Las Vegas is a culinary powerhouse, with the most concentrated group of star chefs and awarded restaurants of nearly any city. Most insiders will tell you that the opening of Bellagio in 1998 was the city’s bellwether moment. In came big-name, award-winning chefs and restauranteurs like Jean Georges Vongerichten, Sirio Maccioni, Michael Mina, Todd English, and Julian Serrano to change the restaurant landscape for the city forever.
The entrance of Wynn Las Vegas in 2005 began a new era for the culinary scene on the Strip: The hotel became an incubator for talent, propelling well-known chefs to culinary fame. And the 2006 arrival of two of Paris’ most acclaimed masters, Guy Savoy and Joel Robuchon, marked Las Vegas’ arrival on fine dining’s world stage. For chefs these days, opening in Vegas is the zenith of their careers. The city has become so muscular in the culinary world, it will be the second U.S. city ever (after New York City in 2016), to host The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, a week-long celebration of the restaurants voted on by a 1,000-member panel from 27 regions around the world.
Of course, restaurants love the bragging rights of Forbes ratings, Michelin stars, and Wine Spectator awards (Vegas restaurants have been awarded their share). But Vegas resort restaurants aren’t as dependent on Michelin’s stars as restaurants in other cities, with experiences designed to complement your entire Las Vegas visit, rather than check boxes on an international judge’s list. In fact, the Michelin Guide only operated in Vegas for a couple of years. Still, if you’re looking for award-winning restaurants, you’ll find them in the city’s most iconic and enduring fine dining restaurants. Here’s where to seek out stars.
First and Brightest Las Vegas Restaurant Stars
Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace
The only U.S. restaurant by Paris master Guy Savoy was awarded two stars by Michelin. It has a more modern, minimalist décor than many of Las Vegas’ most elite French restaurants, and there’s a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower across The Strip at Paris Las Vegas. It’s a perfect atmosphere for enjoying some of dishes that made the chef a culinary icon: his Colors of Caviar appetizer; the Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup, and salmon seared on an “iceberg” of dry ice. Tasting menus and a la carte dining are available.
Insider tip: For a true gastronomic adventure, book the private Krug Chef’s Table inside the kitchen, which has its own menu paired with bubbly from the House of Krug.
Joel Robuchon and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand
Created by and named after the world’s biggest star magnet—the late, great Gault Millau-named “Chef of the Century” Joel Robuchon—these side-by-side restaurants offer two perspectives on his cuisine. The formal Joel Robuchon, in The Mansion at MGM Grand, offers all the pomp and circumstance one might expect from the only Las Vegas restaurant ever to receive three Michelin stars—and décor worthy of a palace (think crystal chandeliers, freshly cut flowers, lush purple banquettes) and a Degustaton Menu of 11 courses, not including the fabulous bread cart, cheeses, and mignardises. Robuchon’s more casual Atelier (workshop), received one Michelin star. Here, guests enjoy dishes created in an open kitchen behind a wraparound bar that affords them the opportunity to strike up a casual conversation with their bartender, server, or the stranger next to them.
Fun fact: Joel Robuchon is one of four Las Vegas restaurants to receive Wine Spectator’s prestigious Grand Award for 2023. (The others were Restaurant Guy Savoy, Picasso, and Delmonico Steakhouse.)
Michael Mina at Bellagio
The seafood-focused flagship of a celebrity chef who currently operates five Las Vegas restaurants (and dozens around the globe) has been in operation since Bellagio opened its doors, although it was originally known as Aqua. The recipient of Mina’s only Las Vegas star ever, it’s by far his most elegant—and the best place in the world to experience signature dishes like his ahi tartare, lobster pot pie, and the caviar parfait he first served to his wife on their honeymoon. Executive chef Raj Dixit is constantly updating the menu with exciting new spins on ingredients from both the land and the sea.
Insider tip: You have to walk through the Bellagio Conservatory to get to this restaurant, so plan to arrive a little early to enjoy it and snap some photos.
Le Cirque at Bellagio
While Le Cirque was a centerpiece of the New York dining world from the 1970s through the early 2000s, this one-star Bellagio incarnation is now the only Le Cirque in the United States. Its whimsical circus-themed décor, designed by star architect Adam Tihany, hearkens back to a time when fine French dining wasn’t taken oh-so-seriously. But the food is focused and pristine, and the service is flawless. There is no a la carte dining. But the tasting menus (8-course, 4-course and 3-course pre-theater) offer multiple choices for each course.
Insider tip: Vegetarian menus are offered for each of the price points.
Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas
The first Chinese restaurant in North America to ever receive a Michelin star, the Forbes 5-starred Wing Lei offers a mix of Cantonese, Shanghainese, and Szechuan dishes prepared at a world-class level. They’re served in a dining room bathed in shades of jade and gold, with a golden dragon statue overlooking an orchard of century-old pomegranate trees just outside a window. Peking duck, dim sum and wok-fried Maine lobster are among the most popular dishes. But don’t overlook seafood delicacies like abalone, sea cucumber and geoduck.
Insider tip: For a deep dive into rare Chinese delicacies, ask to see the Far East menu, available on request
Nobu at Virgin Hotel Las Vegas
While Las Vegas now has three Nobu locations (Virgin, Caesars Palace, Paris), this recipient of a Michelin star was the only one in operation while the guide was in town. It’s still one of the best places to rediscover the dishes that made Nobu Matsuhisa a household name, many of which—yellowtail jalapeno, rock shrimp tempura, miso black cod—have been so widely imitated that many forget where they originated. But make sure to ask what’s new on the menu because the team is always innovating.
Fun Fact: When this restaurant opened, the Virgin resort was known as The Hard Rock, and the restaurant was the go-to dinner spot for the countless musicians who performed there.
More of the World’s Most Celebrated Star Chefs in Las Vegas
The restaurants below were created by some of Michelin’s most celebrated chefs.
Gordon Ramsay Steak by Gordon Ramsay at Paris Las Vegas
Gordon Ramsay currently holds seven Michelin stars and has received a total of 17 over his lifetime. And all six of his Las Vegas restaurants—which include a burger joint, a pub, and chippy (fish and chips spot)—offer great choices within the niche they cover. But it’s his Paris Las Vegas steakhouse that best exemplifies the fine dining chops that earned him all those stars. The restaurant has a sleek, modern design, and the menu goes well beyond Ramsay’s classic Wellington to offer a wide range of shellfish and caviar, chicken, Iberico pork and an excellent selection of American and Japanese beef.
Insider tip: All of Ramsay’s Las Vegas restaurants offer different spins on his famed sticky toffee pudding, which can make for a nice little tasting tour.
Rivea by Alain Ducasse at Delano Las Vegas
With 21 stars to his name, Alain Ducasse is Michelin’s most celebrated living chef. Had Michelin been operating in Vegas when this Mediterranean restaurant atop the Delano opened, it would be interesting to see how it would have fared. From starters like panisse (chickpea fritters), grilled octopus, and sea bass marinated in citrus, through a selection of pizzas and pastas, to steaks, seafood and duck, executive chef Bruno Riou offers seasonal dishes inspired by the food markets of Provence and Italy.
Insider tip: You can sample the Rivea team’s cooking, and take in the amazing view, at the much more casual Skyfall Lounge, located just next door.
Bouchon by Thomas Keller at The Venetian
Chef Thomas Keller was the first American chef to have two different restaurants, in two different cities, simultaneously awarded three Michelin stars: The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and Per Se in New York City. His three Bouchon locations (in Las Vegas, Yountville and Coral Gables, Florida) are more laid-back experiences with the same dedication to quality. They’re patterned after the casual bouchons of Lyon, France, with a pewter bar serving classic cocktails and vin de carafe, raw seafood and cheese, and a full menu of French comfort foods like steak frites, boudin blanc and an excellent croque madame.
Insider tip: When the weather is nice, Bouchon’s terrace seating overlooking The Venetian’s Venezia Tower pool offers some of the most coveted tables in town, especially during weekend brunch service.
Al Mancini has been reporting on the Las Vegas food scene for over 20 years, for over a dozen local and national publications. In 2022, he launched the Neon Feast mobile app and website, where more than 50 of Las Vegas’ top chefs, restaurant owners, critics, journalists and influencers share their restaurant recommendations in over 100 different categories. Download the Neon Feast app for free or visit NeonFeast.com.