Boasting an energetic vibe and innovative new menu inspired by celebrity chef/owner Michael Mina's travels throughout the Mediterranean, SEABLUE is a stylish seaside-esque oasis inside the MGM Grand. Specialties like tapas and shellfish are served family-style in a lively setting fittingly reminiscent of a Mediterranean marketplace. SEABLUE is known for its own take on tapas and contemporary seafood masterfully prepared over the restaurant's mesquite and apricot wood-burning grill. All dishes are created around the concept of communal dining, for a social experience that stays true to the restaurant’s theme and point of origin.
Read More ...Within the halls of the MGM Grand’s Studio Walk shopping and dining promenade, a soft blue neon glow pulsates and beckons. In contrast to MGM’s familiar green neon signage, this glow adorns the entrance and interior elements of SEABLUE, the resort’s “sea-centric”-themed Mediterranean-Moroccan restaurant. The creation of James Beard award-winning chef and Egyptian restaurateur Michael Mina, SEABLUE boasts a concept inspired by the bustling ports and markets of the Mediterranean. A look inside one of SEABLUE’s energy-infused kitchen areas exposes delectably unique meat and seafood dishes, painstakingly prepared on a daily basis by Executive Chef Stephen Hopcraft. Embellished with impressive accolades, SEABLUE has been featured on the cover of Wine Spectator Magazine, winning the magazine’s distinctive Award of Excellence for 2008, as well as the AAA Four Diamond Award.
In an age when most modern dining establishments tend to lean toward traditionally popular cuisines such as Italian, Chinese or Mexican, SEABLUE’s foray into the delicacies of the Mediterranean is a refreshing break from the norm. Chef Hopcraft’s unique tweaks on what is traditionally known as “Greek” cuisine come courtesy of his own talents, coupled with the centerpieces of this lovely eatery: Two open kitchens and the mesquite and apricot wood-fired grill. Viewable from the dining area, these two kitchens are complemented by the wood-fired grill which claims responsibility for the smoky, robust and delicious flavors infused into SEABLUE’s specialties.
The restaurant boasts a glass-enclosed private room capable of entertaining 50 to 75 patrons, depending on seating preferences or standing demands for a cocktail-style reception. Unbelievably, this luxurious room is not the most impressive visual draw of Michael Mina’s SEABLUE. This status is reserved for the “aqua-esque” theme of the restaurant, which incorporates elements such as jaw-dropping rippled stone walls with running cascades of water. In keeping with the ocean blue ambiance, a restrained neon blue glow of light emanates from within these structures. Much like MGM’s other distinguished luxury dining locales, SEABLUE exudes an air of modernity through its décor pieces while remaining chic, trendy and sophisticated. Polished red brick flooring is the bedrock foundation for the remaining design elements, which include dark wood trim on furniture and high ceilings, booth backs with blue velvet cushioning, parlor-like chairs accompanying the restaurant’s traditional tables and a rather seductive dim lighting approach. This atmospheric setting seems suited to the pulse emanating from SEABLUE’s business-casual crowd.
My dining guest and I began our SEABLUE experience with an interesting take on the “salad bar” concept. On each of the restaurant’s tables is a special checklist in which patrons choose ingredients to create their own custom salad. The selections for ingredients are broken down into categories such as Proteins, Vegetables, Cheeses, Greens and Dressings. The customer is asked to check off which ingredients he or she specifically wants in their salad.
In our case, Executive Chef Hopcraft specially prepared a salad for us to sample, which included a mixture of arugula, watercress, cherry heirloom tomatoes, roasted baby beets, shaved radish and sourdough garlic croutons. The moniker “garden-fresh” hardly does justice to the flavors, textures and aromas exhibited by the greens and accompaniments of our salad, all topped off with a light drizzle of a delightful Cabernet Vinaigrette dressing.
Next, Chef Hopcraft created for us a visually-stunning appetizer sampler. Served in a large bowl filled with crushed ice, this sampler consisted of Giant King Crab Legs, Lobster Salad covered in an olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and lemon zest dressing and a variety of oysters served on the half-shell. The flavor of the succulent lobster salad was revealed and simultaneously enhanced by the zesty dressing it was tossed in; similarly, the crab meat inside the giant legs was so thoroughly satisfying and thick that it could have easily made for a main course. The varying oyster selections were a testament to SEABLUE’s daily seafood shipment philosophy – ice cold, richly flavorful, smoothly textured and unbelievably fresh.
Overtly proud of the appetizer creations, Chef Hopcraft and the SEABLUE staff brought to our table a signature Dungeness Crab to sample. Expertly breaded and fried with no greasy aftertaste, the crab was served with a delightfully creamy basil mayo seasoned with piquillo pepper. What really made this appetizer unique was the sweetness of the pepper, which seamlessly fused with the refreshing flavor of the basil mayo. In our humble opinion, this dish truly took crab to an entirely new level in terms of finesse, character and raw taste.
As we continued our seemingly endless deluge into SEABLUE’s appetizer variations, the absolutely scrumptious, Shrimp “BLT” Lettuce Cups arrived next. Incorporating juicy, tender, bacon-wrapped shrimp, heirloom tomatoes and basil mayo, this dish went way beyond what’s normally served as “lettuce cups” on many menus. An intoxicating smoky flavor and aroma was exuded by the bacon-wrapped shrimp, as they were prepared on the restaurant’s mesquite and apricot wood grill, plated to be wrapped up in butter lettuce leaves.
Just prior to arriving at Chef Hopcraft’s chosen main entrée selections, we were served ocean-fresh mussels in their shells. The shellfish were prepared in a creamy Dijon mustard sauce with Vidalia onions and served with large smoky-flavored slices of toast. The mussels, like all of SEABLUE’s other seafood selections, were beyond reproach in terms of freshness. The zesty Dijon mustard sauce complemented not only the mussels, but the smoky slices of toasted bread, another flavor-infused product of SEABLUE’s wood-fired grill.
As a prelude to our main course, Chef Hopcraft presented us with a look at the fish selection he would prepare – a whole Turbot, a deep-water species from the waters off Spain that sports a flat, lozenge-shaped body. This was not an approach unique to our visit; for each fish selection made by SEABLUE patrons, Chef Hopcraft first displays the whole fish tableside before returning it to the kitchen to be de-boned/filleted and prepared for service.
With a plethora of entrees running the gamut on SEABLUE’s menu, Chef Hopcraft proceeded to create a main course sampler for us. On an appropriately large, square-shaped plate, we were served the Turbot in a lemon, olive oil and caper marinade. The Turbot was served in one piece, with its head removed to the side of the dish for presentation. Accompanying the Turbot was an expertly cooked, juicy New York Strip Steak. While the New York Strip was initially cooked with its bone in, Chef Hopcraft carefully removed the bone before slicing and serving. Both the Turbot and New York Strip were done on SEABLUE’s wood-fired grill, encapsulating its absolutely seductive smoky characteristics. The texture of the marinated Turbot fish was so exquisitely tender, the pieces nearly melted in our mouths. It was personally one of the most flavorful fishes I have ever had the pleasure to sample. The flavors from the grill were so powerfully infused in the New York Strip Steak, one could almost taste the mesquite wood chips.
The Turbot and New York Strip were served with fork-tender, wood-grilled Massachusetts Day Boat Scallops, which shared the same robust, smoky flavor as its companions. A selection of side dishes included olive oil mashed potatoes, rice with lentils and chick peas, ratatouille, wild mushrooms, broccoli with sun dried tomatoes and grilled asparagus spears. Each side complemented one another in a unique fashion; the satisfyingly staple rice and chick pea starches made for a nice counterbalance to the vegetable selections.
By the time we arrived at dessert, we knew everything we needed to about SEABLUE and its deliciously tempting twist on Mediterranean-Moroccan cuisine. Of course, there’s always room to satisfy that sweet tooth…isn’t there? Chef Hopcraft designed us a dessert sampler, which included a delightful Coconut Lime Sorbet, a decadent Chocolate Truffles, a rich Molten Chocolate Cake served with Black Peppermint Ice Cream and a creamy Vanilla Cinnamon Crème Brule with berries. We sampled each of the desserts with what little room we had left but agreed any one of them would provide a heavenly end to a dynamic meal. SEABLUE also offers a full complement of dessert wines, by the bottle or by the glass, ranging from a Chateau Raymond-Lafon from Sauternes, France to a Dolce from Napa Valley, California.
The city of Las Vegas – and the Strip restaurant circuit in particular – is indeed fortunate to play host to such a fine Mediterranean dining establishment as Michael Mina’s SEABLUE, which takes the concept of Greek-inspired cuisine to an entirely new level. With Chef Stephen Hopcraft at the helm, this is a rare opportunity to be transported to the sunny coasts of the Mediterranean – without ever leaving Vegas.
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Get the fish and it will fullfill any wish! wish for good food, fun, service - they have it !
Being in Vegas countless times for business and trade shows allows me to sample the good and sometimes not so good restaurants in the city. Seablue, without a doubt, is one of the finest dining experiences bar none. I had the opporunity to take one of my company's largest customers out for dinner and he raved about Seablue and Executive Chef Stephen Hopcraft. We were staying at MGM so it was easy to make the reservation and were seating immediately. The waitress gave us A+ service and made us feel like we'd been coming to Seablue for years. When it came time to order, my associate said how much he enjoyed the food the only other time he'd eaten at Seablue and lo and behold, out comes Chef Stephen from his post to greet us, chat with us and give us his recommendations. We said, our stomachs are in your hands! What followed was a meal fit for kings. He personally sent us a plate of appetizers, samplings of raw and cooked that was as fresh as I've ever had. We had the 14 item salads and the mains were amazing. My associate had a surf and turk and I had Sea Bass that was the best I'd ever eaten. If that wasn't enough, Chef Stephen sent over a dessert sampling as a finishing touch. Lastly, my associate was so impressed, that Chef brought out his table top book, autographed it and presented it to him. I've been twice since and will be going again next month. Please don't miss this great restaurant!
The best food
There are a lot of "must-dos" in Las Vegas. This is DEFINITELY one of them!
The experience at Seablue was amazing. I couldn't have asked for better. I loved the food and the ambiance of the restaurant. It made me feel comfortable. Our server was very attentive and we were astonished at how fast the food arrived. We enjoyed every bite. It's a perfect place to take your significant other to.
We selected this location from all the ones in Las Vegas and were more than pleasantly surprised. The location in the hotel is not the best but once you get in WOW! The combination of menu offerings, the presentation and the taste -- WOW! We'd recommend this place to anyone -- and we will. The real winner was this was a business dinner and everyone walked away extremely satisfied.
Our experience at Seablue was over the top a very friendly staff , great food and competitive prices will have me going back every time we are in town . I would not hesitate to recommend Seablue to anyone .
Looked forward to going to this restaurant for over a month and it didn't disappoint me. The seafood was delish and the ambiance was great! Presentation was wonderful too. I only wish there was more of a selection of wines by the glass.
I made reservations via this website for a special 10th anniversary dinner. Service was outstanding. The food was very very good. Portion size will not disappoint! You absolutely must try the Clam Chowder fondue appetizer. I have had fondue before but this was nothing like I had ever ate in the past. Even the small pieces of bread had been lightly grilled. Ambiance is trendy but not obnoxious. I never had to compete with the atmosphere when having a conversation with my wife. I loved that his place was somewhat more casual but had the service and food that matched the more formal restaurants in Vegas. I am definitely going back!
We chose this restaurant as we were walking through the MGM Grand. The menu looked amazing. We called later and had an easy time making the reservation online. Our table was waiting when we got there. The food was excellent. Nice wine selection. Service was awesome.
it was a really nice time - it was my first trip to vegas with my boyfriend and it was his bday dinner. The service was great and the night started out with a handwritten card wishing us happy anniversary (nice thought but it was bday instead). The food was great from the naan they brought out to our entrees. I had the scallops, which were giant and there were 4 along with mouth-watering asparagus- so good! my bf had a steak which he said was great. The only thing I wasn't super thrilled with was the make-your-own salad... i thought it would be so fun but in the end things didn't mix together that well - it wasn't tossed or anything. I would go there again, but it's got steep competition at MGM grand - so many nice restaurants. Not 100% as great as I thought it would be, but still really nice.
We had a party of four on a saturday night. We liked the bar seating with booths better than the main dining area and we were accomodated. The steamed clams and mussels are wonderful, as was the make your own salad and John Dory fish. The service was quick and our experience was very good. The prices are a bit high.
We loved our experience at Seablue. The food was innovative and delicious. The presentation was well done. The hostesses were very pleasant as well as our wait staff. Try the sea bass wrapped in bacon and served in a Morrican Tangine. Yummmmmm Our only complaint would be the noise level and how close the tables were to each other. Even so, we would return.
In nearly 2 weeks of dining out the consensus among our party of 4 was that this was the best dining experience of the trip. The standard of cooking and presentation was extremely good - all enjoyed and no complaints from a group inclined towards the critical.
Our party mainly dined on the variety of appetizers from each catagory. We tried the steamed trio, the fried trio and baked trio. The presentation of each appetizer was outstanding. We were able to try quite a few different food groups and new tastes that we may not have tried solo. The food was great and the restaurant was nice. I was looking for it to be a little more upscale in dress code; similar to Pearl. All in all I would revisit the establishment again.
My wife and I went to Sea Blue for my birthday. We were seated and the servers were very happy to see us,like seeing an old friend. We were brought toasted nan bread and three mouth watering spreads. They have appetizers were you can order individually or try three as one order. My wife and I ordered the try three so we had six different appetizers,it was fantastic. I ordered a 2007 Penn&Ash Pinot Noir it came a little late so the Sommelier sent over two glasses of Pinot Noir compliments on the house. That night any wine over $100 was half price. I had the Chilean Bass which was done perfect and Janet my wife had a seafood dish,she said was delicious. Overall our dining experience at Sea Blue was very joyful,we have been to Vegas 3 times and Sea Blue has impressed the most. We will come back to Vegas and we will come back to Sea Blue. Thanks Bob and Janet P.
This is a wonderfully concepted restaurant from the decor to the serving ware to the food. The service was on par as well. I would highly recommend it for seafood lovers who want to try something unique and different.
great, but way too noisy
THe waiter Richard was outstanding. The ambiance was outstanding. However the chef combined crazy combinations with wierd sauces and spices. Rabbit, quail was served with lobster and shrimp in a saffron sauce. The lobster and shrimp should be by itself. No cream, tomato or meat sauces are used in appetizers or main entrees. Wierd sauces like saffron, and peppercorn sauces are used.
I would recommend to anyone! Good food for the price!
Great wait staff, and great food. I'm just glad I wasn't starving when I ate there. The portions are not that big.
If only the noise could be subdued.
the $15 a pitcher sangria at happy hour was great. lobster tapas and crab tapas were the table favs. bread with dipping sauces (hummus,red pepper, etc) really good.
Wonderful atmosphere, anniversary card and special dessert was a nice touch. Portion size can be improved.
The seafood was excellent, as was the service. Felt that the music was a little on the loud side.
We had a plan to have a relaxing dinner and see KA right afterwards. Our check in at the MGM Grand was less than par and as a result of our luggage arriving to our room very late (an hour) we missed our dining reservation. After a call the concierge we got our reservation changed and experienced dining joy! We were greeted with a glass of champagne, and then given a review of the their great wine and bar lists. Even though we arrived late and were squeezed to have a relaxing meal - they managed to help us with our timing and meal selections without feeling rushed. The appetizers, meals and service were fabulous. SeaBlue is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. We'd go back again for certain.
The restaurant is excellent if you can afford it. I had great scallops and my partner had giant prawns which were the best we've ever had. However everything is served a la carte and so the bill even with no alcohol for two was $150. The service was good and the table we had in the bar was nice, but close to people who there to drink, so a little bit less than it could have been for us in terms of atmosphere.
The wine was awesome. Steak could have been much better for what we paid.
Sort of a loud restaurant which is ok, but the lack of any sense of urgency among the service staff made the night very long. Table of 8 took 2 hours and 25 minutes. The food, on the other hand was fantastic. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food once it arrived.
Seablue's atmosphere was nice. However, the food and service left a lot to be desired, especially for the price.
I was really looking forward to this dining experience based on the online reviews I read about it. I took customers out for dinner and was very disappointed. My hopes were high, that we'd be blown over by service, the food and the ambience. The hostess was snobby and rude, we were seated 20 minutes late for our reservation and the restaurant was literally half empty. The food was good, but not exceptional, and we had to flag down our waiter for drinks, condiments etc. This is nothing like a 5 Star restaurant, I'd give it a 3. The lighting was poor and the ambience was average.
Reviews we looked at ahead of time seemed to make this an excellent choice for our big night out in Vegas. Actually, not so much. Pretty good food, very small portions for the price, very mediocre service. We had to ask several times for basics like water, lemons and bread. Almost felt like we were not very important as we had to wait for a table after showing up on time for our reservation while a few walk ups were seated before us and a chef spent over a half our in the booth next to us with another party with frequent service visits with samples of wine and foods while we waited to hunt down our server. Not a particularly good value for the price, especially considering the poor service.
Food was fair, but small in portions. I had the salmon, which was good, but the piece was about a $4.00 slice size you would get at the supermarket. I guess the extra cost was for some fancy food-based design on the other side of the plate. The basic wine was $16.00/glass, and because the second helping of complimentary bread charge was $18.00, I would not recommend this restraunt. Try Emeril's or Pearl across the way, it is also a shorter walk.
Was disappointed with just about everything
I have already left feedback for this restaurant. Suffice it to say the fish was NOT fresh and I was sick for several days after just tasting it! I sent the entire plate back with the waiter who just returned with our bill. We were actually very polite to him but we should have asked for a refund. DONT EAT THERE!!! THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PLACES IN LAS VEGAS!!!
We had a 10 pm reservation. The concert at an arena down the hall from the restaurant ended at 10:20. They would not seat us as they were closed. Closed at 10pm in Las Vegas????? I thought we were in the biggest entertainment city in the country.
