finest Maine lobster, king crab, Peruvian scallops, shrimp, and oysters flambéed with brandy and served with herb butter. The platter is presented tableside, and then you can enjoy top-tier seafood.
Flaming SW Steakhouse Marrow is a thick cut lamb leg flame-grilled at the table with a touch of blackberry sauce, bringing a hint of sweetness. Scoop out the marrow, spread it on grilled sourdough bread, and it’s a truly luxurious delight. Overlooking the Lake of Dreams, the restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas has a show-making display that will catch your attention (of course, after the flames go out in front of you).
Perfect Plate
Whether for entertainment or formal occasions, sometimes you just want a perfect dish that stands alone on the menu. Here are two unforgettable standalone dishes that will exceed your expectations.
NoMad Las Vegas elevates the standard roast chicken to high levels, located at the NoMad Library Restaurant inside Park MGM Las Vegas. Foie gras, black truffles, Spanish chorizo mushrooms, and saffron rice complete the entire cooking process, roasted at the ideal temperature, making the goose meat very tender and crispy skin. When the white meat is roasted perfectly, the chicken leg is cut separately and finished. The finished dish is beautifully plated, with service as refined as the cooking. Please be patient with an appetizer; the carefully prepared double feast takes time.
Delicious Salads
Craving the crisp texture of fresh vegetables or the citrusy taste of fresh fruits? These salads not only feature melon balls but go far beyond the standard side salad.
Located beneath the Four Queens Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas, Hugo’s Cellar has been a cornerstone of the Las Vegas dining scene since 1973. As classic as the service is the menu, including the traditional Caesar salad, prepared tableside. You decide what goes on your fresh greens, with options like tomato wedges, marinated artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, shrimp, croutons, blue cheese, chopped egg, red onions, mushroom slices, and toasted pine nuts. All of these can be topped with one of three homemade dressings of your choice, including the Caesar salad for the traditionalists.
Situated on the Las Vegas Strip, north of Wynn Las Vegas Hotel, Peppermill is a part of Las Vegas history, appearing in many movies and videos—possibly due to its irresistibly retro interior. The restaurant’s food presentation is equally dazzling. While fruit platters typically have no excess, Peppermill’s Western Fruit Platter is an architectural structure of fresh fruits and homemade banana bread drizzled with cream marshmallow sauce. It’s a collection of breakfast, dessert, and your daily produce.
Social Eating
Platters full of shareable dishes on the table are a great pleasure. Whether it’s oversized party platters or exquisite dishes for sharing, shared dishes are a communal experience.
At Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen at Horseshoe Las Vegas, Trash Can Nachos are a fun, delicious food that’s a perfect choice on the table. Imagine a pile of nachos covered with corn chip cheese and barbecue sauce, topped with homemade smoked pork, salsa, sour cream, pickled onions, beans, cilantro, and Mexican peppers—all packed into a trash can-shaped container. It’s a perfect shareable dish that your team can dive into together.
Dim Sum at the Palazzo Las Vegas’ Grand Pavilion—while these tasty snacks are usually served during brunch hours, you can order them for dinner at this enticing restaurant serving authentic Chinese cuisine. Be sure to try the pork shrimp dumplings, where a delicate steamed dumpling skin bursts with savory flavors.
Asian Flavors
Las Vegas boasts an array of outstanding international cuisines, including many delights from China, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.
Lotus of Siam is renowned for its delicious Northern Thai dishes. The garlic prawns are a must-try, with large shrimp hand-wrapped in batter, deep-fried, and tossed in a delectable garlic sauce. With two locations, one at Red Rock Casino Spa Resort, it’s an ideal choice for those seeking authentic Thai cuisine. The restaurant, helmed by award-winning chef Saipin Chutima, uses generations-old family recipes.
Dan Dan noodles feature stir-fried ground pork or chicken topped with Sichuan sesame and peanut sauce. Circa Resort & Casino showcases Chef Dan Coughlin’s innovative takes on Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisines. You’ll savor perfectly cooked rice noodles, crisp vegetables, and just the right amount of spice.
Plan Around the Plate
Planning your trip around a unique Las Vegas dish is possible. Once you figure out what that is—yes, there can be more than one—you can plan the rest of your vacation.
If you’re heading downtown to experience the unique Las Vegas dining scene, why not see what else is happening in the vibrant, historic district? Shopping, zip-lining high above, neon sign museums—these are just a few things you can do while exploring downtown.
