Las Vegas: Scrumptious Sin City
Over the past few years Vegas has morphed from a family-friendly destination to an unashamedly indulgent playground for adults. Lured by the assurance that "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", record numbers of people are coming to eat, drink and party.
The transformation has heralded a culinary revolution, with celebrity chefs running some of the finest eateries in the United States. The $10 all-you-can-eat buffet has all but disappeared - people now want a gastronomic adventure and are happy to pay big bucks to get it.
Here is just a taster of some of the red-hot restaurants and fantastic fare on offer:
Joel Robuchon
Joel Robuchon's three Michelin-starred signature restaurant in the MGM Grand has set the standard in Vegas when it comes to fine dining. An oasis of silk drapes and chandeliered opulence, it's like you've been invited to dine in an art deco mansion in Paris. The 16-course degustation menu is a tour de force of French cooking, with every dish a culinary work of art. Highlights include the truffled langoustine ravioli, the sauteed veal and a sweet trolley that must be seen to be believed.
Hot tip: ask for a tour of the kitchen - the staff work in a spellbinding Zen-like state of silent concentration.
Details: MGM Grand Hotel. Open for dinner nightly. For bookings phone +1 702 891 7925 or see www.joel-robuchon.com
Wing Lei
As the only Chinese restaurant in North America to be awarded a Michelin star, Wing Lei has raised the bar for Chinese cuisine. Executive chef Richard Chen has blended Cantonese, Shanghai and Szechwan cooking styles to create a rich and varied menu of innovative dishes alongside well-loved classics.
The five-course imperial Peking duck tasting menu is a perennial favourite, with the duck salad with orange truffle vinaigrette a highlight.
Sensational food deserves a stunning setting and Wing Lei delivers with a decadent combination of ornate gold archways, high-backed, throne-like seats and deep-red velvet furnishings.
Details: Wynn Hotel. Open for dinner nightly. For bookings phone +1 702 248 3463 or visit the website www.wynnlasvegas.com
Cathouse
Unleash your inner voyeur in the modern equivalent of a 19th-century European bordello. Named as one of Conde Nast Traveler magazine's hot tables, Cathouse combines restaurant, lounge and nightclub in a style that is intimate and evocative. Watch a lingerie-clad Cathouse model change and apply makeup in a glass-fronted dressing room while enjoying a menu that meanders from French classics, such as mussels and frites, to traditional home-cooked favourites such as macaroni cheese. Cathouse has been a celebrity magnet since it opened in 2007.