Joël Robuchon’s Two Stellar Restaurants Will Return ‘When Business Levels Allow for It’

Any rumors of the permanent closure of Joël Robuchon’s dining kingdom in Las Vegas are greatly exaggerated. “There is no validity to those rumors,” a spokesperson for MGM Resorts says, confirming that both restaurants at the MGM Grand will reopen “when business levels allow for it.”

Both restaurants closed in March when the state mandated that nonessential businesses including restaurants and casinos temporarily shuttered to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The state allowed casinos to reopen on June 4, when the MGM Grand returned to business with a limited number of restaurants also returning. Robuchon’s L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and his namesake restaurant remain closed.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon gives diners a front-row seat when they pull up a seat at the bar overlooking the kitchen to watch the artistry of the chefs. Robuchon’s more casual approach to dining offers tapas, a tasting menu, and wines from around the world. Patrons can even order Robuchon’s vision of a burger, and snag a taste of his famous mashed potatoes.

Diners may sit next to Chuck Norris, one of the celebrity pics that line the opulently decorated space at the grand Joël Robuchon that feels like a cross between the inside of a Faberge egg and the boudoir of Marie Antoinette. The exquisitely crafted fare from the Robuchon does in fact stand up to the room’s décor. It’s French grandiosity meets Asian refinement. Truffled langoustine ravioli in a foie gras sauce, a semi-soft boiled egg on a spinach puree, and Maine lobster in a thinly sliced turnip join roving bread and dessert carts. When it reopens, sit in the opulent lounge up front for a glass of Champagne.

Both restaurants were part of the Eater 38 when they were open.

Robuchon died in August 2018 at age 73 due to complications of cancer. Robuchon earned the title Chef of the Century from Gault Millau in 1987.

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