Las Vegas has transformed into a top culinary destination.
Once known for its all-you-can-eat buffets and bargain shrimp cocktails, Las Vegas has transformed itself into a top culinary destination. Within a decade, Las Vegas has redefined the culinary and wine experience by offering the most comprehensive collection of celebrity chefs and world-class restaurants, more Master Sommeliers than any other city in the world and more wine sold per capita than in any other destination.

Historically, major hotel-casinos featured "gourmet rooms" in order to cater to high rollers' tastes. Each restaurant created an ambience designed to transport diners to a world far away from the action of the casinos. However, by the late '90s, high-end eateries became the rage with their appeal extending beyond just high rollers. Las Vegas hotels recruited some of the top chefs in the world to open and run restaurants inside their properties. Today, Las Vegas has the most comprehensive collection of the world's top chefs and television icons. Continuing to satisfy Las Vegas visitors' appetites, they include - in alphabetical order:

• Paul Bartolotta (Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas)
• Mario Batali (B & B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco at The Venetian)
• Kim Canteenwalla (Society Café at Encore)
• Tom Colicchio (Craftsteak at MGM Grand)
• Alain Ducasse (Mix at Mandalay Bay's THEhotel)
• Todd English (Olives at Bellagio, Todd English P.U.B. at Crystals)
• Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken (Border Grill at Mandalay Bay)
• Bobby Flay (Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace)
• Pierre Gagnaire (Twist at Mandarin Oriental)
• Jean-Marie Josselin (8-0-8 at Caesars Palace)
• Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay)
• Thomas Keller (Bouchon at The Venetian)
• Emeril Lagasse (Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at MGM Grand and Delmonico Steakhouse at The Venetian)
• Mark LoRusso (Botero Steak at Encore)
• Sirio Maccioni (Le Cirque at Bellagio and Sirio at ARIA)
• Steve Martorano (Café Martorano at Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino)
• Nobu Matsuhisa (Nobu at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino)
• Jean-Philippe Maury (Jean Philippe Patisserie at Bellagio and JP Patisserie at ARIA)
• Maurizio Mazzon (Canaletto at the Venetian and Il Fornaio at the New York-New York and Green Valley Ranch)
• Shawn McClain (Sage at ARIA)
• Michael Mina (NOBHILL TAVERN and SEABLUE at MGM Grand, MICHAEL MINA at Bellagio and Strip Steak at Mandalay Bay and American Fish at ARIA)
• Tom Moloney (AquaKnox at the Venetian)
• Rick Moonen (RM Seafood at Mandalay Place)
• Bradley Ogden (Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace)
• Charlie Palmer (Aureole at Mandalay Bay and Charlie Palmer Steak at The Four Seasons)
• Francois Payard (Payard Patisserie at Caesars Palace)
• Marc Poidevin (Switch at Encore)
• Wolfgang Puck (Spago and Chinois at The Forum Shops at Caesars, Postrio at The Venetian, CUT at The Palazzo, Trattoria del Lupo at Mandalay Bay and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at MGM Grand)
• Joël Robuchon (L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Joël Robuchon at The Mansion at MGM Grand)
• André Rochat (Alizé at the Palms, Andre's Monte Carlo)
• Guy Savoy (Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace)
• Piero Selvaggio (Valentino at The Venetian and Giorgio and Ristorante at Mandalay Place)
• Julian Serrano (Picasso at Bellagio and Julian Serrano at ARIA)
• Theo Schoenegger (Sinatra at Encore)
• Kerry Simon (Simon at Palms Place)
• Alessandro Stratta (Alex at Wynn Las Vegas)
• Joachim Splichal (Pinot Brasserie at The Venetian)
• Masayoshi Takayama (BARMASA and Shaboo at ARIA)
• Jet Tila (Wazuzu at Encore)
• Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Prime at Bellagio and Jean Georges Steakhouse at ARIA)
• Michael White (Fiamma at MGM Grand)
• Takashi Yagihashi (Okada at Wynn Las Vegas)