Don't Gamble on a Good Time — This Is Our Favorite US Hotel for Food and Drinks

Hello, would you like to go to Las Vegas with me? Not to get wed or weird or anything; I just want everyone to be happy, and it's unfailingly a place where that happens. I've made the dopey joke a billion times that I don't gamble — wink, finger guns — except with my health (she'll be here all week folks, try the 99-cent Margarita special). So it's not the craps table or the oontz-oontz mega clubs summoning me to Sin City; it's the food and the cocktails. Some people-watching, sure, but when I close my eyes and will my happy place to mind, odds are that it's in the vicinity of Wynn Las Vegas, ideally with a Champagne Sour (if I'm lolling at Parasol Down) or a Chairman Of The Board (getting ring-a-ding-ding at Sinatra) within arm's reach.

Yes, there are plenty of restaurants and bars up, down, and off The Strip that strike my fancy — and my sleazy, too. A full Blursday crawling from the Peppermill (an all-day, all-night cocktail lounge slash diner that the James Beard Foundation is honoring with an America's Classics nod this year) to China Poblano (José André's ode to Chinese and Mexican street food) to Jöel Robuchon (faaaaaancy) to Ping Pang Pong (the cold pig ears and XO lotus root of my dreams) to the blissful 24/7 punk rock 'n' Ass Juice shots oblivion of the Double Down is indeed time well spent. But if I'm looking to just hunker down happily in one place and have all my wants met without having to leave the premises, the Wynn is where I'm booking.

I adore the Cosmopolitan and its collection of restaurants, but I can't always gather the wherewithal to deal with the high-octane casino or the 24/7 club energy. I'm an evangelist for the chill of the non-gaming Vdara, but you have to schlep over to their sister property Aria for a real sit-down meal — for which, granted, there are many excellent options. (I just stared into the middle distance thinking about the pan con tomate with Manchego at Julian Serrano Tapas.) But the Wynn wins for its intoxicating combination of chill, elegant vibes with a staggering range of options at every price point and mood. 

If I'm leaning luxe, it might be the wham-bam glam of a Wellington for two at the opulent Delilah supper club, artful nigiri by the koi pond at pan-Japanese Muzumi, or shattering-skin Peking duck at the Michelin-starred Wing Lei. Might be marrow-drenched barbacoa with freshly crafted tortillas at Casa Playa, or a dry-aged tuna chop at Lakeside, enjoyed while gawping at the light show on the Lake of Dreams. There's often a cooking class afoot with one of the chefs or maybe a tutorial with a visiting winemaker or mixologist. This summer, the Wynn plays host to the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards, culminating in the multi-day Revelry festival  featuring dinners and dine-arounds with culinary superstars like F&W Best New Chefs Thomas Keller (1988), Daniel Humm (2005), Brad Kilgore (2016), Angie Mar (2017), Junghyun Park (2019), as well as chefs from Wynn properties around the globe, all under the auspices of Wynn Las Vegas' culinary VP Christopher Lee (2006).

Even if I'm just sticking close to my room, I can nab a hearty khachapuri or fistful of macarons to go at Caffè Al Teatro, sop up the previous night's excesses with a pork and preserved egg congee or some oxtail soup at Red, or stumble face-first into The Buffet's crepe station until someone gently rolls me over to the crab claws. Maybe I'm even back at Bar Parasol for a $10 Bubbles and Bump — a shot of Champagne and a blob of caviar. It's Vegas, baby, and I'm in it to Wynn it.

Global Tastemakers is a celebration of the best culinary destinations in the U.S. and abroad. We asked more than 180 food and travel journalists to vote on their favorites, including restaurants and bars, cities, hotels, airports, airlines, and cruises. We then entrusted those results to an expert panel of judges to determine each category’s winners. In many categories, we’ve included a Plus One, hand-selected by our expert panel, to shout out more culinary destinations we don’t want our readers to miss. See all the winners at foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers.