rev:text
| - "Cafe" does not do this place justice--its better than most of the mid-tier dining options on the strip and priced like it, too.
Atmosphere: love the wide open and humongous ceilings with the large packed-earth columns. The large windows face the entrance and roundabout. Lots of great natural light. The place can fit tons of patrons. It's quite elegant inside.
Service: the service here is usually great. The few times I've had complaints are either right at change of shift or peak breakfast/lunch--and it's just service to get check or order more food, never food arrival.
Food: the options are plentiful and range from healthy dishes to decadent. Another wonderful surprise is the presentation--all the dishes are pleasantly plated with flair (e.g. Edible flowers, deconstructed, etc). All the dishes are massive and you probably don't need as many or any sides.
Highlights--the chicken and egg salad was bright, colorful, and clean. The biscuits and gravy was rich, gorgeous, and came with three 2x1x1 inch pieces of immaculate pork belly. The sweetness of the biscuits seemed like a blasphemy at first but really worked with the richness of the dish, albeit could be a little less sweet. The parfait was a gorgeous deconstructed plate with tons of fresh peak fruit--nearly as many berries as in the side dish, didn't need to order both. All the berries were peak freshness and on point (e.g. Plump intact blueberries). The huevos rancheros were tasty. All the poached eggs came out perfect.
Price: $15-25 for most mains. The complaints from other reviews don't hold water for me--first of all, this is Aria, if you want an inexpensive diner meal you shouldn't be eating at MGMs most expensive property. Second, the size of food is huge here and I rarely see any table that ate all their food. Third, you can pay more for a buffet at Aria or elsewhere but get the same amount of food here for less--buffet bias doesn't apply. Fourth and lastly, the quality of the food is great here.
I'll continue to come back.
|