Similar to Alice entering another world by simply falling walking through the rabbit hole. Or John Mayer singing about his ladies “wonderland”s. As soon as you walk into the doors of L’Atelier you feel as if you are emerged into a colorful kaleidoscope, a seemingly whole new world. The shockingly colorful display of: shaved carrots, sliced cucumbers, bunches of on- vine tomatoes, and other produce set the frame for the ironically steely cool heartland, the kitchen. The colors of the produce are so vibrant that one can easily come to the conclusion that L’Atelier uses only the finest and freshest of ingredients.

There is no crap here.

The kitchen is somewhat somber and serious. Yet it is open and visible to almost every seat of the intimate restaurant. The numerous stations within the kitchen boastfully display; an army of methodical perfectionists that seem to express themselves not through emotions but through the bravado of flavors of each plate. The counter that serves as a moat keeps the regular people patrons at bay, and only seats about 20. The other seats in the establishment are geared for larger parties. But no worries, grab a seat at the counter and enjoy the show.

L’Atelier amused my mouth with a lovely foie gras with a port wine reduction and parmesan foam. The decadent, flavorful, and savory amuse bouche rolled off my tongue like butter.

We then moved onto a surprisingly refreshing buffalo mozzarella with vegetables. Basil, zucchini, sweet sundried tomatoes with spears of basil pesto.

Our next course was quail stuffed with foie gras and truffled mashed potatoes. (This was an additional dish not included in the $75 winter tasting menu).

Deep fried langoustine with basil. The paper wrapper was fairly thin and crispy so if I were you (instead of a fork and knife) I would opt to pick it up by the toothpick and stick it in your mouth pronto.

Hanger steak with onions. Be aware that L’Atelier cooks their meat the exactly the way you ask for it. My steak was a bit too rare for me.

Did someone say cheese? Fromage!

Because I scream for ice cream, the sorbet and ice cream selection.

Variety of tarts and cheesecakes.

The highlights of my meal: foie gras parfait, mozarella and vegetables, quail and foie gras, langoustine, and tarts.

The executive chef, Steve Benjamin, reminded me of the Queen of Hearts. Luckily L’Atelier has 4 AAA Diamonds and a Michelin star to back it up. L’Atelier your body is a wonderland.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon- MGM Grand Las Vegas. 3799 Las Vegas Blvd S. Las Vegas, NV 89109