Prestigious Chef Charlie Palmer has brought his famous New York restaurant to Vegas. This sleek, dramatic restaurant, located in the Mandalay Bay Hotel, offers a stunning setting in which to enjoy Palmer’s equally stunning American cuisine. The seasonal menu offers prix fixe and tasting options, showcasing the best produce, meat, and fish available. Here dining is art, and the four-story, climate-controlled, wine tower housing over 9,000 bottles, is a masterpiece in its own right. Be sure to catch the “wine angels,” black-clad wine stewardesses who are hoisted up and down the tower to retrieve bottles each evening.
Read More ...The brainchild of esteemed culinary icon, Charlie Palmer, Aureole in Las Vegas captures the East Coast elegance of the legendary New York restaurant with a splashy theatricality more suited to its new home on the Strip. The innovative and impeccable design scheme, conceived of by renowned designer Adam Tihany, provides a stunning backdrop for the seasonal and artful culinary creations of Executive Chef Vincent Pouessel, who has a knack for channeling Charlie Palmer’s individual brand of Progressive American cuisine. With a near daunting array of a la carte, seasonal, and prix-fixe menu options, and an equally staggering wine collection of 50,000 bottles, Aureole creates an atmosphere ripe for the slow savoring of true epicurean artistry.
Aureole’s distinctive aesthetic is designed with an eye for spectacle. Each of Aureole’s dining areas sets its own unique stage for epicurean exhibitions. The main dining room expands outward in a bright and airy welcome, with dark wood, vibrant red,and blue accents fitting together in geometric harmony. Swan Court, Aureole's second dining room, captures the elegance of New York opera outings. The sun-colored room is distinguished by its unique seating environments: many of the tables and circular booths are privy to personal patios, which provide diners with the added luxury of a different environment for enjoying cocktails and company while watching Aureole's graceful swans in their outdoor pond. A private dining area has moveable walls that function like Japanese screens, allowing parties to include the rest of the restaurant in their festivities, or create a completely intimate affair based on their whims.
Perhaps the most awe-inspiring of Aureole’s design elements is its acclaimed wine tower: a 42-foot pillar of glass and steel, filled with 10,000 bottles of wine that juts dramatically into the air like a modern obelisk. Increasing the sense of drama, Aureole employs “wine angels,” who hoist themselves up on pulleys to retrieve bottles
We are brought a variety of appetizers that, like the menu, reflect the current seasonal transition between winter and spring.
The Tasting of Scottish Salmon from the Seasonal Spring Menu explores the versatility of this distinctive fish in a trio of preparations and treatments. The Gravlax Key Lime Sherbet stands to the left of the elongated tasting platter: a pile of bright pink salmon dosed in a green, vinegary sauce is crowned by a dollop of white sherbet. The lime sherbet delivers a delicious citrusy assault, underscored by the herby cilantro sauce and the salmon’s creamy texture. In the center, the Crispy Spring Roll's golden fried spire transforms the salmon with hints of ginger and smoky miso to give it a Pacific Rim identity. The Tartar with Avocado and Lotus Chip is the final exploration, featuring a mixture of velvety pink salmon and chunks of avocado that work together in rich harmony. The crunch of the lotus chip that crowns the tartare adds subtle textural difference to the dish's dominant smoothness.
The Jidori Chicken Satay takes the form of a vibrant, deconstructed chicken salad, with architectural, golden-spiced chicken skewers balanced against one another atop crisscrossed sections of hearts of palm and wafer-thin slices of magenta and white watermelon radish. The seared smokiness of the chicken is heightened by the heat and spice of the chili tomato marinade coating, blending exquisitely with the impossibly moist and juicy meat. Playing with temperatures, the dish zigzags between cool and warm, with the spiciness of the chicken intensified by the peppery radish slices, then cooled by the woody hearts of palm.
The Duo of Big Eye Tuna from the main menu performs a similar spring cleaning on the palate. Two different culinary treatments of the tuna stand in stark textural contrast on the plate: to the left, a tower of creamy tartare is crowned by delicate sesame crusted crisps, while large squares of meaty, citrus salt-dusted tuna are portioned like stepping stones to its right. Infused with a spicy harissa, the silken tartare reveals a hidden heat that enlivens the cool, meaty tuna. The tuna loin both reinforces and transforms the flavors and textures of the tartare, reflecting both a similar creamy consistency and diverging from it with a stronger, meatier flavor. The citrus salt coating introduces salty, acidic pucker to the loin that, like the harissa, adds boldness to the tuna.
Unlike the lightness of the previous appetizers, the Pinot Noir Poached Seckel Pear Charlotte and Charlie’s Onion Soup embody wintry comfort. A sweet, and pungent aroma wafts up from the Charlotte's golden pastry, encircled by a burgundy swirl of pinot noir. It seamlessly moves between the richness of a dessert and the savoriness of a main course: the buttermilk blue cheese and poached pear's sweetness prove to be a dynamic and expert pairing that is only enriched by the hearty pinot noir reduction. The neat pile of shredded duck confit meat accompanying the Charlotte adds notes of fatty crispness to deepen the flavors.
Charlie's Onion Soup, topped by a dramatic, golden hat of Gruyere puff pastry, matches the theatricality of Aureole's décor. Once the flaky lid is removed, the soup’s deep, caramelized aroma fills the air with a cozy warmth. Chunks of foie gras and slivers of truffles hidden in the broth add a sense of extravagance to the onion soup’s comforts. It elevates the typical onion soup, embodying the homey satisfaction of tradition while infusing it with distinctive Charlie Palmer panache.
Our delicious culinary onslaught continues with an assortment of entrees from Aureole’s standard dinner menu and the Seasonal Spring Menu.
The Grilled Hawaiian Swordfish, a seasonal special, demands attention with bright, eye-catching colors. A drizzled blood orange gastique adds vivid red and orange splatterings of color to the large triangles of charred fish. Its citrus flavor permeates, complementing the fish's own dusting of lemon pepper to create a refreshing tang that lightens the swordfish's meatiness.
The Seared Black Cod is a study in minimalism, with the blackened cod almost camouflaging into the black Beluga lentils. Breaking through the cod’s crunchy, thin skin soaks the lentils in its juices and perfumes the dish with delicate fishy flavors that contrast with the fruity pomegranate jus flavoring the nutty lentils. A shallot cake side adds new textural complexity and a sharp sweetness.
The Roasted Striped Bass delivers a visual spectacle of color and complexity. A large piece of fish on a bed of orzo is crowned by red chorizo slivers and ringed with careful precision by individual mussel meats. A white shellfish foam pours over the fish and settles into the crevices between the orzo. The chorizo's smokiness permeates the creamy fish, while the ethereal shellfish foam amplifies the dish's oceanic flavors with sweet and salty notes. The orzo absorbs it all, with each kernel becoming a concentration of the dish's spicy, sweet, salty richness.
The Duo of Kurobuta Pork is an ode to the other white meat, featuring both a braised pork shoulder and a pancetta wrapped tenderloin. Brussel sprout leaves scattered around the pork offer a sweet crispness to balance the density of the meat. In a play on a classic pork pairing, miniature winesap apple sections introduce a sweetness and an almost fermented, wine-like note of sour that complement the hearty pork. It exemplifies Aureole's culinary vision: combining the characteristics of a traditional dish with novel, less-familiar ingredients for a distinctive and refreshing reinvention.
The Tenderloin and Beef Pastrami deconstructs an American diner classic with startlingly sophisticated results. The tenderloin is “sandwiched” between iconic Reuben components: red, house made pastrami crowns the top of it, while the weight of the meat is supported by a delicate rye brioche cake. It irefines the deli standard: the smoky meatiness of the pastrami is intensified by the presence of the tenderloin, while the fluffy brioche makes the sour rye almost ethereal. While a Reuben wine pairing seems rather iconoclastic, the cabernet reduction complements the pepperiness of the pastrami and grounds the dish in thoughtful elegance.
Large lollipops of Oven Roasted Colorado Rack of Lamb balances on a bed of brilliant green flageolet beans. A vibrant red sauce drizzled over top adds additional colorful punctuations. The peppery, gamey lamb rack melts in the mouth. The lamb juices mix with the flageolet's richly spiced tomato sauce and deepen the flavor, while the flageolet themselves add a nutty texture. A moussaka cake, a spicy square of purple eggplant and ground lamb, accompanies the rack. It infuses the dish with Mediterranean flavors, repeating some of the fruity, tangy, spiciness of the primary dish, and introducing new exoticism with rich spices. The moussaka's deydrated tomato-braised lamb cap adds a meatiness to the eggplant transforming it into a near carnivorous indulgence.
Executive Pastry Chef Megan Romano's artful confections present a feast in their own rights.
The Toasted Coconut and Mango Ice Cream Terrine is an arresting presentation with its vibrant yellow and cream-striped triangle slice and slices of fresh exotic fruit departing markedly from dessert expectations. Creamy and cool, it is an explosion of tropical flavor. The tartness of the mango is accentuated by a tequila lime sauce, while the coconut's sweet richness offers a creamy counterpoint.
Served in a large glass resembling a snifter, the Tiramisu Parfait with Warm Chocolate Brownie promises layers of richness. Espresso biscotti mixes with a frothy amaretto mousse to create a flavor that is as invigorating and full-bodied as a shot of espresso. Presented in a small accompanying cup, the Warm Chocolate Brownie is the essence of chocolate, deepening the sugary flavors of the tiramisu. Salted-caramel ice cream imparts additional creaminess and a saltiness that tempers the sweetness.
The Chocolate Linzer Tart blends fruity sweetness with chocolatey richness for a truly eloquent and unexpected dessert. The tart layers a creamy passionfruit semifreddo on top of a layer of chocolate, juxtaposing the tropical tartness of the passionfruit with the chocolate's richness. Hints of ginger in the chocolate contribute surprising spiciness. The revelation of this dish, however, is the accompanying tangerine sorbet: served in a hollowed-out tangerine peel, it captures the tangy juiciness of biting into a fresh tangerine.
In true Aureole tradition, the Lady Gala Donuts with Salted Caramel Mousse elevate the classic American treat to new epicurean heights. Little, tempura-fried donuts rest on a slaw-like apple confit. Light, fluffy, and free of the fried heaviness of their less sophisticated counterparts, these donuts are irresistible. The apple confit accentuates the fruity sweetness in the donut dough, while the apple pie ice cream proves to be a wonderfully inventive interpretation of the a la mode tradition.
True to its name, the Winter Spice Financier with “Cheesecake Bites” evokes flavorful holiday comforts. A spiced cake nestles next to scoop of rum raisin ice cream, their sweet, spicy flavors mixing together like a holiday pudding. The coin-sized Cheese Cake Bites are studded with wild blueberries for a summery, fruity departure from the deep winter flavors of the rest of the dish. As with the desserts that preceded it, the Winter Spice Financier showcases Chef Romano's skill at combining complex and bold flavors that stand the typical dessert tradition on its head.
Our dessert course concludes with a classic pairing: a Caramelized Banana and Chocolate Phyllo Crisp. A flaky phyllo pastry acts as a platform for the nostalgic sweetness of the chocolate and banana duo. A scoop of banana maple walnut ice cream amplifies the starchy sweetness of the banana pastry, and adds a nutty richness. An accompanying petite crème brulee contributes additional sweet sophistications for a dessert that, like the rest of the Aureole menu, blends the comforting familiarity of classic American flavor combinations with a decidedly haute cuisine distinction.
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Aureole
Dining Room
Aureole Lounge
Aureole Private Room
Aureole Entrance
Aureole Bar
Aureole Wine Tower
Charlie Palmer & Johny Church
Aureole Dishes
Aureole Roasted Beets
Black Garlic Caesar Salad
Beef & Octopus Carpaccio
Rosen Farms Lamb Loin
Kona Kampachi Crudo
Cheesecake Three Ways
California Crab Roll
Panna Cotta
Aureole
Aureole
The fully stocked four story wine tower, covering wines from the US and throughout the world, was amazing. The food was just as good. Strongly recommend.
Just get the 4 course meal, it's worth every penny!
Me and my wife ate here for our first anniversary. Service was great as was the food. Prices are on the high end but not unreasonably so.
The tasting menu was wonderful!
If you are looking for a true dining experience, then you must try Aureole. From the greeting to the desert it was a real culinary delight.
Everything was great ! Very enjoyable !
Although portions may be small, the food is excellent. One tip - ask for the sommelier to give wine recommendations, he certainly knows his wine.
We love to watch the food shows such as Top Chef and have experienced some great dining around the country. While in Vegas we tried some of the Top Chef restaurants and Aureole topped them all. The food was literally to die for. From the entry experience past the four story wine bar to the view of the swans that we had in the swan court room, the ambience was nothing short of phenomenal. The sommelier was very knowledgeable and was able to help us navigate the very high-tech wine list. And our server Eduardo was delightful, his recommendations where spot on with the flavor profiles we were looking for. We say the experience is well worth it, just plan on spending some money for dinner. Oh, and don't skip the desert!
We love to watch the food shows such as Top Chef and have experienced some great dining around the country. While in Vegas we tried some of the Top Chef restaurants and Aureole topped them all. The food was literally to die for. From the entry experience past the four story wine bar to the view of the swans that we had in the swan court room, the ambience was nothing short of phenomenal. The sommelier was very knowledgeable and was able to help us navigate the very high-tech wine list. And our server Eduardo was delightful, his recommendations where spot on with the flavor profiles we were looking for. We say the experience is well worth it, just plan on spending some money for dinner. Oh, and don't skip the desert!
We went to this restaurant to celebrate our anniversary and it was one of the best dining experiences ever! Out wait staff was attentive but not hovering and very personable. The food was delicious and excellently presented and prepared. The somlier helped us with a perfect wiine to accompany the meal. Can't wait to return.
Great food, Nice people, very helpful and great experience. Dont ask someone, go there, you will not be dissappointed.
Absoutley AMAZING restaurant. Amazing food, wine (especially the wine) and service!
Aureole went above and beyond our expectations for service and cuisine.
Amazing time. Service was amazing and they are very attentive.
The best food in Las Vegas. The service was outstanding. The only complaint is the price charged for the drinks.
This restaurant was outstanding. We were early for our reservations and they got us a table instantly. Service was timed perfect and the food was outstanding. Pricey, but worth it. Would go back in a heartbeat.
The Parallel Menu is a must have!!
I've been through a few cooking schools so my standards were set high going to Vegas in late Sept. 2011. This is simply a wonderful restaurant. A real value (yes it's a bit pricey but you get what you pay for), the food, service, and atmosphere are "as good as it gets"!!! Five of us "all said" it was thye best meal all week in Vegas, and we also ate at Nobu, Bouchon, and RM Seafood, all very good -but Aureole took 1st place and it wasn't close! Can't wait to re-visit Aureole in NYC this December! Dave - Clearwater, Fl.
Above Average selection of wine by the glass.
Beautiful restaurant and awesome food/wine selection. The servers were very attentive at first, but when the restaurant gets busy, be prepared to wave your server down just to get the check. Overall, a great place, but it got a little too busy.
It was my bday and had great time. I will come back when I am in Las Vegas
We took our daughter to LV for her 21st B-day and had dinner that night at Aureole. They seated us in the back of the restaurant overlooking the waterfall and pond. The ambiance was fantastic and the food was even better. Be prepared to indulge yourself to one of the finest restaurants in all of LV.
Highly recommended
Our meal, service and the section (quiet are at rear of restaurant) made for a terrific and memorable event. Having been at Paul Bocuse in Lyon, it is always a challenge to find a dining experience that will "rival". The Aureole did so, on every level.
The ambience was great but the real star here is the food. The salmon I had was delicious but what most impressed was the perfect way the other elements on the plate complemented each other and the fish! A true dining experience!
Great food, Great Service, Great Drinks!
The food was great. Paid a little more to be in the Swan Court. Totally worth every penny. The front of the restaurant was noisy and crowded. Very quiet an peaceful in the back. The food overall was very good except the beef wellington. It just had a bad flavor and was overcooked. Didn't complain to the waiter because everything else had been so good that I really didn't need the extra calories anyway. Service was top notch. To top it off they gave us a huge box of gourmet chocolates to go. What a nice gift to go home with!
Everyone will tell you the food is top notch - but the best part - its romantic, its intimate....great place.
Super Cool Restaurant. Who would not be impressed by the fantastic wine cooler that is two stories high and surrounded by glass on all sides as you walk down the two story stairway into the restaurant which is situated at the bottom of the stairway. Restaurant is very modern yet very cozy at the same time. Good service, very friendly. Food was good but not great and it came to the table a little cool which was disconcerting but tasted good. Would recommend this restaurant to you.
The dining expereience was great. The food and staff made the evening.
A lovely dining experience and would definetely recommend it.
Excellant value overall when combining service,ambiance and food.
Felt that it was a good dining experience but nothing special considering the prices. Waiters were very attentive.
My wife and I had dinner here after a show on a Friday night and the restaurant was still relatively busy when we arrived just before 10pm. We enjoyed our meal, although my wine choice could have been better (my fault). Our only negative comment would be that it is a very large restaurant with very very high ceilings and so the atmosphere was a little impersonal. ......even commercial feeling.....but nicely decorated (maybe a tad dated) Having said all that, it is in a large casino in Vegas. All in all, we would go back again as the food and service was excellent!
we were celebrating our 17th anniv in Vegas. went to some shows and have some great dinners over the 4 days.. Aureole was by far the best we had.. we had as good a food at other places BUT-- the staff and attention to detail here was the best of our stay in Vegas. Several staff members congratulated us on our special weekend celebration. We highly recommend Aureole as a special dining experience, Kai & Bill
The restaurant and service are what you expect...very well done. The wine list is second to none and our conversation with the sommelier was very enjoyable.
Decent food. But not worth the price. better restaurants - Mix and Fleur de lyse
We were very disappointed on this visit to Aureole. We did not feel that the food selection was a good as previously. The service also was not as good as expected.
Some of the food was great, but the veal was tough! That being said, this is a nice restaurant, but if you come from L.A., Chicago or New York, you have likely experienced better. The service is great, but the food quality did not match the expectations I had for a Michelin Star Restaurant. The most impressive aspect is the wine list.
Was disappointed. Did tasting menu with suggested wines. Over $400 for 2 people. B & B at Venetian was much better--sevice and food. Some items--celery root puree-- were inedible. Considering wines available here, we thought the tasting menu wines were not memorable. Service was more of--here it is--than a real presentation. Expected more for hype and price.
Food was great. Service was not.
this was our first visit to the restaurant based on previous reviews and the food was spectacular. very pricey but the wine selection was fabulous along with the service.
I was disappointed with this restaurant. I felt like we were stuck in a corner where we were seated. The service was very slow. When ordering wine the food course would arrive with no wine to pair with it. I was looking forward to this night out but unfortunately was not impressed.
Service was exceptional and the food here doesn't compare to New York's Aureole or Washington D.C.'s Charlie Palmer Steak. The food needs attention to match the swans and service!
We made the reservation over a month before the visit, for a party of only 3, yet we had to wait for more than an hour. Even though until we not complaint nobody realy cared ! This by itself spoils your ability to judge other aspects of the restaurant. The quality of the food and the overall expirience are not that high to justify such a bad "starter" yet to pay such high amount. certaily not value for your money. at least not the day we were there.
Having sampled the delights of New York's Aureole, I was keen to go to the one in Vegas - BIG mistake. The food was very mediocre - and peas with mint appeared to be the theme for the taster menu - right down to the chocolate desert, which tasted like peppermint toothpaste! The so-called 'wine angels' was another disappointment. I am sure this is a big draw for customers but not enough was made of this - indeed my party had to ask whether they were working on the night we went. Grudgingly, one of the attending staff asked the wine angel to give us a demonstration - pretty lack lustre. There is nothing much I can say that is positive about this restaurant. Compared to the New York one, this is quite awful. Pity...
Our concierge recommended Aureole as one of the best in Vegas so we were expecting a lot when we visited on Saturday 12/17 for our 7:45 PM reservation. Unfortunately it turned out to be the worst dining experience of our 4 day weekend trip to the city. Our son is a chef at one of New Orleans best so we are no strangers to fine dining. The restaurant looked only about 1/4 full so being busy was no excuse for the poor service we received. Upon being seated our head waiter came and introduced himself - Eduardo. We asked to see the wine list and he brought us an i Pad but gave us no instruction on its use (technology isn't always better!). After I fumbled around for a while with no success they brought me a paper menu - thanks, I love paper! We ordered some wine and at the same time an appetizer as they were rushing us to get our food ordered for some inexplicable reason. Since when did it become acceptable to deliver the appetizer before the wine is delivered? As we were ordering our food, my daughter had a simple question for Eduardo about two choices she was considering, "which entree do I want?" Granted that's a rhetorical question but his answer was "Well I don't know!" We thought he could have at least offered some suggestions. I bet a waiter at Golden Corral would at least offer an opinion? When my wife's onion soup in pastry (one of their signature dishes was served), a nice lady came out to explain and prepare by cutting through the pastry top. As she was talking, our waiting returned, interrupted her for no real reason, so she left. At least the soup was pretty good. After our entree's came no one ever returned to ask us if everything was okay or if our food was good. I found that very strange? Thankfully the food was good though I'd find it hard to believe it is some of Las Vegas best. Just shows however, that poor service can turn people's opinions about the quality of the food. For me, it's not all about the food. I want an all around pleasant experience just as much. To end it all, Eduardo came back bill in hand and said, "you don't want any desert do you?" He was right on that, we were more than anxious to leave. Our gratuity reflected our displeasure. Shows how things don't always turn out how you expect going in. Told our concierge the next morning about our experience and she was embarrassed she had made the recommendation. Later that afternoon she called me and reported she had spoken with the Aureole GM and he was concerned and anxious to talk with me to find out more about our poor experience. She said she had given him my cell phone number, but I guess I wasn't surprised that he never called me! Normally I am easy to please and love to recommend restaurants we visit but in this case I surely can't recommend Aureole. Sorry!
