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Bringing Back the Buffet

Drink, dine, repeat. No longer lowbrow, all-you-can-eat makes a decadent, upscale comeback

Surely Las Vegas has all kinds of apetites to feed, but how to leave Sin City truly satisfied? These days, the hottest bar is the unlikely buffet with its swanky return to the restaurant hierarchy. Below, four one-stop dining destinations worth getting in line for.

 

Buffet at Aria

3730 Las Vegas Boulevard South, arialasvegas.com

Claims to fame: 11 specialty stations, including a fish market (pictured right) and Latin cuisine 

The Room: A sprawling space with an expansive museum-cafeteria feel

Don’t miss: Custom taco and pasta bars, cheese grits, tomato soup and mini grilled cheeses at the American station and a variety of gluten-free options

Off the menu: Chefs are on hand to toss salads to guest specifications. 

Drink Up: $13 for unlimited mimosas, Bellinis, Bloody Marys, beer, sangria, wine and sparkling wine

Cost: From $19 (breakfast) to $40 (weekend dinner)

The Buffet at the Wynn

3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South, wynnlasvegas.com

Claims to fame: An airy, sky-lit space and a completely reinvented menu, thanks to recently poached Bacchanal chef Scott Green 

The Room: Carmen Miranda meets Willy Wonka, with a delightful central atrium and 16 cooking stations

Don’t miss: Waffle-battered fried chicken, Wagyu lasagna, cardamom-poached pears

Off the menu: Name it and the cooks will make it for you sans dairy, sodium, gluten or sugar—plus, the restaurants at Wynn and Encore both have vegan menus. 

Drink Up: $15 for unlimited wine (regular and sparkling) and mimosas

Cost: Breakfast, $21; dinner, from $39; champagne weekend brunch, $48

Mozen Bistro at Mandarin Oriental

3752 Las Vegas Boulevard South, mandarinoriental.com

Claim to fame: Mozen Bistro isn’t designed to be a buffet restaurant, but it can transform into one that accommodates 77 people at a time.

The Room: Floor-to-ceiling windows provide a great view of CityCenter.

Don’t miss: An elaborate seafood station with an extensive raw bar, japchae (Korean sweet-potato noodles) with bulgogi, Hong Kong–style steamed grouper, Indian murgh makhani

Off the menu: The party never has to end—after brunch, diners can relocate to the 23rd-floor Mandarin Bar from 5p.m. to 8p.m.

Drink Up: $35 for free-flowing Veuve Clicquot or $19 for unlimited mimosas, and Bloody Marys infused with Thai chili and garlic

Cost: $58

Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace

3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, caesarspalace.com

Claims to fame: With a new $17 million buffet, Bacchanal now has nine kitchens, 600 seats and upwards of a 500 different dishes daily

The Room: Bacchanal is truly massive. Think you’ve finally reached the end of the line? Turn the corner to find more.

Don’t miss: Dim sum all day, Mexican pork carnitas, black soup chicken, an oyster-shucking station

Off the menu: There are at least six daily chef’s specials, as well as gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan items and the room can be partly converted for private dining.

Drink Up: $16 for unlimited wine and beer

Cost: From $26 (breakfast) to $51 (weekend dinner)