“Just ask your waiter to make some recommendations because they've got every dumpling imaginable,” Mona Holmes says of Xiao Long Dumplings in Las Vegas. Photo by Shutterstock.

In Las Vegas, gone are the days of Elvis Presley, Wayne Newton, $25 hotel rooms, and all-you-eat buffets. Eater’s Mona Holmes recently came back from a four-day visit and found the city to be “absolutely sprawling and diverse and … and a wonderful place to eat.”

“As someone who has been there on and off … over the last 20 years, it has been fascinating to see this current iteration of Las Vegas, and how completely different it is from my childhood, or even when I was in my 20s,” she says. 

Holmes’ recommendations on the Strip: 

“It's a French steakhouse, it’s a little unconventional, [and] a tiny bit clubby. But you can get a wonderful dry-age steak and a very strong martini. … The chef and these bartenders really know what they're doing.”

“I had one of the best experiences that I've had in a long time in a fine dining establishment. … [Chef Tal Ronnen] is putting together some of the most inventive food in the plant-based world. … I had one of the best bottles of champagne that I've ever had in gorgeous glasses. … It's also in a new casino/mall that just doesn't read Vegas.” 

Holmes’ recommendations off the Strip: 

“It is a tiny shop next to a 24-hour smoothie spot in a strip mall. … Order the hand-pulled noodles with brisket in soup. … They bring this bowl full of chili oil, you sprinkle it on, and you get your wonderful North Chinese groove on with this dish, along with their beef rolls. 

And there is a glass-enclosed case where the artist — not chef — is making these dumplings and noodles … some of the best stuff that I have had in ages.”

“Oh my god, just ask your waiter to make some recommendations because they've got every dumpling imaginable.” 

“Order a platter of Korean fried chicken in multiple flavors, and you really can't go wrong with that. And … right behind it is a karaoke joint, of course.”

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Las Vegas is a diverse place to eat. Try an unconventional French steakhouse, plant-based fine dining, a modern spin on traditional Chinese noodles, and more.

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