Las Vegas travel guide,Eat

Large casinos will invariably offer a variety of dining options, ranging from the omni-present buffet to simple cafes to gourmet restaurants.

Buffets

The most famous buffets in Las Vegas are at the Rio, Bellagio, Paris and Aladdin, though the newly opened Wynn buffet is becoming more and more of a favorite with tourists and locals alike. The best buffets typically run about $30 a person for a weekend dinner. Lunch is your best value at most buffets when they are around half price, breakfasts are cheapest and often have a great spread too. Do not forget that tipping your buffet waiter 10-15% is customary. You can leave cash on the table at the end of your meal or tip the cashier at the counter on a credit card.

• The Buffet, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd South (Wynn), ☎ +1-702-770-7100. Short line, exotic food, especially good for sushi.

• The Buffet, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South (Bellagio), ☎ +1-702-693-7111. The Bellagio has arguably the best buffet on the strip, with the dinner menu including pre-split crab legs, venison, Kobe beef, and wild boar. Lines can be long, especially on weekends. Prices vary by meal and day of week, with the breakfast buffet running about $15, while the weekend dinner buffet costs upwards of $30.

• Spice Market, 3400 South Las Vegas Blvd (Aladdin), ☎ +1-702-785-5555. All styles of food including good seafood. Line moves fast. Voted "Best Buffet in Las Vegas," by the Review Journal Best of Las Vegas.

• Village Seafood Buffet, 3700 W Flamingo Rd (Rio), ☎ +1-702-777-7777. Open from 4:00 PM until 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and from 3:00 PM until 11:00 PM Friday and Saturday. This buffet is one of the better buffets in Las Vegas, with an extensive seafood collection (as well as other items). Lines can be long. Note that the Rio also offers the "Carnival Buffet", which is cheaper but does not offer seafood items. $34.99 per person (dinner only).

Restaurants

On the Strip

• Carnaval Court Bar and Grill (Harrah's).

• Craftsteak (MGM Grand), ☎ +1-702-891-7318. considered to be one of the best steak houses in America, avg $95/per person.

• Cypress Street Marketplace (Caesars Palace). Interesting and good for the family, it has every cuisine and is mostly cheap.

• Kahunaville (Treasure Island).

• Roman Court (Caesars Palace). Good food as well as good icy drinks.

• Shang-hai Lily (Mandalay Bay). Gourmet Chinese and an incredible fine dining experience.

• Tao (Venetian), ☎ +1-702-388-8338 (fax: +1-702-388-8308). Open Sunday - Thursday from 5:00 PM until 12:00 AM, and Friday - Saturday from 5:00 PM to 1:00 AM. A beautifully decorated Asian restaurant that doubles as a nightclub, this eatery offers very good food at moderately high prices. A dinner for two with drinks will cost between $60 and $100.

• Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill (Harrah's).

• The Range Steakhouse (Harrah's).

Off the Strip

• Antonio's Italian Ristorante (Rio).

• Bahama Breeze, 375 Hughes Center Drive. Serves great tropical food. Large portions with a great atmosphere. Famous for their Jerk Chicken Pasta, Cinnamon Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and wide variety of hand-crafted tropical drinks such as the Bahamarita. This is a great place to get away and relax from the crowds on people on the strip.

• Buzio's Seafood Restaurant (Rio).

• Ellis Island Casino Restaurant (Located one block east of Bally's at the intersection of Flamingo and Koval). The $4.95 steak special is consistently voted the best deal in Las Vegas. It's not on the menu, so ask for it specifically. If steak is not your thing the restaurant has plenty of other selections at cheap prices. In addition, Ellis Island has barbecue every night from 4-10 pm. Ellis Island also brews its own beer, and serves them in the casino bar in 20 oz. glasses for a buck.

• ENVY, The Steakhouse, 3400 Paradise Road (Located in the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel) ENVY is the proud winner of the 2005 Las Vegas Life Magazine Epicurean Award “Best New Restaurant – Off the Strip,” as well as the 2005 and 2006 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Inspired by Chef Richard Chamberlain, the distinctive ENVY menu includes premium quality, fresh ingredients from select purveyors around the country, featured in innovative dishes that redefine traditional steakhouse cuisine. Enjoy the highest quality Kobe filet, prime rib roast, Black Angus filet and prime bone-in rib eye. The walk-in wine cellar features 1,500 bottles of wine.

  Downtown

• Pasta Pirate, 12 East Ogden Ave (California Hotel & Casino), ☎ +1-702-385-1222. Closed Tuesdays. Delicious steaks, seafood, and pasta. A romantic darkened wharf decor with a view to the chef's flaming grill. The steak and lobster special is a really great value. All dinners include a glass of house wine. Call ahead for reservations to avoid a long wait.