The many tastes of Vegas

Sin City – the world’s gambling and gaming capital. A place of extravagances and excess, that potentially caters to your every desire – 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Born out of the Nevada desert, it boasts sights, sounds and experiences from around the globe, with world-class accommodation and entertainment all designed to attract and keep visitors happy and hopefully hard at work in casinos during their stay.

It stands to reason than that a place which caters to your every whim should boast a strong culinary offering and in that regard, Las Vegas proves quite the unexpected food destination.

Home to more than 4300 restaurants, every conceivable taste is covered, from the very finest of fine dining with big name international chefs all represented, to a smorgasbord of small multicultural cafes and diners – open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and supper.

Take the tender calamari at Estiatorio Milos in The Venetian as the perfect example. Opened by acclaimed restaurateur and chef Costas Spiliadis, it is a taste straight from Greece, perfectly recreated with in a distinctly Grecian atmosphere in the heart of Las Vegas.

Spiliadis is known as the man who changed the world’s view of Greek food and widely considered an ambassador of Greek cuisine. Born in Patras Greece, Spiliadis opened his first restaurant in New York in 1979 and his first Las Vegas restaurant in 2010 followed by this new one in 2021.

The restaurant designed by architect Alain Carle, features marble from Mount Pentelicus – the same marble used to build the Parthenon and captures the Greek influences with an open kitchen, bar and spacious dining rooms.

The tastes though are all a matter of the ingredients says Spiliadis – his fish sourced fresh, the afrala - fleur de sel of the Aegean, harvested by hand on the Greek island of Kythira, while the tomatoes are grown specially and the restaurant has a yoghurt room where it is strained in the traditional way.

“Our cuisine is not based on recipes but on ingredients that the land and sea can provide us with – there are always new ingredients that we discover and incorporate,” says Spiliadis.

He is happy the days when ‘olive oil was considered a strange liquid, octopus was only known to zoologists and presenting the whole grilled fish on the table was inappropriate’ are long forgotten.

From Greek to French influences – the new Parisian themed Vanderpump is a Paris-style establishment opened by restaurateur and reality star Lisa Vanderpump. It’s the 36th she’s opened and it’s pumping with Vanderpump fans who love the whimsical Parisian setting. Art nouveau inspired velvet banquettes, crystal chandeliers in wrought iron cages and the most amazing cocktails and treats that seem to murmur decadence and fun.

But it’s the Louvre at First Sight, a mezcal and prickly pear cocktail smoked with hickory and delivered in a mini version of the large pyramid at the Louvre museum in Paris that’s garnered a following.

For the romantics Love Locked for two should get hearts a fluttering - one glass features a padlock and the other, a key. Guests can write their initials on the back of the padlock and lock it onto one of the restaurant’s pretty walls.  Classic French dishes star at the restaurant which is located in the Paris Las Vegas centre.’

Then there’s Sadelle’s Cafe at the Bellagio Hotel, which is known as ‘the’ place for brunch. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular, overlooking Bellagio’s pretty conservatory and botanical gardens which feature stunning floral displays each season using up to12,000 fresh plants and flowers. 

Soft scrambled eggs with caviar with a mimosa are a great start to the day, particularly after a late night spent at the other types of tables.

Get dressed up for the glamorous Mayfair Supper Club, which is a feast for all the senses with its vibrant entertainment and great dining – just think Maine Lobster Thermidor as the lights dim and the entertainment gets underway. With those world famous dancing fountains in the background, this supper club is all about keeping the glamorous spirit of old Las Vegas in mind, according to interior designer Martin Brudnizk. A contemporary take on the style and glamour that made ‘Vegas’ in the early days. It’s the sort of place you could easily imagine Sinatra and Dean Martin enjoying supper and a cocktail to get their night underway.

For something completely different, the Asian cuisine of Kusa Nori at Resorts World is a modern Japanese bistro complete with a sushi bar and teppanyaki grills. Situated at the north end of the Las Vegas strip, it’s all about innovative dining impeccably presented and looks almost too good to eat. Menu highlights include oysters, specialty rolls, sashimi and nigiri, robata meats and seafood.

Indeed, name a cuisine, no matter how obscure, and you will find it in Las Vegas. From the epitome of reined elegance on a plate to literally grabbing a quick bite on the way to catch a show or indulge after one.

Jump on board the High Roller for a good look at Sin City from a lofted vantage point – at 167 metres high, it is the largest observation wheel in North America. Stroll along the canals at The Venetian, or take a gondola ride – it’s certainly a more sanitised experience than Venice. I. Fact you can take in most of the world of the more famous parts of it with a spirited walk down The Strip’ which is just what you need to work up an appetite. 

This is Las Vegas after all, a place that never seems to rest and neither should you if you have any chance of working your way through the 4300 restaurants.