If you’ve netted yourself a windfall, run on down to one of the very best restaurants in town. Le Cirque (Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +17026938100, www.bellagio.com) establishes new standards of excellence for French food in the city (men need jacket and tie); Bradley Ogden (Caesars Palace, 3750 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +17027317110, www.caesars.com) puts a thrilling new twist on American cuisine; and Trattoria del Lupo (Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89119, +17027405522, www.wolfgangpuck.com) offers terrific Italian food.

But if you’re down to your last dime and need to fill up on the cheap, meanwhile, try the casino buffets, where you can eat as much as you like for not much money. Among the best are those at the Golden Nugget (129 Fremont Street, Downtown, NV 89109, +17023857111, www.bellagiolasvegas.com) and Paris Las Vegas (355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +17029467000, www.parkplace.com). Other cheap alternatives are Big Mama’s Rib Shack (2230 W Bonanza Road, North Las Vegas, NV 89106, +17025971616, www.bigmamasribs.com), the best barbecue joint in Vegas, and Gandhi (4080 Paradise Road, NV 89109, +17027340094, www.gandhicuisine.com), its finest Indian eaterie.

Drinking in Las Vegas is like no other activity on the planet. If you wanted to, you could drink 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in venues ranging from dank dive bars to airy cathedrals. Those in search of old Vegas should try Peppermill’s Fireside Lounge (2985 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +17027357635), while anyone after the new version should check out stylish bars like Caramel (Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +17026938300, www.caramelbar.com), Ghostbar (Palms, 4321 W Flamingo Road, NV 89103, +17029427777, www.thepalmslasvegas.com) and the V Bar (Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +17024143200, www.venetian.com). For a beer or 30, the Crown & Anchor Pub (1350 E Tropicana Avenue, University District, NV 89122, +17027398676, www.crownandanchorlv.com) cuts the (English) mustard.

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