Stunning! The Stratosphere Tower rises over 1000ft above the Las Vegas skyline. It is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the USA. The Stratosphere is situated in the older part of the town near Fremont Street (which in itself is an experience!) I haven’t stayed in the hotel but I have visited the “Top of the World” restaurant… and I can safely say it is out of this world.

The Restaurant is reached by an express lift from the ground floor of the tower you travel 800ft up in the central section. Yes… your ears will pop! When you get out of the lift, if you are afraid of heights don’t look down!

As you exit the lift you are greeted with the typical American casino style gift shop – products include T-shirts, Las Vegas maps & skyline at night posters, Fake gaming chips and so on… You can then walk out of the enclosed section out onto a balcony that circles the tower at this point. There are 360 degree views of Las Vegas, stunning at any time but much better when seen at sunset. You can walk all the way round this and there are “pay as you go” telescopes pointed in most directions so you can get a clearer view.

To access the restaurant you need to walk back into the guest shop and up the stairs… once you leave the guest shop and go into the restaurant it is a different world! For the best experience be sure to ask for a table near the windows in the revolving part of the restaurant. Yes, I did say revolving…

Once you have been seated then comes the difficult choice of choosing what to eat and drink, not easy let me assure you. Yes, this restaurant is more expensive than many in Las Vegas, but you are not only paying for stunning, well prepared food, you are also paying for a panoramic view of Las Vegas and the surrounding hill country. The full revolution takes 1hr 20minutes, so it is fairly slow.

The menu consists of an exceptional selection of fresh seafood and steaks, as well as some impressive signature dishes which including a Colorado Rack of Lamb and Chateaubriand 3-course dinner for two. The restaurant features an extensive wine list, which has earned them recognition from recognised American publications such as Wine Spectator. Each entrée (main) comes with a wine suggestion for those of us not so hot on picking our own!

Selection from the menu for example:

Muscovy Duck - $37
Duck breast thinly sliced served with potato Galette, Cipolline onions and Roma artichokes. Finished with roasted fig port reduction.

Wine Suggestion: Renwood, “Jack Rabbit Flat”, Zinfandel, Amador (9.00/glass)

Sea Bass - $39
Encrusted with Porcini mushroom dust, pan seared and served over wilted Romaine Finished with Riviera de Fiori extra virgin olive oil

Wine Suggestion: Chateau Moncontour, Vouvray, Loire (9.00/glass)

Prime Rib - $36
14 oz slow roasted Certified Angus Beef ® crusted with black pepper and herbs.

Wine Suggestion: J. Lohr “Cypress,” Merlot, California (8.50/glass)

Then comes the desert…. OH MY GOD!!
The perfect end to an amazing meal and views to die for… The Chocolate Stratosphere has to be seen, and eaten to be believed! Again each desert comes with a suggested liqueur.

Selection from the menu for example:

The Chocolate Stratosphere
Finish off your evening with our signature Stratosphere Tower filled with rich dark chocolate mousse and garnished tableside with vanilla sauce.

*1995 Dow’s “Quinta do Bomfim”, Porto

Berry Delight
Mixed seasonal berries marinated with Grand Marnier, layered with Zabaglione and garnished with vanilla bean ice cream.

*Godiva White Chocolate Martini

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Served warm and topped with chocolate gelato accompanied with raspberry coulis

*Godiva Dark Chocolate Martini

I would recommend visiting The Top of The World restaurant round about sunset, so that you can watch Las Vegas slowly turn from a relatively normal American cityscape to night when it comes alive.

If the prices above are too rich for your liking, the restaurant also does a lunch menu which is much cheaper. Yes, you get the same stunning views… but you don’t see Vegas at night!

And if you are feeling up to it afterwards, you can go back down to the guest shop and book a ticket for the any of the thrill rides that are on top of the restaurant that you have just eaten in…