If you’re a famous chef, you’re not famous enough if you don’t have a restaurant in Las Vegas. Celebrity chefs are drawn to Vegas like a moth to a flame. Fine dining is a huge deal here, and there’s big competition among the city’s restaurants vying to be the best. In the following article, we will review the most famous chefs in Las Vegas, and we will tell you some interesting facts about their personalities. We will have a peek at their spectacular restaurants and give you some advice on what to eat and where you can find the venues. Have in mind that there are a lot of successful chefs in Las Vegas, but we have selected the best 7 cooks, who we think have truly proved themselves and own the best restaurants in town. Each of them has reached the heights of the culinary world after many sacrifices and compromises and years and years of developing and improving their cooking skills. So, without further ado, here are our picks for the best 7 celebrity chefs in Las Vegas.
Guy Savoy
When you think fancy French restaurant the words “easy and simple” are not the first that jump into your head. But for celebrity chef Guy Savoy, simplicity is key. The extraordinary French chef counts on perfection and offers exceptional French cuisine in his restaurants. With nearly 50 years on the culinary scene, Guy Savoy has managed to provide in his restaurants an exceptional dining experience that is surprisingly warm, welcoming and throws the stereotype right out the window. He has four fine dining restaurants in Paris and one in Las Vegas – the Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace. He has been awarded a total of 5 Michelin stars, 2 of which are for the Las Vegas dining room. There’s a 13-course tasting menu, a roving bread cart, a carefully selected wine list, a caviar room and a six-seat chef’s table with a view of the heralded kitchen. The chef has a very strict and professional attitude and takes special attention to the service.
Definitely, one of the best serving teams you can find on the Strip is guided by his vision. Visitors of the restaurants walk out 100% satisfied and are full of praise. One of the greatest compliments with which every single customer agrees is “The bread and cheese carts can make grown men cry.” Sounds truly palatable and appetising, doesn’t it? Savoy recently opened Brioche, a grab-and-go pastry and sandwich shop, also located at Caesars Palace, mainly because of the interest towards his handmade bread and cheese. The Guy Savoy restaurant is considered the top of the line when it comes to luxury dining in Las Vegas. Even though the prices are a bit expensive, it is definitely worth visiting. The simple yet creative and flavourful dishes are just…absolute perfection. An interesting fact is that the current most famous and successful chef in the world Gordon Ramsay, was trained by Guy Savoy (among many other world-recognised chefs) and Ramsay himself often described him as his culinary mentor. Well, what else can we say? That is more than enough recognition.
Signature Dish: Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck is an American-Austrian chef who is considered to be one of the most earning chefs in the world. He opened his first restaurant in 1982 in Los Angeles. It was an instant success and he quickly turned into a culinary phenomenon with his signature dishes, such as haute cuisine pizzas topped with smoked salmon and caviar or the Sonoma baby lamb with braised greens and rosemary. Puck is the only chef to have won the Outstanding Chef of the Year Award multiple times. He was the first-star chef to create a contemporary fine dining restaurant in Las Vegas, paving the way for other celebrity chefs. He is believed to be the person responsible for the metamorphosis of the city of Las Vegas into an acclaimed dining destination. He has more than 100 restaurants worldwide, 6 of which are located in the city of sin:
- Spago
- Postrio
- Trattoria del Lupo
- CUT
- Spring Preserve Café
- Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria
His unique ability to combine French and California-based cuisine with Asian flavours made his restaurants world-known. Besides being a chef and a restaurateur, Puck is a famous recipe book writer and a businessman. The most recent adventure that he decided to take on was becoming a teacher and an instructor at the world-famous platform Masterclass.com. For those of you who don’t know, the platform is about teaching people who have the desire to learn and improve their skills and knowledge in various sectors – cooking, sports, poker, music, writing, acting, art and more. In spite of everything, our site is concentrated on giving the most valuable tips and recommendations on casino-related themes, so in case you’re a poker enthusiast then we would advise you take a look at our Daniel Negreanu Masterclass review. Besides the class of Wolfgang puck, you can take lessons from another cooking mastermind – Gordon Ramsay. It is no surprise that those two celebrity chefs have their own classes on the site because who’s better to learn from than from the very best?
Signature Dish: Smoked Salmon Pizza
Gordon Ramsay
Well, of course, we can’t talk about the best celebrity chefs who have restaurants in Las Vegas and not turn special attention to the famously short-tempered British master chef Gordon Ramsay. Born in Scotland and raised in England, the foul-mouthed host of the popular tv show Hell’s Kitchen is probably the most famous name in today’s culinary scene. The multi-Michelin starred chef has opened a string of very successful restaurants across the globe, 5 of which located in fabulous Las Vegas:
- Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace
- Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas
- Gordon Ramsay Burger at Planet Holywood
- Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill at Caesars Palace
- Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips at the LINQ
Each of the restaurants is a must-visit destination to every tourist who wants to have a taste of his smashing dishes. You definitely need to call ahead and get a reservation at least a couple of weeks early. Besides being one of the best chefs in the world and a very successful restaurateur, Gordon Ramsay has been part of many television shows, making him somewhat a tv star. We doubt that he cherishes this kind of “star” label as much as the 16 Michelin stars that have been awarded to his restaurants, but still, it is good for his image. And he definitely knows how to be entertaining and keep the viewers on edge. His migration to television began back in 1996 with his appearance as a judge on the competitive cooking show “MasterChef” and since then he has shown up in many cooking related shows, mostly heading a group of judges.
His name is a synonym to success, determination and fiery temper. He often has made blunt and controversial comments, including insults and wisecracks about the contestants and their cooking abilities. But he knows that tv viewers like drama and primary emotions and his attitude sells. An interesting fact is that actually Ramsay had a promising football career but multiple injuries and his love for cooking forced him to change directions. Nobody knows if he would have succeeded as a football player, but it is highly doubtful that he would have reached the same heights as he did as a cooking guru.
Signature Dish: Beef Wellington
Giada De Laurentiis
Giada De Laurentiis, also known as the Italian Chef Goddess, is one of the not so many female celebrity chefs in Las Vegas, and in the world. This beautiful and charming lady has proved her fabulous taste and cooking skills and has opened three fabulous and fashionable restaurants in the United States. She has starred in many shows on the Food Network and is also a correspondent on NBC’s ”Today”. She opened her first restaurant in Las Vegas in 2014 named “Giada” and straight away the eatery became a huge success. It became a top destination in all the tourist guides, recommending the best places to eat while in Vegas because of its’ flavour-packed menu and luxurious décor. The view of the iconic Bellagio fountains takes the dining experience to the next level while enjoying the authentic Italian cuisine, fused with Giada’s Californian influence.
In early 2018 she opened her second restaurant in Las Vegas named “Pronto by Giada”, taking up residency in Caesars Palace. It is more of a fast-casual dining restaurant and people who can’t get their hands on a reservation for “Giada” often go there, determined to taste her scrumptious lunch or carbo-packed brunch. She has won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and has been inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame. She is also the author of 9 New York Times bestselling cookbooks, including her most recent Giada’s Italy, in addition to her children’s book series Recipe for Adventure. Giada launched the lifestyle and e-commerce platform Giadzy.com in 2017, which showcases new step-by-step recipes, entertaining and travel tips and videos and a range of kitchen products.
Signature Dish: Italian Pasta Bake
José Andrés
José Andrés is probably the celebrity chef who deserves the greatest admiration of all. A true gentleman, a humanitarian, a celebrity chef, an educator, a restaurateur and an internationally-recognised culinary innovator. He is credited with bringing the small plates dining concept to the United States. The Spanish-born chef has multiple cooking awards and honours, as well as 2 Michelin stars. In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Andrés formed the platform World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organisation devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. In 2017, after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, he organised a grass-roots movement of chefs and volunteers to help people in need. He was awarded a National Humanities Medal in 2016 and was named one of the Time’s 100 Most Influential People. José Andrés has more than 30 restaurants, most of which located in the United States. Four of them are situated in Las Vegas:
- é by José Andrés
- Bazaar Meat by José Andrés
- China Poblano
- Jaleo
Jaleo perfects Andrés’ reputation for Spanish tapas and paella, China Poblano mixes Chinees with Mexican kitchen, while Bazaar, his latest Las Vegas venture, is the flagship dining spot for the Sahara resort. His most famous restaurant is é by José Andrés and is really a one-of-a-kind experience. Literally. It is an entirely different concept for a dining room. Only two seating are available nightly, one small party at a time, and reservations must be made up to three months in advance. A carefully crafted Spanish cuisine of at least twenty courses is served and usually, customers don’t want to leave, as the meals are each more delightful and unparalleled than the previous. It is absolutely a bucket-list item for any gourmet enthusiast.
José Andrés is also an outspoken critic of the president of the United States Donald Trump. Not only he doesn’t agree with the attitude and beliefs of the current president, but he also had lawsuits against him. Andrés planned to open a restaurant in the Trump International Hotel in Washington, but after Trump made some inappropriate and disparaging comments about Mexicans, Andrés withdrew from the contract with the Trump Organization. Both sides initiated court proceedings and eventually reached a settlement. This shows that regardless of his stature of one of the most influential and respected chefs in the world and negligent to profits or losses, José Andrés is a human being who respects the rights of every person, no matter the ethnicity, skin colour or nationality. Respect.
Signature Dish: Small Plates
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril Lagasse is probably the most jovial and cheerful celebrity chef in Las Vegas. A person, who literally transmits happiness and joy through cooking. In his early years, Lagasse turned down a full grant to the New England Conservatory of Music to seek after his fantasy of turning into a chef. After a few years spent in Europe and getting familiar with the craft of French cooking, he returned to the US and sharpened his craft in fine restaurants in New York and Boston. After several appearances on shows on the Food Network, Lagasse hosted his own live show “Essence of Emeril”. That’s really how he introduced himself to the world and became popular with his now-famous phrases “Bam!” and “Kick it up a notch!” The show turned into a huge success due to Lagasse’s outgoing, jolly and loving attitude towards cooking. A live band to entertain the audience was also included, helping Lagasse to show the world how much fun cooking can be.
Today, Emeril Lagasse is the executive chef and proprietor of more than ten restaurants in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando and more. All of them are highly rated in the culinary world. In Vegas, the MGM Grand reaps the rewards of his fame with the Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House. His signature style of “New New Orleans” cooking using fresh seafood to create jaw-dropping dishes is the foundation of the triumph of the restaurant. It opened doors before more than 20 years now and is still highly competitive, with frequent menu updates. Having in mind that it is very hard to maintain a restaurant for such a long period anywhere in the world, especially Las Vegas, where the competition is gigantic (and 20 years seem like 100), helps us understand the stature of this outstanding chef. Since the tremendous success of Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House and the multiple personal awards, Lagasse opened two more dining rooms in Sin City – the Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian and the Lagasse’s Stadium at the Palazzo.
Signature Dish: Andouille-Crusted Redfish with a Roasted-Pecan Vegetable Relish, Meunière Sauce and Shoestring Potatoes
Guy Fieri
Guy Fieri is one of the most colourful and entertaining celebrity chefs in Las Vegas. He has opened more than 60 restaurants around the world and at sea, including destinations like Dubai, South Africa, the Atlantic City boardwalk and the Las Vegas strip. He supports numerous charities including his own Cooking with Kids and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Fieri attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management. He is known for hosting various television shows on the Food Network and by 2010 he became the face of the network. His shows “Guy’s Big Bite” and “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” enjoyed a meteoric success and his down-to-earth attitude and over-the-top enthusiasm got him millions of fans. In May 2019, Fieri became only the third celebrity chef to land a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (the other two are Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck).
The charismatic chef opened his first restaurant in Las Vegas in 2014, named Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen and Bar. The 200-seat restaurant is spread on 6,500 square-foot space with panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip. Fieri’s tattoos are incorporated as part of the design elements throughout the restaurant and bar. A really unique feature is the frozen tap system shot bar that creates a one-of-a-kind experience for the guests. Instead of having shots strained or mixed with ice, which then runs the risk of getting diluted, the frozen tap system bar dispenses eight different shots straight out of an ice dispenser. Earlier this year he opened a Mexican spot, “El Burro Borracho”, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Besides serving insanely delicious plates, Fieri’s restaurants are known for the size of the portions, usually big enough to feed a whole family. So, in case you are wondering where you can take your entire family and eat after an exhausting day of sightseeing or playing casino games, especially if you all have a large appetite and like meat, grease and carbs then don’t hesitate and visit the Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen and Bar at the LINQ.
Signature Dish: Burgers and Tacos
