L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon brings the famed edible artistry of its namesake to a more approachable and playful setting. An energetic open kitchen dominates the red and black-accented space, drawing diners in as active participants in L’Atelier’s lively dinner theatre from the comfort of their sleek counter seating. The restaurant offers a diverse selection of French-influenced tapas and entrees that can be sampled alone as a la carte options or can be experienced in thrilling comparison in tasting menus for a more complete appreciation of this culinary workshop.
Read More ...L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino is the more casual, lively sibling restaurant of the neighboring Joel Robuchon. The quality of Robuchon’s award-winning food is the same, but in an environment intended for a more animated and shared dining experience. Chef Claude Le-Tohic, who oversees both kitchens, assures that L’Atelier is not to be overshadowed by its big brother, and promises a meal just as delightful and memorable as next door. The long and varied menu focuses on simple and delectable contemporized staples of French cuisine. Diners can choose a nine course tasting menu, a selection of tapas or something off the traditional menu of full size entrees.
The restaurant is very sleek and modern, with glossy black walls and furniture accented by red leather stools, bright red glasses, and fresh cut roses on the tables. A long counter runs along the right side of the restaurant, where guests can face the open kitchen and watch their food being methodically prepared. This setup is the inspiration for the name L’Atelier, which means “the workshop” in French. The restaurant is mostly empty when we arrive, but the chefs are hard at work already, quietly and diligently preparing for the rest of the evening. The colorful artwork is a celebration of food, honoring the beautiful variety of colors and textures the ingredients embody just as the menu celebrates their tastes. Large multi-paneled frames on the wall contain modern patchworks of different seeds, beans, nuts and spices; and in the exposed kitchen, shiny metal racks showcase perfectly aligned rows of vividly colored fruit and tall glass cylindrical vases of spices layered like sand art.
Before our meal begins, we are brought a bowl of warm crusty country bread. It is one of several varieties that are made daily in the kitchen by the seven bakers on staff, and is served with French Échiré butter. This particular bread is made with the natural yeast of apple juice and grapes, which makes the dough rise slowly. The process can take as long as three days – a testament to the thoughtfulness given to every element of the experience at L’Atelier.
L’Amuse-Bouche that is brought out shortly after is a warm, decadent foie gras parfait. It is served in a shot glass with a small spoon with which to scoop through all the layers of foie gras, port wine reduction and parmesan foam. The parfait is extremely rich, as would be expected, but the strong flavor of the port wine and the delicate texture of the foam keep it balanced and irresistible. It is a promising prelude to the meal we are about to enjoy, which consists of several dishes off the small plates menu.
The first dish to arrive is Les Huîtres, which is something of a modern art piece itself. A dramatic square black plate houses five poached baby oysters with French butter. They are perched in a line on a wall of salt and accented with a slice of lemon. The garnish on the display is a small line of crushed Piment d'Espelette, a red pepper from southwest France that helps add a subtle heat to the dish. The small but meaty Kusshi oysters have a clean taste and are topped with butter, lemon and a delicate dusting of spices, making each one a tasty bite-sized morsel.
Le Jambon, a signature dish of the restaurant, is a cured ham that you can watch being carved off the leg in the kitchen. This particular type of ham, known as Iberico de Bellota, comes from free range pigs that are fed only acorns in the last phase of their life, which imparts a subtle hint of nuttiness to the meat. It is extremely smooth in texture, and tastes rich without being fatty. We are informed that it is even better a day after being carved, once it has dried out a bit in the air, perfecting the texture and flavor. The ham is served with a triangular bruschetta topped with tomato and basil.
La Cebette is a white onion tart which consists of a crisp and flaky phyllo crust topped with onion cream, smoked bacon, baby asparagus, arugula and shavings of parmesan. It is sprinkled with the same Piment d'Espelette seasoning that dusted the oysters. While the onion flavor is strong in this dish, it is balanced by the mellowness of the cream sauce. The baby asparagus spears add substantial crunch, and complement the more delicate textures of the other ingredients.
The menu is also sprinkled with dishes that are more comfort food than sophisticated fare, such as Les Spaghettis, a traditional spaghetti carbonara. This dish is a swirl of tender pasta, mixed with a light cream sauce and bits of the salty Iberico ham, and topped with shaved parmesan. Although it appears on the Appetizers menu, it is an amply satisfying portion of spaghetti. Another basic and sumptuous choice is the Pommes Purée, an incredibly rich swirl of whipped mashed potatoes served in a miniature red cast iron pot. It can be ordered unadorned or, for an earthier taste, topped with flecks of truffles. Both of these dishes, though simple, are so impeccably executed that they cannot be considered mundane.
If the whole menu could be summarized in one dish, it would be Le Burger, a miniature burger with seared foie gras, caramelized red, green and yellow bell peppers and watercress on a brioche bun. All the components are arranged in a tiny tower, and held together by a clear plastic skewer. The fries that are served alongside have been individually sculpted by hand into the iconic crinkle-cut fry shape. This painstaking detail is an interesting choice, and one that seems to tacitly advocate micro food production in a world that subsists largely on mass production. These are served with a ginger gastrique, a tangy alternative to the usual ketchup. The dish is an appropriate culmination of the meal, blending all the ingenuity, thoughtfulness and, of course, flavor that makes the cuisine at L’Atelier so remarkable.
The sweet finale comes in the form of La Framboise, a globe of white chocolate and raspberry sauce. The server sets it on the table and pours warm raspberry yuzu sauce over the top in a star pattern, melting the sphere and revealing the lemon ice cream “surprise” that is hidden inside. Fresh raspberries and cubes of raspberry gelée are sprinkled generously around the plate. It is a fresh, clean and light dessert that cleanses the palate and finishes the meal off on a bright note.
Every dish at L’Atelier is exquisitely presented, and eating them reveals the careful planning, thoughtful philosophy, and meticulous execution put into them. The extraordinary food and vivacious, celebratory setting assure the fun and unforgettable dining experience that the L’Atelier reputation promises.
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L'atelier de Joel Robuchon
Dining Room
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L'atelier de Joel Robuchon
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
This is a stellar restaurant. The menu is imaginative and delightful. The vibe is relaxed and not stuffy.
An amazing meal, almost worth the price.
I recently dined with friends at Joe Robuchon. The food was exquisite, possible the best meal I have ever had. And the service was outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant.
An amazing experience and outstanding food!
Our evening at L'Atelier was fantastic. The sommelier picked the perfect wine to go with our meal and the food was delicious. We couldn't have asked for a better dinner. My husband and I have dined at some of the best restaurants in Paris and this was just as wonderful. Worth every penny and we will definitely go back.
The staff made us feel important and we were well 'taken care of'. I recommend this restaurant very highly - now I want to try the main restaurant1
Excellent!
superb food, relax atmosphere!
The food was amazing!
BEST MEAL IN VEGAS IN 25 YEARS MICHEL
This is an excellent restaurant. Great atmosphere and staff. It is worth every penny.
Everything about the restaurant is exceptional and outstanding. But, the top three things to love are the food, the food, and the food. Everything else compliments the food, but the "food's the thing." For us it was a first time to experience the dishes we had, and each was a "controlled explosion of exquisite flavors and textures." The room, the staff, and the ambiance are all superb. Watching the incredible care of preparation only adds to the experience. It is not a cheap eat at all, but it is a real value... and, did I mention, the food is to die for.
I enjoyed my experience at this restaurant. The entire staff is very passionate about what they do. The food was excellent! You can tell that care was taken into preparing the meal in both presentation and quality of the meal. Well worth it!
I took some customers to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas and I have nothing but great things to say. I would describe the ambiance as sexy and chic. It is a small restaurant which probably helps them provide wonderful customer service and artistic, mouthwatering dishes. We did not know what to order so our server gave us some suggestions and brought everything out family style. These were some of my favorites: Beef and foie gras burgers with caramelized bell peppers, Maine lobster salad with a sherry vinegar dressing, Crispy langoustine fritters with basil pesto, Wagyu beef rib eye and the Malabar pepper coated beef tenderloin. If you're a foodie, you need to go. It is pricey, but well worth the money.
Elegant creative FANTASTIC food, friendly professional service, relaxed modern atmosphere, it was great. I loved that it had a bright clean space, and that we could watch the chefs at work. I also loved that it was comfortable; so many restaurants keep their spaces as cold as a meat locker - what's the point of wearing a nice dress if you have to wear a parka over it? And my husband was equally comfortable in his jacket, a great balance. The noise level was good, lively but not loud, very easy to have a conversation. A great date place.
EXCELLENT!!!
Must visit this restaurant.
Had the tasting menu for Mother's Day...all the way round it was awesome! My family and I enjoyed everything about the meal, the service and the experience....we have kept the number for future reference! We will be back!!
Everything from food, to service to ambiance was perfection.
Very fantastic experience. A must to put in your bucket list!
This was our first visit to L'Atelier, and we had the Seasonal Discovery Tasting menu. It was amazingly good - we will be back on our next trip to Vegas!
the amuse and the appetizers are heaven on earth, but the mains are unimaginative at best.
The environment was enjoyable and the staff was friendly and professional. The food for the most part was delicious. I was not impressed with the wine pairings, as a couple of the bottles were lower end. Overall a good experience but not worth the price.
The whole meal was wonderful until we had the dessert. The sorbets were good but the tarts needed improvement. With myself being in the dessert industry, you would think that a top rated chef would end the meal with as well executed and flavorful desserts as the rest of the meal.Service was flawless.
I think this restaurant is a bit overrated. The food was good but not as "great" as advertised. Overall experience was OK.
the food was good... the service was good... the ambieance was nice~ but being a joel roubuchon restaurant I expected to see some unique and delicious food options especially on a tasting menu... but it was Kind-of a let down! When you get 3 small pieces of cheese with 3 huge pieces of dry bread... a medicore gazpacho~ and a veal chop with a a wilted arugula salad... i can get that anywhere now a days... the one really tasty item we encountered was the pistachio ice cream... But overall i was a little disappointed after i got my hope up... and paid a ritz carlton bill for a chilis quality meal!!
Great food, great service, nice atmosphere, but a little too pricey!
Food was delicious and staff was very relaxed and friendly, but the price was much to high and the decor was not particularly enjoyable. It felt more like a sushi bar or high school prom.
I was disappointed with the food not being at the level i was expecting. Granted the food was great maybe for a student out of culinary school. I spent $200 with out drinks and dessert on 2 small plates and 2 main courses. What we got was worth $100 at best.
Y
I really don't want to dog this retaurant but it was definately overpriced for what you get on your plate. The place is very beautiful and the kitchen is silent. Everyone is working like a clock with no disruptions. Everything looked perfectly executed in the kitchen as service was erupting into an early rush. I had the malabar pepper crusted filet mignon. I asked to have it cooked medium and it came out very well done and dry on the outside and raw in the middle. I suspect they didn't let the meat rest till room temp before cooking. It was a $ 72 steak that I left the middle raw part on my plate uneaten. Kind of a waste to me. My wife had the snapper with spanish chorizo and artichoke hearts. The portion of fish couldn't have been more than 4 oz. and was kind of bland tasting. However is was very fresh. Actually, everything was very fresh. We left paying $ 200 including our tip , but left feeling hungry. I would like to add that our server at the bar was very knowledgable and very friendly.
All in all for the price I would recommend going somewhere else. It was a great experience just one that can be exceeded at much better and less pricey establishments. The service was far below what I would expect.
The meal was very disappointing. The fish was luke warm and the steak was tough. We could get a better meal at a 3 star restaurant. Worse, you have to have your meal at the bar stools.
