The restaurant scene is changing fast in Las Vegas. Gone are the days that only celebrity Chefs can make name for themselves by spending millions on design and marketing. Now we have a whole new breed of Chefs who made their way via the kitchens of the world to work their way up into their own Vegas kitchen – and then become loved without the need of reality shows and drinking competitions.
Here are the hottest five restaurants that everyone is talking about right now in the culinary world in Las Vegas:
Herringbone in Aria
3730 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89158
Herringbone has become the brunch restaurant where everyone who is anyone goes to be seen. With its beach-roots, market-driven menu, live music and the amazing outdoor space, it’s become one of the hottest spaces in Vegas overnight. Good luck getting in for Brunch if you’ve not made a reservation. Food expert Michael Uzmann called it a “focus on seasonality as well as top-tier ingredients there are few places in the city serving oysters or shellfish of such quality at this hour, not to mention coffee as good as that from LA Mill via Pourover.”
Le Pho Downtown Las Vegas
353 E Bonneville Ave #115, Las Vegas, NV 8910
If you’ve not heard of Le Pho, you’ve not been online lately. Almost every single reviewer in the world has been there, and everyone is astonished about how amazing Pho can be when done by the best Vietnamese Chef in Las Vegas. I had the opportunity to eat at Le Pho with veteran reviewer and part-time unicorn hair stylist, Al Mancini of VegasSeven, who totally gobbled up and loved the pho-dipped banh mi and called the restaurant “Pho-Nomenal.” I agreed with his review and was amazed by the quality: “As soon as it arrived at the table, I knew I was in for a treat. The smell was an intense deep meaty smell, with just enough steam rising from the broth to let me be able to inhale and immediately enjoy. The first taste of the broth was even better, with the unique deep flavor I’ve never had before with Pho. I recognized the flavors but they were more intense, more of them, fresher, better.”
Bardot Brasserie in Aria
Aria, 3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
While Michael Mina has put his name on this restaurant, Chef Josh Smith has made it his own with an amazing menu that rivals the best French restaurants in the world. They just won an award from the Southern Nevada Concierge Club for the “Best French Restaurant” in Las Vegas, and everyone is talking about it. As we said in our interview with him, “The food is clearly French, but also amazingly unique in every dish. From foie gras on top of French toast, to poached eggs and duck on waffles, the food is made to the highest quality, but at the same time something that reminds you of good home cooking at the same time.”
Gordon Ramsey Steak
3655 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Gordon Ramsey not only gave his name to the restaurants, but also occasionally actually makes his way into the kitchen to cook and sometimes entertain guests. Despite being opened a few years ago, it’s one of the hottest, most difficult restaurants to book a reservation on. The food is absolutely excellent, minus some consistency problems that still plague them with the Beef Willington, which despite being the most famous dish from Hell’s Kitchen, named signature dish of the year by someone, occasionally has issues. Last time we were there however, it was perfect however.
Hexx Kitchen + Bar in Paris
3655 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Besides having one of the best views of any restaurant in Las Vegas, and an amazing patio that allows visitors to watch the Bellagio Fountains, their menu is absolutely outstanding. I’ve been eating lunch there frequently, and almost every visit is completely packed. If you don’t make a reservation and come after noon, you’ll probably either wait in line, or not be able to get a seat for an hour or so, if at all. The outside on beautiful days (which there are a lot) is almost always packed with all sorts of tourists and locals. Michael Uzmann called it “the very best 24/7 space in a city where such things are not for lack, the food and service far better than they really need to be while a world-class Chocolate program continues to grow in back.”
