Pamplemousse Restaurant

Pamplemousse is the French word for “grapefruit,” and according to the restaurant’s owner Georges La Forge, his good friend Bobby Darin thought it was the most beautiful word in the French language. La Forge and Darin had planned to open a restaurant together in Beverly Hills, but the singer died before it happened. As a tribute to him, La Forge kept the name for his Las Vegas establishment.

Darin may never have gotten to enjoy Pamplemousse, but plenty of other celebrities have over the last 30 years, ranging from Rat Pack legends to stars of today, that dine on the cuisine of Executive Chef and Managing Partner Jean-David Daudet. Located in a converted private home on East Sahara, the restaurant has a cozy feel that’s made it a local institution, and consistently wins accolades as one of the town’s best and most romantic restaurants.

Don’t expect to look at a menu here. Rather, the wait staff recites it for each table from memory. Offerings change daily, but you’ll find plenty of classics like escargot, frog legs, osso bucco, and soufflés. House specialties include one of the leanest ducklings you’ll ever encounter prepared either au poivre vert-style or in a cranberry-raspberry sauce, and the Fettuccini à la Georges (created by La Forge specifically for Frank Sinatra).