This post is a part of a larger series titled Winter in Las Vegas.
The landscape in Vegas has changed dramatically in the five years that I have been visting. Between my first time in Vegas and this last trip, Palazzo has been built, Encore (Wynn’s sister) opened, and the entire City Center complex has been completed.
One of the newest casino/hotels that has come up recently is the Cosmopolitan, a hip, trendy building conveniently located right between the Bellagio (still my all time favorite – love those fountains) and the new City Center.
Inside this hotel is a buffet that’s really different from all the others.
The concept is – small portions, higher quality.
It’s all-you-can-eat, tapas style. Almost all of the dishes come in mini-portions, plated much more elegantly than food at a typical buffet.
Bryan and I met some friends there for a very reasonable $22 brunch. After paying the crazy, exorbitant Strip prices for several meals in a row in Vegas, this was a welcome relief.
BLT Salad
Good-by big, messy, self-serve salad bars! Salads here are plated individually in tiny little bowls. Though people who like to control exactly what they put in their salads may be disappointed, I think most would welcome the higher quality and classy plating.
Charcuterie?
Smoked salmon and all the classic fixings, like red onions, capers, and tomatoes.
I really liked the healthy, vegetable-focused options, such as this oven roasted asparagus and onion salad.
Because it was brunch, there were a lot more “breakfast-like” offerings, such as these made-to-order custom omelets!
Hash browns with caramelized onions and cheddar
Tacos al pastor has always been one of my favorite types of tacos, and I was thrilled to find some here.
Each appetizer-sized pan seared fish comes with herbed rice on a trendy square plate.
You have to love the presentation of the fried chicken inside these cute fryer baskets!
There’s definitely no shortage of meat.
Slab bacon – yum!
Asiago stuffed gnocchi with spicy sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts
Cheese Tortellini in tomato sauce
Cheddar mac & cheese with linguica sausage
Butternut squash ravioli with brown butter, sage, and pumperknickel croutons
Assortment of desserts!
How was the Food?
We all thought the food was pretty good. It’s not as fancy as some of the nicer (and more expensive) buffets we’ve been to, like Wynn and Bellagio (no fancy King crab legs here). However, they make up for the lack of super expensive ingredients with thoughtful dishes, solid execution, and nice presentation. The variety of cuisines is a nice plus.
Most of the offerings were quite tasty, though there were occasional duds. The fried chicken, despite being presented in such a cute way, was only OK (not super crispy). I did really enjoyed the asiago-stuffed gnocchi, and the unlimited gelato bar was just fun to explore.
Honestly, for $22 (which includes soft drinks, coffee, juice, and service), it’s really quite a steal. I would definitely consider coming back, especially after my wallet’s been suffering for a few days paying jacked-up Vegas prices at Strip restaurants.
Brunch: $22
Weekend Brunch: $29
Dinner: $35
Drinks are $5, wines are $8/glass or $20/bottle
Wicked Spoon
3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
All Rights Reserved
The brunch also comes with a free mimosa! 🙂
Reading this post was a little eerie because you shared many of my same thoughts when I visited Wicked Spoon recently. For example, I haven’t been to Vegas in 5 years, so it was interesting for me to see this whole new City Center and visit Encore. I still love Bellagio fountains best too. Also I loved the cute fried chicken baskets but found the chicken so-so. I loved the gnocchi the best and the gelato bar with so many flavors. I heard the dinner has a lot more options, I want to go back and experience it next time.
The gelato bar was what won me over. I ate 4 scoops of gelato on top of my meal…but I would definitely go back again for $22.
P.S. If you like Tacos al pastor, and you ever visit the LA area, King Taco-a chain in LA, has really authentic Mexican street tacos, and Al Pastor is one of the ones they serve. Enjoy!
This is possibly one of the best buffets in Las Vegas, behind the Wynn of course. I really enjoyed it!