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Forget everything you have heard about the requisite all-you-can-eat buffet in Las Vegas. The city, long known solely for gambling, has secured its place among the world’s great food and drink destinations.

While this might sound far-fetched, consider the abundance of celebrity chef-owned dining establishments found in Las Vegas. Add to this the speakeasies that offer visitors a mysterious and sophisticated experience in their “secret” lairs. Top off the scintillating food scene with nightclubs that boast advanced technology and are nothing less than elaborate, aesthetically speaking.

Best of all, you get an inside look at which restaurants and bars are most worthy of your time, courtesy of this guide to the top places to eat and drink in Las Vegas.

Celebrity Chef-Owned Restaurants

ENJOY A RELAXED MEAL AT A FAMOUS FRENCH BISTRO

No international flight is necessary to eat at celebrity chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon. This casual, and famous, French bistro is located in The Venetian. The food and location are hard to beat. In fact, when it comes to the latter, Bouchon has the distinction of being a Michelin-starred restaurant. This is hardly surprising when you consider that Keller holds multiple three-star ratings and was named “America’s Best Chef” by Time Magazine. You will find elevated French bistro classics on the menu, which you can enjoy inside the restaurant or al fresco on the patio.

SAVOR UPSCALE ITALIAN CUISINE ACCOMPANIED BY BREATHTAKING VIEWS OF THE STRIP

Awash in sunlight streaming through enormous retractable windows, which is accented by chic décor in shades of white and cream, Giada is an impressive first restaurant for celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis. Californian influences give the upscale Italian dishes a special and unique flair. Diners can choose from menu options that include marsala herb chicken meatballs, vegetable Bolognese rigatoni, rosemary focaccia and lemon flatbread, chicken cacciatore, and lemon spaghetti. Lemon ricotta cookies and a selection of sorbets offer a sweet, and very happy, ending to the meal. This experience is enhanced by the breathtaking views of the iconic Caesars Palace you can get from the dining room.

GET AN AUTHENTIC JAPANESE EXPERIENCE AT A WORLD-RENOWNED RESTAURANT

Chances are, you have heard of Nobu. Its award-winning Japanese cuisine, overseen by celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, is eaten by the rich and famous in many of the world’s premium destinations. The Las Vegas location is the only Nobu in the United States that has Teppan tables. This feature gives you the opportunity to book the exclusive Teppanyaki experience. Guests can take their pick of sushi from the specially crafted tasting menu, with each course prepared right in front of them.

SKIP BREAKFAST IN FAVOR OF A PHENOMENAL FRENCH BRUNCH

Bardot Brasserie by celebrity chef Michael Mina serves meals other than brunch, but brunch here is an absolute must. Phenomenal French dishes served during brunch include croque madame and garlicky escargot. You can accompany your midday meal with a superb cocktail like the Bar Hemingway-inspired Serendipity or the Harry’s Bar-inspired Sidecar. Food is served on plates emblazoned with “Bardot” for a customized touch.

CELEBRATE THE FESTIVE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENT LATIN FUSION CUISINE

Celebrity chef Lorena Garcia has infused the menu at her Las Vegas restaurant, CHICA, with the flavors of Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. The result is a diverse selection of Latin cuisine certain to offer something delicious for everyone in your group. Garcia’s family recipe groups provided the inspiration for her creations, which include the Crispy Peruvian Octopus and Baby Back Ribs “Al Pastor.” One standout feature at CHICA is the custom open-fire grill. It is constructed of a charcoal oven and a one-of-a-kind wood fire rotisserie that burns a mix of oak and mesquite hardwood with traditional lump charcoal.

Speakeasies and Hidden Gems

GAIN ACCESS TO A HIDDEN SPEAKEASY WITH PURRR-FECT AMBIANCE

Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den is a unique blend of divergent design details that should not work together but are somehow perfect. Cultural Chinese elements mingle with brick walls, wooden rafters, and a distinctly industrial bar. You will find a tiger mural, a children’s poem written in Mandarin, and hand-painted Chinese ottomans alongside metal cocktail tables. The ambiance is both eccentric yet sleek, and grungy yet elegant.

In addition to the excellent cocktails, the best part of Kitty Kitty Vice Den might be its secret entrance, which is in Ms. Meow’s Mamak Stall, a small retail store found inside Famous Foods Street Eats. Find the bookshelf holding lucky cat sculptures and push on it to enter. You do not need a code or a secret word to gain access to Kitty Kitty Vice Den.

GO BACK IN TIME TO THE PROHIBITION ERA

One of the most intriguing eras in United States history was when consuming alcohol was deemed unlawful. Establishments were not allowed to carry it, either. Rather than banishing alcohol from restaurants and bars, the prohibition era created the speakeasy movement.

The Underground Speakeasy and Distillery, located in the Mob Museum, is a fitting representation of the speakeasies of the time. Here, you will find artifacts from the 1920s, a working distillery, and an Art Deco design scheme. Libations range from classic cocktails to potent moonshine, and you can listen to live jazz music while sipping them.

JOIN THE MOB AT A THEATRICAL ITALIAN SPOT

If you want to treat your travelers to a truly entertaining experience, Capo’s Restaurant and Speakeasy fits the bill. After ringing the bell, a brusque Mafia boss-esque character will slide a window open and grill you about why you want to enter. From there, you will follow him into the dim interior mob-era-themed Italian restaurant, where live music plays in the background. Pasta dishes lightly sauced with “Al Capone’s Family Secret” recipe are highly recommended.

SIT AT AN ULTRA-EXCLUSIVE CHEF’S TABLE

Arguably one of the most exclusive experiences in Las Vegas, Yaki-ba at Yui Sushi allows just two tables of diners to sit at its chef tables. Making reservations well in advance is strongly encouraged. The effort is well worth it, with guests feasting on a superb five-course dinner revolving around certified Wagyu beef. An undeniable luxury, the Wagyu beef is available in four-ounce or seven-ounce portions. Owan soup, sake, wine, and beer round out the menu.

Tech-Forward Night Clubs

DANCE TO MUSIC SPUN BY TOP-TIER DJS AT A CLUB PUSHING TECH BOUNDARIES

Zouk nightclub could have coined the phrase, “Go big or go home.” And in Zouk’s case, it definitely went big. The 20,060 square-foot venue is among the most technologically advanced nightclubs in Las Vegas. The pièce de resistance at Zouk is the Mothership, a three-dimensional sculpture that travels through the club and makes three-dimensional movements. Guests are also immersed in a kinetic visual experience brought to life by a custom-made ceiling of moving panels with high-resolution LED screens, moving heads, and pixel mapping technologies.

With an average wait time of one hour, you should plan to arrive early at Zouk to secure a place towards the front of the line. Rest assured, the mind-blowing technology and immersive experience is worth the wait.

INDULGE IN A LAVISH OPERA HOUSE EXPERIENCE MODERNIZED WITH TECHNOLOGICAL MARVELS

Have you ever been to a nightclub where the chandelier moves in sync with the music? You can say you have after you give Omnia Nightclub a try. Motion-detection technology works in tandem with liquid-crystal display screens that react to people walking by – syncing with the timecoding of the music. This high-tech process powers the chandelier to move as if it has been programmed to move perfectly in sync with each song.

The ambiance of Omnia Nightclub is also intriguing. In some ways, the 75,000-square-foot venue is reminiscent of an opera house from centuries ago. Yet, it is powered by technology that gives the space a modern edge.

It is undeniable: Las Vegas has surpassed its former reputation as a place where the only entertainment can be found in a casino. The strip and surrounding areas have come into their own as a world-class destination ideal for both group and solo incentive trips. 

Are you considering a travel incentive program? Contact Gavel International to help plan a program that maximizes your budget and results in rave reviews from attendees.

Eloisa Mendez
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