Le Cirque French Restaurant to Close at Bellagio After 28 Years
A renowned French restaurant, Le Cirque (French for “you can’t afford to eat here”) will close at Bellagio on Aug. 23, 2026.
Le Cirque opened at the Bellagio on Oct. 15, 1998, debuting along with the resort. Le Cirque operated at Bellagio for 27 years, 10 months and eight days. Or, in Las Vegas restaurant years, approximately one bajillion.
We never went to Le Cirque, mostly because French food is the only thing worse than Parisians.
According to MGM Resorts, another dining concept is already in the works for the Le Cirque space. That new restaurant will be unveiled in mid-2027. This is a very long time. Which is a big red flag about decreased visitation and demand. But this is not a time for “insight” or “connecting dots,” it is a time for local media to cut-and-paste from Bellagio’s announcement about the closing of Le Cirque.
Basically, when Le Cirque opened on Oct. 15, 1998, it brought the famed New York concept created by Sirio Maccioni to Las Vegas.
Was Sirio Maccioni Italian? Yes. Wasn’t Le Cirque French? Yes. It is just this line of impertinent questioning that illustrates what an unsophisticated rube you are. Please leave the fine dining analysis to us, a noted foodie whose love of garlic knots knows no bounds.
Le Cirque is known for its circus-inspired decor, world-class service and seasonal menus.
Le Cirque helped redefine what fine dining meant in Las Vegas.
It signaled a shift from steakhouse-heavy casino fare to destination dining led by globally recognized brands and restaurateurs. It helped legitimize Las Vegas as a serious culinary city rather than just a place to grab cheap grub between gambling sessions. Le Cirque was a place to grab expensive, fancy grub between gambling sessions.
Over the years, Le Cirque has hosted celebrities, high rollers and VIPs from around the world, a symbol of old-school luxury.
In Las Vegas, though, even the best restaurants have an expiration date.
For Le Cirque, that expiration date is Aug. 23, 2026.
The staff is likely to be absorbed into other MGM Resorts venues.
There’s still time to visit Le Cirque if you’d like to experience a classic restaurant before it bids everyone “adieu” or possibly “au revoir.”
Dinner for two runs $200 to $400 per person (before wine), with four-course tasting menus in the $700 to $800 range. Special menus can approach $2,000.
No big deal, depending on which fork of the K-shaped economy you dwell in.
We look forward to hearing more about the new Italian restaurant coming to the Le Cirque space, and by that we mean please, in the name of all that’s holy and parasite-free, anything but sushi.
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