No one goes to Las Vegas to restrain themselves, and meals are perfect for a little — or a lot — Sin City-style indulgence. From Rat Pack-era steakhouses to glittering establishments that boast some of the country's best fine dining, there's no shortage of places that will try to give you the meal of a lifetime. Here's a variety of only-in-Vegas spots that should be at the top of your "must" list.
Related: Must-See Vegas Attractions That Aren't on the Strip
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Why you can't miss it: It's simple, really: You come to this rotating restaurant at the top of the former Stratosphere (now The Strat) for the breathtaking view of the Strip and the rest of Las Vegas' twinkling lights 800 feet below. The restaurant makes a full rotation once every 80 minutes, so you'll get to take in every panorama. Fortunately, the food and service also get top marks from reviewers, and you may even see the Stratosphere's SkyJump participants zoom past the window during a controlled jump to the ground below.
What to eat: Tripadvisor reviewers say the rich lobster bisque and flavorful surf and turf (make any steak surf and turf for an extra charge) are equal to the sublime views.
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Cuisine: Steakhouse
Why you can't miss it: The Golden Steer is the best place to pay homage to "old Vegas," a place where you can dine where icons like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Elvis came to have a square meal. The dark wood paneling, dim lighting, and shiny red booths make this place the best kind of time warp, as does the over-the-top service — you even get to watch your Caesar salads made tableside.
What to eat: Treat yourself to the filet — one Tripadvisor reviewer calls it "like meat candy just melting in your mouth" — and a twice-baked potato. Follow it with the restaurant's signature bananas foster, flambeed while you watch.
Cuisine: Contemporary French
Why you can't miss it: Executive chef Julian Serrano's restaurant at the Bellagio has earned two Michelin stars and top ratings from AAA and Forbes, so you know the food will be exquisite. But art lovers are also in for a treat, as there are several original Picasso paintings on the walls. The views of the Bellagio's famous fountains from the patio are nothing to sneeze at, either.
What to eat: Try one of the restaurant's can't-miss dishes, roasted Maine lobster.
Cuisine: Buffet
Why you can't miss it: Though buffets have lost some appeal during the pandemic, you haven't really "done Vegas" until you've overindulged at at least one massive casino buffet. By all accounts, Bacchanal at Caesars Palace is one of the best spots to do that. At any given time, you'll have about 500 items to choose from, plus about 15 daily chef's specials plus vegan options and a selection of Laotian, Filipino, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese dishes.
What to eat: Yelpers say the prime rib is worth the inevitable line, and the crème brulee seems to be the star of the massive dessert selection.
Cuisine: Seafood/raw bar
Why you can't miss it: There's more to Vegas than the Strip, and if you're up for a bit of a drive, dinner at one of the city's buzziest new restaurants is unlikely to disappoint. Where other Vegas restaurants are cavernous, this one is intimate — it only seats 45 — and it's housed in an unassuming strip mall. But there's no need for any gimmicks, because the food is indisputably the star of the show.
What to eat: After starting off with waffle fries and spicy tuna tartare, face-plant into the raw bar's mouth-watering selection of oysters, sushi, sashimi, and ceviche, Yelpers recommend.
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Cuisine: Spanish
Why you can't miss it: You'll find this exclusive restaurant-within-a-restaurant at Jaleo, celebrity chef Jose Andres' restaurant at the Cosmopolitan. Beyond the hush-hush glass door is a nine-seat chef's table with blood-red walls and curtains where guests can enjoy avant-garde Spanish cuisine. The prepaid reservations don't come cheap: They start $290 a person, not including booze or tip. But you're not just paying for food — this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch a master chef show off.
What to eat: Expect selections to vary, but past highlights have included an edible sphere sangria cocktail and cotton-candy empanadas with a foie gras filling.
Cuisine: Diner
Why you can't miss it: This self-proclaimed "Vegas as Vegas gets" 24-hour restaurant on the Strip is unabashedly stuck in an early '70s — the interior is festooned in pink and blue neon, stained-glass Tiffany-style lamps, and fake trees. Selections from the massive menu are served up in equally massive portions by waitresses in bright, school-girl-style skirts; in the adjacent lounge, Technicolor drinks are liberally garnished with fruit, paper umbrellas, orchids, and more.
What to eat: The French Toast Ambrosia and 10-egg omelets (served all day, just like all of the restaurant's breakfast items) have endured since the Peppermill's opening.
Cuisine: Classic French
Why you can't miss it: With a ceiling draped circus-tent style in a rainbow of fabric, intimate Le Cirque could feel more garish than elegant. But enthusiastic diners say that's absolutely not the case, and they extol the virtues of the AAA Five Diamond cuisine and attentive service. Though a meal here doesn't come cheap, it's one of a handful of Vegas restaurants that's truly worth the steep price tag, reviewers say.
What to eat: Try the duck à l'orange or the roasted sea bass. Follow it up with another Tripadvisor favorite, the chocolate soufflé served with créme anglers and créme fraiche
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Why you can't miss it: This is Las Vegas in all of its gimmicky glory — embrace it and enjoy. At Blackout, you'll eat in complete darkness, in a dining room that has been designed to eliminate all outside light. Your server, of course, is outfitted with night-vision goggles. Don't worry about seeing the menu, because it's prix fixe. Part of the adventure, of course, is figuring out what you're actually eating.
What to eat: If we told you, it would spoil the fun! But all items are plant-based (vegetarians and vegans, rejoice) and the restaurant will ask about any allergies beforehand.
Cuisine: Italian
Why you can't miss it: With its red leather booths, memorabilia-covered walls, an unchanging menu, and a strolling accordion player, Battista's Hole in the Wall has old-school Italian atmosphere in spades. And it's a good value, too: Along with a main entrée, all dinners include soup or salad, garlic bread, a side of pasta, and cappuccino. Diners also appreciate the large carafes of free house wine.
What to eat: Tripadvisor reviewers say you can't go wrong with red-sauce classics like lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs.
Cuisine: Contemporary French
Why you can't miss it: If you're a fan of fine dining, Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand should be your holy grail among Las Vegas' many storied establishments. It's still the city's only three-star Michelin restaurant, plus it's earned five diamonds from AAA, five stars from Forbes, and the exclusive Grand Award from Wine Spectator. The dazzling, dramatically purple space features marble floors, plush banquettes, crystal chandeliers, modern art, and towering mirrors that complement the artful French cuisine.
What to eat: Tripadvisor reviewers recommend La Langoustine, a truffled langoustine ravioli in a foie gras sauce. They also rave about the dizzying number of selections on the bread and dessert carts, so be sure to save room.
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Why you can't miss it: While there are plenty of places to go in Vegas for a spectacle, and plenty of places to go for top-notch food, in most cases they're not one and the same. New at Caesars Palace, Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen manages to give diners both — and do it well, TripAdvisor reviewers say. Designed to make patrons feel like they're on the set of Ramsay's hit reality show, it's a cavernous place with screens of the chef flinging his signature insults and teams of red and blue chefs "competing" to serve you their best efforts.
What to eat: The Beef Wellington, served with potato puree, glazed root veggies and a red wine sauce, is "the pinnacle of what that dish can be: tender, deeply flavorful and simple," Food and Wine once raved. The sticky toffee pudding also got their nod.
Cuisine: Japanese
Why you can't miss it: There might not be a prettier restaurant in the city, and that's saying a lot in aesthetics-obsessed Vegas. Mizumi, at the Wynn, is set alongside traditional Japanese gardens, a koi pond, and a dazzling waterfall, tucked away from prying eyes by high rock walls. There's even a floating pagoda table for those who really want to wow a special someone. The food is no slouch either — Conde Nast Traveler says it's "pure, unadulterated elegance."
What to eat: A shared plate of the Crispy Brussels Sprouts will tickle your taste buds, Tripadvisor reviewers say. Then, splurge on as much sashimi and sushi as your stomach can handle.
Cuisine: Steakhouse/continental
Why you can't miss it: A rose for the lady? Impeccable service from a waiter in a tuxedo who seems like he time traveled from the '70s? It's all part of the experience at Hugo's Cellar, a Fremont Street staple hidden away in the basement of Four Queens Hotel and Casino in old downtown Vegas. Like The Golden Steer, tableside salad prep is part of the "show" here, but so is a complimentary dessert plate of decadent chocolate-covered strawberries.
What to eat: Hugo's does old school dishes well, Tripadvisor reviewers say. They particularly recommend the prime rib, rack of lamb, and bananas foster.
Cuisine: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern
Why you can't miss it: Dinner at Marrakech is the type of immersive experience Vegas is known for. Venture off Strip to dine in a Moroccan-style tent, surrounded by intricate lanterns and tapestries, while belly dancers in glittering outfits entertain you during your feast. They may even encourage you to join them for an impromptu lesson. The traditional Moroccan fare is served in as part of a six-course, prix fixe menu.
What to eat: Reviewers say highlights include the beef kabobs, harira soup, and homemade bread and hummus.
Cuisine: Burgers
Why you can't miss it: Heart Attack Grill on Fremont Street relishes controversy, and if you want to come to Vegas for the spectacle — well, this is it. Diners over 350 pounds eat free at this brash burger joint (of course, they have to prove their girth by weighing in on an electronic cattle scale) where waitresses dressed as scantily clad nurses "prescribe" a diet of calorie- and cholesterol-packed meals. You'll even have to suit up in a hospital gown before being served. After all, it could save some time — at least three patrons have suffered real heart attacks and one has died on the premises.
What to eat: We can't in good conscience recommend it, but the restaurant's craziest menu item is the 4-pound Octuple Bypass Burger. You can also wash down your Flatliner Fries, cooked in lard, with a Butterfat Milkshake.
Cuisine: American (new)
Why You Can't Miss It:Tucked behind a pawn shop (how very Vegas), this quirky, comfort-food-centric restaurant will give you plenty of Instagrammable moments that seem absolutely apropos for a Vegas adventure. The menu, rife with unexpected combinations, is also a hit with those who've raved about it on Yelp.
What to Eat: Split the grilled cheese, smoked bacon, and tomato soup dumplings, order your own Mexican street corn ravioli, and, if you're not getting the Beauty's Wonder Wheel (though you should), the chocolate peanut butter cake has been called "unbelievable" or the "les, NYC" doughnuts and their dark chocolate, berry, and caramel sauces are a must.