It’s the most important meal of the day/night. Here’s where to do it right.
LessBreakfast at Bouchon is always going to be impressive. It’s great for large groups, and the dining room is elegant without being flashy. Get the meal going with a basket of flaky croissants before diving into bigger plates, like the croque madame or roasted chicken with a bacon-chive waffle. The flavor-packed merguez hash is an underrated star of the menu, so prioritize that or at least get a plate to share.
Salt & Ivy opens at 6am, so the crowd ranges from people who got up early for the hotel treadmill to zombies who partied all night long. Order the dutch baby with smoked salmon, a sweet-and-salty protein boost that’s one of the best things on the menu. Their massive outdoor patio is decked out with lush greenery, so it’s a great place to enjoy some fresh air before it gets too hot out. They don’t take reservations, so just be prepared to wait during the breakfast rush.
There are plenty of places to have a chic romantic dinner around town, but the same can't be said for breakfast. Except for La Fontaine, with its manicured floral arrangements and furniture in pastel shades of pink and magenta. Their “le caviar” eggs might be our new favorite morning meal: a fancy trio of egg custard topped with a mound of caviar, comté emulsion, and fluffy potato pillows. If you’re not feeling caviar, order the soufflé pancakes or lobster eggs benedict.
If you’re in town for a tradeshow at the convention center, Siegel’s Bagelmania is your best bet for a quick breakfast nearby. Their efficient takeout operation cranks out bagel sandwiches, matzo ball soup, and hot pastrami on rye. The Wake & Bake with baked salmon salad, cucumber, red onion, and chive schmear is filling but won’t weigh you down for the rest of the day. Get a black and white shake topped with the classic cookie that’ll keep you buzzing until dinner.
Grand is an understatement when it comes to describing the massive Vegas outpost of this NYC restaurant. The sunny dining room inside the Bellagio is the perfect place to debrief on the night before over brûléed grapefruit cocktails and bagel towers. Go for the classic with smoked salmon and toppings like cucumber and capers for the quintessential Sadelle’s experience. If you want to ball out even harder, add trout roe or caviar to an order of the soft scrambled eggs.
Remember the joy you’d get as a child passing by a donut shop and seeing the neon “hot” sign glowing? Recapture that excitement at The Henry, located in The Cosmopolitan and open from 12am-2pm. It’s an over-the-top diner where none of the decor matches, but people are too busy enjoying sugary breakfast to notice or care. Get the made-to-order beignets with fresh lemon curd and the warm donuts with candied bacon, peanut butter glaze, and banana pudding dipping sauce.
Tableau is a casual garden party by Wynn standards, which means opulent by most. There are wacky-shaped hedges on the patio and a main atrium dining area drenched in light. It’s a bit sceney with a crowd of glammed-up brunch gatherings and the DJ who spun all night at XS. Cut into a stack of the fluffy, lemon ricotta pancakes, or the chicken sausage breakfast sandwich with roasted tomato and whipped goat cheese.
It’s 7am and you've just stumbled out of a bar on Fremont—the sun is rising, and you need coffee immediately. Get an excellent cup at Publicus. They source from roasters all over the world, like coffee with notes of chocolate truffle from Indonesia and Costa Rican light blends. Stick around and enjoy one of their breakfast options like the Mahalo Bento, which has eggs, spam, rice, kimchi, and macaroni salad while watching the neighborhood crowd pass through.
Peg’s is the type of casual diner where it’s alright to roll up wearing pajama pants. They serve American, Hawaiian, and Mexican breakfast food, so there’s a lot of range on the menu. But as the name implies, the thing to order is one of the hefty plates of ham and eggs any style, which includes unlimited toast and the choice between hash browns, fruit, or grits. Go for the half-pound plate with pineapple for a little citrus kick, or the full-pounder with caramelized banana.
When you need a break from being indoors at the hotel casinos, head to Overlook Grill for a bite outside and some vitamin D. Settle into one of the neon lime chairs while nursing a green juice, then dive into the breakfast burrito with chorizo and crispy potatoes. For something sweet, get the cinnamon roll french toast with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and bask in the attention of everyone watching the tableside brûléeing.
There aren’t many places in town doing breakfast versions of Latin comfort food like Makers & Finders. We particularly like the breakfast empanada skillet, which includes two of the flaky pastries stuffed with bacon, eggs, potatoes, and cheddar cheese, alongside some rice and beans. The real banger is the churro waffle with caramel and fresh whipped cream, which might be a little sugary as a main, but is an excellent dish to split.
This downtown spot serves massive sandwiches all day long, which is why you'll find both tourists who were out until sunrise or people who woke up craving a reuben here for breakfast. We don’t know who Sparky is, but our hearts belong to the sandwich named after him: generous layers of smoky pastrami between pieces of warm rye slathered with tart yellow mustard. All the sandwiches include a side of chips and a pickle, and are so big that half can easily be wrapped up for leftovers.
This Vegas institution on the Strip is open 24 hours on the weekends and almost always packed. You’ll see why it’s so beloved once your name is finally called for a table: there are fake trees, stained glass lamps with flamingos on them, and neon lights everywhere. The crumbly, moist blueberry muffins are a classic and great starter. They have a huge all-day breakfast menu that can be overwhelming, so stick to the omelets.
Gritz Cafe is a short drive away from the Strip, where you’ll find Southern-style breakfast and large portions. They have one of the best chicken and waffles in town—the bird crunchy, the waffle buttery—and great sides like cheesy grits with a kick of jalapeño. Their menu covers a lot more ground, with things like po’boys and hotlink omelets, and the sweet potato pie is a nice to-go snack that’ll make it through TSA.
If one of your friends insists on driving out to the Hoover Dam, use the trip as an opportunity to visit Weiss Deli. It’s located in the Green Valley Plaza, right on the way to the border of Nevada and Arizona. This Jewish deli is almost always full, but after the usual wait time of 10-15 minutes, you’ll get your hands on one of their excellent breakfast sandwiches. Having to endure a car full of people trying to make the most “dam” puns will be a little easier with some food.