Opening a restaurant in Las Vegas might seem old hat for Gordon Ramsay—after all, he already has five on the books here (Gordon Ramsay Steak, Fish & Chips, Pub & Grill, Burger and Hell’s Kitchen) along with dozens more worldwide—but the chef treats every event as a singular, make-it-or-break-it moment, especially in a town known for its culinary high stakes.
“The pressure makes it exciting for me,” Ramsay tells the Weekly. “Vegas is one of the most competitive foodie cities on the planet. I came here for the very first time back in 2004. Mr. [Alain] Ducasse just opened. Mr. [Joël] Robuchon just opened up. Nobu was present. Wolfgang [Puck] was present. Daniel [Boulud] was present. It was this incredible plethora of talent. So to be embedded into that mix … I think Vegas is a stand-alone foodie capital like no other, and you don’t get a chance to build gently. When you open, you need to open with a bang.”
When Ramsay’s Kitchen opened at Harrah’s in November, it expanded the chef’s Las Vegas footprint in the best possible way. This might be his most intimately appointed restaurant yet, with soft amber lighting and copper accents throughout (an homage to the chef’s early days using copper pots), and an exhibition kitchen with the most photogenic heat lamps you’ll find anywhere. For date night or a special occasion, it’s fine dining that won’t break the bank, yet it’s the food that will keep you coming back.
Oysters at Ramsay's Kitchen
The approachable menu is inspired by the chef’s travels around the world, but it unmistakably hews American and British, offering newbies a good introduction to Ramsay’s cuisine while placing longtime fans on familiar, Michelin star-caliber territory.
The raw bar is a good place to start, particularly the oysters on the half shell ($27 half, $53 full), which hail from both coasts and are served with cocktail sauce and a perfectly piquant Champagne mignonette. On the starter side, the jumbo lump crab cake ($30)—75% jumbo lump, 25% colossal blue crab—is tender yet substantial, bolstered by a mayo and Ritz cracker crumb and accompanied by a citrus herb aioli.
As the nights get chillier, you won’t want to miss the onion soup ($15), a rich oxtail brandade with a Gruyère gratinée. You’ll be craving a bowlful long after you’ve scooped up every bit with the accompanying baguette. The seasonal beet salad ($20), with croutons, avocado, pickled shallot and watercress, with a swipe of horseradish chèvre, provides a cool contrast to the soup and should get you primed for the mains.
No need to snag a res at Hell’s Kitchen if you’re looking to indulge in the Beef Wellington ($70), Ramsay’s signature dish. No chef does it better: Served medium rare, the gorgeous cut is wrapped in flaky, golden-brown puff pastry layered with mushroom duxelles. As in his other restaurants, it’s served here with potato puree, glazed baby root vegetables and a red wine demi-glace. It’s a dish to be revisited over and over again (or try it at home—we’ve got the recipe in this week's holiday cookbook).
Other standout signature dishes include the crispy skin salmon ($39), with cauliflower puree and harissa-roasted romanesco, and the butternut squash risotto ($30), which, try as you might, you’ll never be able to re-create at home.
Just as iconic as the Wellington is Ramsay’s sticky toffee pudding ($14), served with crème fraîche ice cream here. It’s a rich and indulgent finish to a meal … unless, of course, you have room for just one more, in which case opt for the Eton Mess ($14), a dessert rivaling the pudding in its utter Britishness. Cranberry jam, chantilly cream, winter citrus and pistachio dust are artfully thrown together with broken pieces of baked meringue. No stiff upper lip here; you’ll be too busy licking it.
“Customers vote with their feet, and every time [you open a restaurant], it needs to be better and future-facing,” Ramsay says.
RAMSAY’S KITCHEN Harrah’s, 702-369-5199, gordonramsayrestaurants.com. Daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
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