Aureole – Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
Aureole in New York City is a restaurant dedicated to fine food, an amazing wine list, excellent service and a quiet, elegant atmosphere. But when Aureole opened in Las Vegas it wasn’t quite enough to have a dignified sommelier simply emerge with your selection: At the Mandalay Bay branch, diners first choose their wines from a computerized (and highly comprehensive) wine list, and then fix their gaze on the 42-foot tall wine tower where “wine angels” (the fine dining equivalent of show girls), two athletic women in black cat suits, rappel up and down to retrieve each selection. Between the long walk to the restaurant through the casino and watching the acrobatics, Aureole is likely to make you feel more exhausted than enlightened. Rely on the sommelier more than the computerized list, which can be more frustrating than helpful. Don’t allow yourself to be seated near the private dining room in the back if they’re hosting a large party: Large parties in Vegas tend to lean heavily, and noisily, on What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.

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