Vegas
Vegas
Mavens
Aureole Restaurant at Mandalay Bay
Just The Facts, Please.
Location
Mandalay Bay
Dining Hours
Open seven days 5:30-10:30 pm
Chef
Charlie Palmer
Cuisine
Progressive Gourmet American
Price Range
Three course $75; Seven course tasting $95.
Suggested Attire
Dressy
Notes
Known for their large wine collection, awarded The Wine Spectator Grand Award and the wine-angel stewards that retrieve the bottles from the four story wine tower.
Sample Menu Items
ONION SOUP FOIE GRAS, TRUFFLES, GRUYÈRE CHEESE PUFF PASTRY $18
PAN ROASTED SCOTTISH SALMON DUNGENESS CRAB AND SWEET CORN RISOTTO, GLAZED ENGLISH PEAS $30
BLUE CHEESE CRUSTED BEEF TENDERLOIN ONION JAM, MACAIRE POTATOES, BUTTERED ASPARAGUS, PINOT NOIR JUS $39
LEMON ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST FAVA BEANS AND HEIRLOOM CARROTS, SEASONAL MUSHROOMS, NATURAL JUS $29
Mavens Overview: Aureole
The Vegas outpost for Charlie Palmer's New York restaurant. The restaurant features a menu that changes frequently based on available seasonal ingredients. The style of cooking is described as Progressive American.
The restaurant is famous for its four glass enclosed story wine tower, and the young ladies that harnessed to an elaborate cable system that allows them to retrieve bottles from even the most remote parts of the wine tower. The restaurant has been awarded the Grand Award by The Wine Spectator, the highest of the three levels of award. The lowest Award level has 2,957 winners, not that exclusive, more or less send us a check and you win. The Grand award has 72 current winners.
From wine spectator: These restaurants typically offer 1,500 selections or more, and feature serious breadth of top producers, outstanding depth in mature vintages, a selection of large-format bottles, excellent harmony with the menu and superior organization, presentation and wine service.
Perhaps all the attention to the wine selection has allowed Aureole to take their eye off of customer service. For such a high end restaurant, it was surprising to see how many patrons dinged them for poor customer service.
Aureole is Michelin rated, single star, hence many patrons arrive with high expectations, and unfortunately many were disappointed. As noted by one customer in the Internet Buzz section below, "Most of their dishes were un-inspired and lacked the glistening luster of a one Michelin star place" I guess achieving Michelin one star status cuts both ways, a great achievement, but, it can also raise expectations to a very high, perhaps unachievable level.
Internet Buzz: Aureole
- This fits the stereotype of expensive restaurants perfectly. Nice, elaborate settings with a small amount of delicious, unique food that you pay an arm and a leg for.
- I don't know how they got a Michelin star because the service I receive at Cheesecake Factory is far superior.
- The electronic wine list was a little intimidating at first, but we got the hang of it once we realized we could sort by price. :) The most expensive bottle was from 1900 and over $35,000!
- The tuna tar tare is truly at the top of of all tuna tar tares. It almost (not quite) reaches the height of the original tuna tar tare from Aqua. The three way smoked salmon appetizer was also great. The smoked buttery salmon was just perfect.
- Well, the food was great, the atmosphere was nice, and the wine tower was an impressive site to see. However, I was totally put off by the service.
- Squab paired with pan seared froie gras. God. so good. The froie gras was so perfect. one of my eating companions had a near orgasm over it
- I had the three course meal. Quiche with sauteed swiss chard and gruyere cheese. A meat duo of flat iron steak and filet with bacon and diced vegetables, followed by a dessert sampler.
- I had the Scallop Trio appetizer. The scallop wonton was good but nothing special, the truffle encrusted scallop was not at all encrusted... just a seared scallop sitting in a mysterious bland sauce... I tasted no truffle at all.
- I really, really, really wanted to like this place. Maybe I hyped it too much myself? It was, after all, a one Michelin star recipient... for the most part although my meal didn't taste bad, it didn't taste particularly great. It wasn't fantastic...Most of their dishes were un-inspired and lacked the glistening luster of a one Michelin star place.
- The first course was foie gras and duck prosciutto. The prosciutto was smoky and bold. It was wonderful.
- Wow ... where do I begin? From the awesome wine tower that requires a circus act to reach many of the bottles, to the ambiance, and of course the fabulous food - most amazing.
