Anyone who’s spent any time in Las Vegas knows it’s one of the greatest restaurant cities in the world, but critical acclaim and national exposure hasn’t always backed that claim.
That has been changing in recent years as more chef-driven dining concepts have blossomed in the Valley’s diverse neighborhoods, with many of those chefs earning accolades including James Beard Award nominations; Sarah Thompson, executive chef at Casa Playa at Wynn, just won the city’s first Best Chef award in 15 years.
The balance of elite restaurants on and off the Las Vegas Strip has never been as exciting as it is right now, as evidenced by the return of the Michelin Guide, created more than 125 years ago by the French tire company and now considered the standard of culinary excellence with its star rating system for fine dining restaurants. Last year the guide announced its inaugural Michelin Guide Southwest, expected to be unveiled August 26 at Fontainebleau, meaning the prestigious guide will likely award stars and Bib Gourmand recognition (to exceptional restaurants with more moderate prices) to some or many Las Vegas venues for the first time in more than 17 years.
Will Michelin give Vegas what it deserves? Time will tell. Until then, the Weekly quizzed some of our favorite local chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality pros and dining experts to find out which restaurants they’d like to see in the guide.
Sparrow & Wolf
“Sparrow & Wolf and Esther’s Kitchen are the kind of restaurants chefs actually go to on their nights off, not because they’re trendy, but because they’re genuinely good. Brian Howard and James Trees have spent years building restaurants with a clear identity and a strong sense of purpose. The food is thoughtful, consistent and memorable because it reflects who they are as chefs. Las Vegas has plenty of flashy restaurants, but these two have substance. They have built experiences that feel authentic and rooted in the community. That is exactly the kind of cooking Michelin should recognize.” –Alex Reznik, chef and restaurateur at SMKD BBQ and Hayworth
Dan Krohmer is the founder of neighborhood favorites. After the success of the sushi-centric Other Mama, he debuted Durango Social Club, a concept driven by intimate culinary gatherings. He’s the people’s chef in many ways, always eager to engage guests at the bar and keep the conversation flowing to the table. So it’s no surprise that his Michelin Guide wish list is full of glowing remarks for some of the most hospitable chefs in town and their restaurants.
When it comes to Amador Cocina Fina, “I have said for years that chef Oscar [Amador] is my favorite chef in town,” Krohmer says. “He is there every day, doing as much as he can possibly do by himself and making the most innovative food in Las Vegas.”
The highly exclusive, six-seat omakase experience at Endo is another highlight Krohmer thinks should be recognized on a grand scale.
“Chef [Mitsuo] Endo has been making the best Japanese food in Las Vegas for years, and now to have the opportunity to have an intimate dinner with him cooking directly for you is an amazing opportunity,” he says. “Las Vegas has really grown to embrace small-room experiences that are more focused on the experience.” –Amber Sampson
If there’s one thing prolific pastry chef Dominique Ansel values, its attention to detail. Years before he brought sweet relief to the Strip (at Caesars Palace and Paris) with his world-famous Cronuts, Ansel worked in New York City at Daniel Boulud’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Daniel. So when it comes to recognizing the best, Ansel speaks from experience.
Restaurant Guy Savoy, which opened at Caesars Palace 20 years ago, is a “true fine dining experience,” Ansel says. “With each dish that’s served, you can sense that there’s a deep respect for French classics and technique. My favorite moment? When the team brings over the tower of French butter, perfectly softened and the most beautiful array of breads to start off the meal. You know you’re in for a treat and a meal to remember.”
Over at Fontainebleau, Ansel craves chef Evan Funke’s Mother Wolf like nothing else. The food deserves the Michelin stamp of approval for its freshness alone.
“We’ll start with the Sfincione—pillowy soft focaccia that we’ll inevitably order seconds or thirds of—the crispy squash blossoms, and when tomatoes are in peak season, the panzanella is excellent,” he says. “Of course, the handmade pastas too—usually carbonara or cacio e pepe for me. Great service, and we leave happily stuffed and ready for our next visit.” –AS
“I was very excited to watch Sarah Thompson win a Best [Chef] award this year, so I’m looking forward to Casa Playa getting a Michelin recommendation. Same goes for Cantina Contramar, the new Las Vegas outpost of Gabriela Cámara’s fantastic Mexico City restaurant. And Javier’s, Las Vegas’ iconic traditional Mexican spot, has been making people happy for generations, so it should definitely be in the mix.” –Rick Bayless, celebrity chef and operator at Tortazo
“Partage, for sure. Yuri [Szarzewski] is doing great things. It’s so chef-driven, and what he’s doing is staying true to his roots in French cuisine. It’s reminiscent of some of the places I’ve been to in France where the chef is always the one doing the cooking. He just does a great job and he’s a great chef.” –Tayden Poha-Ellamar, executive chef at Braseria by Edo
Esther's Kitchen
While big-name chefs were battling for Strip real estate, Brian Howard planted his flag in Chinatown in 2017 and built one of the most exciting restaurants in the city. Billing itself as a neighborhood cookery, Sparrow & Wolf is an outsize presence on Spring Mountain Road. A vibrant mural marks the spot, but what’s inside will do the real convincing.
Howard grew up in the Midwest, where food meant cookouts and his grandmother’s table. A meal was the thing that pulled people together. That instinct never left him, even through tenures in the kitchens of Thomas Keller and Kerry Simon. At Sparrow & Wolf, it’s the invisible ingredient in everything: a two-time James Beard finalist who is as passionate about what’s on the plate as he is about the warmth a shared meal creates.
The menu makes the case, with bold nods to Korean, Japanese and Chinese pantries, filtered through classical training and ingredients whose provenance Howard tracks as carefully as his technique. Oxtail hummus, sinigang steamed clams, wood-fired Lumina lamb with braised white beans and pickled fennel, Mishima Ranch zabuton with pommes purée and panang curry. The tasting menu, with a wine pairing curated by wine director Nick Tatum, is a full evening’s argument for why Chinatown is where the most interesting cooking in Las Vegas happens.
If you haven’t been to Sparrow & Wolf, pull up a chair. It might just be the most essential table in town. –Genevie Durano, Las Vegas writer
Jamie Tran, Top Chef finalist and multiple James Beard Award semifinalist, honed her craft at Strip standouts like Venetian’s former DB Brasserie before moving south to helm her own Vietnamese-American restaurant, The Black Sheep, in 2017. Most of her Michelin Guide picks followed her off-Strip.
“I love supporting local,” Tran says, pointing first to the Arts District’s Bar Boheme—a French spot “quietly opened” last year by James Trees, close to his already-beloved Esther’s Kitchen. Nearby, owner Kim Owens’ Main St. Provisions earns Tran’s praise for its creativity. She says both are more than worthy of inclusion.
Back in the resort corridor, she calls fellow James Beard semifinalist Nicole Brisson’s Brezza “a special place,” citing the Resorts World Italian concept as a go-to destination when she wants “a Strip experience that feels distinct.” –Tyler Schneider
“Lotus of Siam has been around for years and still delivers every time. You really see the consistency and depth in the food. Peter Luger Steak House is one of those classic steakhouses that doesn’t try to do too much—it’s all about quality beef, proper aging and simple execution done really well. It’s straightforward, but when it’s done right like that, it really sticks with you. To me, these places each show a different side of Las Vegas dining, and they really reflect how strong the food scene in the city has become.” –Esther Choi, chef and owner at Mok Bar
A longtime staple in the local hospitality industry and a mogul when it comes to bringing culinary concepts to life, restaurateur Elizabeth Blau says the city’s Michelin-worthy restaurants share more than technical excellence. They deliver consistency, creativity and hospitality that keep diners coming back.
“I would love to see Wing Lei recognized again,” Blau says of the Chinese restaurant at Wynn. “They’ve quietly set the standard for fine dining in Las Vegas for years, and the consistency, service and attention to detail are exceptional. It’s a restaurant that has continued to evolve while staying true to what it does best.”
Tamba
She also points to Sparrow & Wolf as a restaurant that reflects the city’s growing culinary identity. “Chef Brian Howard has created something that feels uniquely Las Vegas, with creative, thoughtful cooking that never loses sight of flavor. Every meal feels personal, and the energy in the dining room is hard to replicate.”
And for diners seeking a grandiose tasting menu, Blau singles out Partage. “It’s one of the city’s most ambitious tasting menu experiences, yet it remains approachable and genuinely welcoming. The level of technique, creativity and hospitality is exactly what makes dining memorable.” –Gabriela Rodriguez
Mitsuo Endo is a pioneer in the Vegas dining scene, a six-time Beard Award-nominated chef and restaurateur who anchored a Japanese renaissance with multiple local venues, showcasing a small sliver of the breadth of his home country’s cuisine. At his speakeasy-like Endo, he runs what is arguably the Valley’s most technically precise restaurant, nightly culinary theater for a half-dozen diners delivered by the chef himself.
The ever-changing omakase menu is heavily dependent upon hyper-seasonal ingredients rooted in traditional presentations. On any given night you may be treated to decadent cold caviar and uni soba noodles or grilled, delicate ayu sweetfish, but you will certainly experience both Endo’s house-made 30-minute fresh kokumi tofu and dashi prepared from three-year fermented bonito and Dewasansan water. Needless to say, this is not your corner sushi joint.
In opening Endo, his lifetime dream, Endo handpicked everything from the sake glasses and cutlery to serving ware and chopstick holders. Similarly, in designing the space he evaluated sightlines to keep utensils and appliances unseen, leaving nothing to chance. This attention to detail delivered by Endo—the restaurant and the chef—is the essential element that should be rewarded by Michelin’s judges. –Jim Begley, Las Vegas writer
Known for her passion for building up the local food community and as a founding member of the Women’s Hospitality Initiative, Jolene Mannina thinks the restaurants worthy of Michelin recognition pair ambitious cooking with memorable hospitality.
Sparrow & Wolf sits at the top of Mannina’s list. “One of my favorite dishes to share with guests is the white miso-aged porterhouse served with American banchan and garlic naan.”
When she visits Amador Cocina Fina, she never hesitates. “I always choose the tasting menu,” Mannina says. “ With Oscar [Amador] on the line nightly, each bite is meticulously crafted, showcasing his Barcelona roots and influences from Mexico and beyond.”
At Tamba, she says the experience begins well before the first bite. “You feel the hospitality as soon as you step inside, with Olivier [Morowati] leading the room and setting an elevated standard of service down to the locally made linen napkins at each setting. The food delivers vibrant Indian flavors while weaving in global techniques. Some favorites include the masala butter oysters, charred octopus prepared in a Josper charcoal oven and exotic breads,” she says. –GR
Award-winning mixologist Juyoung Kang has led beverage programs on and off the Strip for years, from Fontainebleau to Downtown’s Doberman Drawing Room. She’s also been behind the bar at some of the best restaurants in the city, and with that comes an insider’s read on which ones are operating at a Michelin level.
She affirms the obvious: Brian Howard’s Sparrow & Wolf is changing the game. “He’s always elevating his food for the local scene with Strip-level precision,” Kang says. “He’s consistent and always collaborating with the best to create unique experiences.”
Ito
Fontainebleau’s Ito is also pulling off a Michelin-worthy experience with its rotation of seasonal omakase-style tastings. “One of the best tasting menus and services I have ever experienced,” Kang says. “Such precision and great teamwork.” –AS
Kimberly McIntosh, a two-time Beard Award-nominee and co-owner of Milkfish Bakeshop, was one of three local chefs to travel recently to New York City for a collaborative dinner celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Beard Foundation were involved with the event, emblematic of the powerful push behind off-Strip dining that’s happening now.
“It feels like a really exciting time for the food scene in general now,” she says, adding that she’s “really optimistic” the Michelin Guide Southwest will recognize a balance of big casino restaurants on the Strip with compelling neighborhood establishments.
McIntosh would like to see local standouts like Partage, Sparrow & Wolf, Anima and Esther’s Kitchen get some recognition, as well as “smaller spots that have been around and made a name for themselves,” including The Black Sheep and Calabash African Kitchen.
“Calabash, for example, pops up to me as a possible Bib Gourmand mention, a place that really stands out. It’s a true concept and so true to its culture,” she says. “To be able to serve your food without any editing, just ‘this is how it is,’ that can be really hard to do.”
As for Strip restaurants, McIntosh says: “Of course at Joël Robuchon and Guy Savoy, you almost expect it. Cote Korean Steakhouse is up there. And I’m a huge fan of Sarah Thompson and I think Casa Playa deserves one.” –Brock Radke
Las Vegas food writer Lorraine Blanco Moss knows where to nosh. The former TV anchor and chef at the Strip’s Bazaar Meat keeps the Valley fed with The Vegas Dish, a dining column for Desert Companion. But her recommendations don’t end there.
“Any Las Vegas best restaurant list has to have Bazaar Meat on it. It would be an absolute travesty for Michelin to miss the opportunity to recognize this complete dining experience in its guide,” Moss says. “Every dish is prepared with precision and care. They’re in regular contact with their farmers; the cooks even know their names and origin stories. Each steak is prepped and seasoned and sliced with so much reverence.”
Amador Cocina Fina is another “Michelin slam dunk,” Moss says. The passion exists in each bite.
“Chef Oscar Amador takes your mouth on a unique journey through the streets of his Barcelona heritage,” she says. “And the playful cooking and plating techniques demonstrate the triumphs of his expanding skillset in Las Vegas kitchens.”
Moss also praises Partage, where chef Yuri Szarzewski “excels at modern French cuisine and technique while simultaneously honoring the restaurant’s location with surprising and delightful Asian ingredients and collaborations. His dishes are creative and beautiful, but most importantly, the flavors deliver.” –AS
Joël Robuchon
“Sparrow & Wolf. It has amazing, well-trained staff and innovative food. They’re definitely somebody that the rest of the chefs in the city watch and admire. The menu is constantly changing, so I don’t necessarily have a particular dish that I would single out, because I think the whole menu and service is extraordinary. They have a real understanding of how food and service work together, and I really think that they’re at that level.” –John Arena, founder of Metro Pizza
“My school in Barcelona where I studied has a restaurant that has one Michelin star, and it’s run by students, so I’m very familiar with Michelin and I’ve worked in a few restaurants for some time with that recognition. For a chef like me from Europe, it’s on my checklist for my life to get a star, so I’m very happy this region came back and I think it’s going to be great for the city. Off-Strip, I think Partage will get one, great French cuisine, and they deserve it. The edomai style restaurants, like Kaiseki Yuzu or Kabuto, I think a couple of them should get it. On the Strip, probably Ito at Fontainebleau, and I think Robuchon will get a couple stars for sure. There are so many great restaurants on and off the Strip now, I’m very curious how the guide is going to rate the city.” –Oscar Amador, chef and owner at Amador Cocina Fina and Anima by Edo
The legendary chef Wolfgang Puck has spent decades defining the Strip scene, one transformative concept at a time. His stellar portfolio of restaurants reflects a broader empire that’s earned widespread acclaim, including Michelin stars for Spago and Cut. Now with his Italian-themed Caramá, Puck believes he’s finally created a Vegas concept that belongs in the Michelin Guide. It’s a love letter to Italian classics—handmade pastas, wood-fired cooking, coastal cuisine—and to Puck’s first mentor.
“Caramá is inspired by my mother, Maria, who taught me how to cook,” Puck says. “The entire restaurant is built around honoring her legacy rather than creating another luxury Italian restaurant.”
Puck also regards Sartiano’s Italian Steakhouse as a contender. The Manhattan hot spot landed at Wynn in March, with the resort’s lush golf course serving as a flashy backdrop for date nights and evenings with friends.
South of the Strip, Puck raves about Tamba at Town Square, a James Beard Award finalist this year for Best New Restaurant.
“I like this place for the adventurous diner,” Puck says. “You get a new wave of Indian food. It’s innovative and it is one of my favorite places in America.” –AS
“For me, Las Vegas is like no other city. Long gone are the preconceptions of just a steak and casino town. Within five miles, you can find some of the best restaurants and greatest chefs in the world, all hustling side by side along the infamous Strip. [There’s] world-class French tasting menus, finessed Japanese, modern Mexican and honestly, some of the most amazing independent restaurants in the U.S. today. Picking a favorite would be like picking my favorite child. But I can confidently say Michelin coming back to town (and across the wider Southwest region), is a fantastic credit to all the business owners, restaurateurs, chefs and all their teams, delivering plate after plate of perfection, every single day!” –Gordon Ramsay, celebrity chef with multiple Las Vegas Strip restaurants
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