Last year’s opening of Cathédrale at Aria was one of the culinary high points of the year for Strip visitors, a gorgeous space with a sensational Mediterranean menu. And chef Jason Hall, now joined by executive chef Brett LaReau, have made the experience even better with a new seasonal menu highlighting the flavors of Southern France, Italy and Greece.
Cathédrale’s blue, curtain-lined entry leads you down a short corridor to the restaurant, featuring a long bar and plenty of table seating. Once seated, treat yourself to one of the most distinct cocktails in Southern Nevada: The Quarternary, a blend of Ketel One vodka, Plymouth gin, Dolin dry vermouth and orange bitters, all finished off with a Castelvetrano olive and accompanied with some Kaluga caviar—all served in an ice block that accommodates both the glass and the bottle containing your cocktail.
Now that your taste buds are primed, get some apps and salads for the whole table. King salmon carpaccio and hamachi crudo are both excellent examples of raw fish done right, while the Tomatoes Mykonos salad is deeply satisfying with its blend of red onion, cucumber, Kalamata olives and feta. If you’re a fan of spreads, you’ll want to try the Mediterranean meze, a trio consisting of hummus, tzatziki and red pepper feta, accompanied by fluffy, fresh-baked pita.
Time for the main course! If you have a large group with large appetites, the 48-ounce Mishima Reserve wagyu tomahawk, pictured, is Instagram-worthy, flambéed at your table with Woodford Reserve Baccarat and accompanied with spring onions and Arlington potatoes. If you order this in advance, you can have it custom-stamped.
Seafood options include a Maine lobster rigatoni, this version made with squid ink pasta, heirloom cherry tomatoes and fino verde basil, and succulent Moroccan prawns, accompanied by cucumber, cherry tomatoes, parsley and a red wine vinaigrette.
Cathédrale’s dessert menu may be adjusted over the years, but one seems certain to always be there: The Sorrento Lemon, worthy of the Netflix show Is It Cake?, with its combination of yuzu granita, calamansi gel and almond cake resembling a lemon, right down to the little green leaf. –Ken Miller
Aria. cathedralerestaurant.com
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