5 places to dine in Las Vegas when the boss is paying
Whether you’re trying to impress a client or your employees, or have a huge expense account and the boss doesn’t mind an occasional splurge, opportunities abound in Las Vegas to run up that restaurant tab. Here are five — and don’t worry, we hear it’s deductible.
Joel Robuchon
Joel Robuchon was named chef of the century by the Gault Millau guide and at one time held more Michelin stars than any chef in the world. He passed away two years ago, the but culinary lion’s work lives on in those he trained, and his three-Michelin-starred spot at MGM Grand is a fine example of Robuchon’s attention to the smallest detail. The nine-course degustation menu, which comprises 17 small dishes, costs $445 per person (without wine), but there are less-expensive options if you want to spare the boss. Along with countless delicacies, you’ll find the best mashed potatoes on the planet.
MGM Grand, 702-891-7925, mgmgrand.com
Restaurant Guy Savoy
Guy Savoy is a fine French chef in his own right with a raft of Michelin stars, although today he may be most popularly known as the guy who honed Gordon Ramsay’s obsession with perfection. His 14-course Prestige Tasting Menu will set you back a comparatively slim $385 per person but everyone at the table needs to order it, so get that credit card ready. Expect such dishes as seared foie gras with sea urchin, pistachio and blood orange, and the chef’s justly famous artichoke and black truffle soup.
Caesars Palace, 702-731-7286, caesars.com
Vetri Cucina
Marc Vetri’s restaurant at the recently reborn Palms may be Italian, but it’s definitely not your neighborhood Italian. Vetri has said he wants his 56th-floor restaurant — with broad expanses of window to fully take in the view of the Strip just a block away — to be a special-occasion, destination spot, and indeed it is. Don’t expect spaghetti and meatballs; do expect oxtail lasagna and smoked goat with soft polenta.
Palms, 702-944-5900, palms.com
The NoMad Restaurant
Park MGM has a hotel-within-a-hotel in an offshoot of New York’s NoMad, complete with a “Grand American restaurant.” The interior is over-the-top refined, with a collection of books reportedly once owned by David Rockefeller. On the menu you’ll find variations on classics in the likes of filet mignon with bone-marrow crust and roasted asparagus, tableside steak tartare and the signature roast chicken for two with foie gras and black truffle stuffing.
Park MGM, 702-730-7685, parkmgm.com
Scotch 80 Prime
Scotch 80 Prime is not only a restaurant to see — and be seen in — but also to occasionally spot a celeb or two. And it’s perfect for dining with friends, with a mesquite-fired crustacean tower in two sizes, an elaborate golden osetra caviar presentation and Chateaubriand for two. Or get A5 Japanese Kobe, at $49 an ounce with a four-ounce minimum.
Palms, 702-942-7777, palms.com
Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.