14 Best Restaurants in Downtown, Las Vegas

Chef Barry Dakake made a name for himself in this town with his work at N9NE Steakhouse inside the Palms (back when the Palms was at the forefront of cool). This new eponymous restaurant, on the lowest level of Circa Las Vegas, is a mix of old and new, blending classics from N9NE with modern dishes and a variety of fish and shellfish. Big parties love the bone marrow appetizer, which includes the opportunity to drink a shot of vodka through a hallowed-out bone. Another crowd favorite: seafood towers, which come in a variety of sizes. Cocktails here are strong and creative; some are made tableside by scantily clad mixologists working different cocktail carts. The dining room at Barry's is swanky and sophisticated, with plenty of hidden alcoves. Perhaps the only demerit: sometimes the music can be deafening. 

This venerable restaurant dates to the Rat Pack era. The "cellar" aspect (it's about a half-flight below ground) gives it a cozy feel, as do Old Vegas touches like table-side salad preparation with every dinner (you choose what you want from the cart), a red rose for each woman, and formal, impeccable service. The menu presents a 1960s vibe, with dishes like Duck Anise Flambé, chateaubriand and lobster for two, and table-side cherries jubilee and bananas Foster. But entrées are prepared with modern sensibilities and are joined by new-era choices like a grilled stuffed portobello mushroom and other vegetarian entrées.

Noodles are the house specialty at this intimate restaurant in the Fremont East district of Downtown. Although most of the dishes are Thai (try the Awesome Noodles; the name isn't hyperbole), others lean more toward Chinese and Japanese influences. Also worth trying: the three-color curry, and the decadent Short Rib Fried Rice. Whatever you order, request "spicy" dishes at your own risk; chefs here spice things up the way they'd like to eat them, not the way you'd like to eat them. The restaurant itself is truly tiny, with only a handful of tables and seating at the bar, but a large patio with pergola covering is complete with misters for summer and heaters for winter. The patio hosts a DJ and serves a late-night menu Thursday through Sunday. (Le Thai's success led to Chef Dan Coughlin opening a sister restaurant, 8 East, inside the new Circa Resort & Casino.)

This offshoot of Joe Vicari's numerous restaurants in the Detroit area is right at home in the loosely Detroit-theme D Las Vegas. The menu is evenly split between steak-house classics and Italian-American favorites. There's atmosphere aplenty; customers enter through a long, arched brick passage to emerge into a candlelit room staffed by tux-clad waiters. And the food matches the elegant aura, with such starters as a rich lobster bisque with butter-poached lobster, or banana peppers with house-made sausage; entrées include a half-dozen steaks along with Italian pastas and fish, chicken, and veal dishes.

You'll forget you're in Las Vegas after a few minutes in this relaxed and unpretentious Downtown cantina. All the combinations and specials are good, but the best play here is to order the house-made tamales. There are five tamale options in all: pork, chicken, beef, cheese, and a sweet dessert tamale with pineapple and raisins. You also won't go wrong with the Mexican sandwich, served with guacamole, tomatoes, and fries. Stop in on a Wednesday night, and you might see a crowd gathered for the fútbol game on satellite-provided Mexican TV. There is another area location at 3250 North Tenaya Way in Summerlin.

Eat may serve only breakfast and lunch, but chef Natalie Young's food is so hearty (and so uniquely appealing), you may not feel the need for dinner. Among the specialties are cinnamon biscuits with warm strawberry compote, shrimp and grits with bacon, and the "DWBLTA" (thick, toasted sourdough bracketing thick-sliced bacon, tomato, lettuce, and avocado). The "Killer Grilled Cheese with Kick Ass Tomato Soup" lives up to its name on both counts. Then, of course, there are the deviled eggs, for which the whites on the bottom are fried. Need we say more? 

Inside Downtown's bohemian temple, the Emergency Arts Building, this restaurant features what they call a "scratch kitchen concept." It may sound rather pot-lucky, but this isn't the standard chain-food menu (despite being part of a California-based chain). How does this sound: skirt steak with broccolini, red chimichurri, chili flakes, Parmesan, and lemon zest; a cowboy burger nearly tipping over with shoestring onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, and a beer barbecue sauce; and a bourbon barrel cake. That's just for starters. For imbibing purposes, sample the local craft beers, small-batch whiskeys, and classic cocktails. And don't miss the daily "Hoppy Hour."

The Caribbean meets Las Vegas at this hip bar/restaurant in the Arts District Downtown. Cocktails are bold and boozy, mixing liquors such as rum and cachaca with tropical flavors in new, exciting, and counterintuitive ways. The food menu is limited to 5 or 6 simple options but comprises tastes of the tropics, too: "pepper pot" sliders, chickpea curry, Trinidad-style mac and cheese, and, of course, jerk chicken wings. The venue has limited indoor seating but the main attractions are its patios—one out front and one out back. Grab a spot near one of the firepits and jam to the reggae tunes.

Walking distance from The Strat, this tiny take-out stand offers unbelievably delicious, velvety smooth frozen custard. The flavors change daily (check the website for the schedule), and sundaes are a popular offering. Those with larger appetites should certainly try the ever-popular Western, with hot fudge, caramel, and pecans, or a Fruit Boat, with peach, pineapple, cherry, banana, marshmallow, and peanuts. It's been goin' strong since 1973, and is open most days until 10 pm, 11 pm on Friday and Saturday.

Eleven-time world pizza champion Tony Gemignani installed four ovens in this heavily renovated, industrial-chic space in the Downtown Third district so he could produce all styles of pizza: Neapolitan, Romano, American, New York, classic Italian, Californian, New York/New Haven, Sicilian, and Chicago. Don't neglect the starters, though; the fried green beans with garlic and olive oil and beer-battered fried artichokes are worth the trip alone. The group table with a roulette wheel in the center is quite a sight.

The soul in the belly here comes courtesy of James Beard–nominated chef Bruce Kalman, who might be recognizable on sight to viewers of foodie faves Top Chef, Chopped, and Beat Bobby Flay. Bringing the barbecue flavors of central Texas to Vegas, this atmospheric venue adds cocktails, local beers, and live entertainment to the mix to turn what might have been just a barbecue dinner into a barbecue experience and a night on the (Down)town.

You won't find too much in the way of nouvelle flourishes or ultramod decor at this San Francisco–style restaurant, and that's just how both visitors and locals prefer it—the elegant dining room is a favorite haunt for power-lunching and hobnobbing. Triple George is known for its commendably prepared traditional American fare such as oysters on the half shell, classic "wedge" salad, oh-so-tender pot roast, and truly stellar sourdough. Seafood and chops dominate the fancier parts of the menu, from seafood cioppino and traditional fish-and-chips to a bone-in prime New York strip and a hefty pan-seared porcini-crusted rib eye.  The "glegan" (gluten-free and vegan) menu is among the best in town.