There are many reasons to visit Las Vegas, Nevada — the widespread wheelchair accessibility, beautiful hotels, award-winning shows and world-class cuisine all come to mind. In this article, I’d like to focus in on that last point: the food. Visitors to Las Vegas can choose from hundreds of restaurants, tasting dishes from world-renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller and Wolfgang Puck — just to name a few. As a regular visitor to Las Vegas who has tried most of the city’s top restaurants, these are my 15 favorite places to eat on the Vegas Strip!
Hell’s Kitchen (Caesars Palace)
Although this list is presented in no particular order, I do have a favorite Las Vegas restaurant and, it just so happens, I have listed it in this first position. Hell’s Kitchen by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is a restaurant that all Las Vegas visitors look forward to experiencing. Conveniently located at Caesars Palace, it’s a great choice for either lunch or dinner, and the option to order from a prix fixe menu can help budget-minded travelers plan appropriately.
Gordon’s signature Beef Wellington is offered on the prix fixe menu, which you can order for $65.95 at lunch, or $75.95/$85.95 at dinner. Although I do love the Beef Wellington, I ordered from the main menu on my last visit. The prime dry-aged New York Strip with glazed maitake mushrooms was delicious, and I paired the steak with two sides: baked macaroni & cheese and a perfect potato puree.
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill (MGM Grand)
I am a creature of habit and typically order Wolfgang Puck’s Jidori Chicken or smoked salmon, but decided to try a daily special on my last visit: a Mesquite-grilled Prime Ribeye steak.
You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but WP’s Mesquite-grilled steaks are definitely a new favorite of mine. With lunch or dinner and a drink, diners should expect to spend between $45 and $100 per person at this restaurant.
Sinatra (Encore at Wynn Las Vegas)
Encore at Wynn Las Vegas invites you to “pay tribute to Frank [Sinatra] with sophisticated riffs on classic Italian cooking” at their award-winning restaurant, Sinatra.
I love Italian food, and Sinatra is one of the best places to find it in Las Vegas. Pair your meal with a delicious cocktail (I recommend the Danny Ocean, with Hendrick’s Gin) or glass of wine, enjoy the swing tunes and the upscale surroundings. A meal at Sinatra makes for a wonderful start to a night out, or a whole night out in and of itself.
Old Homestead (Caesars Palace)
Have you ever tasted a $40 cheeseburger? You can come close with the OH Burger at Old Homestead inside Caesars Palace — $38.95 for a burger and fries.
The restaurant lighting is dark and, even with the iPhone 12 Pro, I wasn’t able to capture the glory of this burger in a photo. The OH Burger is, and you’ll have to trust me, the best burger in Las Vegas that you can hold in one hand. There are flashier burgers in this town, garnished with French fries, onion rings, bacon and the like — but none are as high-quality as this one.
Dry-aged beef patty. Carmelized onions. Cheddar cheese. All between a brioche bun, toasted with foie gras butter. Bon appétit!
Hash House A Go Go (The LINQ)
Let’s role-play for a moment.
It’s noon, and you’ve just woken up after a late night out on the Las Vegas Strip. You’ve maybe had a few too many to drink and are now really hungry. What you need is, without a doubt, Hash House A Go Go.
It’s one of the best deals on the Las Vegas Strip, and it’s more food than you can eat. Order one of the restaurant’s famous hashes and you’ll be served more than a pound of food in a steaming cast-iron skillet.
What’s in that skillet? Two eggs, crispy fried potatoes, meatloaf, roasted peppers, fresh spinach, mozzarella, a biscuit and several pieces of fresh fruit. All for only $16.99. I guarantee you will hunger no more.
Bardot Brasserie (ARIA)
To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of French cuisine. But I can always get behind steak frites, which Bardot Brasserie at the ARIA Resort & Casino does really well. The restaurant is one of Chef Michael Mina’s, and it makes one of the best Beef Wellington meals on the Strip — large enough to serve two.
I am told that the restaurant also does seafood well, but I have not tried it myself. A friend recommended trying the roasted sea bass, but I sprung for a steak instead (and was pleased!).
Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar (The LINQ)
Something I did not know until recently: This restaurant isn’t actually owned by Guy Fieri, even though his name is on it. The restauranteur and Food Network star famous for shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has taken to licensing his name, and this is one such example. But, don’t be deterred — it’s still a great choice!
The menu features a number of extra-large burgers that require two hands to hold and, since I’ve only got one hand, I order the baby back ribs.
Seven words you need to know: Fall-Off-The-Bone Baby Back Ribs. That’s what you’ll get at Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen. They’re delicious, smoky, St. Louis-style BBQ ribs. The half rack for $23.99 comes with mac ‘n cheese, coleslaw, Texas toast and pickles. Enjoy!
GIADA (The Cromwell)
If you watch NBC’s TODAY Show in the mornings, you are probably familiar with Emmy Award-winning celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, who crafts dishes on the show. Her first restaurant, GIADA, opened at The Cromwell hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
I was recently joined there for a meal by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (just kidding!). I enjoyed the lobster ravioli, and followed that with two scoops of gelato. Other popular dishes at the restaurant include lemon spaghetti, chicken cacciatore, rosemary focaccia and vegetable Bolognese rigatoni.
Lakeside (Wynn Las Vegas)
Who doesn’t love dinner and a show?
At Wynn’s Lakeside Restaurant, you can have both at the same time. Reserve a table outdoors and you’ll be within view of a waterfall that transforms into a movie screen and a stage for animatronics displays, like a large frog that pelts out the hits of Frank Sinatra. No two shows are the same, and they run every 30 minutes beginning at dusk.
Of course, there is much more to Lakeside than the entertainment on Wynn’s Lake of Dreams.
Lakeside serves Hawaiian seafood, which they say is line-caught by family fisherman on the islands and flown directly to Las Vegas. Whether the claims of freshness are true or not, my Lakeside meals have been fantastic, including the Mahi Mahi pictured above. If you like seafood, you can’t go wrong with a meal from Lakeside — and don’t forget to pair it with one of their specialty cocktails.
Peppermill Restaurant
Hash House A Go Go isn’t the only restaurant that serves up a hearty breakfast. Another one of my favorite breakfast/brunch spots is the Peppermill Restaurant, located on the north side of the Strip between Encore and The STRAT.
Peppermill’s portion size is enormous, with one meal often being enough to satisfy two diners. I’m currently craving their French toast and Belgian waffles, so that’s what I would recommend ordering.
Although I prefer to dine at Peppermill during the morning hours, they are open late into the night, serving from a great dinner and drink menu. In the evenings, you’ll be able to check out the “neon-lit lounge with romantic booths, fruity cocktails, elegant servers & flaming reflection pool.”
Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill (Caesars Palace)
Gordon Ramsay is so good, he has two restaurants at Caesars Palace. And, his Beef Wellington is so good, it’s served at both Hell’s Kitchen and this, the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill.
STRIPSTEAK (Mandalay Bay)
STRIPSTEAK is the second restaurant by Chef Michael Mina on this list, and it’s located inside the Mandalay Bay and Delano hotel/casino resort. This was the chef’s first steakhouse, and it does not disappoint.
It may be sacrilegious to say that my favorite meal at a steakhouse is actually seafood — the Scottish salmon, to be exact. It really is delicious! No matter your tastes, the $75 prix fixe menu will deliver with a salad or prawns to start, followed by a flat iron steak, chicken entree or the Scottish salmon, and a piece of cheesecake to wrap up.
Primrose (Park MGM)
Primrose, located at the smoke-free Park MGM hotel, is a great spot to enjoy a proper breakfast. It’s more affordable than some of the other breakfast restaurants inside MGM properties, and a traditional steak and eggs meal with potatoes will only set you back $25.
If you like mimosas in the morning (who doesn’t?), you can order the all-you-can-drink mimosa package for just $35. If you play the free MyVEGAS Rewards game, you can redeem points for a free mimosa pass. Now you know one of the reasons why this restaurant is on my list. 😜
NoMad Library Restaurant (NoMad/Park MGM)
The stunning NoMad Library Restaurant located at NoMad/Park MGM is the perfect setting for an intimate meal with a partner or with friends — floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the walls, and the dimly lit dining room encourages quiet conversation.
The menu is diverse, with a variety of meat and seafood options, including the restaurant’s signature Tomahawk Steak and Lobster Thermidor, both of which are intended for two guests. My go-to has always been the slightly more affordable dry aged NY Strip Steak, paired with sides to share with the table (the ridiculous Mac & Cheese with lobster and black truffles is a treat). The final tab will set you back a few Benjamins or more, but the NoMad Library is a unique restaurant that is sure to leave you with a memorable experience.
Mizumi (Wynn Las Vegas)
Mizumi is one of the top-rated Japanese restaurants in Las Vegas, and in the western United States for that matter.
The restaurant by Chef Min Kim features ocean fresh sushi, sashimi, Kobe wagyu beef and modern Japanese specialties. Pair your meal with one of the signature cocktails, or choose from one of the small batch whiskies or Japanese craft beers. Whether you dine inside or outside, you’ll have a view of a Japanese garden, koi pond and a 90-foot waterfall. Seriously, don’t miss this incredible dining experience.
Other favorites that didn’t make the list
There are so many amazing restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip, so I was bound to leave a few out. Here are five bonus restaurants to consider trying on your next trip to the most fun city in America.
- Picasso (Bellagio) — French restaurant with real paintings by Pablo Picasso.
- Bavette’s (Park MGM) — You’ll fall in love with this restaurant before you’ve even tasted the steak.
- Spago (Bellagio) — Wolfgang Puck’s top restaurant in Vegas, and it’s costly.
- Bouchon (Venetian) — If you like French cuisine, Chef Thomas Keller is the man.
- Catch (ARIA) — Epic renditions of Asian-influenced sushi, seafood and steak.
What are your favorite restaurants and meals in Las Vegas? Let me know in the comments below!
