Michelin returns to Las Vegas with its first Southwest stars on August 26

Las Vegas gets its Michelin stars back on August 26. That evening at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Southwest selection will be revealed, covering restaurants in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Anonymous inspectors have been eating their way through the region for months.

The last time this mattered here was 2009, when Michelin discontinued its standalone Las Vegas guide. For 17 years the most famous restaurant rating in the world simply didn't apply to the Strip, and every ambitious kitchen in town — from the casino flagships to Chinatown and the Arts District — has spent this year auditioning without knowing exactly who was grading them.

The ceremony is invitation-only, but the results go public the same day: stars, the value-focused Bib Gourmand list, and Green Stars for sustainability. Reservations at anything newly starred will get harder within days, so if a special-occasion dinner is part of your fall trip, book it before August 26. A cancellation policy beats a post-announcement waitlist. Remember, too, that stars reward one specific, service-heavy style of restaurant; plenty of the best meals in the city, including many in our restaurant guide, will never appear on this list, and a snubbed favorite isn't suddenly worse on August 27.

Our take: reserve one blow-out dinner now at a likely contender, then treat the Bib Gourmand list as your cheat sheet for the affordable end. Until it drops, our where to eat guide covers the field.