Best new eats in Las Vegas

Las Vegas’ ever-evolving culinary scene has earned it a well-deserved reputation as a bona fide foodie destination rivaling New York and Los Angeles. Having weathered the pandemic, Sin City has reemerged with a roster of new restaurants and food halls, as well as updated menus at old favorites. From the Strip to strip malls, here are 12 great places to cash in on good eats in Las Vegas.

Drive 10 minutes from the Strip and you’ll arrive at a little slice of Hong Kong—complete with hanging wooden birdcages and steamer tins packed with piping-hot dumplings. Yum Cha in Chinatown is an all-day dim sum spot. Satisfy your cravings for fried-shrimp wontons, siu mai, braised chicken feet, and sweet egg tarts.

In 2020, an à la carte menu featuring photos of dishes made fresh in the kitchen replaced the traditional pushcarts, diminishing a bit of the dim sum experience but still offering plenty of variety. Yum Cha also has larger entrées, such as roast duck, noodles, and veggies glazed with oyster sauce. Dim sum items around $5 each; entrées start at $13.98.

A San Diego import, Hash House A Go Go has garnered a huge fan base with its “twisted” spin on Midwest comfort food. Like almost everything else in Vegas, the food here is over-the-top, the portions are generous, and the flavors are bold.

One of the most popular breakfast items is Andy’s World-Famous Sage Fried Chicken: cornflake-coated chicken breasts balanced precariously atop a tower of crispy waffles. Other breakfast favorites include corned beef hash, chilaquiles, and griddled French toast dipped in banana-cinnamon cream.

And since the word “refrain” doesn’t exist in this city, go ahead and order the Campfire S’mores Mocha with toasted marshmallow and a graham cracker. It may look like a dessert, but it’s technically a coffee beverage. Entrées, $11–$29; signature coffees, $4–$12.50.

Then dig into the luxurious Maine lobster Benedict. Or try the Grand Marnier French Toast made with white chocolate brioche and served with fresh strawberries and whipped mascarpone. Looking for something lighter? Opt for steel-cut oats or smoked salmon and a bagel. If the weather is nice, ask to sit on the outdoor terrace, which has views of the manicured garden and pool. Breakfast entrées, $19–$32.

Roll the dice at the new Vegas Test Kitchen, where chefs test concepts and menu items in a shared contemporary space. With rotating menus and a 3-month residency for each concept, you’re guaranteed a different experience each time you visit.

Once you’re seated, scan the QR code to enter your table number and order from any of the vendors. Dishes might include soy “chicken” salad sandwich from Down2Earth Plant Based Cuisine, a blistered sourdough Neapolitan-style pizza from Yukon Pizza, or an apple crumble from Pop N Pies. Unlike at a food court, Vegas Test Kitchen allows you to order from multiple vendors and pay with a single transaction.

A Vegas buffet used to be the convenient choice for diners who want to try a little of everything. However, a new trend has emerged in the form of food halls, which feature carefully curated brand-name eateries from all over the country.

Following the lead of Resorts World and Cosmopolitan, which feature food halls, Aria Resort & Casino recently replaced its buffet with Proper Eats Food Hall. This food hall showcases dishes from 9 established restaurants, including London’s Seoul Bird, L.A.’s Wexler’s Deli, New York’s Egghead, and Portland, Oregon’s Shalom Y’all. Whether you’re in the mood for Korean fried chicken or handcrafted pastrami, you’re sure to find something that’ll hit the spot.

The Jonas Brothers may have ended their Vegas residency in early 2023, but their family recipes are here to stay. Opened by Kevin Jonas Sr., father of the Jonas Brothers, Nellie’s Southern Kitchen features treasured recipes from his late grandma Nellie, including her hearty chicken and dumplings and Southern-style fried chicken with mac-and-cheese and drunken collard greens. Other Southern classics include pimento cheese dip, shrimp and grits, and a fried green tomato BLT.

The decor is similar to Nellie’s flagship restaurant in Belmont, North Carolina, where rustic reclaimed-wood walls are juxtaposed against sophisticated white chandeliers. Naturally, both restaurants feature a wall of magazine and album covers and band concert posters. Entrées, $25–$57.

An institution in the Las Vegas culinary scene, the AAA Five Diamond Le Cirque reopened in 2021. The menu continues to be refreshed, while preserving the tradition of quintessential French dishes that are plated like edible sculptures.

Edible flowers adorn buttery hamachi, and plump langoustines swim in a bright caviar-lemon beurre blanc. The 8-course tasting menu ($425)—also available with vegetarian-only dishes—is an opulent fine-dining experience, while the new 5-course menu delivers the same luxury at nearly half the price ($228).  

The bread basket ($11.95) is a must-order, but resist the temptation to fill up on the fresh-baked bread. Start with the baked oysters Rockefeller, then share the organic roasted chicken, salt-brined and buttered to perfection. The chicken is carved tableside and pairs perfectly with the baked potato, which is smashed in front of diners and served with crème fraîche and chives. Appetizers, $23–$33; sides, $16; pastas and entrées, $26­–$160.

The Black Sheep is tucked in a strip mall in southwest Las Vegas, about 10 miles from the Strip. Here, Top Chef alum Jamie Tran cooks up some of the city’s most creative food. The eatery features Vietnamese-influenced dishes prepared using French techniques and American ingredients.

That translates to bao sliders with house-made sausage, fried quail egg, and jalapeño aioli; vegan Vietnamese glass noodles with spicy gochujang sauce; and whole fried rainbow trout with sautéed rainbow Swiss chard.

Chef-owner Tran previously worked at DB Brasserie at the Venetian and Aureole at Mandalay Bay before opening her own Southeast Asian fusion restaurant in 2017, quickly turning it into the hottest place to dine in Vegas. Her appearance on Top Chef in 2021 propelled her to national fame. Closed Mondays. Appetizers, $8–$16; entrées, $19–$44.

Pantone-colored macarons, fresh-baked French croissants, and the famous Cronuts fill lavish glass cases. Don’t leave without ordering a Cookie Shot, which is served up by a robot 24/7. Desserts and pastries, $7–$13.

Showstopping desserts shine in their own right. The Cigar is a playful chocolate and hazelnut praline “cigar” served on a glass ashtray; it’s presented at the table cloaked in smoke under a glass cloche. For a more traditional but still flashy dessert, order the cherries jubilee made with black cherries and rum that is flambéed tableside. Desserts, $16–$22.

A hidden gem in a Chinatown strip mall, LaPostté offers a charming afternoon-tea experience with buttery scones, savory finger sandwiches, and petite desserts. Treat yourself to the multilayered crepe cakes, which come in Asian-inspired flavors like taro, matcha, mango, and durian.

The quaint café also features 2 walls of postcards: Pick one for $2 and write a message, place it in a dedicated slot marked with a specific date, and the shop will mail it on that day. Desserts, $8.50–$12; afternoon tea, $39.99 (10 items, plus a pot of tea for 2 people); $69.99 (18 items, plus 2 pots of tea for 2 to 4 people). Reservations required.

A frequent AAA contributor, Rachel Ng is a food and travel writer who has been published in National Geographic, Outside, and Fodors.com.