Las Vegas Restaurant Picks (2020)
Having grown up in the restaurant business and having a true affection for chefs and workers in the restaurant industry, the pandemic has been tough. We spend a lot of time reminiscing about favorite meals out. Las Vegas was the last place we visited before the pandemic shut the entire world down. Between work and visiting family, we go to Las Vegas a couple times a year, and over the years have accumulated a list of favorite restaurants. Most of these are independently owned, off the strip, and scouted out primarily by my family who thankfully have great taste in picking fun local places. Since one of the most popular “ask:s I get is for my family’s Vegas restaurant picks, here – straight from my notes I keep in my cell phone – is a list of our favorite Las Vegas restaurants we hope survive the pandemic:
Chinatown
Chinatown is a fairly short hop via cab or ride share from the strip. It’s also a great area to eat out at on your way home from hiking Red Rocks if you’re heading back towards the strip.
Sparrow + Wolf. If you ask me what my current favorite restaurant in Vegas is, this is it. A relatively new, hip modern establishment, featuring Asian fusion cuisine. Have you ever had salsify? I hadn’t either…until we came here. And if you want to indulge in the richness of bone marrow or food gras, this is the place (just don’t order at all at the same meal unless you want to set your pancreas on fire). Share a bunch of small plates among your table and try as many dishes as you can. The amaro tasting is a great way to end a meal. Well worth a cab or rideshare to dine here.
Joyful House. While not quite as elegant as the high end, expensive Chinese places on the strip (hi, Wing Lei), this is our pick for high end Chinese that won’t break the bank. If you have never had Peking duck, this is the place to get it.
China Mama. A favorite post hike pit stop for the heavenly soup dumplings (my absolute favorite Chinese food, ever). The cumin lamb is also a family favorite.
Near the strip:
Italian
Italian American Club. You don’t have to be a standing member to eat here, and it does have a bit of a Godfather vibe. Live music and solid, very reasonably priced Italian fare.
Casa d’ Amore. A fun local’s favorite for it’s extremely late hours (in case you need a second dinner at 2am) and live music. The osso bucco is excellent. Best of all – they will pick you up from the strip and give you a ride to the restaurant (hopefully this feature returns post-pandemic).
Ferraro’s. Located next to what will be the new Virgin Hotel (the former Hard Rock Hotel) is fancy, upscale, and amazing Italian. Favorites include the stuffed peppers, osso bucco, and any pasta.
Asian
Lotus of Siam. This is one of the best Thai restaurants in the country and another top pick for us. They are open weekdays lunch (no lunch on weekends) and most nights for dinner (reservations a must). Our favorites are the nam kao tod appetizer, garlic prawns, and khao soi.
Mexican
Tacos and Beer. A great taco joint with a hipster vibe, close to the strip on Paradise Dr. Favorite tacos are the pork with green sauce, the chicken tinga, and the rajas con crema – and they let you mix and match. Their sister restaurant down the street Firefly, serves spanish tapas.
Lindo Micheocan A more traditional Mexican restaurant serving Michoacán cuisine. Start with the table-side guacamole and a Cadillac margarita. Off of Desert Inn, not far from the convention center and the strip..
Splurges on the Strip
New places crop up all the time – and it can be hard to keep track of the current Celebrity Chef du Jour. Our picks for casinos with lots of great restaurant options:
- Cosmopolitan: Scarpetta (Italian), Rose Rabbit Lie, Momofuku, and Jaleo by Jose Andres are just a few. You can pack a lot in here.
- Caesar’s Palace/Caesar’s Mall: Joes Stone Crab, Il Mulino (Go for the veal chop and the buccatini), soon to open Amalfi by Bobby Flay (Mesa is sadly closed for now), The Slanted Door (Vietnamese).
- Venetian/Palazzo: Bouchon (French), Sushi Samba, Sugarcane, and Taos (expensive, but dinning can get you a free entry to the club – or at least it did in the past).
- Wynn/Encore: top notch food…for a top notch price. This is our pick for brunch and for a buffet.
- What we can’t wait for: Virgin’s grand opening.
Places we find ourselves going to on repeat:
Wynn Jazz Brunch at Lakeside: our pick for a high-end brunch with the best selection of fresh seafood, accompanied by a fun New Orleans jazz band.
Joes Stone Crab – for what else, but stone crab – and those amazing grilled tomatoes that you just have to try. Located in Caesar’s mall.
Rose Rabbit Lie bills itself as a “modern supper club”, but the fun part is the live eclectic entertainment, making it one of our favorite places to take friends to.
Sushi Samba. A Japanese-Peruvian-Brazilian fusion restaurant in the shops at the Palazzo (next to the Venetian). The “cocktail tree” is a fun sampler for a group. Many eclectic small plates designed to share.
Bouchon by Thomas Keller is a current favorite for French classics, and has a beautiful outdoor poolside patio. This is also a great breakfast option, if you want something a little fancier – the outdoor patio is lovely in the mornings.
What if I just want pizza?
Grimaldi’s, a Brooklyn establishment, has an outpost at the Fashion Show Mall (across from Wynn) and in the Palazzo. Whatever pie you order, top it with fresh ricotta. On the other end of the strip, check out the hidden take out pizza place next to Scarpetta at the Cosmopolitan.
High Roller Happy Hour How-To
The High Roller is well worth a spin, and makes for a great pre-dinner (or post dinner) activity. It takes approximately 30 minutes for the 550 ft ferris wheel to circle, and you hardly feel it move. Sunset and evening hours offer the best views; we try to time it for sunset. Buy your tickets in advance on line. There are two ticket types and hence 2 lines when you arrive: the regular adult/child, and the “happy half hour” open bar ticket. Do NOT be tempted to buy tickets for the “happy half hour” – it sounds glorious to ride in a car with an open bar, but it is cheep booze, limited drink options, and it isn’t as though you are going to get more than 2 drinks during that time (1 bartender: ~16 passenger ratio). Your more expensive ticket also gets you a cram-packed car – and a long wait (~30-60 min) before your ride because this is the ticket everyone else is buying. Pick the “adult anytime” ticket instead, which will get you practically zero minutes of waiting and you may luck out with a car all to yourself. Still want a drink for your ride? Just buy one at the bar next to the ticket office (no lines or crowd there), and enjoy it in the peace and quiet of your empty car.
Need to burn off some of those calories? Check out our separate post on hiking in Las Vegas!