Jaleo – Las Vegas
The Las Vegas version of America's best tapas restaurant, from star chef José Andrés
Las Vegas never had a tapas restaurant as thoroughly amazing as José Andrés’s original version of Jaleo, which opened in 2010 at the then-new Cosmopolitan Hotel and quickly became one of its most talked-about draws. Between Jaleo’s menu – derived from but not identical to the historic flagship Washington DC Jaleo – and its spectacular indoor paella kitchen, luxurious private dining room, and secret second restaurant (é by José Andrés), the new location was immeasurably cool and packed with culinary appeal. We enjoyed more truly great meals there than we can count.
Today, while Jaleo Las Vegas still serves the best tapas within a several hundred mile radius of Orange County, it’s not delivering quite the same quality of food or overall level of excitement (aside from é, which remains world-class). Yes, Jaleo still serves the Catalan noodle dish rossejat, José’s famous sweet and savory mini-cones, and many of the same classic tapas as before, but there have also been a lot of menu and plating changes. Croquetas, once served theatrically in clear resin Camper sneakers, now arrive on plain plates; three brick cones previously separated in custom acrylic holders arrived together in a glass.
Bland plating was a secondary symptom of a larger problem: Across everything we tried, there was too little attention to the special flavor and texture touches that long distinguished Jaleo’s tapas from other restaurants, as if no one was running the expo station. Chorizo with potato puree, cider, and olive oil came out without any obvious liquid, while squid ink rossejat noodles looked and tasted as if they (and their alioli topping) had sat under a heat lamp for too long before coming out. Desserts similarly looked and tasted as if they could have come from any other restaurant – a far cry from the days when this Jaleo thrilled us with innovative choices like gin and tonic sorbets, now long gone.
In our most recent visits to Jaleos across the U.S., the Las Vegas location was no longer better than the D.C. flagship – a major reversal of our pre-pandemic experiences – and if we had to choose one, we’d go with the East Coast location. We would still pick Jaleo over other tapas restaurants we’ve visited in California and Las Vegas, but wouldn’t drive several hours just to experience it. After more than a decade of loving Jaleo and knowing what it’s capable of, we’re looking forward to seeing it turn around, and hopefully come to LA with its earlier vigor.
Stats
Price: $$$
Service: Table
Open Since: 2010
Addresses
Boulevard Tower, Level 3
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Instagram: @jaleobyjose