Located in Caesar's Palace, Payard has both a patisserie that offers some of the loveliest French pastries, as well as a small but elegant dining room. We enjoyed a lovely prix fixe dinner at $42, which included our choice of appetizer, entree and dessert.
Our meal started with a basket of freshly baked baguette and focaccia. The baguette alone was to die for. Our first courses were delicious -- a delicate cheese souffle and a spinach salad with duck confit. Our main courses were also very good -- braised short ribs served on a bed of celery root mash, and black cod served with mashed potatoes and topped crispy fried leeks. For dessert, I would highly recommend one of the gateau, like the ultra-rich and decadent Vienne. We also tried the S'mores crepe with marshmallow and topped with milk and white chocolate and dusted with Graham crackers. It was just OK -- a sweet concoction that sounded better on paper but pales in comparison to their other elegant desserts.
The waitstaff is friendly and attentive -- almost overly attentive -- but we appreciated their eagerness to please.