Vegas is a hoot. With its flashing lights and every activity somehow inducing, in my case, a mild to severe case of motion sickness, this fabulous section of the Nevada desert is a dizzying plethora of bright lights and big screens. Heck, even the sauna I visited for some much-needed "zen" had a flatscreen in it.
It’s shamelessly, gorgeously tacky. Overstimulating is an understatement. But taste, while subjective, is probably not what springs to mind first and foremost when you think of Las Vegas. Well, I’m pleased to report I was pleasantly surprised with matters of the palate while there.
Big-scale franchises, classic fast-food joints, and ostentatious building design collide on the Strip. At 4.2 miles long, there are more restaurants and bars packed onto this famous stretch of road than feathers on a showgirl’s headdress. This larger-than-life highway, equipped with replicas of well-known city landmarks like New York’s Empire State Building, Paris’s Eiffel Tower, and Egypt’s Sphinx, somehow pulls off such Disneyfication with flair. It’s not just world-class landmarks Vegas is looking to place on its own map, though – now it’s seeking culinary recognition, too.
But where to eat that isn’t In-N-Out Burger, you ask? Well, thanks to Michelin launching their guide to the American Southwest, it might be a little easier to know.
The Michelin Guide Southwest covers four states: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The inaugural restaurant selection was revealed at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the newest of the casinos, which opened in 2023 and boasts a 150,000-square-foot gaming floor with opulent chandeliers so large and heavy that they must cost more in hanging logistics than they do in value.
Michael Mina – Caviar Parfait
Cheryle O'Gara
We attended the ceremony while there. There were showgirls and a "caviar ballpit photo opportunity." Naturally, I cried during the awards section. Chefs donned their whites and made speeches about following their dreams. Look, I am easily moved – or just happy to do something for an hour that doesn’t trigger a motion-sickness migraine.
It’s a return of the awards to Vegas after a 17-year hiatus, but also an expansion to the wider Southwest regions of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Restaurant de Joël Robuchon earned two Michelin Stars, following on from its successful origins in Paris, while Guy Savoy Las Vegas wowed judges into awarding its first Vegas star with its quiet elegance and modern, design-led interior – a stark contrast to the superb garishness of Caesars Palace.
We tasted its signature black truffle and artichoke soup, a rite of passage during a visit as much as losing some money on blackjack. But the real showstopper happens before you even dine: witness a bread trolley wheeled to your table, complete with a butter dome, while you peruse a tome of 2,800 wines, the most expensive priced at over $270,000.
Guy Savoy won its first star
Other one-star winners included Spanish contemporary é by José Andrés and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Las Vegas. Outside of Vegas, Utah saw its first star for modern American dining at Monte. Of course, stars aren’t everything. Maybe to chefs but not to diners. Michelin’s guide and Bib Gourmand recommendations also support visitors browsing for options, highlighting 64 restaurants across 24 cuisine types.
At the luxury end, Gordon Ramsay, Carbone, LAVO, Spago by Wolfgang Puck, and Michael Mina at the Bellagio all offer spreads for diners looking to splurge beyond the betting tables. Meanwhile, Downtown in the Arts District and Chinatown, there are more informal options that don't scrimp on culinary invention and taste.
With the introduction of Michelin, the competition heats up. Newer chefs come to the table to showcase their talent and culinary prowess – and some who didn’t catch a star this time are already proving their worth.
Kwame Onwuachi of Maroon
I’m placing my bets for next year on Chef Kwame of Maroon, whose Caribbean-infused steak and peri-peri salad will make you want to start a petition for Nando’s to never use that word in vain again. He brings impeccably friendly service and inventive twists on the classic steakhouse with a sexy date-night feel to The Sahara Casino.
Over at Wynn’s Casa Playa, executive chef and James Beard Award winner Sarah Thompson is thinking outside the box, running menu collaborations with other high-accolade chefs such as two-star Filipino bakery Kasama in Chicago, and Dakar NOLA, currently placed 4th on the US’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Unlike our European counterparts of Paris, Venice, and Rome, which managed to secure reimagined landmark real estate on the Strip, the UK doesn’t have a casino modeled around it. I wonder what that might look like? Afternoon tea slot machines? Football-themed shopping malls? Not to fear, we do have our own mark though. Not only by way of Gordon Ramsay’s face appearing on every third billboard and six restaurants on the Strip, but more notably with the recent launch of Gymkhana bringing Indian fine dining to Nevada.
Gymkhana now has a restaurant in ARIA
It’s an import that took more than ten years to plan and execute following the success of the two-Michelin-starred Mayfair spot, which earned its first star within a year of opening in 2013. The Vegas edition is a high-octane, boudoir-style cousin: moody lighting, circular cocktail bars, and a sexy house soundtrack. Yet it features the same quaffable lychee martinis and flagship tandoori lamb chops. The menu also boasts Vegas-specific additions like beef short-rib pepper fry and a decadent Wagyu keema naan.
So what does this all mean? At a time when the discourse around star merit swells, and London’s critics and chefs continue to interrogate the value of Michelin’s system, Vegas is introducing it. Are they late to the party? Or about to start a new one?
Well, one thing’s for certain: Vegas sure as hell knows how to show people a good time. And introducing any legacy system known for high quality can’t be a bad thing.
Especially if, like me, you win big at the roulette table and have hangover-induced decision fatigue. Now there’s an even clearer list to work through and spend your winnings on something far more decadent than Chick-fil-A.
We stayed at ARIA, 3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, with room rates starting from around £130.
