Headed to LV in a couple of weeks and was wondering if anyone can recommend a couple of "nicer" restaurants for dinner.

I already have Renoir booked at the Mirage. On other trips we have sampled: Alize, Prime, Picasso, Nob Hill, Craftsteak, Emeril's, Commanders, Aureole and Circo.

Any suggestions based on recent experiences would be greatly appreciated!

I was disappointed with Emeril's Delmonico at the Venetian. They are known for their steak, but I found the preparation uninspiring. The wine list is okay and not ridiculously priced.

I REALLY enjoyed Bradley Ogden at Caesars. Named after the executive chef who recently took the James Beard competition, the focus is on American food. Seafood is flown in fresh daily (Malaspina oysters, for example). The wine list is too American for my taste, but that's the theme he was going for. Outstanding meal and efficient service. Be sure and call ahead for reservations.

http://www.n9negroup.com/http_docs/n...vegas_home.asp

I haven't been there but I have been told it's nice.

Our favorite restaurant in LAS is Aqua at Bellagio.

Well, those are the three I would have added to your list: Aqua, Bradley Ogden, and N9ne. The Eiffel Tower is also nice.

QL

The chef of Aqua (Michael Mina) is no longer involved with that restaurant. He has/or is about-to-open another restaurant in Las Vegas.
My favorite restaurant in Las Vegas is Jasmine at the Bellagio. Great food and service and a dynamite view of the fountains. Be sure to ask for a window table. I have had great Cantonese food all over the world; Having said that, I am still very impressed with Jasmine

Is there really anything less than excellent at the Bellagio?

He is still involved with Aqua in Las Vegas. In fact, they just changed the name to Michael Mina's. I believe he has severed his relationship with the San Francisco location. He has two other restaurants in Las Vegas, both at the MGM Grand: Nob Hill and SeaBlue.

QL

N9ne at the Palms has got to be the loudest nice restaurant Iv'e ever been in. Could barley hear to talk .

SNOW

Agreed - Nothing too special here. We've had equally nice dinners at Ruth's Chris and Lawry's and a very nice dinner at Morton's. I did enjoy Emeril's at the MGM very much.

You've pretty much done all that is very good/excellent in LV. Renoir and Picasso share the same "namesake art on the wall" concept but Picasso beats Renoir hands down, IMHO.

Agreed with Aqua being one of the best in LV if you're into seafood. Commander's has a good (live) jazz brunch during the weekends. There's also Nobu at the Hard Rock Hotel but you have one in Miami. What about Thomas Keller's Bouchon at the Venetian?

I would like to hear opinions on Bouchon also. I will be in Vegas in October and that is one place we are considering.

It's very nice for breakfast. I haven't had dinner there, yet.

I'd give Bouchon a lukewarm thumbs up. Mrs. zippyh and I dined there with another couple in June.

They serve expensive bistro fare. For example the steak frittes is a New York strip rather than the traditional hanger steak. It was served with sauce bernaise and an onion relish. I think I enjoyed the hanger steak at Mon Ami Gabi a lot more especially given the price. Mrs. zippyh and I each had the steak frittes, one dining companion had copper river salmon and I can't remember what our other companion had.

The room is quite nice and there's outdoor dining if you can stand the heat.

I think the bill for 4 entrees, 2 salads, 2 desserts, 1/2 dozen oysters, 3 glasses of wine and 2 beers was $250 before tip. I have no complaints about the food but it just seemed expensive for what it was.

On a somewhat unrelated note, Mrs. zippyh and I had dinner at Fiamma at the MGM Grand a couple nights ago. It's an Italian place. We thought it was an exceptional meal. Started with roasted beet and asparagus over arugula salad then shared some braised short rib raviolis. Those were quite tasty. I had a ribeye served with more roasted beets and onions. Wifey had sea bass.

The desserts were exceptional as well. We had some kind of chocolatey cake with a layer of biscottie and scoop of milk flavored gelato. Also had the trio of souffles (chocolate, pistacio and strawberry). Those were the best desserts we've had in recent memory (we eat out a lot). I think the bill for 1 salad, 1 pasta, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, 2 glasses of wine, 1 beer and coffee was about $140 before tip. I thought this place was better than Circo.

We picked the place somewhat at random just because we were seeing George Carlin later that night. It was a fortuitous choice. George Carlin was dining there that night too. I don't know if that's a recommendation or not, but we really enjoyed the dinner. The show was okay too although he seems more of a grumpy old man than he used to be.

Well, dining in Vegas is definitely an experience. There are more options than you can shake the proverbial stick at, and we've tried them all over the years. I have a few ideas for nicer places that we enjoy.....

First and foremost I have to recommend Del Frisco's. From the service, to the food, this is by far the best steakhouse I have ever been to - Not to mention the VIP martini's . Being from Chicago we have some of the best; Morton's, Gibson's, and Ruth's Chris just to name a few. This place goes above and beyond, and I'm sure you'd enjoy it. The steaks are the best I've ever had, the smallest lobster tail available is 18oz, and the trio shrimp appetizer has shrimp that are bigger than most places lobster tails. It's not cheap, but sure to impress...

http://www.delfriscos.com/lasvegas/

Gallagher's at NYNY is another of our favorites. Try the crab legs!!! Two pounds of Alaskan king crab (there's a one pound offering too ), already split for you - UNBELIEVEABLE!!!! Ask for the roasted garlic with your dinner. It's not on the menu, but it's incredible. Top - notch steaks and veal. This place is small, so you'll need reservations. We like to go early and then head to the Piano Bar at times square - Great Fun!!

If a great brunch is something you may be into, try Zefferino in the Venetian - It's excellent and a bit cheaper than Bally's Sterling.

The other's that have been mentioned are great ideas as well; I just wanted to chime in with our faves!! Let us know how you enjoyed it!!