Five Restaurants To Try Near the Las Vegas Convention Center

More than 21,000 conventions and meetings take place Las Vegas every year. For a city that has built its reputation on showgirls, nightclubs that don’t close until 6 a.m. and margaritas sold by the yard, Sin City is a surprisingly productive place.

When it comes to doing business in Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention Center reigns supreme. Located on Paradise Road about three miles from 100,000 hotel rooms, the Las Vegas Convention Center features 3.2 million square feet of space including 13 exhibit halls and parking for approximately 10,000 cars.

The Las Vegas Convention Convention Center does offer some limited dining choices for grabbing a quick bite in between meetings, but everyone knows that no business trip to Las Vegas is complete without a side of pleasure. For the food lover, that means stepping outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center and having a meal at one of these nearby restaurants.

Facebook

A modern take on old Vegas glamour

Despite its 2012 opening date, The Barrymore feels like the kind of restaurant that’s been in Las Vegas since the days of the Rat Pack. Sitting in the plush booths beneath the ceiling adorned with film reels, one can practically imagine an old mobster smoking a cigar and ordering a steak. For convention-goers looking for an intimate, memorable dining experience, the restaurant offers all the fine-dining classics including a shrimp cocktail, dry-aged bone-in rib-eye steak, and crème brûlée for dessert.

The Barrymore, Royal Resort, 99 Convention Center Drive; 702-407-5303

Facebook

An authentic Mexican mainstay

Yes, it’s next to a strip club (another Vegas diversion for those looking to be distracted from a convention), but El Dorado Cantina offers an experience all its own. The 24-hour Mexican restaurant serves table-side guacamole, a diverse array of gluten-free and vegetarian selections, and a tasting plate of chicken moles including Oaxacan chocolate and pumpkin chile poblano. Deep-fried ice cream with banana foster and Mexican chocolate makes for an indulgent finish.

El Dorado Cantina, 3025 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive; 702-722-2289

Facebook

Northern Italian fare

Located just steps away from the Las Vegas Convention Center, Piero’s Italian Cuisine has been dazzling the city with Northern Italian specialties since 1982. Diners can expect rustic dishes including linguine alla vongole, osso bucco, saltimbocca with sage and white wine, and a rotating selection of fresh seafood dishes. An impressive wine list also sets Piero’s Italian Cuisine apart.

Piero's Italian Cuisine, 355 Convention Center Drive; 702-369-2305

Yelp/ENVY Steakhouse

Steak, seafood, and more than 1,500 bottles of wine

Convention-goers staying at Renaissance Las Vegas need not wander far for a steak and a bottle of pinot noir. Located within the hotel, Envy The Steakhouse offers corn-fed Midwest beef topped with herb butter, grilled rack of lamb and pan-seared branzino. Whether the evening calls for crab cakes or tuna tartare, filet mignon or maple plank Scottish salmon, the restaurant’s collection of more than 1,500 bottles of wine certainly has the right glass to pair with dinner.

Envy The Steakhouse, Renaissance, 3400 Paradise Road; 702-784-5700

Yelp/Mizumi

Sushi by a waterfall

Just a five-minute cab ride from the Las Vegas Convention Center lies one of the most beautiful dining experiences in the city. Located inside Wynn, chef Devin Hashimoto’s Mizumi serves fresh sushi and sashimi along with charcoal grilled Maine lobster with yuzu butter, beef with black truffle teriyaki and a Japanese take on grilled bone marrow featuring yakitori sauce and furikake brioche croutons. Diners lucky enough to score a table by the 90-foot waterfall can enjoy a view as memorable as the cuisine.

Mizumi, Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-770-3320

• Five Restaurants Along the Monorail To Try This Weekend [ELV]

• Explore The Neighborhoods of Las Vegas at These Great Restaurants [ELV]