31 Best Restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada

Seating is at a premium in this softly lighted strip mall robata, a favorite of almost every chef in town. At 5 pm sharp every day but Sunday, doors open for small-plate offerings of creamy house-made tofu, fresh sashimi (no sushi), and savory grilled meats, fish, and veggies (cooked over charcoal imported from Japan) that reflect the culinary mastery of its Tokyo-born owner-chef. An efficient waitstaff will visit your table to describe the spendy chalkboard specials and also to suggest which seasonings—which include five soy sauces, three salts, and four sugars—will best accent a particular dish. An ample list of sake (including a monthly sampler of three) and à-la-carte menu items, such as the sashimi salad, Kobe beef liver sashimi, and steamed foie gras egg custard, is also provided. Raku also offers omakase, which showcases the chef's choice of the best dishes each day. Raku Sweets, in the same shopping plaza, offers a few elaborate desserts and some savory dishes.

Palace Station has for years flown under the radar of most visitors, although a 2018 refurbishment gave it new life, especially its restaurants. One holdover is the justly popular Oyster Bar, which has a cult following among the cognoscenti, not to mention long waits during peak hours (reservations aren't taken for the limited seating area). You won’t go wrong with chilled seafood or steamers, but the pan roasts are truly sublime, with a base of brandy-infused tomato creating a seafood stew. It’s open 24/7, so avoid the long lines by going at an off-hour.

Chocolate—dark, white, and milk—flows from a tall glass fountain at the entrance of this stunning pastry shop just off the Bellagio's famed conservatory. This artful homage to chocolate has decadent desserts, including cakes, cookies, macarons, gelato, hand-dipped chocolate candies, and particularly memorable crepes (try the one filled with caramel sauce, caramel candy pearls, and whipped cream), as well as salads and sandwiches (Parmesan crisp grilled cheese!). Seating is limited. It's open late, until 11 pm daily.

This pan-Asian spot from a brother-and-sister team from California's Sonoma County is a lively, colorful, and contemporary anchor for the renovated and expanded Palace Station. Boathouse covers the gamut from small plates to large-format seafood, such as whole live lobster and whole live crab, as well as sushi, rolls, crispy crab wontons, and hard-to-find foods like abalone. There are blackboard specials and a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 pm in the bar area.

Since Bobby Flay has always been known for his grilling skills, a burger place just seems like a natural choice. But these aren't just any burgers; order Bobby's Crunchburger, and you'll find it piled with potato chips for the signature sound. There are salads and kids' meals, too, as well as thick shakes and even beer and wine. Breakfast is served from 7 to 11 am daily. Also at Caesars Palace on the Center Strip and Harrah's on the North Strip.

Fans of the bygone Pink Taco will smile in recognition when they see its replacement's layout is much the same, including the convivial center bar. New operators still offer a Mexican menu and Día de Los Muertos decor, and the place is arguably even more fun now, thanks to greatly expanded outdoor patio seating against the backdrop of the pool area that keeps the 3–5 pm happy-hour crowd buzzing with hibiscus margaritas and sangria (special prices are in the bar area only). You have to comb the corners of the menu to find anything more adventurous than tacos and burritos, but they come in every form, from the standard chicken and carne asada to grilled fish and cauliflower. A Sunday brunch offers day-drinkers the tantalizing combination of mariachi bands and a $45 "bottomless" mimosa.

The excitement was deafening from Philadelphia-native locals and visitors when this Sahara opening was announced, largely because of its legendary (and reportedly addictive) “world famous” crab fries—french fries with crab seasoning, also available topped with actual crab or lobster. There’s plenty more on this menu, though, including four varieties of Philly cheesesteaks, plus warm or chilled lobster rolls, burgers, and more. The late-night menu, served at the bar from 10 pm to midnight daily, is brief, but all the favorites are on it.

With 24-hour service and graveyard specials, Crown & Anchor is uniquely Las Vegas (and a favorite haunt of students from nearby UNLV). Most of the food is British, including the steak-and-kidney pie, bangers and mash, and authentic fish-and-chips. Sandwiches with American and British flavors are plenty, with frequent specials. The decor and faux-cottage exterior are decidedly British, and special events add to the fun: on New Year's Eve the celebration starts when it's midnight in the United Kingdom, which is 4 pm in Las Vegas. Long known as the all-hours Las Vegas mecca for British soccer die-hards, the pub has changed with the times and found ways for Vegas Golden Knights broadcasts to cohabitate with the Premier League, such as offering half-price appetizers during Knights games. The Little Crown & Anchor on Spring Mountain Road is, as the name implies, a smaller version.

Della's is of the new school of updated, farm-to-table resort coffee shops. Both breakfast and lunch are available all day. For breakfast, consider a ricotta toast with local honey, hot smoked salmon or carnitas Benedict, or the pumpkin pie stuffed French toast. At lunch try the barnyard chopped salad or toasted cheese with tomato soup. The restaurant squeezes fresh juices to order.

Locals and visitors alike were delighted when New York's cronut king set up shop in Las Vegas, at Caesars Palace across from The Colosseum. The shop serves Ansel's cronut creations as well as French pastries such as the best-seller kouign-amann, tiger-striped pain au chocolat, huge nutty almond croissants, macarons, and canelés. Mini-madeleines are piped to order and served warm, and Ansel's signature chocolate chip cookie shots and frozen s'mores are made while you wait. Creative, beautiful pastries like the Goldfish, flavored with calamansi, coconut, and mango, are another specialty, and quiche and sandwiches are available. There are a few seats inside if you'd like to sit while indulging in a croque monsieur.

You'll forget you're in Las Vegas after a few minutes in this relaxed and unpretentious Downtown cantina. All the combinations and specials are good, but the best play here is to order the house-made tamales. There are five tamale options in all: pork, chicken, beef, cheese, and a sweet dessert tamale with pineapple and raisins. You also won't go wrong with the Mexican sandwich, served with guacamole, tomatoes, and fries. Stop in on a Wednesday night, and you might see a crowd gathered for the fútbol game on satellite-provided Mexican TV. There is another area location at 3250 North Tenaya Way in Summerlin.

Every day is Día de los Muertos at this chic, skull-festooned cantina in Tivoli Village, where a pair of brightly colored calacas guard the entryway. Once inside, prepare to encounter a different kind of spirit: namely, a vast selection of tequila, with over 100 varieties available in this eye-popping, high-end Mexican eatery. The menu is as inviting as the rose-covered walls, ranging from gourmet filet mignon tacos to lobster fajitas to signatures like their cedar chipotle salmon. Brunch is served all day, and there are family packages to feed the whole brood. The focus here is on using organic and non-GMO ingredients made fresh daily, meaning there's not a microwave in the house.

Swoop into this authentic, cozy Italian coffee bar in The Palazzo's Waterfall Atrium for richly brewed premium beverages, flaky pastries, and warm panini. This smart, colorful nook offers 36 flavors of glorious, creamy gelatos, as well as fresh dessert crepes, soups, and salads. Bonbons, truffles, and chocolate-dipped fruits are also available.

Inside Downtown's bohemian temple, the Emergency Arts Building, this restaurant features what they call a "scratch kitchen concept." It may sound rather pot-lucky, but this isn't the standard chain-food menu (despite being part of a California-based chain). How does this sound: skirt steak with broccolini, red chimichurri, chili flakes, Parmesan, and lemon zest; a cowboy burger nearly tipping over with shoestring onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, and a beer barbecue sauce; and a bourbon barrel cake. That's just for starters. For imbibing purposes, sample the local craft beers, small-batch whiskeys, and classic cocktails. And don't miss the daily "Hoppy Hour."

Food halls have replaced buffets in several Las Vegas casino-resorts, but nobody does it as well as Resorts World, which has one with 16 minirestaurants and a pour-it-yourself bar. Famous Foods is inspired by the street markets of Southeast Asia, and the cuisine skews in that direction, with dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, Hainanese chicken rice, yakitori, and Thai-styled braised beef. But you’ll also find Indian and FIlipino food, burgers, Texas barbecue, and Marcus Samuelsson’s Nashville-style hot chicken.

As the name suggests, this hip bistro focuses on small plates (many less than $10) that reflect most of the world's cuisines. Order several and you've got a meal, made even better with one of Firefly's signature sangrias or mojitos, available by the glass or pitcher. Options include ham-and-cheese croquettes, meatballs in a sherry-tomato sauce, marinated and grilled octopus, and shrimp in lemon-garlic-butter sauce. A few heartier entrées, such as paella, are offered as well. In the spring of 2023, the original location moved a mile or so to a larger building (which some may remember as McCormick & Schmick's) on the edge of the Hughes Center office park. There is also a second location in Southwest Las Vegas at  7355 S. Buffalo Drive.

Since Gordon Ramsay's been known to flame a contestant or two, it's only fitting that his burgers are cooked over a hardwood fire. If you're looking for something a little different, consider the UK Burger, with Dubliner cheese and Major Grey's Chutney, or the Stout Burger, with Guinness mustard aioli, Gruyere, mushrooms, and crispy onion strings. Dig into one of Ramsay's rich desserts while enjoying the roaring fire.

Warm earth tones, soft music and lighting, cloth napkins, and marble-topped tables are an elegant milieu in which to enjoy a glass of wine and mélange of appealing, freshly cooked flavors and textures—Asian nachos, double-stuffed potato spring rolls, stacked chicken quesadillas—24 hours a day. Located right off the main casino floor, this convenient chain eatery offers eclectic menu items and familiar crowd-pleasers: pizza, pastas, barbecue ribs, burgers, BLTs, and even wood-grilled filet mignon or rib eye. The "Lux" operates as a subsidiary of the Cheesecake Factory, so not only is it a reliable option for a more casual meal, it also offers its signature cheesecake for dessert. (You can also get one to go in the adjoining bakery, as well as coffee and pastries.)  Happy hour, from 4:30 to 6 on weekdays in the bar, brings food and beverage specials. And there's another location in the Palazzo.

There will be no quiet conversations here, just a loud dose of kitsch at this gargantuan offshoot of Munich's most famous brewery. The interior beer garden can make you feel like a tourist within a tourist town. As you down a brew in those notorious liter mugs, the drinking contests and strolling musicians somehow become more and more agreeable on too-hot Vegas evenings. Pair your beer with hearty Bavarian classics, including Bavarian potato soup with sausage, Wiener schnitzel, goulash, and Schweinebraten, or updated dishes such as chicken schnitzel salad or vegan frankfurters. For dessert, try apple strudel or Black Forest chocolate cake. 

Holsteins made its reputation (which has been known to draw the occasional celebrity) on burgers, burgers, and more burgers. But the restaurant is also known for its "Bam-Boozled" shakes, which are just as fun as they sound. Start with Philly Egg Rolls or Buffalo chicken dip, followed by a burger like the Forager Burger—a beef and mushroom patty topped with mixed greens, a fried egg, tomato confit, and Swiss cheese—or a turkey or vegetarian burger, which is chicken breast on a bun or a salad. It's hard to miss; just look for the great big cow.

Taking its name from two owners (both named Larry), this barbecue joint moved to inherit the smoked meat addicts left stranded when Memphis Championship Barbecue abandoned the same location. The atmosphere is unchanged, and they didn't have to worry about the delicious smell of smoke that saturated the sheet-metal–accented interior. Barbecue fans are picky, but L2 seems to have held its own. It certainly delivers on quantity: the big hook is a $35, all-you-can-eat-in-one-hour special. Smaller appetites will find the usual one- or two-meat dinner platters, and those not so infatuated with barbecue will be happy to find an array of sandwiches and burgers to choose from for about $14, and even—gasp—a healthy roster of salads.

This intimate, casual restaurant focuses on wine and Mediterranean-inspired small plates such as sweet and salty bacon-wrapped dates with blue-cheese fondue, and beef carpaccio with mushrooms and truffle aioli. The  wine list reflects global selections, with an emphasis on Europe. The menu groups the offerings by provenance and preparation: From the Sea, Farm, Oven, Garden, Grill, Butcher, and so forth. A fiery chorizo, andouille, and pepperoncini flatbread is ideal for sharing, and vegetable dishes, including a beet and burrata salad with arugula, satisfy those with dietary restrictions. There also are charcuterie and cheese selections, and a number of vegan dishes. During the butler-style, all-you-can-eat brunch from 10 to 2 on weekends, expect the likes of a snickers pancake, veal short rib hash, and filet mignon eggs Benedict. Vegan selections are available. 

Bank Atcharawan, who started out as the sommelier at Lotus of Siam, is known to Las Vegas foodies for his wine pairings. He developed a following with his bygone restaurant Chada, and is now back in business in Chinatown. The wine racks behind the register and the multi-page wine list set this restaurant apart from some of its noisy neighbors, along with a romantic, jazz-music vibe (after sunset, the view of the rear of the neighboring Macy's home store fades away). The menu is smaller and more creative than the standard Thai eatery as well, with crisp-fried meats—Panang Crispy Duck, Pla Crispy Beef—as the focus of several dishes. There's another location in Henderson ( 2645 St. Rose Pkwy., Suite 150).

Javier Barajas, the congenial owner and host of this colorful cantina group, named it after his birthplace in Mexico. He presents outstanding specialties that he learned to cook while growing up in the culinary capital of Michoacán. Don't miss the carnitas and try the cabrito birria de chivo (roasted goat with red mole sauce). Guacamole is made tableside, and the flan is a silken wonder. There's no reason to stick to Mexican-restaurant basics when the menu is so expansive—the lunch menu alone offers 37 choices. Two newer locations are in Henderson and Summerlin, but the original is a singular experience: A dense labyrinth of rooms with arched ceilings and brightly colored walls covered in bric-a-brac, and table visits from strolling mariachis.

Independent restaurants in Las Vegas have such a struggle that Nora's is a refreshing success story. It's so popular with locals that it was able to build a new home, ground up, within walking distance of the old storefront location (now the equally worthwhile Monzú Italian Oven, owned by a family member) that fueled its 24-year reputation. The newer building adds patio seating and a Josper charcoal oven, which combines traditional grilling with a tandoor effect. But it remains a dark wood-and-white tablecloth kind of place with fetching food and a nice ambiance for repeat customers. There’s traditional pizza, pasta, and veal, but the adventurous won’t be disappointed in Nora’s collection of unique dishes such as wild boar pappardelle, or the “Crazy Alfredo,” which combines fettuccine with shrimp, chicken, sausage, roasted bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and jalapeños. Another favorite is the "Alla Nora" of baked spaghetti and eggplant with a meat sauce plus pesto and Parmesan.

This house-made pasta pioneer (which sells to Strip resorts) is part restaurant and part art gallery, showcasing the owner's works. Pasta is, as you might expect, the specialty here, shown to advantage in dishes such as Artisan Pasta Anne (spinach pappardelle with grilled shrimp, feta, and tomatoes in a scampi sauce). There also are vegan dishes, pizzas, and salads, including the popular "Live Forever Salad" with wild greens, brown rice, tomatoes, and roasted cashews.

Eleven-time world pizza champion Tony Gemignani installed four ovens in this heavily renovated, industrial-chic space in the Downtown Third district so he could produce all styles of pizza: Neapolitan, Romano, American, New York, classic Italian, Californian, New York/New Haven, Sicilian, and Chicago. Don't neglect the starters, though; the fried green beans with garlic and olive oil and beer-battered fried artichokes are worth the trip alone. The group table with a roulette wheel in the center is quite a sight.

With spectators invited once again to Las Vegas Raiders games, fans of the Silver and Black will likely find this new sports bar and grill at the M Resort as intoxicating as the spirits on tap at one of two bars in this large, 3,400-square-foot room. Raiders helmets and footballs line the entryway, while framed jerseys of past gridiron greats and a gift shop loaded with Raiders gear make this a must-stop for team diehards. The all-night menu ranges from stadium fare like burgers and Philly cheese steaks to homemade BBQ, wood-fired pizzas, street tacos, and steak and salmon entrees. Breakfast is served on Saturday and—of course—Sunday, so you can fuel up before the big game and then root, root, root for the home team on one of 45 TVs.

The soul in the belly here comes courtesy of James Beard–nominated chef Bruce Kalman, who might be recognizable on sight to viewers of foodie faves Top Chef, Chopped, and Beat Bobby Flay. Bringing the barbecue flavors of central Texas to Vegas, this atmospheric venue adds cocktails, local beers, and live entertainment to the mix to turn what might have been just a barbecue dinner into a barbecue experience and a night on the (Down)town.