The patio at Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro

With its picturesque views of the Fountains of Bellagio, Mon Ami Gabi inside Paris Las Vegas usually gets all the recognition in town when it comes to Las Vegas’ best restaurant for patio dining. However, for those looking for dinner and a show, Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro inside The Palazzo (3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S.) may be the city’s best-kept secret for patio dining on the Strip.

Featuring a beautiful patio area that seats 96 and overlooks Treasure Island’s popular “Sirens of TI” show, Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro is easily one of Las Vegas’ best restaurants. Serving traditional French bistro cuisine and Prime dry-aged, wet-aged and Japanese A-5 Wagyu steaks, Morels has attracted everyone from tennis star Venus Williams to comedian Eddie Griffin to its tables since opening in January 2008—even Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith) has eaten there! One bite of anything off Morels’ mouth-watering menu, though, and it’s easy to see why the restaurant draws such famous guests—even something as simple as soup or salad is simply to-die-for at Morels.

Start your dinner with Morels’ heavenly Onion Soupe Gratinée ($12), a must for anyone whether or not they like French onion soup. Each spoonful is full of cheesy goodness and the onion flavor isn’t very overpowering, making this soup easily the best French onion soup in all of Las Vegas! If salad is more your thing, Morels’ Papaya & Toasted Cashew Salad ($16)—mixed greens with a nice white balsamic vinaigrette—also makes a nice pre-dinner selection, as the dish may be light (so it won’t fill you up before your main course) but it’s actually quite flavorful. Even those who think salads are simply rabbit food are sure to enjoy this dish!

Before the main course, be sure to also try something from Morels’ iced seafood bar or its cheese and charcuterie bar, the latter which features more than 60 farmhouse and artisanal cheeses and salamis from around the world. The cheeses, in particular, don’t disappoint. Guests can choose either one selection ($12), three selections ($18) or five selections ($26) depending on the size of their party (or their appetite), and each cheese plate comes served with California coastal honeycomb, fruit and nut bread and housemade date and walnut cake. The “Fromage” menu is broken up into four sections—Cow’s Milk, Goat’s Milk, Sheep’s Milk and Blended Milk—with separate categories (Bloomy, Wash, Soft, Semi Soft, Semi Firm and Firm) for easy reading, although if you’re not sure what you might like, Morels’ friendly cheese monger will be happy to assist you with your selections. For those who love cheddar cheese, be sure to try the Hook’s 10 yr. Aged Cheddar from Mineral Point, Wisconsin—seriously, this is how all cheddar cheeses should taste! Taste buds will find the rich, firm cheese made from cow’s milk tough to beat, although the Cave Aged Marisa from La Valle, Wisconsin (a semi firm cheese made from sheep’s milk) comes in a close second. To add to the tasty experience, Morels also features an extensive wine list with more than 400 selections (primarily from French and Californian growers) to complement your cheese selections. Since not every bottle of wine goes with every type of cheese, though, Morels also offers at least 60 wines by the glass on any given day and features a state-of-the-art Enomatic wine dispensing system that allows guests to sample rarer vintages in 2-, 5- or 8-oz. pours.

Once you’ve devoured your cheeses, it’s time to dig in to one of Morels’ savory steaks. Morels’ 32-oz. Porterhouse For Two ($55 per guest) is perfect for couples enjoying a nice evening out together. Grilled under the restaurant’s 1,200-degree broiler, the steak is cut tableside by one of Morels’ attentive servers, so both you and your loved one will receive equal parts strip and tenderloin. Even when ordered well-done, the meat arrives to your table tender and juicy, so you really don’t need the sauce bordelaise that comes with it. The Porterhouse For Two also comes with roasted rosemary potatoes, fricassee of baby turnips, onions and carrots, so its price isn’t that bad once you realize the steak also comes with some sides. If you’re hungry for something more, though, Morels also offers an assortment of delicious side dishes à la carte that range from Sautéed Green Beans In Foie Gras Butter ($12) with shallots, garlic and lemon juice to Truffle Mac & Cheese ($12) with crispy onion rings and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

For those dining with friends (or by themselves), Morels also offers several steaks for one, like its 16-oz. Bone-In Filet Mignon ($67) made from Iowa corn-fed, U.S.D.A. Certified Angus beef aged 28 days. The restaurant also features a selection of “Spécialitiés de Chef” including an 18 Hour Braised Short Rib ($43) severed with pearl onions, morel mushrooms, baby carrots, asparagus, onion rings and a cherry bordelaise sauce and a Crispy Skin Scottish Salmon ($31) with Swiss chard, garlic and buerre blanc sauce.

If you managed to save any room for dessert (those cheeses can be addictive!), Morels features a menu of sinfully decadent treats sure to please your sweet tooth, including a Dark Chocolate Soufflé ($14) with Grand Marnier crème anglaise and Classic Profiteroles ($12) with candied almond ice cream and malted chocolate sauce—yum! For something truly rich, be sure to order the Hazelnut & Gianduja Chocolate Dome ($12) with milk and white chocolate spikes and 18 karat gold.

Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro is open Mon.-Thurs. from 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri. from 7 a.m.-midnight, Sat. from 8 a.m.-midnight and Sun. from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Breakfast is served Mon.-Fri. from 7 a.m.-11 a.m., lunch is served Mon.-Fri. from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner is served Mon.-Thurs. from 3-11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. from 3 p.m.-midnight and Sun. from 3-10 p.m. A weekend brunch is also available on Sat. and Sun. from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. In addition to its patio seating, Morels also features a beautiful dining room that seats 144 and is decorated with provocative, larger-than-life art from Tom Cannon and a bar/lounge that seats 28. The lounge stays open ’til midnight Sun.-Thurs. and ’til 2 a.m. on Fri. and Sat. For more information or to make a reservation, call 702-607-6333.

For more pictures from Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro, check out the slideshow below.