3 Best Restaurants in Paradise Road and the East Side, Las Vegas

Like time-traveling to Vegas’s vintage days when upscale restaurants were quiet and atmospheric, venerable Ferraro’s features a dark and decidedly romantic dining room with candles on every table, and a pricey menu stocked with steaks, fresh-made pastas, and Mediterranean-style seafood. Around since 1985 and in this location since 2009, this fine Italian eatery offers a cheaper happy hour of small plates nightly from 5 to 7 pm and bigger feasts throughout the evening. Among the popular entrées not found at most Italian restaurants are the popular stewed rabbit with mushrooms served over polenta, and tripe served in a spicy tomato sauce. And you can’t beat the signature veal osso buco.

The vibe is spelled out in the name of this sprawling indoor-outdoor casual Italian space from Los Angeles restaurateur Nick Mathers. The versatile menu follows the cues of the day, from "green eggs" or avacado toast at brunch to creative appetizers or full entrees in the evening. While a DJ spins beneath a disco ball, you can try the deceptively complex pizzas and salads or delve into more ambitious fare like lobster pasta or branzino. It's a 300-seater with three bars; the atmosphere changes from the bar-centric lounge near the front entry to "beachside" near the Virgin Las Vegas pool area with a lot of low-slung seating to encourage sociability.  

Executive chef Nobu Matsuhisa helped fuel the popularity of the original Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, so it would have just seemed wrong for the restaurant not to carry over when the hotel transitioned into Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Although there's now a Nobu restaurant at Paris Las Vegas and an entire Nobu sub-hotel within Caesars Palace, this one reflects the decor and menu of the Manhattan Nobu original, with bamboo and wood accents. But those who feel it's somehow a little different now are correct: the decor was spruced up during the hotel's remodeling, and there's a new outdoor space overlooking the pool. The menu comprises small- or moderate-size plates, making Nobu perfect for sharing but also an easy place to drop a wad of cash (as all those artful food presentations add up). Entrées might include the famous black cod with miso, yellowtail tartare with caviar, rock shrimp tempura, and Maine lobster with wasabi-pepper sauce. If you're feeling brave (and flush), opt for the omakase multi-course tasting menu, and let the chef make the decisions for you.