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l’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (MGM Grand) – The design of this restaurant is brilliant, with the shiny black, red, and metallic interior softened by racks, stacks and baskets of ingredients. The place to sit is most definitely the bar, where one can watch the front line assembly chefs at work, and catch a glimpse of the higher-end cookery going on in the background.

The menu isn’t all that long, but the thing to have here is unquestionably the tasting menu, which offers a succession of fascinating tastes for a moderately reasonable (in Vegas terms) price. With two exceptions – the “signature” foie gras-stuffed quail with Robuchon’s famous butter/potato purée (here taken to yet another level by the addition of truffles), and briefly-warmed oysters bathing in rich Beurre Échiré – most of the dishes in my particular tasting menu (which changes at whim) were fairly light, combining elements of classic and nouvelle French cuisine, plus small borrowings from the modernist revolution, into a cohesive, confident whole. Everything tastes of itself. The desserts are especially wonderful; simple in conception, but rich in flavor.

The wine list is also fairly brief, but prices reflect the most extravagant Vegas markups, with some wines that retail in the high teens pushing the three-digit mark. (I saw one wine sporting a 600% increase over retail.) But what’s available is interesting and varied – not just the usual Vegas lineup of big names – and even the by-the-glass offerings are thoughtful. Service is very efficient and professional, any many of the staff are (at least) bilingual in French. The tally at the end will be extravagant – an unfortunate matter of geography – but the meal will have been well worth it, even in restaurant-rich Vegas. (5/07)