Dining details: Joel Robuchon at the Mansion

Joel Robuchon at the Mansion

Rating: ****

Location: MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas; (702) 891-7925.

Ambience: Elegant and luxurious French restaurant with a small, cozy bar, main dining room that seats 38 and a smaller garden room for 12. Decorated with glittering Swarovski chandeliers, Lalique vases and a palette of aubergine, black and lavender.

Service: French and formal, with none of the attitude.

Price: Sixteen-course tasting menu, $325; 6-course tasting menu, $165. A la carte menu: appetizers, $35 to $150; main courses, $80 to $120; desserts, $18.

Best dishes: Duo of potatoes and truffles, asparagus with osetra caviar, cauliflower creme with caviar gelee, cabbage with foie gras, “crispy egg,” frog’s leg fritter, guinea hen for two, Brittany lobster, passion fruit souffle, sugar bubble with orange mascarpone custard, le chaud chocolat.

Wine list: A compendium of mostly Bordeaux and Burgundy, with wines from the Rhone, California and Spain mixed in, at breathtaking markups. Bringing wines in from outside is not allowed.

Best table: A corner banquette in the dining room, or a table in the smaller garden room.

Special features: Private dining room that seats 10.

Details: Open from 5:30 to 10:30 nightly.

Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality. ****: Outstanding on every level. ***: Excellent. **: Very good. *: Good. No star: Poor to satisfactory.