Where to eat the best brunch in Las Vegas

With so many restaurants serving the same usual suspects, brunch menus can blend together if you browse more than a couple. Yet, Bardot’s stands out, thanks to Michael Mina’s elevated iterations of mid-morning staples. Brunch here feels like a celebration, less sweatpants and last night’s eyeliner than crisp summer dresses and fresh-faced crowds. Which is not to say the place is staid. Rather, champagne arrives via cart, everlasting rosé is on the menu and the kitchen turns out deliciously decadent dishes like foie gras parfait, hunter’s waffle with duck confit and a block of brioche French toast with mascarpone and orgeat syrup. If you’re not slurping down oysters and toasting with friends, you’re doing it wrong.

For brunch with a kick, locals flock to DW Bistro, an off-Strip destination known for its friendly service, packed weekend brunch and creative collision of flavors. Those flavors are mainly Jamaican and New Mexican, resulting in such morning favorites as New Mexican slow-cooked pork omelette and jerk-fried chicken and waffles, best washed down with practically mandatory mimosas or Bloody Marys. Do order a side of the why-didn’t-I-think-of-this jalapeño bacon; don’t skip the pastry basket filled with warm treats like blueberry and white chocolate scones.

Inside this elegant bistro and oyster bar, the much-heralded Thomas Keller serves authentic French country fare modeled after the cuisine of the original bouchons of Lyon. Delicious for dinner, this Venetian restaurant may be at its best during brunch, when light streams through tall windows and guests chatter on the garden patio over coffee and flaky pastries. Indulge in the Bouchon French toast, served bread-pudding style with warm layers of brioche, custard and fresh fruit with maple syrup; or opt for the exceptional chicken and waffles, elevated with a bacon chive waffle, sauce chasseur and that beautifully roasted bird.

Among the smattering of local brunch joints worth waking up for, Honey Salt is one of the best of the bunch, thanks to its menu of hit-the-spot dishes that cater to breakfast devotees, lunchers and even those trying to take a healthier tack. (Womp womp.) Standouts include the citrus brioche monkey bread with honey bourbon sauce, the braised pork Benedict and the backyard favorite burger, one of Vegas’s best at any time of day. If you’re suffering from a hangover, the all-you-can-drink Bloody Marys will have you feeling ready to do it all again in no time.

This Venetian newcomer from Top Chef Masters vet Lorena Garcia has wasted no time in joining the rotation of must-hit Strip brunch spots. Here, basics like pancakes and omelettes are given a bold Latin twist, boosted with ingredients like sweet corn and chicken tinga on a wide-ranging menu that includes everything from breakfast burritos to kale salad to Peruvian ceviche. Consider the egg sandwich made with porchetta, escabeche and chimichurri or the huevos rancheros adorned with Oaxacan string cheese and roasted poblanos. Whatever you order, rest assured it’s not something you’ll find at the diner down the street.

Honey Salt’s upscale sister restaurant is a stylish steak and seafood spot after dark, but on weekend mornings its talents turn to brunch. The decadent spread here is full of classics done with added flourish: Think caramel custard French toast, braised short rib hash and shrimp and grits with aged white cheddar and jalapeño crème fraìche. Start with a plate of seasonal donuts or a shareable lobster roll, then go to town. You are now living your best life.

When Border Grill first debuted its all-you-can-eat weekend brunch, it was a revelation. Rather than offering dishes full of wilting pancakes and sad scrambled eggs, Border proffered a menu of Mexican-inspired shareable delicacies with eye-opening plates like tres leches bread pudding and Peruvian shrimp and grits, all made to order and delivered fresh from the kitchen. Snag a table on the patio, pay the $39, then order as much as you want. Two plates of barbacoa breakfast fries? Sure. Churro tots and cinnamon roll pancakes? Why not. We’ve even heard of brunchers ordering the entire menu. Now, that’s living grandly.

This contemporary diner from local chef Natalie Young has been the go-to breakfast and lunch spot in downtown Las Vegas since it opened on Carson Avenue in 2012. Its calling card? Hearty, freshly made fare that won’t leave you feeling like you need a nap. Rather than offer a phone book’s worth of omelette and sandwich iterations, Eat focuses on a relatively few items that kicks ass. Order whatever speaks to your stomach and get ready for an upgraded take on shrimp and grits, grilled cheese or even a basic two-egg breakfast.

From the folks behind beloved local restaurant Metro Pizza comes this cheery Northwest Valley cafe, which earns raves for its decadent pastries, piled high egg sandwiches and breakfast originals. Consider the Benicio del Porko, BBQ pulled pork eggs Benedict stacked on grilled cornbread with charred corn, cilantro and Hollandaise. Feeling lunch-y? Salads come stocked with goodies, and there’s always the grilled cheese du jour along with a handful of other sandwiches to order. You can even take Lulu’s to-go with you in the form of a fresh loaf of bread.

What happens when a Strip hospitality team moves to the suburbs and decides to devote itself to breakfast and lunch? You get Kitchen Table, a Henderson hot spot that quickly won over locals with its fresh fare and friendly environs. The menu here is bold and ambitious, boasting dishes like foie gras French toast with amaretto batter, pork belly Benedict with jalapeño hollandaise and a full program of mouth-watering pastries all baked in house. Give your diet the day off and get ready to indulge.