AdamI’m going to try to make it out to the Stratosphere more often on upcoming trips. Low-level gambling limits and generous happy hours more than make up for it’s poor location and quirky infrastructure. Another bright spot, though not low roller friendly, is the Top of the World restaurant.
The food is quite good, but you’re really paying for the view. The restaurant actually rotates so you get a full, amazing view of the Las Vegas Valley. It takes about 80 minutes for one full rotation. Obviously, you’ll want to dine here after sunset. Also, don’t leave your belongings on the ledge by the slanted windows. You’ll have to wait 80 minutes to get it back. Our server reported that this actually happens quite often.
Let’s talk about the service while we’re at it. This is an upscale restaurant and the service is what you’d expect. Every person we interacted with was prompt and polite. The menu isn’t all that complex or exotic, but they helped us navigate it and suggested wine pairings. There were no hard upsells on any bottle, thank goodness. I never like it when a more expensive bottle is deliberately suggested. One, a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean its quality matches. An $80 bottle, in many cases, is not necessarily twice as good as a $40 bottle. There are exceptions, of course. Also, I can barely tell the difference between a grape Capri Sun and a Cabernet, so a cheaper bottle will probably suffice for my palate. My point is they didn’t do this, which is nice.
My group started with the seafood platter. The serving suggestion is for two people at a cost of $56. Really, it would likely satisfy a table of four looking to split it- there’s a ton of food. It comes with prawns, ahi poke, yellowtail crudo, lobster cocktail, and a crab salad. I don’t even know what 40% of those things are, but everything was 100% delicious. We also fully enjoyed the pork belly appetizer ($16).
As for the main course, I can really only comment on my own. With Sinatra’s birthday approaching, I decided to celebrate by going with the New York Strip cooked medium rare. I’m really hoping they don’t allow anyone to order steak above medium. It was cooked to absolute perfection. My only complaint is that it comes topped with a brandy sauce, au poivre. At nice restaurants I tend to not deviate from the menu, wanting to try the dish as the chef intended. I think steaks, if they’re a good piece of meat and cooked well, don’t actually need any sauce. Sometimes I’ll opt for a side of bearnaise as a backup. This steak really didn’t need it. If I go back, I’ll probably ask to have the sauce on the side. This is a personal thing, though. The rest of the party, there were six of us, opted for various cuts of beef and seafood. Everyone remarked on how delicious their individual plate was. They didn’t eat the actual plate- you know what I mean.
I’ll be completely honest, I can’t remember the sides or dessert- I was too enamored with my entree and delectable whiskey. I do remember that every dish, from start to finish, was fantastic. Can you get better food in Vegas? Yeah, probably. But, you’d have a really hard time finding a better view. This is the best view and most unique restaurant I’ve been to in Vegas. That’s what you pay for, a dining experience. To me, it’s well worth it.
Want to grab a glimpse but don’t want to shell out a ton of cash? Head to Level 107 Lounge, which overlooks the restaurant. You’ll get the same city view with a more accessible menu. They even have early and late happy hour specials. Plus, the lounge doesn’t rotate. So if you see bothersome people below, you won’t have to wait long for them to be gone.
Mrs Colson and I have eaten at TOTW a few times now… primarily because we had our wedding dinner there and kind of feel obliged to return every other trip or so for the sake of tradition if nothing else. You are right about the food, its good but not great… certainly not as good as other restaurants with similar pricing. However, the view is awesome (not withstanding the blot on the landscape otherwise known as Fontainebleau) and the service is great to, management have always replied to emails promptly (I have booked tables directly through the restaurants manager… don’t know why.. seemed like a good idea at the time) and the wait staff are superb. The bar upstairs (Level 107) is nice for pre / post dinner drinks and obviously you can get outside to enjoy the view a little more. Its definitely a must visit joint a least once… 🙂
What a place for a wedding dinner! There’s no view like it in the city. I like Foundation Room and Mandarin Bar, but walking into TOTW is something different. Just a really cool place to dine.