One of the best French restaurants in Vegas. The Belle Époque–styled room at the Wynn is filled with guys who want to impress their dates, devoted foodies, high rollers, and people looking to blow winnings. Expect dinner for two to soar past $300, but by the time the bill comes, your eyes will have glazed over from the torchon of foie gras with pickled Anjou pears, or the spring lamb with boulangère potatoes. Chef Alex Stratta is a protégé of Alain Ducasse, and his food reflects that chef's Southern French influences—a bit of Monte Carlo in Vegas. Opt for one of the tasting menus paired with wines, such as the "Sommelier's Selection," which pours a few of the cellar's 200 Burgundies.

Open for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays 6 to 10 pm.

Ogden built a mini-empire in California (One Market in San Francisco, Lark Creek Inn in Marin County) by searching out the best small farms and using their high-quality produce to update classic American comfort food. In 2003, he brought the farm-fresh concept to Caesars Palace, flying ingredients in daily so foodies could get a taste of Northern California steps from the casino floor. The menu offers everything from fish to grilled redeye steak in red-wine butter sauce. There are surprises, too, such as an airy foam of lavender that serves as a cloudlike bed for sea bass. The menu changes almost daily at the hands of Ogden's son, who runs the kitchen while Dad jets around to the other restaurants. Located near the box office for the Colosseum theater, it's also convenient for a pre- or post-show dinner.

Open daily from 5 pm.

Mandalay Bay's house-of-all-things-burger is a build-your-own enterprise by chef Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys. Pick a patty (lamb, turkey, veggie, or three breeds of beef), a bun (sesame, onion, whole wheat, ciabatta, or plain old white), any of eight cheeses and four bacons, and toppings that range from fried egg to foie gras to salmon to pesto. One of the meatless options is the Vegas Vegan, with slow-roasted eggplant, sautéed peppers, grilled tomatoes, and zucchini between two portobello mushroom caps (it's soaked in olive oil, though). The gorging doesn't end there: The dessert burger includes a quarter-inch patty of chocolate ganache and sweet toppings layered between hole-less glazed doughnuts. Oy.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 10:30 am to 11 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 10 am to 1 am.

It tries to have a scene (there could be a Saudi princess and her boy toy weekending at the table next to you), but deep down we know why everyone's at Carnevino—delicious, Mario Batali–style comfort food. The aim-to-please menu reads like a greatest hits of both traditional Italian and classic steak house fare, but with a Mario twist: soft, warm lardo drizzled over beef carpaccio; mouthwatering cannelloni filled with braised duck smothered in amarone cheese; and slightly charred dry-aged rib eye for two. If the restaurant's packed, ask to sit in the wine room, a seven-table space just beyond the main dining area with noticeably lowered ceilings. The intimate corner feels less like Vegas and more like a true New York Batali spot like Babbo—fun and personal. Something we also appreciated: printing the 300-plus bottle wine list on the menu so everyone could chime in.

Open for lunch daily 3 to 5 pm; open for dinner Mondays through Wednesdays 5 to 11 pm, Thursdays through Sundays 5 pm to 1 am.

Any chef can appear to be having a good time by putting "Pigs in a Duvet" and steak tartare on the same menu, but Kerry Simon (late of Iron Chef) is one of the few who can actually pull the gimmick off. Since closing his Simon Bar & Kitchen at the Hard Rock, Simon has lured many loyal fans here for his fanciful twists on classic dishes: Asian-inspired chicken wings freshened up with watermelon and cucumber salad, tuna tartare with tequila-and-lime-soaked caviar, smoked-salmon sliders that look like minibagels and lox. Part of the Luxor's transformation into a party-centric hotel—the rebirth includes Lax Nightclub and Noir Bar—the sexy, bordello-inspired Cathouse is one part restaurant and one part nightclub (albeit a small, loungy nightclub). Cozy up to the small bar and watch the action buzz around you, or request a semi-circular booth separated by gray sheer curtains. In the lounge, "coquettes" perform burlesque-like shows, which captivate revelers every time they take to the raised platforms.

Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10:30 pm to 4 am.

Is it wrong to visit Vegas and not eat at a buffet? Up to you, but if you must, go for the one that cost $20 million to build. Designed by Adam Tihany, the man behind dozens of Vegas restaurants, including Spago, Aureole, and Le Cirque, Cravings in the Mirage was modeled after buffets in Asia, where diners get cooking stations instead of mountains of stringy shrimp and soggy French toast. There are around a dozen of these stations here, with chefs making Italian, Japanese, Mexican, barbecue, and so forth. The food itself is on par with most reasonably priced white-tablecloth restaurants, making the $25 all-you-can-eat price tag at dinner one of the best food bargains in Vegas. Cocktails are not included, but if you grab a seat at the bar in the back, you won't have to deal with the dizzying striped carpet as you hike to your table far, far away.

Open Mondays through Fridays 7 am to 10 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8 am to 10 pm.

While Daniel Boulud resides in New York, his name draws crowds to this casual French restaurant, where executive chef Wesley Holton ensures that every item coming out of the kitchen lives up to the famed chef's standards (Holton has worked with Boulud in New York and Palm Beach). The room is styled like a country château, with iron-framed windows and a wood-beamed ceiling, and faces the Wynn's man-made lake. The menu is mostly classic brasserie fare, but Holton pays attention to the details, smoking the salmon in-house and serving up a steak au poivre worth making the trip for—the bordelaise sauce is delicious. There's also the DB Burger, already a classic to Manhattan diners: It's stuffed with braised short ribs, foie gras, and truffles, for a cool $32. The restaurant isn't open for lunch anymore, but its doors open before dinner so tourists can scope it out before making a reservation.

Open for dinner daily 5:30 to 10 pm.

For years, the restaurant portfolio at the Mirage was uninspired, targeting the deal-seeking diner. Fin is part of the hotel's massive design-oriented re-envisioning process, which also includes nightclubs, lounges, and the Beatles-inspired Cirque du Soleil show Love. Chef Chi Choi has made Fin, nominally a Chinese restaurant, a virtual stir-fry of Asian cuisines, with live fish being the unifying theme. Anything is available steamed, baked, or wok-fried, and while some rules shouldn't be broken (you want your lobster done in a wok, and sea bass in a steamer), it's fun to order creatively. The atmosphere is hushed, with soft Asian harp tunes in the background and no clue that the slots are clanking away just beyond those glass doors.

Open Thursdays through Mondays 5 to 11 pm.

This is where hip, in-the-know locals eat when they don't want to trek through a casino. One block east of the Strip, it was the first true tapas restaurant of note in Vegas and still attracts artists, musicians, and media types. The classic duo of manchego cheese and thinly sliced Serrano ham is served as warm, gooey croquettes; chorizo sausage is integrated into the white-wine sauce for steamed clams. A few non-Iberian dishes, such as beer-battered shrimp tempura with ponzu dipping, lend an international feel. The wine list has some good Argentine malbecs and Chilean merlots, but most folks order red or white sangria—the recipe calls for three days of marinating.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 2 am, Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 am to 3 am.

As a not-so-subtle version of chef Hubert Keller's intimate San Francisco restaurant of the same name, the Vegas Fleur de Lys inside the Mandalay Bay is designed with soaring ceilings and massive stone walls. And while the menu contains tame French and Continental dishes such as a slow-roasted king salmon with caviar, there are nods to Vegas excess, too. The $5,000 burger is a Kobe beef patty topped with foie gras and truffles and paired with a bottle of 1995 Château Pétrus served in Ichendorf Brunello stemware (yours to take home, naturally). Or try the "Black Jack," an arrangement of creamy cod brandade, osetra caviar, cucumber gelée, and tomatoes formed into playing card shapes. If you see a distinguished Frenchman wearing a chef's jacket in the DJ booth, that's chef Keller redefining the term mix master.

Open Tuesdays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

When three-star Michelin chef Guy Savoy was lured stateside by Caesars Palace, he insisted on replicating his eponymous Paris location precisely—everything from the artichoke-and-black-truffle soup on the menu to the intimate dining room with contemporary art. (Funnily enough, the Vegas outpost has a view of the Eiffel Tower, while the Paris restaurant does not.) A meal here is a staggering (and staggeringly expensive) haute cuisine experience that includes a bread sommelier, cheese-, dessert-, and candy carts, and main courses such as roasted duckling with turnips, and veal chops with black truffle-topped potato purée. Appetizers can push $80, so the best way to do Savoy is the ten-course tasting menu for just under $300, which ensures you'll hit all the major French food groups (shellfish, foie gras, gelée, and truffle); there's also a three-course pre-theater menu for $98. This is refined dining, so leave the kids behind, and avoid the Caesars casino by using the valet off Flamingo Road. Oh, and despite the price, don't expect to see Guy himself; he's left son and protégé Franck Savoy in charge.

Opens Wednesdays through Sundays 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

The world needs more restaurants like Hash House a Go Go, where customers ask each other, "What's that you ordered?" or share with strangers at the counter. It's an industrial-looking diner 20 minutes west of the Strip and about halfway to Red Rock State Park. An array of farm-fresh ingredients go into the unfathomably long list of choices on the menu. Breakfast is a highlight, with five types of scrambles served in skillets and five Benedict choices, from sage fried chicken to smoked bacon to pork tenderloin. Portions are massive—locals say every dish at Hash House is really a two-for-one.

Open for breakfast daily 7:30 am to 2:30 pm; open for dinner Mondays through Thursdays 5 to 9 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5 to 10 pm.

If you've got tickets to Love (the Cirque du Soleil/Beatles show) or are headed to Jet nightclub—both in the Mirage—and you don't want to be too stuffed to power through your night, this is a good option. The special rolls are some of the most creative on the Strip—one has raw scallop slices on top of a roll stuffed with seared scallops. Shared plates are mostly worthy: The "Hot Rock" appetizer is thinly sliced soy-ginger-marinated steak you cook at the table on a 700-degree rock. For dessert, try the apple pie, reinterpreted as toban yaki—apple slices in a hot clay pot with clusters of ginger oatmeal and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But be prepared for spotty service: We were told the sommelier was "too busy to stop by" our table and that one of the special ingredients in the octopus roll was "rice." A prime example of solid recipes traveling well to a new location (the original is in Chicago), but service getting lost.

Open for dinner Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays 5 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5 to 11 pm.

Dining here feels like a privilege, and it is. While the restaurant can be reached from the casino floor of the MGM Grand, it officially "belongs" to the Mansion section of the hotel, a cluster of Italianate villas reserved for high rollers. There are only 64 tables, and soft classical piano music fills the void between silverware clinks and light laughter. There are several prix fixe options starting at $89, but the best option is the 16-course degustation menu—but be prepared to spend nearly $400 per person (without wine) and more than four hours. (Hey, it's a better deal than bottle service in a nightclub.) The menu dashes all over the place: Kobe beef cooked on a bed of rock salt with a vegetable fricassee; Japanese snapper floating in a rich broth made of lily bulbs; French hen with roasted foie gras. All are phenomenal in taste and presentation. For a higher-energy and lower-cost dinner, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon is the chef's bistro-style eatery next door. Sit at the counter, where you can interact with the team of French chefs. There's a tasting menu here too, but it runs ten courses and costs considerably less; there's also a three-course "bento box" for only $39.

Both restaurants open Sundays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

A celebrity-chef restaurant done right. Though chef Bobby Flay lives in New York, you'd think he's in the kitchen here at Caesars Palace by the way servers refer to him ("Chef Flay changed the spices in one of our dishes, so if you've ordered it before he wants you to know it's a bit different now"). The food is essentially Southwestern, but Flay likes to play with ingredients and textures, mixing up sweet and spicy flavors—as in the barbecue pulled pork and Oaxaca cheese quesadilla. Another winner: The grilled mahimahi atop a poblano chile with a heavy cream reduction. The energetic, colorful dining room plays host to baseball-cap-wearing tourists, local business people, and hotties in cocktail dresses.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 11 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10:30 am to 3 pm and 5 to 11 pm.

In the kitchen of N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms, it's common to hear chefs yelling things like "Vince Neil ordered the gnocchi—remember, easy on the cream!" Or, "Britney/Jessica/Brad ordered the somethingorother—no basil!" You're virtually guaranteed to sit next to Hollywood celebs at N9NE, who dine here time and again because the kitchen remembers their preferences (however quirky). It isn't subtle: The dining room is thumping with club tunes, and all steaks can be topped with a Maine lobster tail or Alaskan King crab legs. Underneath the glitz and glam, however, is a solid Chicago steakhouse (where the original N9NE is located) that cooks wet-aged steaks in a 1,200-degree oven; the flavor-packed 24-ounce bone-in rib eye is a winner. The bar isn't a bad place to settle in and order a few appetizers: crispy fried Carolina rock shrimp served in a Chinese takeout box; a sashimi sampler topped with tobiko caviar and minced serrano chiles; crab-stuffed mushrooms; and the official dish of Las Vegas, shrimp cocktail.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 11 pm.

Use the elevator ride up to the 51st floor of the Palms' Fantasy Tower to primp: Once the doors open, everyone in the sunken dining room will turn to see what you're wearing and whom you're with. But the latest venture from the N9NE Group (N9NE Steakhouse, Rain, Ghostbar) actually delivers the culinary goods—a surprise since it's so damn sceney. Italian dishes such as the baked artichoke (stuffed with chopped artichoke hearts—a recipe executive chef Geno Bernardo credits to his great grandmother), shellfish spaghetti, and lobster, goat cheese, and arugula flatbread are well-executed. Be prepared for the nightclub-like details, though, including loud music and gilt-framed video screens showing slides of Italian masters.

Opens Sundays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 11 pm.

Never mind his precisely circled wire-rim glasses and "welcome to my laboratory" air—chef Charlie Trotter is a culinary scientist who makes moves in each dish that are as judicious as his entry into the Las Vegas food scene. Years after Guy Savoy, Joël Robuchon, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck expanded their mini-empires here, this Chicago-based perfectionist known for his serious approach has finally gotten in touch with his lighthearted, Vegas-friendly side, too. Prohibition-inspired cocktails are shaken at the table, a private table for eight is situated inside the kitchen, and there's a unique, counter-only restaurant within the restaurant called Bar Charlie. We unequivocally recommend this 18-seat space, where hard-core foodies concede to the whims of the chefs behind the sushi counter (reservations are a must). In the main dining area, a sadly uninspired hotel ballroom–like interior sets the backdrop for nonetheless stellar seafood: Diners roll their eyes back in delight over dishes like soft, flaky skate wing or a decadent tart of Maine lobster with chorizo, black trumpet mushrooms, and caramelized onions. Seemingly simple sides are punched up in fun ways: We recommend the salsify spiked with rosemary and honey—it'll complement anything.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 5 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5 to 11 pm.

Equal-opportunity global cuisine and something for everyone. Sensi opened in Bellagio's Spa Tower in late 2004 and serves everything from Singapore-style soft-shell crabs with ginger and chile-tomato sauce to handmade spaghetti alla carbonara to good old American steaks. The clientele is as hard to pin down as the cuisine—let's just say it's a good place to bring your boss or your family. The glass-walled kitchen, situated in the middle of the restaurant, and the mix of two- to 20-person tables make for a bustling atmosphere, enlivened by the sound of water features and the boisterous laugh of executive chef Martin Heierling.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 5 to 10 pm, Fridays through Sundays 5 to 10:30 pm.

Named after the youthquake neighborhood of Tokyo, Shibuya's massive size and loud music are tailored to trend-seekers and fans of high-energy sushi spots. The gutsy design by hip Canadian firm Yabu Pushelberg is marked by a massive wall behind the sushi bar that changes colors as it dwarfs sushi chefs and diners alike. Request a visit from the sake sommelier, who'll recommend a sake or cocktail to pair with your dinner, which might move from lobster salad to spicy soy-braised Kobe short ribs and seared foie gras to a barrage of rolls. Our favorite of the latter is the vegetarian tsuke yakei: panko- and tempura-crisped asparagus, cucumber, daikon sprouts, and other vegetables with citrus cream. There's also a Japanese surf and turf: a live lobster with imported Wagyu beef.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 5 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5 to 10:30 pm.

The name may evoke frozen pizzas and autograph-seeking tourists in Hollywood, but if locals are willing to brave the Strip at lunchtime to eat at a hotel joint, better add it to your list. Wolfgang Puck's informal café at the Forum Shops is laid out like an outdoor patio (and is much more informal than the restaurant itself), while the food is quick, easy, and good: pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. Or snag a seat at Spago's main bar—it has the friendliest bartenders in town. Impress friends with this factoid: The big, bright painting is by local artist Tim Bavington, who paints stripes according to music notes. The piece here came from John Lennon's "Imagine."

Café and bar open Sundays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 11 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 am to midnight. Dining room open daily 5:30 to 10 pm.

Filled with lawyers—the courthouse is a few blocks away—and locals who want a casual spot, Triple George Grill is hearty and good. You can order an array of shellfish blackened, broiled, sautéed, or fried; pastas and sandwiches stick close to simplicity. About half the place is counter seating at the central horseshoe bar, but the booths, separated by tall, dark oak dividers, are ideal for private conversations (or legal consultations). Don't miss a shoeshine from J.J.—he's full of stories. Afterward, stop next door at the Sidebar for an American Beauty martini, made with rose water and vanilla vodka (www.sidebarlv.com). If you're driving, use the complimentary curbside valet: Shady characters still roam the streets in this part of town.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11 am to 10 pm, Saturdays 4 to 10 pm.