Joël Robuchon takes two Michelin stars as Las Vegas lands four starred restaurants

The results are in. On the evening of August 26 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Michelin revealed its first Southwest selection, and Las Vegas holds four of the region's five starred restaurants. Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand is the only two-star restaurant in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah combined. One star each went to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (also at MGM Grand), Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace and é by José Andrés inside The Cosmopolitan. Nobody got three. The fifth star in the region belongs to Monte in South Salt Lake, Utah.

Three Bib Gourmands cover the affordable end: China Poblano at The Cosmopolitan, Esther's Kitchen in the Arts District and YEN Viet Kitchen. Another 17 restaurants are listed as recommended, among them Bouchon, Wing Lei, Mott 32, Estiatorio Milos, Kabuto, Sparrow + Wolf, Partage, Gymkhana and Michael Mina. That's 24 Las Vegas addresses in a 64-restaurant regional guide. Sean Christopher, general manager of Joël Robuchon, also picked up the guide's Service Award.

Reservations are the practical consequence. Expect the four starred rooms to be the hardest tables in town through the fall, with Friday and Saturday going first. If a starred dinner is the reason for the trip, book the restaurant before you book the flight, and check the cancellation window: these are prix-fixe kitchens that charge for no-shows. The stars didn't change the food or the dress codes overnight, only the waitlist.

The list is not gospel. The Review-Journal pointed out that Tamba, a James Beard finalist this year, didn't make the selection at all, and several longtime Strip favorites landed as "recommended" rather than starred. Our where to eat guide still covers the field the inspectors skipped, including Chinatown and the off-Strip steakhouses.

Our take: book Joël Robuchon only if a formal, multi-hour French dinner is what you actually want; the stars confirm what the room already was rather than making it a better fit for every trip. For most visitors, one Bib Gourmand meal (Esther's Kitchen is the easiest to build an Arts District evening around) delivers the Michelin story at a fraction of the bill.