Saunter in after sleeping in, it’s brunch time in Las Vegas! by Andrea Stolarczyk
Long before Brangelina or TomKat, there was “brunch”, the perfect melding of life’s most enjoyable pastimes: breakfast and lunch. Brunch is the event where Eggs Benedict is served alongside steak, where one can have a Belgian waffle topped with caviar, and where drinking Champagne before noon is actually considered classy. For a city known so well for its nightlife, Las Vegas revels in the in-between morning hours when the day’s first and second meals come out to play.
BALLY’S STERLING BRUNCH 3645 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 967.7999
Brunch Hours: Sunday, 9:30am – 2:30pm
Read carefully: Bally’s Sterling brunch is the best brunch in Las Vegas. It is exceptional, it is gourmet, it is bountiful. Cannellini beans, Andouille sausage, and yellow tomatoes in radicchio cups. Cranberry-crusted rack of lamb. Lobster, Cognac, and Boursin cheese omelets. Pan-seared salmon served with couscous salad and praline nougatine pecan crepes, to mention just a few. There is a full dessert bar and drink menu, and the house proudly serves Perrier Jouet Champagne, considered by many wine connoisseurs the pinnacle of bubbly. The staff is incredibly accommodating and the atmosphere lovely, not that anyone notices it, in light of such a feast.
Estimated cost per person for brunch is $58.
LE VILLAGE 3665 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 946.7000
Brunch Hours: Saturday – Sunday, 11am – 3:30pm
Each food station at Le Village is designed to resemble a quaint boulangerie (bakery) or marche de la viande (meat market), so in essence each patron feels that he is dining in a miniature French town square. It is so much fun. Underneath the faux sky, enjoy a brunch of Calvados wine-and-cream tilapia fillets, herbed-steamed potatoes, hearty red-wine beef skewers, or any number of specially-prepared crepes. Also featured is a plethora of classic desserts, including quite a few sugar-free options. Best of all there is the bread, which in France is practically its own delicious food group/religion.
Estimated cost per person for brunch is $25.
SPICE MARKET 3667 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 785.9005
Brunch Hours: Saturday – Sunday, 8:30am – 2:30pm
Is there such a thing as a Middle Eastern brunch? In Vegas there is! Spice Market’s sparkling champagne brunch proudly serves the best in Arabian fare: chicken tandoori, hummus, tabouleh, baba ghanouj, dried fruits, and baklava, along with other offerings like omelets, stombolis, Asian barbecue ribs, and lots of desserts. Each delicacy at Spice Market goes well with at least one of the available drinks: Bloody Mary, Screwdriver, Mimosa, Chardonnay, White Zinfandel, or Champagne. Far from being a mish-mash, the assortment is much like a Middle Eastern bazaar, or in food terms, the world’s best sampler platter.
Estimated cost per person for brunch is $21.
THE BUFFET AT BELLAGIO 3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (877) 234.6358
Brunch Hours: Saturday – Sunday, 8am – 4pm
Priceline.com ranks the brunch at The Buffet at Bellagio the best in the Las Vegas area, and many travel enthusiasts have written in to second that motion. Everyone loves the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, the unlimited seafood and meats, countless salad options, and all the usual American breakfast treats, including pancakes, eggs, and even an almost Fusion-style biscuits and gravy plate. The wait staff is consistently competent and friendly, and the Bellagio (as usual) gets high marks for its rich, al fresco atmosphere. P.S. – like the hotel-casino’s famous fountains, the Champagne at this brunch literally flows.
Estimated cost per person for brunch is $28.
COMMANDER’S PALACE 3663 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 892.8272
“100 Hot Tables… One of the world’s most exciting new restaurants— Commander’s Palace, Las Vegas,” wrote Conde Nast Traveler in 2001, and since that time this restaurant has earned about a thousand more awards, from just about every prestigious travel and food publication out there. What they serve for brunch: Tasso shrimp henican. Louisiana pecan-crusted catfish. Eggs Versailles. Turtle soup au Sherry. French Quarter Beignets. Creole bread pudding soufflé (please don’t leave without trying the bread pudding). Commander’s Palace serves up exquisite, innovative New Orleans-style cuisine in one of Las Vegas’ classiest venues.
Estimated cost per person for brunch is $36.
ZEFFIRINO RISTORANTE 3355 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 414.3500
Brunch Hours: Sunday, 10am – 2:30pm
Chef Gian Paolo Bellini, Zeffirino’s proprietor, has cooked for some of the world’s most famous people, including Pope John Paul II, Mikhail Gorbachev, Muhammed Ali, and Luciano Pavarotti. He imports his own tomatoes and olive oil, and he makes sure that all the bread and pasta served at his restaurant is baked on-site. Brunch-goers can choose from anything on the menu, from the Chateaubriand, smoked salmon, and lamb chops, to the Chilean sea bass, to any number of twenty-five sensational dessert choices. Hats off to Signore Bellini’s brunch, the product of his all-consuming pursuit: fine Italian food.
Estimated cost per person for brunch is $45.
VERANDAH 3950 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89119 (702) 632.5000
Brunch Hours: Sunday, 11am – 2pm
Set in a Mediterranean-style mansion and overlooking acres of gardens and pools, Verandah is the ideal place to enjoy brunch outdoors, especially considering Las Vegas’ normally temperate climate. The outdoor terrace seats 106 people and the indoor dining room seats 103; both are beautiful. A mostly breakfast-oriented brunch that specializes in freshly-squeezed orange, grapefruit, and carrot juices, cuisine here is traditional and light. Their best dishes are the Eggs Benedict with asparagus, the French toast with brandied bananas and pecans, and the Applewood-smoked bacon. As for beverages, the Four Seasons brewed coffee selection is surprisingly good and there are even milkshakes for the kids.
Estimated cost per person for brunch is $32.
CRAVINGS 3400 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 791.7111
Brunch Hours: Saturday – Sunday, 8am – 3pm
The Mirage smartly hired Adam D. Tihany to design the interior of Cravings, and he smartly used zebrawood, a French metal ceiling installation, and terrazzo floors inlaid with onyx to create this gorgeous place to dine. Good thing, the brunch experience matches perfectly. Patrons look on as chefs from all over the world prepare their entrees on the spot, and all chefs will prepare any salad idea (baby spinach, feta cheese, raspberries, and pecans?) or meat combination (bacon-topped pork chops? They’re good!). Everyone is allowed to get as creative with brunch as they desire, and Cravings is happy to oblige.
Estimated cost per person for brunch is $21.
THE BROILER 4111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, NV 89121 (702) 432.7777
Brunch Hours: Sunday, 10:30am – 2pm
Those seeking a casual brunch where they can relax and enjoy some good home cooking will be glad they paid a visit to The Broiler. Located off the strip, The Broiler boasts a robust brunch. It is here one can load up his plate with juicy roast beef or honey-baked ham from the carving station, a green-pepper-and-mushroom omelet prepared by one of the great cooks, and a champagne mimosa to wash it all down. If that’s not enough, he can go back for more: shrimp scampi, lamb chops, Eggs Benedict, the works. The Broiler is yummy and refreshingly down-to-earth.
Estimated cost per person is $24.
HARRAH’S FRESH MARKET SQUARE 3475 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 369.5000
Brunch Hours: Seven days a week, 7am – 2:30pm
A per the namesake, Harrah’s Fresh Market Square is a bona fide feast of fruits and vegetables. The chefs create a daily farmer’s market theme by serving fresh everything. So first, enjoy the healthy stuff that is sometimes so sparse in restaurants, and then hit the biscuits and gravy and Italian meatballs with basil herb marinara sauce, or if craving something with a little kick, the extensive Mexican plates that are authentic and zesty. As with most brunches there is a large selection of essential breakfast items like waffles and omelets, but there’s also plenty of sushi, crab, prime rib, and shrimp.
The Top List of Best Brunches - Las Vegas, NV