11/28/08

Extremely disappointing service

by spa718

We went to this restaurant for thanksgiving dinner. Our service was extremely poor, the waiter was a klutz. He dropped my friend's drink, made us repeat our order and was constantly interrupting our conversation. I dont think that the food was extraordinary either. We spent close to 1000 USD and felt extremely disappointed. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. In a place like Vegas, I would recommend to spend your money elsewhere.

07/15/08

Daniel Boulud would be mortified

by nycgal1978

I am a NYC foodie who enjoys high end dining. We had a dinner reservation to celebrate a birthday, which was noted on the reservation. First, the ambience: The sound system, which was playing Top 40 music (strange for the level of dining) randomly got loud and then got quiet. In addition, there is a waterfall light show that goes on right outside the restaurant on the patio for the Wynn's steak house next door, and during each show, we heard the blasting, thumping techno soundtrack that went along with the show as if we at Daniel Boulud had a front row seat. We were not even near the window! (It was so loud that I actually thought the restaurant was blasting the music as part of its soundtrack until I realized there was a show outside.) Besides the fact that this spectacle is cheesy, it is completely ridiculous that you're eating at Daniel Boulud listening to that during dinner. We ordered their prix fixe dinner (3 courses). We were not told of any specials even though we heard other waiters read them to other diners near us. The food was shockingly subpar. This is Vegas, land of luxury and competition! My first course was a Caesar salad, which in addition to being uncreative as an appetizer (why would Boulud serve such an uncreative dish with absolutely NO twist/surprise?) was just blah. There was no presentation or wow factor. My next course was a dry salmon. The MOMENT we were finished with a course the plates were grabbed away. Bread crumbs were never scraped off the table. Lastly, this was supposed to be a special bday celebration which was noted on the reservation. EVERY restaurant brings a bday celebrant something "token" at dessert. (Every other Wynn restaurant did.) When I went to the restroom, my companion was asked, "Is it your birthday or hers?" It was a surprise! Since our prix fixe came with a dessert course, all the restaurant did was scrawl HAPPY BDAY on the dessert SHE ORDERED. Our bill came to $148 dollars.

03/04/08

sit at the bar, you will not be disappointed!

by 0507

I love food and I love Vegas. I've been to Vegas three times in the last year, and have eaten at Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, Picasso, Guy Savoy, Huber Keller's burger bar, and Bouchon. While each of those restaurants clearly has its strengths, Daniel Boulud is by far my overall favorite for ambiance and food, food, food. I only spent three nights in Vegas this time around, but I made a point of eating at Boulud twice, even foregoing a chance to eat at L'atelier to do so. My suggestion: sit at the bar, which is really more of a lounge. There was no waiting on either night (thurs and sat), and the wonderful server (I regret that I do not remember her name, but she had blonde hair and was a total foodie) expertly guided us through the full menu (which was available at the "luxe but you would be comfortable in jeans" bar). If this server is there, eat whatever she tells you to and drink whatever she tells you to. If she's not, then have the lobster salad, the french onion soup, the coq au vin, **the shortribs for sure** and a few glasses of wine. I love the bar because you can enjoy the finest food in the most relaxed atmosphere. To me, that winning combination pushes Boulud above and beyond the other great fine dining options in Vegas.

• Pros: Expert advice from the servers in the bar
• Cons: The burger is good, but other things are better