Best Places to Eat and Drink in Las Vegas in 2026

The volume and concentration of celebrity chefs, lauded fine-dining restaurants and America’s favorite food franchises in Las Vegas is hard to fathom. (Here, celebrity chefs share star status with top entertainers.) But to really dig into Vegas' varied food scene beyond the Strip, try instead the city's Korean barbecue and late-night noodles in Chinatown, old-school steakhouses, ambitious new restaurants, sprawling food halls and an increasingly serious cocktail scene.

Since neither time nor money is infinite, it’s impossible to sample them all. If you’re a foodie on a pilgrimage, do your research and narrow your selection ahead of your trip. Most restaurants take reservations online, so book ahead.

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After dark, the Strip is home to some of the country’s hottest clubs and most happening bars, where you never know who you’ll rub shoulders with. Downtown’s Fremont East Entertainment District is the go-to place for Vegas’ coolest non-mainstream haunts.

Many bars stay open until the wee hours (and some never close). Many offer two-for-one drinks and appetizers during happy hour (usually 4–6pm). “Graveyard” happy hours start around midnight. Also be sure to tip bartenders at least 15% of your bill on a round.

With those planning tips out of the way, read on for the best places to eat and drink on your Las Vegas trip.

The Best Reservations to Book on the Strip

Experience Old Las Vegas

Rat Pack legends, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis have all dined at a fabulously retro Golden Steer steakhouse (it’s marked by a steer’s head out front). For a different feel altogether, Joël Robuchon at his namesake restaurant offers an elevated experience in an art deco–inspired dining room, where seasonal tasting menus promise the meal of a lifetime.

Take in Las Vegas Glitz

Momofuku, located in the Cosmopolitan, serves up playful pan-Asian fare, including mouthwatering pork-belly buns and a mean roasted duck. Vegas institution the Peppermill charms with its campy atmosphere, fire-pit fountains and massive portions. CATCH dazzles diners with its stunning entryway and seafood-centric menu, featuring dishes like truffled sashimi and whole fish. At NoMad Library, lucky guests enjoy next-level indulgence in an opulent private dining room lined with 20,000 books.

Spot Some Celebrities

Delilah is a see-and-be-seen modern supper club dripping with style that draws a celebrity crowd (taking photos is strictly off limits). Finally, Superfrico describes itself as an “Italian-American psychedelic restaurant.” Serving up delicious pizza, junk food–inspired cocktails, and wild, intermittent performances, it’s the place to go for a dining experience that you’ll find truly only in Vegas.

Some new openings worth exploring include Maroon, a Carribean steak house from celebrity chef Kwame Onwuachi and Cantina Contramar, a seafood-heavy Mexico City-style outpost.

Where to Brunch in Vegas

Las Vegas definitely got the memo: even brunch can be turned into an event here. At Señor Frog’s Drag Brunch, starting at 11am, you can help yourself to the brunch buffet plus bottomless mimosas while being entertained by RuPaul’s Drag Race queens. Saturday-night sinners can find redemption with unlimited Bloody Marys and Southern and soul food at House of Blues Gospel Brunch (from 10am on Sundays).

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For a more laid-back, yet still elevated start to your day, Thomas Keller’s rendition of a Lyonnaise bistro, Bouchon, does decadent brunch with caviar, foie gras and great wine. That certainly sets the tone for another day in Vegas. For something super casual, AmeriBrunch Cafe offers all-day breakfast and lunch, while Winnie and Ethel's is a throw-back neighborhood classic with diner favorites on the menu.

Where to Eat on the Cheap in Las Vegas

On-The-Go Options

From food halls to fast food, you can eat well and on a budget in Las Vegas. Some of our favorite options: At Jaburritos, you can build your own nori (seaweed) sushi roll combined with a burrito. (What could go wrong? Find it at the LINQ hotel.) For a humble bowl of hot and hearty ramen swimming in broth at almost normal prices, Ramen-ya Katana is at the center of the Strip. Breakfast bagels, salted pretzels and bialys are on point at Siegel's Bagelmania. And if it’s proper tacos you crave, the Tijuana-style Tacos El Gordo is perfect for a late-night adobada (chili-marinated pork) in handmade tortillas. It might even keep your Las Vegas hangover at bay. Maybe.

Food Halls for All

Great for groups and offering some top-notch dishes in a fun, innovative space, Famous Food Street Eats is a high-tech food hall with an incredible array of global cuisine across 24,000 square feet. Proper Eats Food Hall sits inside Aria Resort and Casino with everything from donuts to chicken, salads and burgers, while Block 16 Urban Food Hall in the Cosmopolitan features smash burger joint, Naughty Patty's, which opened in July 2025.

A Las Vegas Pool Party

It’s not Vegas without a poolside cocktail, and there are a few updated and additions to check out. Omnia Dayclu b (which connects to the nightclub) opened this summer at Caesar's Palace and is 46,000 sq ft outfitted with central pools, plunge pools and elevated decks. The Go Pool at Flamingo Las Vegas was given a $20 million refresh in 2026, too, with a swim-up bar, five pools and cabanas.

Drai’s Beachclub atop the Cromwell hotel delivers daytime pool parties soundtracked by resident DJs. And it doesn't get better than sunbathing with a martini in hand at Encore’s decadent beach club. Mandalay Bay Beach is an 11-acre complex with a lazy river, wave pool and sandy beach.

All year long, the drinks flow at Cosmopolitan’s mega-popular daytime pool club, Marquee, above the Strip. And the longest-running LGBTQIA+ pool party in Vegas, Temptation Sundays, takes place at the Luxor, with DJs, dancers and giant cocktails.

The Best Las Vegas Bars

Best for Golden Hour

Take in views of Las Vegas as the day ends and the night takes off at many Las Vegas bars. Downtown, the Legacy Club penthouse lounge on Circa’s 60th floor has panoramic Strip views and killer weekend parties (open until 2am). Allē Lounge on 66 at Resorts World is known for its penthouse feel and balcony.

Off the Strip, on the 55th floor of Palms Ivory Tower, Ghostbar has an outdoor deck that you reach by a private elevator. It’s a fun vibe with great DJs and it kicks on until 2am from Wednesday to Saturday. On the 108th floor, 108 Drinks at the Strat is another great bar with an in-the-clouds-feeling observation deck.

You’ll also find great cocktails and floor-to-ceiling windows at the classy, 23rd-floor Hard Shake at Waldorf Astoria. For sophistication, creative, seasonal cocktails and more views, head to Skyfall Lounge on the 64th floor of Delano. It’s open until midnight.

Best for Dancing

Once you’ve had enough desert sunshine, it’s time to hit the nightclubs. The Vinyl Room opened in August 2026 at Mandalay Bay with an Asian menu and listening lounges inspired by 1970s Japan. The MGM Grand’s nightspot, Hakkasan, is a massive Asian-inspired club that also serves killer cocktails; there’s room for some 7500 revelers over its five floors.

For a Miami Beach–vibe, Omnia is another megaclub (made more so with the 2026 opening of the Day Club), this one with panoramic Strip views from a boozy rooftop garden at Caesars Palace. A (slightly) more intimate alternative, Jewel Nightclub is a luxe dancing den that can hold up to 2000 partygoers.

And finally, the gold-drenched XS club at the super-chic Encors is famous for its electronica and writhing dance floor.

Best for a Speakeasy Feel

For a more exclusive drinking experience, try one of these speakeasy-style cocktail bars. Start at Cosmo's food hall – and look out for the door marked only with a donkey, behind which lies the secret mezcal-and-tequila bar Ghost Donkey.

To enter the intimate Cabinet of Curiosities, you have to first solve a puzzle and find “the Locksmith.” If that sounds too complicated, head to the Resorts World food hall, where the low-lit, hole-in-the-wall cocktail bar Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den has an opium-den vibe – only with fabulous cocktails. Or you might get lucky and nab a seat at The Vault, the exclusive cocktail bar that’s hidden behind an unmarked door on the Bellagio’s casino floor.

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Southwest USA guidebook, published in August 2025.