Las Vegas is a city of excess, but not necessarily in the way you think. The defining characteristic of today’s Las Vegas restaurant experience is excessive quality, or more simply put, a drive to go above and beyond. One of the best examples of this commitment to culinary excellence can be found at the northernmost tip of the Las Vegas Strip, at the top of the 844-foot Stratosphere tower.
You see, the Top of the World restaurant—which rotates, in charming fashion, a full 360 degrees to provide a complete view of the city during your dining experience—would be a magnetic draw for its dynamic setting alone, especially when it comes to choosing the spot for your Valentine’s Day reservation. But in addition to being one of the most unique and romantic spots in Las Vegas, it’s also one of the most delicious.
With an ever-changing menu and approach, Top of the World also presents the opportunity to go classic and try something new in one intelligent stroke, a necessity for this special occasion. The cuisine emphasizes steak and seafood with subtle French influence, optimized by sampling the four-course tasting menu. Highlights include lobster bisque or Caesar salad, seared sea bream with brown butter and a center cut filet mignon with red wine sauce and royal trumpet mushrooms and caramelized cipollini onions. Augment any steak with black garlic blue cheese butter or rich béarnaise sauce, and add on seared foie gras, a Canadian lobster tail or Alaskan king crab legs for the ultimate experience. Other favorite cuts: a 14-ounce New York strip or a 16-ounce ribeye with horseradish crust. Standard steak sides like twice-baked potato, haricots verts with roasted tomato, button mushrooms with garlic and parsley or potato au gratin will satisfy if that is your chosen path.
Roasted Kurobuta pork belly
Innovative new dishes jump out from the appetizers selection, such as roasted Kurobuta pork belly with orange gastrique and Brussels sprouts with Thai flavors, and a combination shrimp cocktail and lobster mango ceviche that might transport you from February in Las Vegas to a tropical isle. For the vegan eater, the delicate grilled vegetable Napoleon blends garden fresh goodness with savory quinoa tabbouleh and a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Every entrée at Top of the World seems like a special choice, as even a simple free-range chicken breast is given supreme attention with crème fraîche polenta and candy-striped beet, rounded out by natural jus. Organic Scottish salmon from Loch Etive, known for rich flavor and a deep red-orange color, is roasted to perfection and served with a light Swiss chard and fennel salad. For a lovely side dish to share with your lovely one, don’t skip decadent ricotta and Yukon gold gnocchi.
The Top of the World is a great place to fall in love with Las Vegas and its food. Seal your spot and be prepared to be impressed.
Stratosphere, Lunch specials 11 a.m.-4 p.m., dinner 11 a.m.-11 p.m., daily. 702.380.7777
