The Best Restaurants In Las Vegas

Las Vegas may be synonymous with gambling, drunken weddings, and neon, but look beyond the blackjack tables, bottle service, and Elvis impersonators and you'll find a legit network of restaurants—because, believe it or not, people really do live here.

From storied steakhouses to laid-back barbecue joints, the Entertainment Capital of the World is loaded with gems on and off the Strip. Whether you want an epic big night out dinner and a show at the Bellagio or a simple bowl of ramen in Chinatown, this is our guide to some of the most noteworthy spots in Sin City. ​​Just be sure to reserve ahead of time, since the best places often fill up fast.

Looking for some ideas on where to rehash the night before over a plate of challah french toast? Here’s our roundup of Vegas’ best breakfast and brunch spots. And if you’ve been coming into town for years now, here are the buzzy new spots worth checking out.

VEGAS CLASSICS

Golden Steer is the oldest continually-operating restaurant in Las Vegas, which is only part of the reason why this institution, located in a strip mall off the Strip, is packed every night. Celebrities like Elvis Presley, Marylin Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Muhammad Ali, and the Rat Pack frequently ate here, so be sure to request the same red leather banquettes they once sat in—each booth is actually labeled by name. You can’t go wrong with any of the 35-day wet-aged steaks, but for Frank Sinatra’s off-the-menu favorite, order the 16-ounce New York strip cooked medium rare and topped with housemade pizzaiola sauce.

For an incredible Italian meal off the Strip, head to Ferraro’s for their legendary osso buco and a 65-page wine list that has bottles from every major winemaker from Tuscany and Piedmont. It’s been open for 37 years and is always filled with couples on dates, families, and people celebrating special occasions—whether that’s in the sprawling, dark-wooded space with plenty of private rooms, or on the surprisingly-quiet patio that seats 100 people. Ferraro’s is also great for a late-night dining scene, when people come from the casinos and spend their winnings on prime cuts of filet mignon, ribeyes, and rare bottles of Barolo.

Lotus of Siam serves incredible northern Thai dishes like creamy tom kha kai, savory khao soi, and spicy garlic pepper lobster. Add their new location at Red Rock Resort—their first spot within a casino setting—to your itinerary, and make sure to book in advance. This Vegas institution is perfect for dinner after a day at the pool, but would also work great for groups or a post-conference team dinner.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS

Don’t let the unassuming location fool you: Kame is one of the premier omakase dinners in the city and one of our favorite special occasion spots in town. They have two seatings every night that can accommodate eight people. Depending on the night, you’ll get stuff like caviar, uni, toro, and lobster with 24K gold—this is Vegas, after all.

This dimly-lit Italian restaurant excels in homemade pastas like spaghetti pomodoro and herb pappardelle with lamb ragu, but you shouldn’t stop there. The meats are a must, especially the bone-in New York strip that’s been dry-aged for 90-120 days with just the right amount of funk. Plan to visit before a concert or after an early show, and enjoy the prime view of the Las Vegas Strip from the front patio.

This is the first Mott 32 in the U.S., but the high-end Chinese restaurant has already become one of our favorite spots for a nicer sit-down dinner. The swanky dining room is the perfect place to celebrate a milestone birthday, anniversary, or whatever other big moment brought you to Vegas in the first place. The hot and sour Iberico pork Shanghainese dumplings are a must, as are the cocktails. If you’re banking on hitting it big at the roulette table, go for the apple wood-roasted 42-day Peking duck—just make sure to reserve it at least three days in advance.

This Chinatown gem does French tasting menus in five-, seven-, and nine-course seasonal options that change monthly. The main dining room is sleek and modern, with light fixtures that drip from the ceiling above cozy leather booths and a large glass window in the back that gives people sitting at the chef’s table a front-row seat to watch the kitchen in action. As for the tasting menus, no matter how many courses you choose, you can expect a stream of well-executed plates like Alaskan king crab jelly with a touch of caviar and seared foie gras topped with cotton candy.

Walk into Wakuda and you'll find that the glowing lanterns and neon lights immediately set the tone for a high-energy night out (no matter how sluggish you might still be feeling from the night before). Sure, you’ll find some of the freshest sushi in town, with king salmon from New Zealand that’s topped with a pinch of yuzu kosho, but Wakuda is more than just a glamorous sushi bar. The grilled meats, such as the $175, 10-ounce Tasmanian washu ribeye are also worth the splurge. If you want to totally ball out—and chances are you might, since you’re in Vegas—consider the $500 per person omakase that’s served in a secret dining room. And no matter how full you may be, always say yes to the soft serve miso ice cream.

DINNER & A SHOW

Delilah is one of the toughest reservations to get in town, but it’s a night out you should work to secure. The Art Deco-inspired decor, which could please any picky interior designer, is something you really have to come see for yourself, as there’s a strict “no photos” policy. Order the Stepford Wife (their take on a French 75) the famous chicken tenders, and the carrot soufflé from the menu of throwback American dishes and cocktails. As for the entertainment, you can catch a live jazz band, DJs, and maybe even a surprise celebrity performance—Justin Bieber, John Fogerty, 50 Cent, and more have done secret sets.

Part fine dining restaurant, part performance venue, Mayfair is the literal definition of dinner and a show. The under-the-sea theme makes you feel like you’ve stepped into Little Mermaid for grownups, not to mention you can see the famous Bellagio Fountains through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Waiters in white jackets serve up enormous seafood towers, tender A5 wagyu New York strip steaks, Maine lobster thermidor, and other American classics. Enjoy the champagne cocktail with a generous helping of cotton candy while you watch the singers and dancers in sparkly costumes belt out jazzy renditions of “Creep” and “Watermelon Sugar.”

CELEBRITY CHEF RESTAURANTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORTH IT

There’s no question that Joël Robuchon is among the best restaurants in Las Vegas, but we prefer L’Atelier, its slightly more affordable sister restaurant (where you won't feel out of place in more casual clothes). This is the best spot in town to get a once-in-a-lifetime French meal, all in a clubby setting with great bar seating where you can get a birds-eye view of the chefs while chatting up the stranger next to you. Order the famous mashed potatoes, langoustine carpaccio with lemon vinaigrette, and the foie gras-stuffed quail.

Michael Mina’s Bellagio restaurant is all about seafood, with preparations from Japan, Mediterranean, and French cultures. Like all the billionaires who are eating here, the fish gets flown in by private plane daily, which means the hamachi provençal is so fresh that it’s easy to forget Las Vegas is hundreds of miles from the ocean. The restaurant is in close proximity to the Bellagio Conservatory, so after you go to town on hot charcoal-grilled oysters and lobster pot pie, you can take in the seasonal display of float-sized floral creations.

Whether you’re vegan, with somebody who says seriously that they’re flexitarian, or just want to enjoy a meatless meal, Crossroads Kitchen is the place to go for fine dining that just so happens to be plant-based. The dining room feels a bit like a music industry executive’s formal dining room (think lots of dark wood and rock ’n’ roll photography on the walls). Start with the famous Impossible Cigars, a Moroccan-style egg roll made of savory vegan meat wrapped in a flaky, crispy wrapper that’s served with an almond yogurt sauce and presented in a wooden cigar box. The restaurant recently expanded its hours (and menu) to include lunch and weekend brunch, but you should really come here for dinner before catching one of Resort World Theater’s headliners.

LOCAL SPOTS

DW Bistro mixes Jamaican and Southwestern food in a dining room flooded with natural light—something you may need more of if you’ve spent the majority of your trip inside hotels. Here, you’ll find a mix of power lunchers and young families sharing spreads of New Mexican green chile mac and cheese and vegetable curry served over couscous. Go on a weekend for brunch, when you can order the jerk pork hash and french toast soufflé.

Dishes like beef cheek cacio e pepe agnolotti and rigatoni carbonara have made this Italian spot somewhere both high-power execs and downtown artists come for a meal. All of the pastas are made in house and most dishes cost between $20-30. We can never get enough of the homemade sourdough bread that comes in eight variations (go with a group and get them all). Just be sure to save room for dessert—particularly, the smooth butterscotch budino served with whiskey caramel, honeycomb, and whipped cream.

The Black Sheep specializes in modern, international twists on Vietnamese dishes that are worth the 20-minute drive away from the Strip. There are so many good options on the menu, but you should definitely go heavy on the starters, like the salmon skin tacos and the crispy imperial rolls filled with Duroc pork, shrimp, and pickled carrots.

On the far edge of Chinatown in a busy strip mall is where you’ll find EDO: a tiny Spanish tapas spot that weaves Asian flavors into a handful of dishes. If it’s your first time, go with the $75 chef’s tasting menu for a 10-course journey that includes plates like tempura squash blossoms, Peruvian baby scallops, and tuna carpaccio. Come here for a chill date night or relaxed dinner with friends off the Strip. Space is extremely limited, so reserve ahead of time.

Aburiya Raku, which specializes in robata cooking and oden recipes, is hands-down one of the best Japanese restaurants in the country. The Chinatown institution imports binchotan charcoal and condiments directly from Japan, and you can often find other chefs and hospitality workers eating here late (they’re open until 1am most nights). If you can, call at least three days ahead to reserve a premium or deluxe omakase, which is the best way to enjoy what the restaurant has to offer. Both tasting menus start with homemade tofu before the mixed appetizers, sashimi, grilled meats, a daily fresh fish, and dessert. Pair it all with something off their long sake menu.

La Strega is located 25 minutes away from the Strip in the upscale suburban neighborhood of Summerlin, and has quickly become one of the busiest—and best—restaurants in the area. It’s a great spot for a romantic dinner away from the casinos, where you can share a spread of fresh pastas, pizzas, and seafood in an airy dining room. The whole grilled Spanish branzino is a must, but equally solid is the flavorful Spicy Pig pizza with soppressata, smoked mozzarella, and chives, or the simple pomodoro pasta with blistered tomatoes and basil.

Though farm-to-table dining is hardly anything new, Honey Salt was the first to bring it to Vegas when the restaurant opened in 2012. The casual space gives upscale farmhouse energy with a massive exposed brick wall and chartreuse banquettes with plenty of pillows. Stop by for brunch and be sure to order something sweet like the brioche monkeybread coated with a bourbon caramel sauce or a chocolate chip cookie, fudge brownie hybrid called a Brookie. Wash it all down with the green goddess juice—nutrients your body probably needs right now.

SOMETHING CASUAL

There’s no better collection of some of the country’s greatest hits than at Block 16. From Nashville’s Hattie B’s Hot Chicken to New Orleans’s District Donuts Sliders Brew, there really is something for everybody at this food hall. Come here with a low-maintenance date or friend for a no-fuss meal in between hanging out at the pool and catching a concert. Other notable options include sushi handrolls from Tekka Bar, over-the-top sandwiches from Portland’s Lardo, and spit-roasted meats rolled in Korean flatbread from Bang Bar by Momofuku.

It makes sense that Good Pie’s owner has studied under some of the best pizzaioli in the world. Almost every type of pizza here is delicious, whether that’s a New York-style slice, thick rectangular Detroit options, or the thinner rectangular Long Island grandma pie. While the window and sidewalk patio in the Arts District are casual, the dining room is a nicer place for some carbs, cocktails, and large pitchers of sangrias. The gluten-free pizza is also a winner, and we love coming here for a low-key lunch, too.

Hobak Korean BBQ is our favorite place for grill-it-ourselves prime cuts of dry-aged beef, bulgogi, or premium pork. Come for dinner with a big group, but try to get here early to avoid long wait times. You’ll get plenty of banchan—including their outstanding kimchi—with your meats, and while you’re at it, you should order a flavored soju and let the energetic atmosphere and K-pop tunes take hold.

For a quick, piping hot bowl of ramen, Hashi is the spot. Whether you prefer a light shio or rich tonkotsu broth, this Chinatown noodle bar with counter service and a few small tables has a ton of different options, all for around $9. Although they’re best known for their shio, the Tori Paitan—a chicken version of tonkotsu—is a nice twist on a classic. You can customize your bowl with extra toppings, such as black garlic oil, tamago, bamboo shoots, or more noodles. They also have non-soup options, like the chashu don with braised pork belly that’s topped with green onions and nori flakes and served over white sticky rice.

Sandwiched between a pair of breweries in Downtown, SoulBelly uses its portion of their shared patio to house two massive smokers—and it’s impossible to walk through the Arts district, smell the Texas brisket, pork spareribs, and burnt ends and not stop by. You get all of that and more in the All the Meats Combo, which you’ll want to supplement with some homemade chicharrones or the cottage-style BBQ disco fries topped with cheese sauce, pulled pork, and giardiniera. The interior has a Texas honky tonk feel, with walk-up counter service and a small bar up front, along with a stage in the back that hosts live music several nights a week.