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Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
"I stayed in this hotel for my birthday weekend. I wanted a nice dinner to celebrate. I went here with a few of my close friends and had a…" read more »
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Wow...amazing. We went here not knowing what we were getting into, I had heard of the main restaurant but not this one and boy was I glad we went here.
We got a few different dishes:
Smoked Salmon with potato cake - The best smoked salmon I have ever had, no joke, so smooth, it just melts in your mouth. The potato cake was delicious, it went so well with the smoked salmon and dill creme fraiche, the three together were just fantastic.
Langosten - Lovely, perfectly cooked, so tender and flavorful, lightly fried so the little crunch was great.
Cheese taster plate - So good, I love cheese and these cheeses were amazing. A goat, a blue, and a few others, they were just so good I can't even tell you.
Onion Tart - Good things come in small packages, this small tart is just that - so flavorful and the onion is just cooked to its peak, wonderful.
Plus Drinks
The service was exceptional. We sat at the "counter" where they serve you from behind it and they were really great about everything, explained every dish with such enthusiasm and detail that it made it a much more sensory experience, not just sight, smell, taste, all of them, it was great.
Eat here!
Stopped in for a light supper before seeing Ka. We got sat right away without a reservation.
The few dishes we had were amazing!
This is not for the bargain buffet binge eater but for people that love food and want quality over quantity.
The service was friendly and I love that you can eat while watching the chefs carefully prepare the food.
I was competely expecting something more exciting for my first Michelin star restaurant. As such, I was underwhelmed. Granted, I only got to experience the "special" menu, which is a truncated version of what they have to offer. It definitely had highlights and lowlights. I enjoyed being able to see right into the kitchen from our seat at the bar.
The bread basket was pretty good, and the waiters were quite attentive to everyone.
The soup was some sort of cauliflower puree thing, which I did not like. The other soup, I can barely remember, but it was good enough.
On to the entree, the sweetbread was yummy but the John Dory was boring and overcooked. I actually really liked the veal sweetbread and savored every bite.
The creme brulee dessert was pretty good, so at least the dinner ended on a high note.
In all, I think I wouldn't come back, especially since the normal menu is so much more expensive and the "special" menu wasn't too spectacular.
We munched on the most delicious bread while we waited for our food voyage to begin. We started with an amuse bouche, a shot glass filled with a cucumber gelée topped with Crème fraîche and mint. It was fresh and crisp, a definite palate cleanser. Next was Les Legumes, buffalo mozzarella layered between zucchini and eggplant. The dish was very tasty; several flavors were unleashed with each bite. La Langoustine followed, a buttery langoustine and basil leaf coated with a perfectly light tempura served with a small salad, and basil pesto sauce decorated the plate.
Entrees followed, La Boeuf, Wagyu beef rib eye. The meat was prepared beautifully, it was tender and delectable. We longed for more. And Le Saumon, Scottish salmon with tomato and capers and fried strips of potato. The salmon was fantastic. We both were given our own cast iron dish filled with pommes purée. The smooth rich mashed potatoes hit the spot.
The next course was Les Fromages or a selection of cheeses and bread. There were three: a Roquefort blue cheese with great veining, a pungent cow's milk cheese, and the third was our favorite, but the name escapes me. I am unable to recall what breads were served to complement the cheeses, as well.
Lastly, we had Les Tartes and Glaces Et Sorbet for dessert. I started with the selection of tarts, six if I remember correctly. I thought all were delicious. Next, we dug into the sorbets, five, I think. The chocolate and raspberry were favorites. We concluded our meal with espresso.
Dinner took about two hours start to finish. We did get a bit antsy by the end of the meal. However, we enjoyed the experience. It was different than were used to and the attention to detail is amazing: flavors and presentation. Service was great for the most part. Although, the wait on refills for our iced tea was a bit long on two occasions.
Its official, I now qualify to eat at the big boy next door! That will be a later review, now on to this one...
L'Ateiler is worth the $500+ price tag. Did I just say that? Wow I'm getting snobby, or maybe its not "getting".
The experience was awesome from beginning to end. I'm going to focus on the highlights of the food but the entire Discovery menu ($175/pp; 9 course) was amazing.
* Langoustine Carpaccio with toasted poppy seed dressing.
It was served flat on a dish and to be honest looked a bit odd, but after my first bite I realized this may be the best dish of the night.
* Poached Baby Kushi Oysters served with French Butter. I'm usually not a big fan of cooked oysters, however the combination of the oyster and our champagne was perfect.
* Venison with sweet and sour cranberry and chestnuts, served with the house specialty truffle mashed potatoes. Venison is a challenging dish to put on any menu, especially a tasting menu. In this case it was prepared to perfection! The cranberries were not too overpowering and balanced the bold flavor of the venison quite well.
* Fresh Passion fruit in a coconut meringue. I'm not a big dessert fan, but this was a nice ending after all of those intense flavors.
The second most impressive thing to me at this restaurant was watching the action in the kitchen. The restaurant is very small, and typically I'm not a big fan of sitting at the bar, however it is a must at L'Atelier. The best way I can describe it is a "ballet with a bell"! Go and enjoy, you will know what I mean.
If you are in Vegas, then def call up L'Atelier and reserve a bar seat for before 6:45.
Why 6:45? They have a pre-theater menu for $39. Three courses served at once for a cheap price! (you will be pleasantly full and still make it to your Cirque du Soleil show!)
Why bar? Because unlike most bars, if you sit in the bar area, you are actually looking at the kitchen. W00t for seeing chefs carefully prepare your food. . . . sort of reminded me of Pixar's Ratatouille!
Why L'Atelier? they have really interesting and strange things, such as ham from a pig raised on acorns. . . I never knew there were only acorn eating pigs!!! The previous time I went, the dessert was sago topped with peach slices made into a rose and POP ROCKS! They are creative and use very unique ingredients.
The food does tend to be a little smaller portioned than we overindulgent Americans are used to. However, the french baguette here really is the best I have ever had, and will have you reaching for your 5th one before the end of the meal. (I am a HUGE baguette fan: Once ate an entire one as a 3rd grader. . . yes. . . it did result in a tummy ache. .)
All the food is prepared excellently and beautifully. The meat is never tough and always juicy and flavorful! Though be forewarned, if you do order anything steak or duck, ask for a steak knife! The regular knife, while being beautiful is less useful for eating food than a letter opener.
At these prices and with this ambiance you should come, relax, enjoy, be amazed and return often :)
Dress code: don't need to dress too formally, dressy casual is totally acceptable!
Xmas eve pre-theater menu choices:
Appetizer - Beef soup or Vension something that looked like spam
Main- Salmon, John Dory, Calamari, and Scallops with veggies, or Duck with daikon and mashed potatos.
Dessert:
Mini yule log with mushroom shaped meringue concoction- which truly was amazing.
Creme Brulee
This review is for the Menu Decouverte (aka Discovery Menu).
Tip #1: If you can't afford the Discovery Menu, don't bother dining here. You won't appreciate anything because you're missing out.
Tip #2: Can't decide between the KA show or dining at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Go for L'Atelier. Cirque du Soleil shows in water are much better (KA obviously isn't). You're eating at L'Atelier for three hours and trust me you'll be satisfied (your stomach that is).
Tip # 3: Eating alone is A-OK. The staff is accommodating and friendly. Asking questions or for advice is the way to go.
L'Atelier de Robuchon is up there with some of my favorite tastings to-date.
Photos of my visit can be found here: http://foodiefinder.bl...
If ever there was a culinary god, his name would be Joel Robuchon.
This guy is a freaking genius. I bow down to him.
My BF and I came here the other night and boy were we glad. We didn't get the tasting menu since we stuffed our faces the night before at Michael Mina.
We opted for a la carte items and were very satisfied with our choices.
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Started off with an amuse buche of foie gras with cheese foam in a shooter glass. Effen amazing! I never knew foie gras could taste so good.
Foie gras ravioli in warm chicken broth with herbs was my favorite dish of the evening. Tiny pockets of delightfulness all wrapped up. OMFG. I am still dreaming of them.
Maine lobster in spicy broth shaved lime and corn was delicious as well. I liked the kick it had, but then again I like most of my food fiery. This was my BF's fave dish.
L'Atelier style spaghetti was up next and it was quite filling. This was basically spaghetti carbonara and it was creamy, yet not overpowering. I also like the tiny pieces of ham. Very tasty indeed.
I chose the salmon with crispy potatoes and a side of mashed potatoes for my entree. It was good, but didn't really stand out as the best salmon ever. However, the mashed potatoes were so buttery every single bite I took made me feel my heart thump harder. It's all good, the BF polished them off for me.
He had the foie gras stuffed quail and truffle mashed potatoes and boy was that heavenly! The quail had such great flavor and seriously melted in my mouth. Wow.
We had 2 glasses each of the German Riesling. Very good as well.
The service was attentive and knowledgeable as well.
I absolutely love this place! Dinner was $250 before tip, so make sure you bring someone special! I can't wait to come back. This was simply orgasmic, in the culinary sense.
PIX- http://pandaliciousfor...
Lessons learned from first hand experience are the ones that stick with you forever.
Lesson #1.
Don't come to L'Atelier expecting the same life changing experience you'd get at Joel Robuchon (The Mansion) next door. Although it's still sophisticated and elegant, the vibe here is more casual, especially with the counter seating and open kitchen. Watching the chefs prepare your meal in hushed voices, and sometimes utter silence, is quite an experience in itself.
Lesson #2.
Don't come here expecting your own private space. If you're with a party of 4 or more people, then you get your own table. Otherwise, it's counter seating. It encourages conversation not only with your server, but your neighbor as well.
Lesson #3.
Don't come here expecting to be blown away by the creations of "Chef of the Century" when all you've is 1 hour and 15 mins. because there's a show you need to catch at Ka theater, which is literally, 10 steps from L'Atelier. I was clock-watching the whole time. They do have a menu called L'Unique, specifically created for those in a rush, it consists of an app, entree and dessert, served all at once. The couple next to us raved about it, but it doesn't offer Robuchon's signature dishes which was the reason I wanted to come here.
Lesson #4.
So, IF all you've got is 1 hour and 15 mins., order from their small plates selection. They've got quite an extensive menu arranged from lightest fare to heaviest. Prices ranged from $$25 - $$45. We decided to go with this due to the time constraint and timing of the dishes were actually well paced.
By far, the two most memorable dishes I've had here that night had one ingredient in common: foie gras. The amuse bouche of foie gras parfait layered with a port wine reduction and foamy parmesan on top was a heavy palate opener, but the strong flavors excited my palate on what was to come. La Caille is a free range quail stuffed with foie gras and truffle mash potatoes. It was supreme. The quail skin was textbook crisp, the meat juicy. The ratio of the potato to butter must be one to one because it was the creamiest, richest mashed potato I've ever had. Period.
I'd say skip La Courgette, which is roasted zucchini with eggplant caviar, it looks pretty on the plate, but pretty boring on the tastebuds. I'd also pass on the La Saint-Jacques, a sea scallop cooked in lemon oil and topped with micro chives; it wasn't seared, how they prepared this I don't know, but it came out very, very tender. However, if you're looking for flavor, this one won't scream at you. And, they give you one scallop! Imagine sharing that.
For dessert, consider the cheese plate with walnut bread. I don't remember the names of all the cheeses, but the Rebluchon is lovely, with its soft texture and nutty taste.
Service is executed with military precision. These folks are trained to serve you with utmost excellence and are knowledgeable about their wines and food.
I was already thinking the next time we come back, the 9 course Discovery Menu would be the way to go. That is, until the bf saw "Le Bill" and said we won't be coming back here in the near future.
Well, my palette is ready for French food, but apparently, our bank account isn't.
GARY DANKO needs to be stripped of their Michelin star and give another one to L'Atelier! They are not even close and should not be compared.
I took BF here for his 31st bday. I chose this place instead of the Mansion so that instead, BF can take me there later (jk). No really, it's b/c if you start from the top, then you don't appreciate anything else and this place seemed more casual and comfortable. I liked the bar seating and the trendy decor as well.
L'Atelier did not disappoint! The service was outstanding. Probably the best service I've received at a Michelin Star restaurant. Everyone is focused and quiet in the open kitchen. They are professional and will get to your every need. The manager even got us a plate of tarts (the dessert we didn't order on the menu, so basically we got all of the desserts) for BF's bday. The wait staff was really outstanding. And I could understand every word they said when they were naming the ingredients and how the items were prepared.
I was able to get the four-course club menu while BF got the 10 course discovery menu. I highly recommend this if you are a couple because then you basically eat everything on the menu. The best dish by far was the fois gras (best ever) and best dessert was the chocolate sorbet. I will upload pics and comment on the individual dishes later, but just wanted everyone to know that this place will not disappoint. Bill, including tax and tip was $290. Well worth every penny.
Forgive me as I am finally getting around to writing this review 5 months later. I would have given it 5 stars, unfortunately, the Fembot they called the hostess took that 5th star away...
The reservation was for 7pm, we arrive at 6:45, thinking, ok, maybe we can wait at the bar or they can seat us early. We give our name and she looks at us and tells us,"come back at 7," she was a bit snotty, hence the minus 1 star.
Once we entered the inner sanctum, it was pure heaven. The food was amazing.! We were eying up some potatoes at the seat next to us and I asked (cause I have no shame) if we could get a sample of those potatoes and they ended up giving us a huge portion of them! The pork belly, the quail eggs, the salmon were amazing!!!! My dessert consisted of a medley of ice creams, ranging from vanilla to pineapple and was the perfect ending to the perfect meal. We walked out, tummies quite happy. Sure, it was a bit pricey, but it was sooooooo worth it. If you're looking for a fabulous meal, deffo give this place a try when you're in Sin City, just be sure to get there at your reservation time!
ever since watching that one top chef episode where they introduce him as the chef of the century, i HAD to eat here. the only thing holding me back... well.. the price tag! fine dining is awesomeness and all but at the end of the day, i'm happy as a clam with my rice and kimchee soup.
so how did i eat here without even taking my wallet out of the hotel room? the mister and i were guests of a super duper high roller!! woohooo!!!! lemme try to remember what we ate.
1. bruschetta with tomatoes - it was your regular joe bruschetta
2. prosciutto - plates and plates of yummy prosciutto. hog heaven
3. foie gras with parmesan foam - i must quote rachel zoe..."I DIE"
4. tempura langostines - light and fluffy and just too good.
5. foie gras sliders - seriously, the best slider i've ever had.
main courses -
1. quail stuffed with foie gras - the outside reminded me of chinese sweet and sourish and the inside was buttery goodness
2. ribeye - the mister got this and it was too rare so we sent it back. a brand new medium-rare came in like 3 minutes. very good.
3. skirtsteak - maybe even better than the ribeye
4. fish in vege broth - i can't remember the type of fish but i'd rather get #1-3
5. spaghetti - loads of cheese. so so good.
dessert
1. raspberry yuzu oozing thing - cool to look at but taste wise.. it's ok
2. green souffle - good, not great
3. mini cakes - good, not great.
Technically 4.5 stars, but only because of some of the slacker-ness of our waiter. The rest of the staff, however, and the food merits the full 5 stars.
Overall, the experience was wonderful. We had two seats on the side of the bar, which gave us a perfect view of the kitchen, including the Executive Chef, Steve Benjamin, banging on the bell when food is ready to be served, servers slicing beautiful pieces of Jamon Iberico from the stunning leg displayed on the side, and the different chefs preparing our food right before our eyes. What's great too, is you can see if any delays are due to the kitchen or our server. For us, it was our server Eric. At one point Executive Chef Benjamin came over to serve one of our dishes and the head sommelier came to pour our wine since our server was MIA. He was incredibly nice, but apparently a bit inept. There was also the incident when he dropped a glass and a shard of it came my way...but, then again, he neglected to charge me the $30 surcharge for caviar, so all is forgiven =)
Food and Drinks:
We ordered a bottle of Veuve Yellow Label to go with the early dishes of the Discovery Menu ($175) and a wonderful Saint-Emilion Bordeaux to match up with the later dishes.
-Amuse Bouche: Foie Gras Parfait with port wine and parmesan foam; Intense, amazing flavors. So rich and well-balanced. Perfect match with the champagne.
-Langoustine Carpaccio with toasted poppy seed dressing; the dressing was made of an exquisite olive oil, poppy seeds, a bit of pepper, and fleur de sel. This was one of the best dishes! And, it was served to us and explained to us by Executive Chef Benjamin.
-Poached Baby Kushi Oysters served with French Butter and the caviar supplement. The oysters were so rich and flavorful; i've never had cooked oysters before. The slight poaching brings out the oyster flavor, as did the osetra caviar. There was an oceanic explosion in my mouth as I sampled that with the champagne!
-Steamed Egg in a Macaroni Ring with Black Truffles; This was my least favorite dish, although the flavors were good. The egg yolk mixed nicely with the macaroni ring and the (very large!) black truffle shavings added nice depth.
-Teppanyaki Duck Foie Gras with quince confit and yuzu; so rich, so perfectly prepared! Again, a perfect match with the champagne. It was so excellent but so rich, that I couldn't finish it all.
-Dover Sole Filet prepared with Baby Leeks, crispy onions, and ginger. The name of this dish is misleading. I truly believe there were three full filets of Sole on the plate. This dish easily was NOT a tasting portion and, sadly, was not finished. It was very well prepared, with good structure and heartiness.
-Here the hubby and I each got a different dish so we could taste each one; Venison with sweet and sour cranberry and chestnuts; served with the house specialty truffle mashed potatoes. The Venison was divine. It was one of my favorite things all night; perfectly prepared at medium-rare. I would want a whole dish of this. And, we had the Foie Gras stuffed free-range quail, also with truffle mashed potatoes. The combination of the quail and foie gras was awesome. The crispy skin on the quail balanced out the richness of the foie gras. The nutty flavor of the truffles in the mashed potatoes was excellent.
**I will say that, although I love Foie Gras, I'm surprised Chef Robuchon went the route of obsessing over the dish.
Two desserts:
-Hazelnut and Gianduja Crunch/Tart with Chocolate Ice Cream. Heaven on a plate. Rich, crispy, smooth. Thank you sir, may I have another?
-Fresh Passion fruit in a coconut meringue; a nice palate cleanser; The combo of the crispy meringue with the passion fruit was nice. Compared to the previous dessert though, this paled in flavor and creativity.
OMG. Somehow we ate most of this stuff. Our palates were pleased, our bellies were full, our evening was lovely. If I ran this restaurant, I would seriously petition Michelin for a bump from one star to two. Perhaps it's the "casual" eating environment that stops them from granting L'Atelier two Michelin stars, but this place, to me, surpasses Picasso and is on equal footing with Alex as far as food goes. It's not cheap, so don't go there and be cheap. Order the good stuff, not the $39 menu, and you won't be disappointed.
I think next time we might visit Mr. Robuchon next door, although I will miss Executive Chef Benjamin banging away on the bell!!!
The pre-theater 3-course meal was marketed as 15 minutes or less. Wasn't sure what that meant. Ordered it anyway because the other selections weren't appealing. My dinner came entirely in 15 minutes. All 3 courses on one plate! Imagine my surprise to see my pot de creme next to my duck entree. The appetizer and entree were excellent. The pot de creme was lumpy and a little burnt tasting.
My waiter was unable to suggest a proper wine.
Not what I was expecting from a 3 Michelin Star rated restaurant.
Joel Robuchon has 2 restaurants right next to each other and L'atelier is the more affordable of the two. They have a big counter surrounding the kitchen for diners with a few tables situated against a far wall. We were offered seats at the counter as soon as we showed up.
We shared a delicious bottle of Bordeaux for dinner. We both chose the winter tasting menu, which can be viewed at the website. One food trend I don't really get is foams. Foams can be great but ever since I heard them referred to as resembling spit in your food, I have been more picky about seeing it on everything. The first course Les Moules was a rich soup containing mussels and croutons and topped off with, you guessed it, foam. I thought that the soup was tasty but the foam was unnecessary and I didn't like the texture of it with the soup. My husband disagreed with me and really liked the overall effect. The second course of langoustine was a big hit with both of us although I liked it slightly less than he did. For our main courses I had salmon and he had ribeye. Both dishes are served with pureed potatoes on the side. I thought that the salmon was cooked perfectly but the sauce didn't go with the fish at all and I had a hard time eating it. My husband's ribeye was perfect and delicious. The pureed potatoes were like eating pure butter that had the texture of potatoes. The cheese course was great. We each received a small portion of 3 different cheeses with bread and a small portion of greens. For dessert we tried both the tarts and the sorbets and ice creams. Of the 5 frozen treats I enjoyed 2 of them, but many of them were half melted and I can't stand eating melted ice cream or sorbet. The passionfruit sorbet was out of this world! My husband absolutely hated his tarts and he said he was going to eat at French restaurants until he got a decent tart!
During the meal we were surprised to see Joel himself appear from the kitchen and introduce himself to the party next to us. We believe they ordered a very expensive bottle of wine as Joel soon asked the party to be served a complimentary bottle of champagne. The wait staff was very good, but I didn't like that they had to lean over the counter to serve us our food. Some of the shorter servers looked like their feet weren't touching the ground because they had to lean over so far! Also, our server got into a little dispute with the person who was a junior server right in front of us. We really enjoyed the drama but it was inappropriate in such an intimate setting.
I don't like to eat in pretentious fancy restaurants. I just want to enjoy myself and eat delicious food. I felt like our waiter was a bit stuffy and cold. This restaurant was just over the edge of my comfort level. I felt that the food was complicated for the sake of being complicated and maybe in the process they'll fool people into thinking it tastes good.
Overall, we were disappointed with this restaurant. Joel Robuchon is chef of the century but we weren't feeling it in the quality of the food we were served. I have not eaten at a Michelin star restaurant before but I sure have had much much better food.
We both had their tasting menu. They catered to my vegetarian needs with a special 4 course menu for $105. My hat is off to them as it wasn't part of the menu. In the end I had 6-7 dishes, all as delicious as the previous one was.. and also as beautiful.
A modern twist on French Cuisine with incredible flavors and presentations. I went in not really knowing what to expect and came out on a cloud, wondering how I'd ever enjoy "normal food" after dining there. Indeed, some of the food here might make you want to pitch a tent outside the restaurant and make you want to live there forever.
Some of the highlights of my vegetarian tasting menu:
- The corn puree with white truffles: mind-blowingly good. I've never had such extacy and pleasure from a few bites of food. Who ever knew corn could be so god damn good?
- The aubergine with buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes with pesto. They took food that classically go very well together and made it 10x better and more flavorful than anything else you've ever eaten. So good I wanted to lick the plate after. Strong flavors and beautiful presentation.
- The chocolate/hazelnut dessert was to die for... again classical pairing of elements but taken to a whole new level in terms of taste and intensity.
My wife loved her meal as much as I did.. really there were no weak points at all throughout our evening. Just one knockout punch after the other. An experience worth going for!!!
Went here in November with 5 of my friends. Would have liked to sit at the bar, but it wouldn't have worked out very well with six people. Instead, we got a table that was perfectly sized and shaped for a party our size.
We ordered the 5-course Club menu, plus one of the small plates for each of us, served before the main course.
Amuse-bouche, foie gras/parmesan cheese/port wine parfait: Pretty tasty. Creamy, with a really strong parmesan flavor. I'm not really a fan of foie gras, though. Served on a lava rock.
Pumpkin/ginger soup: Ginger apparently goes great with pumpkin. It was perfect. Served in a martini glass/mini-fishbowl combo, with some miniature squash.
Langoustine fritter with pesto: Probably my favorite dish. The langoustine was perfectly fried, really tender and slightly sweet. I would consider getting this a la carte, where it's available as both a small plate and a main course.
Venison small plate: This is what I ordered. It tasted fine, but not really worth it IMHO.
Sea scallop small plate: A single scallop, served in shell, on a bed of sea salt, on top of a lava rock. Great presentation. My friend ordered this, and I had a little sliver of it. Went very well with the seaweed butter, sweet, with a nice melt-in-your-mouth sort of quality.
My other friends ordered the foie gras and the foie gras-stuffed quail. I didn't try either, but the latter was reportedly very good.
Beef: Beef cheek braised for 36 hours in red wine. This was my main course. It was flavorful, juicy, and ridiculously tender. I liked this one better than the other main course, which was the salmon. The main course came with a little dish of mashed potatoes, which were really, really creamy. We tried to convince one of my friends that it was foie gras. But we failed.
Cheese plate: Three really tasty cheeses. It was supposed to come with some bread. Unfortunately, the bread came out 15 minutes late, and only after we reminded the waiter. The bread was really good, but unfortunately I had already eaten most of the cheese by the time we got it. Oops.
Dessert: I got a plate with cutesy little slices of five different tarts: Swiss, raspberry, lemon (with gold leaf!), "snickers," and chocolate. Really liked the Swiss and chocolate ones. The other choice was five cutesy little scoops of gelato. I had some of the pistachio, which my friend failed to finish. It was amazing and sublimely pistachioey.
The meal also came with a large amount of bread and butter. Wasn't a huge fan of the bread; it was in smallish, pointy rolls with a very high crust/inside ratio. The butter, however, was amazing.
The whole process took us four hours, from 8pm to midnight, when we decided to hit the MGM penny slots. We broke exactly even.
The bill for the six of us, including a $150 bottle of wine, was just over $1,000. Putting it on my credit card was probably at least partly responsible for the credit line increase that I got the following month.
Overall, the food was excellent, but it wasn't *that* special. For the most part, the service was very helpful, except for a couple of hitches with getting drinks and bread.
I liked that the ambiance was rather casual, considering the calibre of the restaurant.
Maybe they had a bad night, maybe we went on the wrong day or maybe.........
We really tried to give L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon benefit of the doubt, but the night we were there, everything was just "A-OK."
The service was definitely exceptional and professional, the decor was a bit outdated, and the food wasn't great. It was simply "A-OK." The food had beautiful plating. Every dishes were beautiful to look at, but they did not taste as good as they looked.
Like I said earlier, maybe they had a bad night........
The Vegas of my youth was a neon jungle, rife with tacky buffets and decor.
The Vegas of my adulthood, I am happy to report, is filled with the single most wonderful thing I can possibly imagine - Fine Dining.
Perhaps, this is, like all things, both blessing and curse. As the increase of culinary gems also tends to increase my jeans size whilst decreasing my fundage. But I digress....
Nothing is more befitting a Yelper Vegas Vacation quite like a visit to a world renowned chef. Especially if that chef is Joel Robuchon.
To be fair, it was the first night in Sin City and hence, I was forced to ration the amount of gambling money spent on dinner. However, even having purchased the most minuscule of the tasting menus from Vegas Restaurant Week, I found the meal just as fulfilling as if I had hit a blackjack...
The Tomato Basil salad was great.
The Short ribs were delectable.
The desserts (I was able to sample each) were wonderful.
However, the best of the best were the foie gras ravioli in broth that I decided to double down on with my counterpart, Felicia C.
It's well known in my culinary circles that if Foie was a human, not only would I marry him, I'd chain him in my home and keep him as my personal sex slave so as to partake in his wonders whenever my little heart desired....and I'd desire it quite frequently.
What can I say, I heart the Foie.
Now picture, if you will, my lover, in all his silky wonderfulness, encompassed within the best carbohydrate on the planet - pasta. And not just any pasta; light, fluffy, savory pasta.
Bathe those little pillows of perfection into a robust broth, and honey, we got ourselves a freakin jackpot.
Upon my next outing to the City of Culinary Enlightenment, I will be sure to save up for my visit to L'Atelier so that I can play with the big kids menu and spend it all...
I came to Vegas looking for sin.
And I found six of the seven deadly ones right here at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.
Read their decouverte tasting menu and tell me it doesn't inspire gluttony and greed.
Look at the photos and tell me it doesn't inspire lust, followed quickly by envy.
Dine here and tell me you don't feel a tinge of arrogant pride as you consider the buffet-dining hoards.
And enjoy nine perfect courses and tell me your satisfaction is not soon followed by a blissful, slothful afterglow.
Walking up to the black-clad restaurant, "L'Atelier" glowing red like both a warning and an invitation, it's hard not to be seduced by the presence of the "Chef of the Century". Even if only by name. Standing next to the opulent and all white Joel Robuchon, L'Atelier beckons you to the dark side.
Inside, the black and red decor continues, right down to an open black kitchen. Black tiles, black surfaces. Austere. Stark. A few tables for groups of four or more but most of the dining occurs at the bar around the open kitchen. Half the spectacle is watching your dishes work themselves through the different stations.
Of course you can order off the a la carte menu or go with their three or five course tasting menus. But you're at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. That would be like stopping at foreplay. Go on, order the nine course tasting.
LES CRUSTACES : Shellfish cream, piquillo pepper coulis and fennel foam
The amuse bouche comes out in a small porcelain eggcup atop a piece of rough hewn, heavy volcanic rock. A lobster and langoustine cream sits at the bottom, layered on top with a piquillo pepper coulis and topped with the fennel foam. The essence of the shellfish is both distinct and powerful. The texture, on the other hand, is of a smooth custard.
LA LANGOUSTINE : Langoustine carpaccio with roasted poppy seed dressing
The natural sweetness of the langoustine is tempered with a slightly tart, almost Asian, dressing. The roasted poppy seeds add a bitter crunch.
LES HUITRES : Poached baby Kusshi oysters with French "Echiré" butter
Imagine butter melted over slightly poached oysters. Except infinitely better because these are Kusshis and the butter is Echiré. Go on, be an ingredient snob. A perfect illustration of how quality ingredients can elevate a dish. This one was sensational.
LE HOMARD : Maine lobster in a tomato sauce and green asparagus
The lobster was very well prepared and I like the presentation of leaving the tail meat partially in the shell. It makes for a beautiful plate. But the star here is the rich and dense sauce a l'américaine, beautifully bringing out the flavor of the lobster. Really, this is lobster layered on lobster. You can't ask for more than that.
LE FOIE GRAS : Foie gras ravioli in a warm chicken broth with herbs
I think I'm giving up chicken noodle soup as a comfort food in favor of this dish. Except I don't think L'Atelier delivers when I'm sick. It's a shame. These foie gras raviolis were delicate and delicious.
LE SAINT-PIERRE : John Dory filet with baby calamari and artichoke
Growing up in Australia, I ate a lot of John Dory as a kid. So much so that it became a very ordinary fish for me. This John Dory was anything but ordinary. Firm and well seasoned, it was just a very good piece of fish. The baby calamari was perhaps the only slip up in the whole meal, being rather rubbery.
LA CAILLE : Foie gras stuffed free-range quail with truffled-mashed potatoes
How could I not love this dish? Three of my favorite ingredients on the one plate. Press down on the slightly crispy skin of the quail and melted foie gras oozes out of it. Cut through the quail and coat liberally with foie gras ooze. Alternate with bites of the thick, creamy truffled mash flecked with black truffle. Earthy. Gamey. Offally. Superb.
LA PECHE : Peach confit infused with Moscato d'Asti, apricot milkshake
A stunning and surprising dessert. A peach sorbet sitting in an apricot "milkshake". A coin of sugar topping the dish. Dip into the apricot foam and you'll find bits of crunchy frosted cornflakes. All presented in a stemless martini glass balanced in a glass bowl.
L'ACAI : Acai granite light caramel cream
A final fun dessert to end the meal, this one comes topped with a ball of pink cotton candy and a small raspberry. Like a sweet and airy breast. Start by letting the cotton candy dissolve in your mouth. Then dig down into the tart and refreshing acai granita. Juxtapose with the rich caramel cream.
LE CAFE
An herbal mint tea to calm my stomach and a cute chocolate truffle partially printed with the restaurant's name.
And the knowledge that I just experienced the meal of the year from the chef of the century.
Well, his excellent Executive Chef Steve Benjamin anyway.
Oh, and if you're wondering about the seventh deadly sin, it's wrath.
It's what you'll feel if you lose $1000 on the blackjack table. That could have been a meal for two at L'Atelier's big brother, Joel Robuchon.
Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Services: 4/5
Prices: $$$$ (avg 100/person)
I believe this is the first Michelin Star restaurant in the USA that I have eaten since living in the USA from 2004. Another restaurant that i think is Michelin worthy is "da Marco" in Houston, TX.
This is definitely the IT crowd, the decor is very contemporary & stylish with fresh cuts carrots, cucumbers and what not submerged in water in different sizes of the jars display around the open kitchen... My partner & I were seated at the counter by the corner just when you comes in from the entrance. Its narrow and a bit too close to your neighbor to be gossiping about other diners ;-)
There are 3 choices - the Club (Fall Tasting) 5-course Menu $75/pax, the 8 or more course menu for $148/pax and of course the ala carte! The appetizer and entree average from $25 and above... if you have the money, go for the ala carte, otherwise, check out the well worth Club Menu like us as the first timer! Eventhough the portions are small but by the time you done with your desserts, you are just right! But dont expect the "American" size stuffed till your neck stuff ok...
We started with a glass of Rioja, always a great wine. Then the amazing culinary experience begin as follow:
L'amuse bouche - Foie gras parfait with port wine and parmesan foam. By far this was the best tasting and utterly amusing little teaser i ever had. They gave you a spoon to scoop the parfait slowly enjoying each layer of it...
Soup - some sort of pumpkin cream soup. Again, perfect texture with sprinkles of spices and sunflower seeds.
La langoustine - Crispy langoustine fritter with basil pesto. The perfectly boiled langoustine wrapped in some sort of wonton skin & deep fried. My opinion, the basil pesto sauce for dipping is redundant, its too bland, could have been better if they mix a tiny bit of mustard in it. Nevertheless, I wish i can get more... if you order ala carte, you get 4 of these yummy fritter!
Entree - We chosed the salmon over rib eye. Very decent size, nicely seasoned and grilled salmon. Unfortunately, with all the amazing taste from the previous dishes, this entree tasted too "normal", nothing special but still great.
Cheese - 3 very strong French cheese plate which i cannot remember what's what! Again, i'm more of a gorgonzolla, camembert, rocquefort kinda guy.
Dessert - 4 small pieces of Chef choice desserts. I was too stuffed to really enjoy the rich, chocolaty desserts.
I would have given this 4.5 Stars if the entree would have been kept the same par with the previous dishes... But still, this is a well worth visit and if i ever go back to Vegas, I will definitely check out the other restaurant and have a proper table sitting instead. Some may say, this is just another hype partly due to the "Michelin" thingy. I used to think the same but from my eating extravaganza around Europe, some of the Michelin place is definitely over-rated and over-priced but some are truly genius and deserve the accolades, Joel is one of them!
I was expecting a lot after reading the reviews here, but I truly feel robbed after eating here. It's as if they sat me down, removed my wallet, took my money, and showed me the door.
The food was decent. I had the foie gras ravioli and the salmon main course. The ravioli themselves were excellent, but the broth and spicy whipped cream were uninspiring and awkward respectively. The salmon was cooked appropriately, but otherwise quite boring.
For a price of over $75 for those two dishes together and nothing but tap water to drink is robbery. I never expect a bargain in Vegas, but this was violating.
We were not able to get reservations next door at Joel Robuchon, so we ended up at L'Atelier. No regrets here -- one of the best meals of my life. Cuisine is modern French -- traditional ingredients mixed with international flavors, and all dishes were executed skillfully. More than a meal, eating at L'Atelier is an experience -- be sure to get a table at the counter to watch your dishes skillfully prepared in front of you in complete silence.
1. Foie gras parfait with port wine and parmesan foam -- the first of three foie gras servings of the night, this was presented in a small glass. Savory and creamy, the port wine added the neccesary tartness to contrast the richness of the foie gras. B-
2. King crab on a turnip disc with sweet and sour sauce -- two large bites of an extremely high quality (blue?) crab meat; left me wondering how they made the sauce taste so good. A-
3. Sea scallop cooked in the shell with chive oil -- one of the best courses of the night, a single scallop that was packed with intense flavor due to the coating of micro-chives. A-
4. White onion tart with smoked bacon an grilled mushrooms -- very soft and creamy, almost pancake like. B+
5. Duck foie gras with confit quince and yuzu -- the sweetness and tartness of the quice and yuzu was the most perfect fruity pairing with foie gras that I've ever had. A-
6. Dover sole fillet, baby leek and ginger -- perhaps the only miss of the night for me, but I'm not a sole fan. Fish was dry and flavorless, however the toppings were great (but not enough). C+
7. Foie gras stuffed free-range quail with truffled-mashed potatoes -- their signature dish, do not leave without trying it. The cremiest mashed potatoes you will every try! A+
8. Peach confit infused with Moscata d'Asti, apricot milkshake -- the first sweet course, this was fantastic (and I don't even like peaches or apricots), with crunchy white chocolate covered corn flakes throughout. A
9. Chocolate cake cremeux layered with espresso ice cream and toasted almonds -- the second sweet course, also good, left me wanted some more of the cake. B+
Finished with espresso.
~$380 for two with tax and tip (excluding wine).
This place is absolutely gorgeous and yes, it is very neat watching the chefs at work. The service was decent, but this is pretty much where it ends. The cocktails were just okay and the food left me thinking umm who's restaurant is this? The worst were the desserts. I had the souffle and it just tasted like egg. It was tiny and I couldn't even stomach finishing it. I would never return to this restaurant.
Where do I begin? The experience was amazing. The ultra chic black and red lacquer bar is fun to sit at and look into the open kitchen as they prepare ever so carefully every morsel. No, Really I watched the salad chef check every lettuce leaf and then the sous chef who was expediting the meal criticize her work enough she had to start over. If was a "Gordon Ramsey moment".
the 9 course meal was delicious and full of surprises. joel robuchon is culinary giant. I'm going to save my pennies to get to his restaurant in Vegas then take out a second mortgage to go to his restaurants in Paris.
Many fine dining restaurants in Vegas resorts seem to be having recession specials right now, so we decided to take advantage of a $39 prix fixe menu L'Atelier is offering. We found out that they stop serving this particular pre-theater menu at 6:45pm. We were running late, and got in closer to 7pm, but the chef still accommodated us.
The three course meal was served bento box style, with even the dessert on the plate. I can see how this is a convenient wham, bam, thank you ma'am option for people rushing to catch a Vegas show.
I ordered the king crab and cous cous appetizer, osso buco entree and peach panna cotta dessert. While everything was tasty, portions were definitely on the small side, and nothing that blew me away. It wasn't the quality you'd expect from a Joel Robuchon restaurant.
Service was pretty mediocre as well. Just because L'Atelier is the more affordable and trendy alternative to its sister restaurant, it doesn't mean it shouldn't put out excellent food and service too.
Love it. Love it. Love it.
Food: 9/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Creativity: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Booked a reservation for two via the internet the day before. I got a reminder call in the afternoon and confirmed. But, they couldn't promise me a table.
We walk in 25 minutes late and couldn't get a table.... so glad we didn't. Sit at the counter and you will have fun watching the chefs work their magic. I look at the couple on our left and i see the waiter pouring a hot liquid over a white sphere. The ball melts away to a raspberry surprise. That presentation alone got me excited for this meal.
The wife had the five course tasting menu and I choose three delicious items from the menu. Everything was perfect. The wine pairing was perfect. The wait staff timed every dish with precise and perfect execution. My favorite dish was the poached egg over a hidden piece of toast accompanied by asparagus and Serrano ham. Try the sliders too....only a food addict can appreciate the foie gras and beef on a bun. A must! Everything was great on the tasting menu except for the wonton wrapped langoustine. Too much of the deep frying oil remained in the wonton and the dish didn't have that creative kick that all the others did.
Unable to get last minute reservations at Joel Robuchon (go fig), we opted for the cafe next door. I had the Discovery Menu - a 9 course meal of modern delight:
From the lobster carpaccio to the foie gras ravioli, I thought everything was excellent except for the John Dory - which was bland and dry, and the steak was just mediocre. I wasn't totally blown away, but my favorites would be the kusshi oysters, and the foie gras ravioli in chicken broth.
At $148/pp - it was worth a try, but I'm not likely to go back. It was definitely neat to watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen. I'll be sure to make my reservations at JR way in advanced next time!
Tip - let them know if it's a special occasion - they'll top off dinner with a wonderful array of decadent desserts!
So curious to finally visit the internationally acclaimed line of restaurants by the chef with the most Michelin stars ever and instead of being disappointed by the hype like I often am, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Cost to worth it rating: 3 (quite expensive, but if you do the tasting menu it's on par with other fine dining/Michelin-starred places)
Eve award: best amuse ever (shot glass of foie gras parfait with parmesan foam)
Highlights:
- Setup: relaxed counter seating like at a diner but fancified version with fine dining food--love the concept since I love high quality food but could do without the stuffy formal atmosphere that often comes with
- Redefines a dinner show: you're looking right into kitchen which is amazing live entertainment for a Top Chef watching foodie like me. Loved watching the precision in the process of one of the best kitchens. It's crazy they aren't allowed to talk to each other which so not like you see on TV (or read about in Anthony Bourdain) with those yelling chefs
- Different levels of menus: from a small set all on one plate to a 4 course and a 10 course
- Don't all have to do the same menu: awesome option for the hub and I as most places insist on the whole party being in synch and complain about timing discrepancies, etc.
- Unique presentations: amuse was served on a lava rock, pumpkin soup in a martini glass in a circular vase with fall accents
- Scallop with chives: never had this tender preparation before--more delicate fish-like texture than traditional seared style
- Onion tart: sounded so simple but was almost like a small pastry disc of a sauceless pizza with bacon and hearty mushrooms and shavings of amazing cheese
- Sole with baby leeks: light yet substantial and purely delightful
- Hanger steak: melt in your mouth with fried shallots delicately placed on top
- Dessert: quartet of tarts (including snickers and passion fruit) were scrumptious, but the real star was the peach confit infused with moscato d'asti in an apricot milkshake--unexpected and refreshing sweet dish
- Service: excellent and professional, easier for them to be around more with the smaller space to work. All of the staff was happy to chat as well as simply present the food and disappear for a more pleasant well-rounded experience.
- Wine: when I inquired about a wine plan, the waiter served few glasses to work well with multiple courses
- Teppanyaki: when I've been in fine dining kitchens I don't remember seeing one of these long flat cooking areas so I found that interesting
Lowlights:
- Overwhelming when you see a la carte menu prices for appetizer size items around $40--go for one of the tasting menus instead
- They don't advertise wine pairings so I had to ask about it and they did have one to offer
LOVED this meal--best I've had in a while with every course being fantastic. I'd be more than happy to return--soon. :-)
I was not impressed.
Ambiance was ok. Black, red, dark. Very modern Vegas, but looked like a place where True Blood vampires would dine at.
Had the 3 course $39 prixe fixe special and came out feeling hungry and unsatisfied.
Ordered a melon appetizer, halibut main entree, and an unmemorable rum dessert.
The entrees came out looking like an entire tv dinner on one plate, similiar to a bento box. Um, what happened to a real dining experience? No drum roll? Just slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am plates?
Staff was friendly though and I liked the wrap around bar.
However, the food lacked the quality and substance of Joel Robuchon.
I enjoyed the company of good friends, but I did not care too much for the culinary experience here.
I was quite disappointed by the food here and was expecting much better from a Michelin One-star restaurant. Especially after reading all the rave reviews and seeing how this place is near the top of the Yelp Las Vegas restaurants list, I was expecting a Gary Danko-like experience.
Alas, it was not to be.
I came here last weekend with a group of college friends, and we were MUCH THE EXCITES for the foods! Tip: If you want the 3-course prix fixe, you must book a reservation before 6:45pm. We all ordered the 3-course L'Unique dinner for $39.
Here's a recap of our experience; aite, here we goes:
+ The decor was BOLD BOLD BOLD. Bright reds against a dark black background. Very sexy colors. The centerpiece at our table was a bunch of vibrant red roses. HOT. Like a lot of things in Vegas.
+ They gave us two baskets of bread, each basket containing like seven or eight giant pieces of bread. The bread was FANTASTIC. It made my favorite Ratatouille-Crunchy-Bread Sound!! When you squeeze, it makes the sound!! Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Perfect with some butter. Two of my friends and I each DEVOURED 3+ sticks of bread EACH. It was AMAZING.
+ Our three courses came all at once, on a giant plate. I got king crab over semolina for my appetizer; tender veal and mashed potatoes for the main entree; and some type of peach custard thing for dessert. Rundown of the froods:
- Semolina was a bit bland, and DIFFICULT to eat! 3/5, I think.
+ Veal was a bit on the salty side, but tender and fell off the bones! Yum!! The mashed potatoes were a good complement and helped to lighten the saltiness of the veal.
- Um, the dessert was just WHACK. It was like something I'd expect from like Quickly or some other cheapass Asian dessert place. It was like custard/sago with the very strange addition of POPROCKS in there. Uh, what? Yeah. Do not like. Half star! That dessert does not belong in a restaurant like this! Crappy Asian dessert house, maybe. Definitely a no-no here!
I think the dessert alone brings down the review one star. And then the mediocrity of the appetizer brings it down another half star. The final half star is taken away because the entree, though good, wasn't knock-your-socks-off spectacular. My friend got the halibut for her main entree and was also not impressed.
Overall, disappointed with L'Atelier, but hey it seems like a lot of people loved it so maybe I just might have to make another trip here and order the $75 five-course menu to get a better taste of the other items.
It was overall sort of meh, but still good enough that I'd come back and eat.
The bread alone is worth it. I'm a greedy carb eater, and I CHOMPS the BREAD!!
Anyway, much luck to you if you eat here, hope your fooding experience is much the awesomes! Or at least better than mine.
As an adult, I often reminisce over the experiences of my youth, my first kiss, the first time I went to a concert, or heard my favorite band. The rush, the excitement, the innocence of it all. It was invigorating. As we grow older, and learn more and experience more, there are less "firsts". Eventually, it seems, most of us become stuffy critics who seem to lose the ability to appreciate.
This was my first truly amazing fine dinning experience. I make no claim of even knowing what i am talking about, but, I can say that this was the best meal I have ever eaten. Surely, that may change, but I will never forget my first.
I came with my beau. We both ordered the prie fix summer menu, with the wine pairing.
The meal started with a poached quail egg a'mouse bouche. The creamy yolk mixed well with the other ingredients. I've had quail egg before, but this was the first time I was able to appreciate the rich flavor.
Next, les legumes, an assortment of Mediterranean vegetables, roasted, then cooled, piled between buffalo Mozzarella, and some sort of basil cream reduction something. It was delectable.
The crispy wrapped langoustine, and a basil pesto was served next. The langoustine was cooked to perfection.
We found ourselves drunk on wine and giddy over the food, often giggling in disbelief at uniqueness of each dish.
We ordered off of the small plates menu - le cebette, an onion pastry with bacon and asparagus - i believe my port had made it out by this time, as the entree was next. It paired well with the savory onion flavor.
For the main dish, I had the braised pork belly with confit sweet onion, and mashed potatoes. This was by far my favorite dish. I kept re-creating the experience and flavor in my head on the ride back from Vegas. It was immaculate. The sweet onion complimented the park belly in the most exquisite way!
These plates were small, ut by the time we finished our main course, we were almost full. we were served plates of imported cheese next, with three artisan breads. After that, the desert, an assortment of flavored ice cream and sorbet - the pistachio was my favorite.
During the meal, we sat at the bar, and were able to watch the chefs prepare the food. The decor is modern, and there are fresh vegetables and food on display. The restaurant is dark, small and intimate. I would definitely go back. expensive, but worth it!!!!
I wont some money in the casino... I knew I wanted some food that would make my soul happy. I needed something to awaken my interest in food. I came to L' Atellier (No, I cant pronounce it) I am a foodie and a chef, inspired by Chef Robuchons work I knew I had to come here. I went for the Lobster fritter as a started which was amazing. THe most perfect piece of lobster I have ever eaten. I had the tasting menu where I chose the Halibut. THe Plating presentation was exceptional and the fish was cooked perfectly. The desert with pop rocks on top was a delicious surprise. I ask even if you know nothing about food, if you have the extra cash, or you come up a little in the casino, invest that money into a meal you will never forget. Be sure to dine with a loved one. (Or, being Vegas, a rented loved one.)
I first experienced Joel Robuchon in September 2009. Unbelievable, unbelievable food! From the beginning until the very end.
First off the dining experience is wonderful- open kitchen and you can interact with others around you. We started with the crispy langostine- perfect, light and crispy. Then the mini sliders- this was a 2 biter that I took 6 bites to savor each and every bite. THen I had the lobster in a creamy tomatoe broth- This was one of the top 5 restuarant experiences I've ever had!!! YOU NEED TO GO NOW!!
Well, well, well... we have finally tried L'Atelier in Vegas. What can I say other than "awesome"! Of course, the food was awesome. The only thing is the atmosphere here is typical Vegas, the people, I mean. And also the silly concept of an "affordable prix fix meal."
It's hard not to compare with the original in Paris (the city). Here, in Paris, everything is perfection - the seating, the colors, the people, the food, the wine. In Vegas, it's all basically the same as Paris, sans the people. Also, I didn't like the bento box concept - takes away from the experience of special food. Special food should be special, don't try to make "affordable." It will cheapen it. Please - this is a Michelin star restaurant - get back to the basics. There is no such thing as affordable Michelin star.
Hence, I take away one star.
# 100 :D
On my last trip to Vegas, I tried profusely to make reservations on the MGM website for L'atelier, but failed! Three Michelin Star Chef Joel Robuchon's L'atelier is beautiful and sleek, filled with black and bright red accents, and colorful fruit and vegetable shape decor. I needed to go! Since I'm not eating at the Mansionuntil I win the lottery, I was determined to eat at L'atelier! So, we walked right up to the hostess and demanded to be seated right now or else! And it worked! Yah, right. I don't want to be blacklisted forever from Mr. Robuchon's world! He holds the key to the Mansion.
We waited about an hour and half for a seat at the bar. I thought we were going to be treated like second class citizens, who sits at the counter at a French restaurant?! It's because we're yellow! I know it!! I know it!!!
But, I was wrong! It's the best seat in the house!
At most fine dinning restaurants, I always feel like a 8 year old kid wearing her mommy's dress, heels and makeup, looking ridiculous, sitting nice and straight, drinking water with her pinky up, pretending to be an adult. The bar seating at L'atelier created a world of unpretentious fine dinning, removing the stuffiness out of fine French restaurants yet creating warmth from the close proximity of the chaotic cooks working together to provide delicious meals and fellow foodies taking in each dish with all their senses. In fact, I was able to have greatconversation with my neighbors about their food and get recommendations as they were eating. I had to stop myself from grabbing my fork and stealing a bite of their food.
After our 15 minute conversion, don't I know you well enough for you to give me a piece of steak? Pretty please??
I was overwhelmed with the menu and since I had been donating $$ to casinos all weekend, I went with the summer prix fixe menu for $75 instead the discovery menu for $149.
It included:
Amuse-Bouche! - foie gras with port reduction and form Parmesan served in a shot glass. I took a spoon full and closed my eyes as the salty Parmesan, foie gras and sweet port hit my palette and partied in my mouth. Loved it.
Les Legumes - Layers of tomato, eggplant, zucchini with Buffalo Mozzarella and dabs of Basil puree on the side. All the vegetables were well seasoned. Each layer of vegetables brought a different dimension to the dish. I loved the tomato confit. It was very sweet and tasty.
La Langoustine - Crispy Langoustine Fritter with Basil Pesto. Tissue thin fried batter wrapped around a sweet Norway lobster. Yum. It was nice and crispy. Although, it tasted 100 x better after I figured out that the micro-salad had a purpose other than decoration. One piece of La Langoustine + a few piece of micro salad + a dab of basil pesto = a good favor combination of fresh, sweet and crispy.
La Porc Fermier - Braised Pork belly with confit sweet onion. Very sweet melt in your mouth pork belly. The mashed potato was really tasty. I can taste a heart attack waiting to happen.
Les Fromages - Blue cheese, Creamy sheep cheese and Camembert. Although, the cheeses were awesome quality, I thought that this was a filler, so I don't leave starving. I would have rather eaten something else.
I wanted to try the traditional tarts, but they were sold out. So sad! So, being difficult, I petitioned to substitute the assorted sorbet for the La Framboise - fresh raspberry inside white chocolate sphere, yuzu ice cream. It was a little too tart for me, but the sweetness of the white chocolate combined with fresh berries and the distance flavors of yuzu ice cream created a very distinctive unique flavor.
I loved my meal and my experience. It was a beautiful window into Mr. Robuchon's world and # 100 worthy and cost about that much too.
$30+ for tiny, tapas-size plates of food, albeit delicious food. $50-$60 for "entree' size portions that aren't much bigger. I'm giving it three stars because I knew what I was getting myself into and I wasn't suprised when I got the bill. The restaurant itself is nice...everything red and black. We sat at the bar and watched them cook, which is the whole idea of this place. The food is good, but the value is horrendous. If thi is suppoed to be a more 'caual' dining experience, then they need to knock 25-30% off the prices at least.
My husband went here back in May of 2009. I thought the food was interesting and I like that there's a lot of foie gras on the menu. The food is pretty inventive and they really put a lot of effort into the details of each dish. We did the discovery tasting menu and enjoyed a majority of the dishes. On a more recent visit we went to Twist at the Mandarin Oriental (see my other review there) and I am compelled to compare them since I feel that both take a lot more chances in their food. I think between the both I would say this is rated higher. Again both restaurants were good but I don't think there was a dish here that I didn't eat but at Twist I did not eat at least 1 of the dishes. Decor-wise I liked the open kitchen and the service was great. I may or may not come back here since there's so many "old favorites" when we go to Vegas.
This place did not impress me for a Michellin 1 star restaurant. Service was eh and I expected more from the atmosphere.
We ordered the $39 menu so I'm not sure if I would've given this place 4 stars if we went with the other tasting menus. The appetizer was a avocado mousse with white asparagus (it tasted just like guacamole so I was kind of disappointed). For my entree I ordered the beef carpaciao. My friends ordered the halibut which was quite tasty. I thought it was a bit awkward to serve beef carpaciao for an entree, it was good but I regretted ordering it. Then for dessert I ordered the chocolate tart - good but not over the top good.
The best part was the bread, crunchy on the outside and chewy soft inside. I ate two pieces, and would've eaten one more if it wasn't so full of carbs!
I wouldn't come again, but next time I want to go next door to Joel Robuchon. It was closed that night, not sure if it was because of the economy.
This is definitely in my top 3 favorite dining experiences ever. I opted for the $150 tasting menu, but they had other prix fixe options starting at $40/head. Their a la carte dishes seem to range from 20-50. In the tasting, I enjoyed almost every dish that came out. The only dish I thought was mediocre was their signature quail and foie dish which seemed dry and overcooked. For the most part, the dishes kept getting better as the tasting menu progressed.
Service was attentive but not over bearing. It was definitely at the level you expect in this class of restaurant.
The atmosphere is more casual than most fine dining restaurants in this price range which I view as a positive.
Given how bad the economy is, I was able to easily make a reservation a couple of days before. I was surprised to see the restaurant pretty full on the Sunday at 7:45 when we were done dining.
I still may have to try Joel Robuchon at some point. However, I will definitely be back to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon on my next Vegas trip.
Las Vegas, NV
Category: French
Las Vegas, NV
Category: French
Las Vegas, NV
Category: French
Las Vegas, NV
Category: French
Las Vegas, NV
Category: Seafood
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