I was at Mandalay Bay to see the The Lion King, and decided to try and get in for a late dinner at Fleur afterwards. I was a little concerned because I didn't have a reservation, but there was no need to be. When I got there at about 9:30 pm on a Tuesday evening there was only one other table seated in the restaurant. That surprised me. It also should have concerned me.
I'm a huge Top Chef fan and as Hubert Keller was one of my favorite contestants on Top Chef Masters, my expectations were pretty high.
Fleur features a globally inspired small plates menu with affordable nibbles like the parmesan paprika popcorn ($3) and marinated olives ($4). But they also have some very expensive 'indulgences' like the Fleur Burger 5000 made with wagyu beef, foie gras and truffles, and named for its over the top price tag of $5,000.00! I ordered the "in the shower" mac & cheese, and although I really wanted it to be fabulous, it was anything but. There couldn't have been more than 3 itsy bitsy little flakes of lobster in the entire dish, while the sauce was more creamy than cheesy. It just wasn't anything special. The dessert was even more disappointing. I ordered the panna cotta topped with sorbet, citrus soup and almond tuille. It was a muddled mess of flavors. The sorbet was more like an icy granita, the citrus soup was barely there, and I never did find anything that resembled almond tuille.
The restaurant had no atmosphere at all, nothing complimentary like a bread basket or an amuse-bouche, and lackluster service. I had to ask for water and I wasn't even offered coffee with my dessert. I was also not impressed with the sidewalk style cafe seating that felt more like a food court than a place one might order a $5000 burger.
I would not eat here again and would not recommend it to anyone hoping for a memorable meal or a memorable dining experience.
We haven't yet managed to crawl further west to Las Vegas, and were planning to soon. I'm glad you let me know about this beforehand. (My wife would assume they have only French food due to the name. Now I can let her know that it doesn't matter, it sucks.)
A $5 burger? That's insane! I can't help but wonder how often that's order. In Vega, though, I wouldn't be surprised if a few of those are ordered a year after some casino winnings...