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A view of the Bellagio from Paris Las Vegas
A view of Paris Las Vegas from the Bellagio
Las Vegas News Bureau

12 Restaurants Where First-Time Las Vegas Visitors Should Eat

On your first visit to Las Vegas, lead with a memorable meal

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A view of Paris Las Vegas from the Bellagio
|Las Vegas News Bureau

Any first-time visitor in Las Vegas is likely overwhelmed by the sheer number of places to visit. A food lover may already have a list of go-to spots to try, while a newbie fresh off the plane might not come with an agenda. This list gives a little of both, with over-the-top experiences that come with a memory and a story to tell the friends back home. Those who want a deeper dive into the best of everything this city has to offer, beyond just tourist-friendly destinations can check outEater’s Guide to Las Vegas,Vegas Dining 101, or theEater 38. For the hottest restaurants of the moment, visit theEater Vegas Heatmap.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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Golden Steer Steakhouse

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Old school Vegas comes back to life at the Golden Steer, open since 1958. Booths here come with plaques remembering the stars of yesteryear who dined at the steakhouse. Mobster Tony "The Ant" Spilatro, actress Natalie Wood, singer Nat "King" Cole, baseball player Joe DiMaggio, Elvis Presley and race car driver Mario Andretti along with the Rat Pack stars Frank Sinatra, boxer Muhammad Ali all dined here. Table-side carts dish out Caesar salads, and anything with red meat is a must-order.

Black leather booths at the Golden Steer
The Frank Sinatra booth at the Golden Steer
Chris Wessling

Peppermill and Fireside Lounge

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Visiting Peppermill is a rite of passage for any Las Vegas visitor. Gaudy neon, trees draped over the booths, a counter for single diners, green and red sugar, and massive plates of diner fare are all worthy reasons to visit, especially late at night. Customers should have at least one drink at the neighboring Fireside Lounge’s firepit to complete that memory.

Neon lights inside of a diner
The Peppermill
Amelinda B Lee

Tacos El Gordo

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When it’s all said and done, at the end of the night you’re likely going to need a snack to soak up all the good times. That's when you should make a beeline for Tacos el Gordo. They’ve got several area locations, but the can’t-miss experience is lining up for late-night tacos with all the revelers on the Strip. You can’t go wrong with any of the taco fillings, but we particularly like the chorizo.

Tacos el Gordo
Tacos el Gordo
Tacos el Gordo

Partage

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The French trio of chef Yuri Szarzewski, pastry chef Vincent Pellerin, and manager Nicolas Kalpokdjian all worked in award-winning restaurants in France before opening Partage in a multicultural dining hub on Spring Mountain Road. Each of its surprise tasting menus feature interesting dishes made with seasonal ingredients — with affordable pricing. Five courses for $105, seven courses for $125, and nine courses for $160.

Tao Asian Bistro

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泛亞洲食品定義菜單,但是the possibility of spotting a celebrity walking past that giant Buddha floating above a pond Japanese Koi in the middle of the dining room is perhaps the highest here at this nightclub and restaurant at the Venetian.

A giant Buddha
Tao Asian Bistro
Venetian

Ping Pang Pong

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You can’t leave Las Vegas without sampling some of the city’s exemplary Chinese food. Ping Pang Pong is the gold standard for dim sum with roving carts loaded with mango lobster scallop rolls, duck buns, Sui mai, and much more. In the evening, the menu switches over to high-end Chinese dishes including Macanese crustacean claypot with a ginger laksa curry broth, roast duck, Cantonese princess chicken, and more.

Ping Pang Pong
Ping Pang Pong
Boyd Gaming

Bacchanal Buffet

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不可避免的,每個人都想要吃自助餐,如果only for the experience of piling as much unlimited food on a plate as possible. Bacchanal has always been one of the city’s best, but after a $2.4 million renovation during its closure in March 2020, there’s even more reason to visit. The whole place is built for spectacle: there are nine open kitchens where guests can see the food being prepared, and offerings span sushi and sashimi, a carving station, hot and cold seafood offerings, Mexican, pizza, barbecue, Chinese, Korean, and a center island dessert bar. Dishes change with the seasons, plus the buffet features at least 15 daily specials. Wear loose-fitting attire.

A dining room scene with light and airy colors
Bacchanal Buffet
Caesars Palace

Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen

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Reservations are tough to come by at Gordon Ramsay’s fourth restaurant in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace. The restaurant pays tribute to Ramsay’s Fox NetworkHell’s KitchenTV show with 8,000 square feet of themed space sporting an interior bar, two dining rooms, a showcase kitchen, and retail space. His famous beef Wellington, pan-seared scallops, sticky toffee pudding, and, appropriately, a Caesar salad make the menu.

Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen with a red side and blue side to the kitchen
Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen
Amelinda B Lee

Giada

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Giada De Laurentiis opened her first-ever restaurant in Las Vegas in 2014 and has remained a favorite among visitors. The Food Network star can regularly be found in the kitchen and walking through the dining room to meet and greet diners eating her California-influenced Italian food at The Cromwell.

A woman wearing a red dress
Giada De Laurentiis at Giada
Giada De Laurentiis

Mon Ami Gabi

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Queue up early to grab a seat on the patio of Mon Ami Gabi at the base of the faux Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner make the menu here at this French bistro, but it’s the people watching and view of the fountains at Bellagio that create the memories.

Patio dining on the Las Vegas Strip
Mon Ami Gabi
Mon Ami Gabi [Official Site]

Casa Di Amore

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At this off-Strip Italian restaurant, feast on generous servings of linguine bolognese, pasta carbonara, and ossu bucco in a classic restaurant with Rat Pack vibes. Inside, live jazz is performed nightly. Outside on the patio, find yet another classic Vegas dining trend — the tiki bar. If you’re staying on the Strip, give the restaurant a call at 702-433-4967 for free transportation.

Michael's Gourmet Room

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Gourmet roomsused to be all the rage in Las Vegas; Michael’s at the South Point is the only one that remains. This jewel box of a room deck out in red velvet features dashing servers decked out in tuxedos often making dishes table-side. Make it a romantic night with the chateaubriand for two and then order dessert from the pastry cart of fantasies.

A dining room bathed in red
Michael’s Gourmet Room
Eater Vegas

Golden Steer Steakhouse

Old school Vegas comes back to life at the Golden Steer, open since 1958. Booths here come with plaques remembering the stars of yesteryear who dined at the steakhouse. Mobster Tony "The Ant" Spilatro, actress Natalie Wood, singer Nat "King" Cole, baseball player Joe DiMaggio, Elvis Presley and race car driver Mario Andretti along with the Rat Pack stars Frank Sinatra, boxer Muhammad Ali all dined here. Table-side carts dish out Caesar salads, and anything with red meat is a must-order.

Black leather booths at the Golden Steer
The Frank Sinatra booth at the Golden Steer
Chris Wessling

Peppermill and Fireside Lounge

Visiting Peppermill is a rite of passage for any Las Vegas visitor. Gaudy neon, trees draped over the booths, a counter for single diners, green and red sugar, and massive plates of diner fare are all worthy reasons to visit, especially late at night. Customers should have at least one drink at the neighboring Fireside Lounge’s firepit to complete that memory.

Neon lights inside of a diner
The Peppermill
Amelinda B Lee

Tacos El Gordo

When it’s all said and done, at the end of the night you’re likely going to need a snack to soak up all the good times. That's when you should make a beeline for Tacos el Gordo. They’ve got several area locations, but the can’t-miss experience is lining up for late-night tacos with all the revelers on the Strip. You can’t go wrong with any of the taco fillings, but we particularly like the chorizo.

Tacos el Gordo
Tacos el Gordo
Tacos el Gordo

Partage

The French trio of chef Yuri Szarzewski, pastry chef Vincent Pellerin, and manager Nicolas Kalpokdjian all worked in award-winning restaurants in France before opening Partage in a multicultural dining hub on Spring Mountain Road. Each of its surprise tasting menus feature interesting dishes made with seasonal ingredients — with affordable pricing. Five courses for $105, seven courses for $125, and nine courses for $160.

Tao Asian Bistro

泛亞洲食品定義菜單,但是the possibility of spotting a celebrity walking past that giant Buddha floating above a pond Japanese Koi in the middle of the dining room is perhaps the highest here at this nightclub and restaurant at the Venetian.

A giant Buddha
Tao Asian Bistro
Venetian

Ping Pang Pong

You can’t leave Las Vegas without sampling some of the city’s exemplary Chinese food. Ping Pang Pong is the gold standard for dim sum with roving carts loaded with mango lobster scallop rolls, duck buns, Sui mai, and much more. In the evening, the menu switches over to high-end Chinese dishes including Macanese crustacean claypot with a ginger laksa curry broth, roast duck, Cantonese princess chicken, and more.

Ping Pang Pong
Ping Pang Pong
Boyd Gaming

Bacchanal Buffet

不可避免的,每個人都想要吃自助餐,如果only for the experience of piling as much unlimited food on a plate as possible. Bacchanal has always been one of the city’s best, but after a $2.4 million renovation during its closure in March 2020, there’s even more reason to visit. The whole place is built for spectacle: there are nine open kitchens where guests can see the food being prepared, and offerings span sushi and sashimi, a carving station, hot and cold seafood offerings, Mexican, pizza, barbecue, Chinese, Korean, and a center island dessert bar. Dishes change with the seasons, plus the buffet features at least 15 daily specials. Wear loose-fitting attire.

A dining room scene with light and airy colors
Bacchanal Buffet
Caesars Palace

Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen

Reservations are tough to come by at Gordon Ramsay’s fourth restaurant in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace. The restaurant pays tribute to Ramsay’s Fox NetworkHell’s KitchenTV show with 8,000 square feet of themed space sporting an interior bar, two dining rooms, a showcase kitchen, and retail space. His famous beef Wellington, pan-seared scallops, sticky toffee pudding, and, appropriately, a Caesar salad make the menu.

Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen with a red side and blue side to the kitchen
Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen
Amelinda B Lee

Giada

Giada De Laurentiis opened her first-ever restaurant in Las Vegas in 2014 and has remained a favorite among visitors. The Food Network star can regularly be found in the kitchen and walking through the dining room to meet and greet diners eating her California-influenced Italian food at The Cromwell.

A woman wearing a red dress
Giada De Laurentiis at Giada
Giada De Laurentiis

Mon Ami Gabi

Queue up early to grab a seat on the patio of Mon Ami Gabi at the base of the faux Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner make the menu here at this French bistro, but it’s the people watching and view of the fountains at Bellagio that create the memories.

Patio dining on the Las Vegas Strip
Mon Ami Gabi
Mon Ami Gabi [Official Site]

Casa Di Amore

At this off-Strip Italian restaurant, feast on generous servings of linguine bolognese, pasta carbonara, and ossu bucco in a classic restaurant with Rat Pack vibes. Inside, live jazz is performed nightly. Outside on the patio, find yet another classic Vegas dining trend — the tiki bar. If you’re staying on the Strip, give the restaurant a call at 702-433-4967 for free transportation.

Michael's Gourmet Room

Gourmet roomsused to be all the rage in Las Vegas; Michael’s at the South Point is the only one that remains. This jewel box of a room deck out in red velvet features dashing servers decked out in tuxedos often making dishes table-side. Make it a romantic night with the chateaubriand for two and then order dessert from the pastry cart of fantasies.

A dining room bathed in red
Michael’s Gourmet Room
Eater Vegas

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