VEGAS DINING NEWS: 4 Vegas Restaurants Earn Michelin Stars, High Mis-steaks

Four Las Vegas restaurants earned Michelin stars in the guide’s 2026 edition, it was announced in a ceremony Wednesday night at the Fontainebleau.

Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand received two stars, while L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Restaurant Guy Savoy and É by José Andrés each earned one.

It was the first time any Las Vegas restaurant even qualified for a star since Michelin shut down its Las Vegas guide after two short years in 2008-2009.

Rather than reviving a standalone Las Vegas guide, Michelin returned with an expanded American Southwest edition covering Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico—leaving out California, which Michelin continues to judge separately. Yet despite nearly two decades of dramatic growth across the Strip’s dining scene, the awards failed to reflect that progress.

Three of the four starred spots were legacy holdovers from the 2008 and 2009 editions, with both Joël Robuchon and Restaurant Guy Savoy actually dropping a star from their previous ratings.

Most glaringly, not a single restaurant in the entire Southwest earned three stars—Michelin’s highest distinction—a mark achieved by 10 establishments in California’s 2026 guide alone.

Not Enough Star Power

China Poblano, Esther’s Kitchen and Yen Viet Kitchen drew Michelin’s Bib Gourmand nods, which recognize “simple yet skillful cooking at an accessible price.” And 17 Las Vegas restaurants received Selected by Michelin honors: Anima by EDO, Bouchon, COTE, Estiatorio Milos, Gymkhana, Kabuto, Kame, Lamaii, Michael Mina, Mott 32, Partage, Pho Ga Bac Bac, Ping Pang Pong, SoulBelly BBQ, Sparrow + Wolf, Stubborn Seed and Wing Lei.

In other words, all were considered good — but not star good — by the anonymous inspectors who decide the rankings.

Dining Ins & Outs

High Steaks atop the Rio has rebranded to High Stakes just 10 months after opening. That’s apparently how long it took Thunder Valley—a tribal casino in Lincoln, Calif.—to notify owner James Trees that its own steakhouse already had dibs on the punny spelling.

In other Rio rebranding news scooped by Vital Vegas, Luckley Tavern has been renamed Revolution Tavern & Grill. The shift reflects the casino resort’s effort to bring several food concepts in-house after operating them through third-party partnerships.

Marathon Burger, the wagyu smashburger concept created in Los Angeles to honor the late Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle, is expanding to Las Vegas. While an exact location and opening date have yet to be announced, it will mark the brand’s first drive-thru location.

Mulberry Street Pizzeria will close its Resorts World location in mid-September. The resort reportedly opted not to renew the L.A. brand’s five-year lease and plans to introduce a replacement pizza concept. Mulberry Street is currently scouting a new location on the Strip.

In Chinatown news, popular bakery and tea shop Mama Chai’s will close its doors on Aug. 30.