For serious foodies and shoppers, there is no doubt that Las Vegas provides a total experience. Both activities developed in the city as a natural outgrowth of its success as the entertainment capital of the world. Every luxury hotel offers first-class restaurants as well as a range of upscale boutiques and services. The most important chefs in the world are all represented here, including Alain Duscasse, Wolfgang Puck, Joel Robuchon, Bobby Flay, Michael Mina, Emeril Lagasse and Alex Stratta, to name just a few!

As a culinary capital, Las Vegas offers residents loads of entertainment options, but there are also many great neighborhood spots where home-cooked food is served and buffets are still available. In this chapter, you’ll learn about the variety of dining and shopping experiences that await you in Las Vegas. In no time you’ll discover your favorite haunts to share with friends and family alike and discover the true diversity the city has to offer.

Your first few months exploring the Las Vegas dining scene might resemble the excursions of the city’s thousands of daily visitors. Understandably, you will want to sample the marquee dining establishments on the Strip as well as the more famous names in downtown’s Fremont Street Experience. You won’t be disappointed, as these splashy venues offer amazing menus that can’t be found anywhere else. Here’s a quick look at some of the major points of interest at two very prominent restaurant districts.

Dining on The Strip
A good start in navigating the Las Vegas restaurant scene is to spend an evening at the Table 10, home to celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. The restaurant, located in the Pallazo, is reminiscent of old-world New Orleans, the region that first fostered Mr. Lagasse’s talents. The atmosphere reflects a mix of fine dining elegance and casual comfort, dismissing any pretentions that come with the idea of a celebrity-operated restaurant. The menu brings together the best dishes of New American cuisine and reflects the Lagasse philosophy of using on the best ingredients in creating wonderful culinary creations.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand showcases the talents of Joël Robuchon in the form of the chef’s eponymous restaurant. His traditional French cuisine has made the Joël Robuchon restaurant a favorite of European food connoisseurs and casual tasters alike. The facility provides limited seating in order to create a more intimate, personal environment where every need is taken care of.

Chef Charlie Palmer has made a successful transfer from New York City to Las Vegas with his Aureole at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Designed by industry heavyweight Adam Tihany, the restaurant is the culmination of world-class dining sophistication, with warm color hues welcoming visitors into an ethereal space marked by gorgeous floral arrangements and inhabited by live swans. Both the full-course options and a la carte menu offer exciting, deconstructed versions of American classics. Be sure to leave room for desert, each one a wonder of culinary ingenuity all its own.

Todd English has made the Bellagio his Las Vegas residence with Olives, a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant that evokes the upscale dining facilities of Manhattan. The menu reflects traditional Mediterranean fair with a personal Todd English twist, resulting in new ways to taste familiar dishes from this region of the world. Popular menu options include pastas, rotisserie dishes, brick oven-prepared pizzas and steaks.

THEhotel at Mandalay Bay houses one of the city’s unparalleled feats in restaurant design. Mix, internationally acclaimed chef Alain Ducasse’s first Las Vegas effort, is a sight to behold with a 15,000-piece “champagne bubble” chandelier serving as the restaurant’s visual centerpiece. Floor to ceiling glass walls allow guests to experience breathtaking views of the Strip and surrounding areas. The cuisine is classic American with a French glaze, complimented by exceptional beverage and desert options.

These are just some of the amazing restaurant options you will have at your constant disposal as a resident of Las Vegas. Even if you don’t visit these establishments and others as a newcomer to the city, at least you will be able to have some places in mind when entertaining visiting friends and family. For a more affordable Las Vegas dining experience that you can visit on a regular basis, try the hidden, and in some cases, forgotten, gems of the Fremont Street Experience.

Dining at The Fremont Street Experience
The dining facilities of the Fremont Street Experience offer personalized customer service, high entertainment value and world-class amenities at a fraction of the prices found on the Strip. During the evenings, the Las Vegas of yesteryear is brought to life by a blaze of neon lights and a symphony of live music that make the Freemont Street Experience the perfect backdrop for an affordable family night out.

If the iconic marquee of the Fremont Hotel & Casino doesn’t catch your attention, then the never ending feast at the Paradise Buffet & Café surely will. Enter the world of an exotic tropical garden as guests can enjoy a variety of food choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The diverse menu is accented with flavors from the tropics and the constantly changing food line-up offers several exciting themed nights, like Seafood Fantasy and Steak Night.

The Golden Nugget has several recognized dining options, including the Italian restaurant Grotto. The Sicilian-inspired décor provides a casual and relaxing ambience of reds and browns and highlights the zesty flavors of Grotto’s fish and chicken entrees and delicious antipasti selections. The restaurant’s pizza oven is open until midnight to satisfy the gourmet cravings of pizza connoisseurs throughout the entire day.

Red Sushi is Golden Nugget’s trendy Japanese food lounge, where guests can enjoy an assortment of cold and hot appetizers followed by their favorite pieces of nigiri and sashimi. Imported beer and Japanese sake complement Red Sushi’s flagship rolls and eastern entrees.

The 4 Queens Hotel & Casino is known for its grand scale, emphasized by the fact that it’s home to the world’s largest slot machine. However, 4 Queens also boasts several exciting restaurants that allow dining dinners to interact with the never resting pulse of the hotel and casino surrounding them.

Magnolia’s Veranda is 24-hour restaurant styled in the furnished of the turn of the 19th century. Serving favorites of American diners, from quarter pounder burgers to Philly steak sandwiches and all-beef hot dogs to spicy chicken clubs, guests can enjoy their favorite comfort food while observing the excitement of the casino floor below. Planners looking for a filling bargain should note that Magnolia’s Veranda is the birthplace of the $8.95 prime rib dinner, a popular selection served from four in the evening to midnight.

Hugo’s Cellar represents the 4 Queens’ high-end dining option. The restaurant is impeccably furnished to evoke the warm and rich atmosphere of older Las Vegas eating venues. A favorite appetizer is Hugo’s Hot Rock Specialty, consisting of beef, chicken, swordfish and shrimp tenderloins cooked right at the table on a granite slab. Guests are treated to complimentary chocolate-dipped fruit with whipped cream. Hugo’s Cellar is also known for its impressive dessert selection, including signature recipes assembled at the table. Dinner at Hugo’s is an interactive experience you won’t soon forget.

Dining Off The Strip
Now that you know the restaurants you might want to visit while you explore the city, it’s important to remember that as a resident, you’ll have access to exceptional dining facilities that are often passed up by the average tourist in favor of the glitz and glam of the above mentioned dining facilities. Most notably, off-strip restaurants offer a great store of untapped dining resources, including the field of ethnic cuisine. Here’s a brief look at some of the great choices you’ll soon discover and surely fall in love with.

For a mélange of different ethnic flavors all in one place, Paymon’s Mediterranean Café & Lounge offers the best selections of Greek, Italian, Middle Eastern, Persian and Indian cuisines. Paymon’s is independently owned, making its menu affordable and family-friendly.

Having access to a quick and economical deli is always a must and Las Vegas offers no shortage of top delis. Jason’s Deli is the franchise of choice when it comes to gourmet sandwiches and salads. With several locations throughout the city, you’ll never be more than a short drive away from a great tasting meal.

Komol Restaurant has gained a local following as the go-to place for authentic Thai cuisine. Over 40-years of family recipes now form the basis for one of the city’s tastiest menus. Komol is also notable for catering specifically to the needs of vegetarians, with most of their choices reflecting non-meat culinary traditions. Desserts also have a health-minded slant to them.

Osaka Japanese Bistro was Las Vegas’ first Japanese restaurant and has now developed into one of the city’s most loved dining venues. The chefs at Osaka boast a repertoire of more than 30 different kinds of appetizers and the restaurant has one of the largest selections of fresh fish in the entire city. Habachi tables lend authenticity to the surroundings, but what will truly spark your interest is the amazing food and carefree atmosphere.

For the best in comfort food, you’ll surely want to make Rosemary’s Restaurant a regular place to visit. Owned by a husband and wife duo and operated by a staff that’s like family, Rosemary’s eclectic menu draws from a variety of inspirations, including regional flavors from New Orleans, the Midwest and the Deep South. All of these American culinary bases are laced with the restaurant’s signature French styling, making for an irresistible menu that calls for many return visits.

Table 34 is a new American cuisine outlet tucked away from the hustle and bustle of inner city Las Vegas. Operated by a local star of the restaurant industry, Table 34 offers a continually changing menu according to the seasons and offers a wine selection that’s just as comprehensive as any that can be found at a fine dining establishment in the city. Table 34’s signature pizzas are favorites with the locals.

One of the most unique tasting experiences in Las Vegas can be found at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. Blending Asian and European culinary traditions into amazing one-of-a-kind appetizers and entrees has made Roy’s immensely popular with locals wanting to enjoy a high-end meal on a minimal budget. Traditional sushi and seafood are also available for order.

What’s New in Dining?
Dining has truly become an art form in recent years. Benchmark Hospitality International, which manages 30 award-winning hotels, resorts, conference centers and condominium resorts throughout the United States and in Japan, defines dining trends that are worth watching across the globe. Among the top dining and ingredient trends include:

• Seasonal Menus – Offering meals according to what is in season is new trend to watch. In fact, chefs are changing menus more often.
• Small Portions and Shareable Items – This falls in line with reduced budgets and restoring health to our lives. Look for creative appetizer menus and half glasses of wine.
• Using Promotions to Draw Diners – Fixed-price menus are in, providing customers with real value as well as taste. Happy hours will be promoted as owners hope customers will order many small plates instead of dinner.
• Comfort Food – In challenging times, people are turning back to old standbys, such as macaroni and cheese and spaghetti and meatballs. Look for mashed potato variations to warm the palate and feed the soul.
• Flat Iron Steak/Flank Steak – Due to its relatively low cost, this piece of beef will be popular. It cuts like a filet but tastes like New York Strip, notes one chef.