Las Vegas is on the bucket list of pretty much every travel junkie, and not just because of the superb gambling and massive potential payouts that are on offer. Where else can you see the Eiffel Tower and the Sphinx in the same place, after all?
The casino resort experience was first popularised in Las Vegas, and now destinations around the world know that they need to provide more than just great gaming. America’s playground has so much more to offer including opulent architecture, amazing shows, shopping spa treatments and, perhaps most importantly of all, food.
While the buffets in almost every hotel and casino are the stuff of legend, many famous chefs also have signature restaurants in Sin City. If you’re lucky enough to get there, you owe it to yourself to sample as many of the gustatory delights as you can. To inspire you, we’ve listed our absolute must-dine-at spots here.
The NoMad Restaurant
The NoMad Restaurant at the Park MGM is sister to NoMad New York and NoMad Los Angeles, owned and operated by restaurateur Will Guidara and chef Daniel Humm. Sit at one of the tables, in a private dining room or at the onyx bar and savour the signature whole roast chicken stuffed with brioche, black truffle and foie gras, the shellfish tower or the tender roasted branzino with fennel and citrus. Forget fine dining, this is sublime dining, and once you’ve eaten here you’ll understand why so many people make the trip specially to do just that.
Mott 32 Las Vegas
The Mott 32 restaurant brand is named after New York City’s famous Chinatown convenience store, and also has venues in Vancouver and Hong Kong with launches planned for Singapore and Bangkok. Famed executive chef Alan Ji serves up applewood-smoked Peking Duck, which is 48 hours in the making, along with other delights inspired by Cantonese, Beijing and Szechuan dining. The décor in the Palazzo venue is fabulously over-the-top, with every inch oozing Asian-style opulence.
Vetri Cucina
Vetri Cucina is the first expansion of the eponymous Philadelphia establishment owned by chef Marc Vetri, deserving winner of the James Beard Award, and eating here is truly an experience that you do not want to miss. Vetri takes incredible ingredients to dizzying new heights in his verdant Swiss chard gnocchi and brown butter, saffron fusilli with lobster and Pernod, and other plated sensations. The Murano chandelier and incredible view of the Vegas Strip are as unmissable as the food at the Palms Casino Resort location.
Hell’s Kitchen
If you’ve watched any of Gordon Ramsay’s television shows, you owe it to yourself to visit Hell’s Kitchen. There’s no better place than Vegas to watch the famously hot-tempered and critical chef put his money where his mouth is, and try to impress you with his own culinary creations.
One of the Strip’s few stand-alone restaurants, Hell’s Kitchen features an open-show cooking area and a massive screen where Ramsay himself will welcome you. Not sure what to order? Go with what the chef himself says is his best dish; Beef Wellington with glazed root vegetables. Whether you’re out on the town having fun or getting into some real money pokies, there’s something for everyone in Las Vegas!