Catch of the Day: The Haute 5 Seafood Restaurants in Las Vegas

Working hard but can’t seem to focus? Maybe you’re in need of a little brain food. Many studies suggest that you can boost your brainpower by eating more fish. Giving you that mental focus you need. Lucky for you this week’s Haute 5 list consists of seafood restaurants that will not only boost that brainpower but will tempt your taste buds as well.

Michael Mina

We begin this week with an award-winning chef whose restaurant is known worldwide. Michael Mina, inside the Bellagio, is a sleek and cutting-edge space. This place exudes elegance with natural stone floors, wood-paneled ceilings, and a rustic feel. The food here showcases contemporary cuisine featuring innovative seafood preparations from Chef Mina’s cookbook. Your best bet is to go with the tasting menu, which features five succulent dishes; tartare of ahi tuna with sesame oil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and chiffonade of mint paired with 2008 Mönchhof Riesling Kabinett Ürziger Würzgarten; Maine lobster pot pie with seasonal vegetables, black truffles, brandied lobster cream paired with a 2004 H du Comte Lafon, Macon Milly-Lamartine; miso-glazed Chilean sea bass with shellfish dumpling, caramelized cauliflower, and dashi broth paired with a 2008 Domaine du Salvard Cheverny; American “Kobe” ribeye with seared foie gras, potato cake, and perigourdine sauce paired with a 2006 Fisher Cabernet Sauvignon “Unity; and finally, for dessert you get a tasting of Michael Mina’s desserts, which include a  mini root beer float, coconut S’More, and opera cake paired with a 2005 Toro Albala “Don PX”.

Michael Mina is located inside the Bellagio, 36000 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-693-7223.

RM Seafood

Over at Mandalay Bay, Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood is the place for globally-inspired cuisine. This swanky seafood restaurant encompasses two floors. RM Downstairs is a more casual environment with large plasma screens offering an extensive list of beer and wine by the glass to go with a variety of oysters flown in daily. They also serve their popular chowder, shellfish platters, and gumbo. RM Upstairs resembles the inside of a cruise ship, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner this could be the perfect spot for a romantic evening for two. The five-course prix fixe menu will give you a great variety from which to choose, including such succulent treats as scallops, spider crabs, foie gras, trout, and king crab, just to name a few. Dessert is also included with a choice of a Chocolate Car Bomb—a yummy concoction of Guinness, ice cream, Bailey’s Irish cream, and beer suds—or Italian Citrus Lemon Mascarpone Cannelloni, Olive Oil Ice Cream or the tropical créme bruelée with passion fruit curd, marinated pineapple, and papaya-aloe. It’s definitely a delicious night for two.

RM Seafood is located inside Mandalay Bay, 3930 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-632-9300.

Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare

Looking for a more Italian feel? Check out Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare inside the Wynn. Bartolotta conveys a sense of whimsy with vibrant colors and playful details like the pseudo-Baroque chandeliers and brightly colored crown moldings with upside down ledges. There is also an outdoor dining area with a tranquil lake that takes you away from the usual Vegas environment. It’s almost like being on the Italian coast. The focus here is fresh seafood imported from the Mediterranean for a true taste of the Italian seaside. They also feature homemade pastas like the Risotto Ai Frutti Di Mare, risotto with clams, scallops, shrimp, langoustines, and calamari and the Lasagnette con Ragu Di Crostacei, which is “rags” of pasta, lobster, shrimp, langoustines, crab, white wine, and tomato. But that’s not all, they also specialize in species that are indigenous to the Italian Mediterranean, from whole fish like Orata, which is gilthead sea bream; Branzino, a sea bass, or the Dentice Imperiale, an imperial snapper. You feel like you’re eating in Italy!

Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare is located inside the Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-248-3463.

Shaboo

One of the newest seafood restaurants to hit the strip is Shaboo, inside Aria Resort and Casino. Shaboo is ultra exclusive with only 52 seats in the restaurant. You enter through a sparkling glass wall in Bar Masa, where you then find yourself in the inner sanctum of the restaurant. Each table is cloaked in soft light for optimal privacy. Offering the Japanese variant of a “hot pot” or Omakase-style, they utilize seasonal ingredients and fresh seafood flown in from Japan. Signature dishes like the Kegani Sunomono, slices of toro paired with Petrossian caviar and Wagyu Shabu-Shabu that will have your taste buds dancing with delight. And don’t forget to try the signature dessert, winter truffle ice cream. This is one dining experience that you won’t want to miss.

Shaboo is located within Bar Masa at Aria Resort & Casino, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd., 877-230-2742.

Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab

Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak and Stone Crab is one of Vegas’ top destinations for fresh seafood and world famous stone crab claws. Located inside the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, the place is elegant with indoor and outdoor dining areas. Here you can chose to sit overlooking the Caesar fountains or sit inside with sweeping views of the strip. But the cuisine is the key that will satisfy your seafood cravings, with fresh stone crabs flown in daily, oysters on the half shell, and jumbo Alaskan king crab.

Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab is located inside the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-792-9222.