Las Vegas
Las Vegas
Las Vegas has spent the last decade becoming one of the better eating cities in the United States, which is not the reputation it cultivated for itself during the all-you-can-eat buffet era. The buffet is largely dead. In its place: outposts of serious restaurants from world-calibre chefs who discovered that a city of 42 million annual visitors is an excellent market for expensive food. Wakuda at The Venetian has a secret back-room omakase. Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars has held a Forbes Five-Star rating for 14 consecutive years. Gymkhana, the London two-Michelin-star Indian restaurant, opened a Vegas outpost in December 2025 at Aria. You arrive expecting kitsch and find a place that keeps adding reasons to take it seriously on its own terms.
Which is not to say the kitsch isn’t there. The Strip is still the Strip.
What to See
The Strip runs roughly 6.7 kilometres along Las Vegas Boulevard. The big resort names line the corridor and are worth walking through regardless of whether you gamble. The Bellagio fountain show runs approximately every 30 minutes from the afternoon into the evening and is free from the sidewalk. It is more impressive than it sounds and most people immediately want to see it again.
Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas is the older, louder, cheaper, and more honest version of the city. The LED canopy runs light shows every hour after dark. This is where Las Vegas remembers what it was before corporate hospitality arrived: slightly worn, very enthusiastic, and much more affordable. Spend one evening here.
The High Roller observation wheel at the LINQ offers the best elevated view of the Strip, particularly at dusk. Around $25-35 per person.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is 30 kilometres west and frequently skipped by visitors who ran out of time on the Strip. The canyon’s red sandstone walls and hiking trails are excellent in the morning before the desert heat builds. Rent a car or book a tour.
Neon Museum in downtown collects the retired neon signs that defined Vegas through the 20th century. The evening “Brilliant!” tour is the better option.
Eating
Jaleo (Jose Andres’ Spanish tapas restaurant at The Cosmopolitan) is the best value-for-quality restaurant on the Strip. The paella is excellent, the room doesn’t feel like a hotel corridor, and the prices are rational. Make a reservation.
Gymkhana at Aria is the new arrival worth knowing: the London original has two Michelin stars for its modern Indian cooking, and the Las Vegas version, in the former Julian Serrano Tapas space, maintains the standard.
Eataly at Park MGM is the right choice when you want good food without a reservation: Italian deli, cheese, pasta, pizza, all walkable and casual.
Bouchon in The Venetian does solid French bistro cooking. The eggs Benedict and the roast chicken are the things to order, and the prices are more reasonable than most Strip alternatives.
Avoid the hotel buffets. They are not what they were and the city has moved past them.
Where to Stay
The Bellagio has the best lake-facing rooms on the Strip. Prices surge on Friday and Saturday nights. Worth it for the fountain view from your window if the budget allows.
ARIA Resort is the most modern large resort, with better-than-average rooms and a good pool complex.
The Venetian has large suites at the base level, which suits groups or longer stays. The ersatz Venetian canal inside is absurd and the rooms are genuinely good.
For something quieter and cheaper, stay downtown near Fremont Street. The Circa and the D Hotel are both decent and significantly less expensive than Strip equivalents.
Practical Notes
Do not drive on the Strip on Friday or Saturday nights. Traffic is genuinely terrible. Walk between hotels, use the free trams that connect some properties, or take Uber.
The casino floors have no clocks and minimal natural light. This is intentional. Budget your gambling money before you start, treat it as entertainment cost, and leave your ATM card in the room. The casino will do its best to change your mind about this.
Summer temperatures in Las Vegas regularly exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Drink more water than you think you need to, especially if you’re walking outdoors. The heat is dry, which means you don’t feel sweaty but you’re still dehydrating.
Shows fill quickly for weekends. If you have something specific in mind, whether Cirque du Soleil, a music residency, or a major boxing card, buy tickets well ahead.