Royally Flushed

A bonsai tree constructed from chocolate holds a beautiful cake creation from Jean Philippe Patisserie at Aria Las Vegas.

You know from past posts how much we love desserts and sweets and pastries (oh my!) so we were pretty excited to visit famed pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury’s newest location.  His fabulous new shop is inside ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter.   Located in a prime casino-side spot, this new cafe/patisserie features all the yummy desserts we love from the Bellagio pastry shop as well as lots of gourmet sandwich, salad and beverage choices.  A huge gelato case tempts with a number of flavors both traditional and offbeat.  There is plenty of seating available and the cafeteria-style line moves quickly.

In addition to the cafe, the spot features a retail shop selling Jean-Philippe’s exquisite line of custom chocolates, chocolate sauces, handmade marshmallows plus many other goodies perfect to take home as gifts — or as a sweet reminder of your trip!

Not to miss: A number of Chef Maury’s amazing cake creations plus a dazzling array of chocolate flowers in a glass-enclosed display case are highlights of the cafe’s fun decor.

Stay at ARIA for less when you use this link and promo code! ARIA “7 Day Sale” Rates from $103.20/nt. *Receive 20% off our Room and Suite rates, on select dates (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Jul 6 – Sep 30, 2010. Promo Code: ARLO720 (Exp 7/12/10)

Luscious daisies made from dark, milk and white chocolate at Jean-Philippe.

Picture-perfect pastries at Jean-Philippe at ARIA Las Vegas.

The top spot on our Las Vegas list goes to Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas. Grab a table here for primo people-watching plus a great view of the fountain show at The Bellagio.

Without further ado, here are my top five best spots for championship people-watching in Las Vegas.  Rather than counting backwards like we did with yesterday’s five great spots, today we start with number one – my absolute favorite spot for checking out the Las Vegas crowds.

1.  Mon Ami Gabi restaurant at Paris Las Vegas.  Not only does this center-Strip café and its year-round patio offer terrific food – it’s voted #4 out of 1600+ restaurants on Trip Advisor’s Las Vegas forum – it also provides diners with a birds-eye roost for viewing both Strip traffic and The Bellagio’s famous fountain show.   An excellent list of wines-by-the-glass, a sublime chicken liver mousse pate and loaves of warm, crusty French bread complete the experience. 

2.  Trader Vic’s at Planet Hollywood.  Another great Strip-side patio perch – this one offers live music at night as well as a prime spot for watching the steady stream of shoppers entering the Miracle Mile Shops as well as those hoofing it down Las Vegas Boulevard.    A seriously strong Mai-Tai – a Vic’s specialty – makes the night fly by (almost before you know it.)

3.  Parasol Up/Parasol Down at Wynn Las Vegas.  They’re two, two…two bars in one!  Well, not really since one really is up (stairs) and the other is down (the escalator) but both offer prime people-watching complemented by absolutely stunning décor.  ”Down” offers a great view of Wynn’s Lake of Dreams — don’t miss the singing frog — and lots of May/December couples sipping expensive wines.  (more…)