Las Vegas

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Las Vegas: Whether Highs or Lows, Always Something

A January 2008 trip to Las Vegas by Michael Green

It's no secret that Las Vegas is home to a rapidly-emerging food scene; here's my list of favorites.

  • 8 reviews

Las Vegas: Whether Highs or Lows, Always SomethingBest of IgoUgo

Overview

It’s no secret that Las Vegas is home to a rapidly emerging food scene. With celebrity chefs from all over the world opening up new mega-size, über-expensive, and super-lux hotel restaurants every week, it’s almost impossible to keep track of what’s the newest. On the other hand, there are still some great values to be had going to “Old Vegas,” where those off-the-strip relics still have lots of life still left in them. Here’s my list of Vegas favorites, for everyone from the high-roller to the just-busted.

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Mon Ami GabiBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Best View
This French brasserie in the Paris Hotel has one of the most amazing views in all of Vegas. Sit on the outdoor patio, and enjoy a perfect view of the Bellagio hotel’s iconic dancing water fountain. Enjoy a glass of wine from the rolling cart servers and see and taste exactly what you want.
www.monamigabi.com
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2026

Mon Ami Gabi
Paris Hotel Las Vegas, Nevada 89019
(702) 944-4224

Lotus of SiamBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Best Hidden Treasure
Located in a strip mall next to an adult book store, this is one of the best insider secrets in Vegas. In one of the most ego-free settings in all of Vegas, a full mile off the strip, lies some of the best Thai food in the country. And at such reasonable prices, it’s no wonder you see chefs from every major casino winding down here. Watch the heat in some dishes though: If you’re sensitive to spice, what they call mild, you’ll probably call unbearable.
www.saipinchutima.com
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2026

Lotus of Siam
953 E Sahara Ave Las Vegas, Nevada 89104
702/735-3033

House of BluesBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Best Hangover Remedy: Gospel Brunch
Although the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay might be one of the more touristy places in all of Vegas, the Gospel Brunch is well worth the crowd. After a night on the town, is there any better way to indulge, rejuvenate, and purify than with hangover-killing greasy Southern food and a live gospel choir encouraging you to go for seconds?
www.mandalaybay.com
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2026

House of Blues
3950 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
(702) 632 7600

Canyon Ranch CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Best Way to Cleanse the Body
This outpost, of the high-end spa chain from Arizona, offers one of the few things you can’t find easily in Vegas: incredibly healthy food and drink. They employ multiple nutritionists, chefs, and food professionals to craft a menu meant to counteract anything else you may find yourself doing in Vegas. Open for breakfast and lunch only.
http://www.canyonranch.com/spaclubs/las-vegas-venetian.aspx
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2026

Canyon Ranch Cafe
3355 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
+1 702 414 3633

Joël RobuchonBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Joel Robuchon @ the Mansion"

Worth the Splurge
When legendary chef Joël Robuchon announced that he would be opening his first restaurant in the United States in Las Vegas, three years ago, it caused an uproar. That was the very moment that the Vegas food scene became legitimate. This refined, intimate restaurant has lived up to the hype, and has proven to be all Vegas: luxury, excess, and a minimum price of $225 per person for six courses ($360 for 16). Go if you hit big. Just remember: Never split 10s on the craps table.
www.mgmgrand.com/dining/joel-robuchon-at-the-mansion-french-restaurant.aspx
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2026

Joël Robuchon
Las Vegas, Nevada
(702) 891-7925

AureoleBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Go for the Wine, Stay for the Show
In Charlie Palmer’s Aureole, wine is the center of the action, thanks to the massive glass “tower of wine” containing 10,000 bottles located smack in the center of the restaurant. In an ode to Mission: Impossible, the gorgeous black-clad wine stewardesses for Aureole (or “wine angels,” as they’re called) are suspended by harnesses that allow them to shoot to the top of the 42-foot tower in about 10 seconds. Ordering a bottle has never been such an experience.
www.aureolelv.com
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2026

Aureole
3950 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
+1 877 632 7800

Golden Nugget BuffetBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Best "Old Vegas" Brunch
Located in the heart of “Old Vegas” on Fremont Street, the Golden Nugget offers a sprawling buffet for only $17.99 for dinner and Sunday brunch (when the Champagne is all-you-can-drink), and $10.99 for lunch. It’s no $2.99-lobster-and-steak dinner, but right down the block on Fremont is a massive light show, beginning at 7 p.m. every night and playing hourly until midnight. For a true taste of “Old Vegas,” make an evening of it.
www.goldennugget.com

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Michael Green on January 8, 2026

Golden Nugget Buffet
129 East Fremont St Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
+1 702 385 7111

About the Writer

Michael Green
New York, New York
  • "As Gourmet magazine's Wine and Spirits Consultant, I travel the world for Gourmet's Promotion Depart..."
  • 8 journals
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  • 57 reviews

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