Jean Georges (Aria)

In July, we ran a list of the most expensive steakhouses in the U.S., five of which are in Las Vegas. One of those is Jean Georges Steakhouse at Aria, which was fifth on the list at $140 per person. So what’s it like? We got a chance to find out last month when a well-healed friend from New York City came to town and invited us out.

That most-expensive ranking is based on the least expensive steak on the menu, a 14-ounce New York strip for $72, but the steaks scale all the way up to Hyōgo Kobe A5 wagyu at $201 for three ounces (JG is one of the few restaurants in the U.S. to offer “Genuine Certified Kobe Beef”). Also on the menu are fish for $55 and chicken for $50 or you can slum it with a $48 cheeseburger. Appetizers run $21 for clam chowder to $36 for a crab cake. Our reviewer was happy enough with the 18-ounce bone-in ribeye for $86. It’s a la carte, of course, so adding Japanese Wagyu carpaccio ($35) for an appetizer and a side of steamed spinach ($21) brought the tab to $142, right at the number.

Coincidentally, the dinner was on the second day of the MGM cyberattack. Systems were down throughout the resort and credit cards weren’t being accepted, but our friend charged the meal to his room and the tip was paid in cash (see below), so we didn’t even know it was happening.

The restaurant is chic and sparkly, with crystal everywhere. Even the bathrooms are worth a photo. The service was exceptional, as you’d expect. One cool feature is the steak-knife-selection process, where you choose your weapon as if preparing to duel with your entrée (don’t worry, the diner almost always wins).

So what about the food?

Our expectations dropped somewhat with the carpaccio, which was good enough, but a bit too “comte cheese fritters” fancy for us. Then came the steak. We don’t make such proclamations often and it’s difficult to explain how one steak can be that much better than another, but this was easily one of best we’ve ever had. There were four dipping sauces on the table, but we couldn’t bear to mask the taste with any of them (possibly a first). The spinach was good, too. Full disclosure, the aforementioned well-heeled friend spared no expense and the sublimity of that steak may have been enhanced by the $900 bottle of wine that accompanied it. But somehow we feel it would have been amazing even with a $70 selection. If you’re compiling a list for a steak-dinner splurge, put Jean Georges at the top.

Then there was the tip.

In the gambling world, it’s customary that when you eat or drink on someone else’s comp or at their treat, you take care of the tip. (There are a few other ways to do it; you can read about those in our Question of the Day on the subject.) It’s usually an equitable trade, but here’s how that can go wrong. Figuring on a tab from $300 (food only) to $500 (throw in some drinks), we expected the tip would come to something between $50 and $100. Definitely a deal for a great meal and review fodder. What we didn’t count on was the host ordering $1,250 worth of wine. Urp! The tip was $350. Before you volunteer for the gambler’s tipping protocol, make sure you think it out.