Michelin stars once again belong to Las Vegas. When the Michelin Guide unveiled its inaugural American Southwest selection at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, four Las Vegas restaurants earned stars. Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand received two, the highest distinction awarded in the region, while é by José Andrés at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand and Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace each received one.

But Michelin returned to a considerably different dining city than the one it left after its 2009 guide. Las Vegas today has internationally recognized chefs working both on and off the Strip, independent restaurants attracting national attention, and dining rooms that operate at a scale unimaginable in other major American restaurant cities. The Michelin Guide is also only one of several international organizations taking a fresh look at what is happening here.

So rather than simply ask chefs about stars, we went directly to some of the people shaping Las Vegas dining now. Around the Michelin ceremony, we asked Michelin-recognized chefs and other leading restaurateurs about the dishes diners shouldn't miss, what they can accomplish in Las Vegas that they couldn't elsewhere and what having Michelin back means for the city. Here is what they told us.

 

Joël Robuchon

Joël Robuchon emerged with Las Vegas' highest Michelin distinction: two stars. The recognition belongs to the restaurant rather than any individual chef, something particularly evident in a dining room where the experience extends far beyond the dishes themselves. Elaborate bread and pastry programs, meticulous service and a deeply experienced front- and back-of-house team remain part of what has made Robuchon one of Las Vegas' defining fine-dining experiences. The restaurant also received a separate recognition, for service.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Next door, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon earned one Michelin star. The counter-style restaurant provides a more immediate view of the kitchen and a different expression of the Robuchon philosophy, with chef David Lee leading its current chapter.

é by José Andrés

Hidden within Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, é by José Andrés is almost the inverse of the enormous restaurants for which Las Vegas is famous. Its intimate tasting-menu format places just a handful of diners directly in front of the chefs preparing an elaborate progression of dishes. Michelin awarded é one star in its new Southwest guide.

Restaurant Guy Savoy

Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace also returned to Michelin's starred ranks. The French fine-dining restaurant received one star, placing it among the four Las Vegas restaurants at the top of Michelin's inaugural Southwest selection.

COTE

The Korean steakhouse COTE was among the city’s Michelin Recommended restaurants. Founder Simon Kim and chef David Shim know the Michelin world well: COTE has earned stars in other markets, while their Las Vegas restaurant translates the concept into something bigger, more energetic and distinctly suited to the city. At The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, serious Korean cooking and exceptional beef meet the energy and sense of occasion that define COTE, all delivered on a scale that is uniquely Las Vegas. We spoke with Kim and Shim about what Michelin’s return means for the city, the dishes diners shouldn’t miss and what they can do here that they can’t do anywhere else.

Year One: The Conversation-Starter

From newly recognized Michelin chefs to those whose restaurants are helping redefine what Las Vegas dining can look like, Michelin's return brings inspectors anonymously returning to dining rooms and measuring them against the same standards used in Tokyo, Paris, New York and other Michelin destinations. But the chefs we spoke with also make something else apparent: Las Vegas dining didn't stop evolving while Michelin was away. The city Michelin has returned to is bigger, more diverse and more ambitious than the one it last evaluated. And with inspectors now returning year after year, this first selection may prove considerably more interesting as a starting point than a conclusion.