é by José Andrés

[shouzen]

As SDGourmand alluded to in another thread, this is José Andrés' "third" restaurant in the Cosmopolitan hotel. I thought I'd provide some info for interested parties:

It is an 8-seat table located within the Jaleo space. There are 2 seatings a night - 5.30pm and 8.30pm. The current price of the tasting menu is $150, "subject to change at any time". An email from their GM describes it thusly: "The menu and concept are unique to é by José Andrés. The menu will celebrate Spanish gastronomy in its most pristine forms. Chef Andrés crafts a culinary journey that unfolds through the evening using contemporary techniques applied to premium ingredients."

I'm fairly certain that é has instantly become the hardest reservation to secure on the Strip. 2 days after hearing about it, we tried and failed to get a seating for this week - reservations are accepted a month in advance, and I'm guessing that most spots are already booked. While we were eating dinner at China Poblano last night, their GM mentioned that Ferran Adria was visiting Vegas and would be cooking a few dinners at é this week - this undoubtedly contributed to the rush for reservations.

We look forward to trying é on another trip - it sounds like a different experience from Minibar and Saam. Until then, if you've been, I'm sure everyone else would be happy to see a report! :)

[SDGourmand]

Thanks for the info on this. It seems very interesting and worthy of revolving a trip around it.

[jsa056]

Just dined at é this past week, and had roughly the same set of small bites as Kevin. I would second his thoughts in that é is one of the top dining destinations in Las Vegas. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

If you live in the area and want to try them out, I'd encourage trying to go soon, before they become as busy as minibar in DC. Having dined at both (and both are great), I found that I personally enjoyed dining at é a tiny bit more. The food is incredibly inventive and delicious at both, but the ingredients at é (caviar, Jamon Iberico de bellota Fermin, foie gras, etc.) really does set them apart. Plus, I found the interaction between chefs, hosts and diners at é better.

A couple of thoughts:

Even if you're headed to Las Vegas soon and reservations seem like a long shot, send them an e-mail if you'd like to go. They are getting some last minute cancellations so if they're booked while you're there, ask to be given a call if something opens up. We only had 4 at our seating and while we loved the personal attention dining with only 2 others, I think having all 8 seats filled would have led to an even better time.

Currently, the price is set at $250 plus tax. This includes food, drinks (5 types of wine for us) AND gratuity. I would have gladly paid more and found the price to be a bargain compared to what you get at certain other places in Vegas. The price Kevin got? An absolute steal! Haha, I'm a little jealous actually.

Go now, have fun and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

[sockster]

Funny, I emailed them twice so far, received their stock reply, "thanks for contacting us, we will get back to you shortly", and after a week, still haven't heard back from them. I really would like to get in for dinner, but for them not to get back to you, is not really a good start. Even Luis Garcia from El Bulli answers back within two or three days. (Usually with a no, but once with a yes)!! Come on e', reply to my email!!

[jsa056]

To be honest, I was quite worried about service as well. The first time I e-mailed, I received no reply... over the next week I received various answers about é over the phone ranging from "We won't be taking reservation at this time since we won't be opening for another month" to "We just opened last week, so they're trying to work everything out."

The second time I received their stock reply and had given up hope when I received my congratulatory reply over a week later (and 4 days before I left for Vegas!)

When I dined there last Tuesday, I was the 66th person to have eaten there, so I do think it's early and they're trying to work out a lot of kinks. If there is one aspect that miniBar kills é it's in the reservation system. It's ridiculous to try and get a reservation at miniBar (esp in Hawaii where I was waking up at 4 am to call) but the system is fair.

Hopefully, you'll get a positive reply soon! I will say despite my initial frustration, once there all of my worries were for nothing. They took great care of us.

[sockster]

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully I'll hear back soon.

[zippyh]

At least you got a stock reply.

Wife tried calling and got some one from the Comopolitan who had no idea what in the hell restaurant she was asking about. She finally got transferred a few times to various Jaleo lines before finally reaching some one who told her they only do reservations by email.

She sent emai and has not gotten a reply. It's not quite a week.

[sockster]

The reply I received was an auto response email. So far, no real reply. And this, as listed above as well is the correct reservation email: [e-mail]

[zippyh]

Yeah, that's the email address she used. No auto response.

[kevin h]

On 1/6, I sent an email to the above address and received the following response about three hours later: "Thank you for your interest in é by José Andrés. We will be in touch shortly to discuss your request."

Then, two days later, Jaleo GM Michael Ploetz confirmed my reservation. However, before I sent the email, I also called Jaleo, and had the hostess leave a message for Anthony, who heads up operations at é.

[cdmedici]

We ate their last night and it was unbelievable. One of the best experiences I have ever had. BTW...Kevin, I got the rezzies using the email you provided. Thank you very much!!

[Chris VR]

I've had no luck with getting a response from that email address. I've had 2 emails go unanswered (beyond the auto-response). Guess I'll try again, maybe 3rd time will be the charm.

[deknor]

Keep trying. I sent 3 emails before I got a reply, confirming a reservation for Feb 23rd.

[Chris VR]

I'm up to 3 so far, trying for that same week. That's probably all the effort I'm going to put into it, though. I'm sure I'll find another place equally glad to take my money :-)

[zippyh]

My wife finally heard back from the dude Saturday and then more silence until today when he confirmed us for Saturday. BTW, they're not open Sundays or Mondays.

Now to move our Sage reservations.

[Chris VR]

I got in as well. Looking forward to it!

[zippyh]

Very strange. We were the only people there for the 8:30 seating last night.
Food was wonderful Too bad I was feeling a bit under the weather and didn't enjoy it as much as I could. I felt like I was committing a crime against nature when I couldn't finish my foie.

[wnissen]

I emailed late this past Saturday for next Saturday at 5:30, and got an email today with a "yes." I guess they had a cancellation.

[c oliver]

When I belatedly called Mini Bar several months ago, they were so nice. But explained that, in addition to their very few seats, they also book backup reservations. So the likelihood of our getting in was very slim She did kindly suggest that we call once we were in DC but we wound up so busy that I didn't. Not sure if this place is doing that --- yet.

[sockster]

Tried for three weeks- Got a confirmation for next Saturday night, exactly one week to the day!! Can't wait! I'll post the results here..of course.

[jsa056]

Congrats! I'm looking forward to hearing about your meal there. Enjoy!

[sockster]

Was fortunate to try El Bulli this summer...so this should be interesting.

[c oliver]

I didn't realize it was going to be in the style of El Bulli.

[sockster]

Based on the pix and descriptions posted here, that's what I'm thinking...also, lot's of courses.....am I wrong?

[jsa056]

No, you're not wrong. You won't get the 25-30 small bites you'd get at El Bulli (you'll get approx. 20) but the style of the two chefs is somewhat similar since Andres once trained under Ferran Adria at El Bulli.

[sockster]

Thanks...actually our El Bulli meal was 39 courses.

[ellenost]

OK, I'm interested. How far in advance does one send the email requesting a reservation. My trip to LV is for early April. Sounds like I "bump" my Sage reservation. My other reservations are: CUT (first night), Joel Robuchon and Guy Savoy.

[sockster]

I started a month in advance...tried three times until I heard back from them. Then I gave them my dates and as I said, was confirmed one week to the day in advance.

[SDGourmand]

They book reservations a month in advance.. So I would email them exactly one month from when you want to go..

[ellenost]

Thanks for the information. So it sounds like I won't cancel my Sage reservation until I hear from them if I get the reservation. I'm going to try for the early reservation, maybe it'll be easier.

[vegasjlt]

We submitted a request for reservations on Saturday April 2nd to celebrate our wedding anniversary. They said that normally they accept reservations only up to one month in advance, but they would accommodate our request. It took about 2 weeks to get first reply back. General manager probably very busy with reservation requests. Can't wait to try e!

[ellenost]

I'm going to try for during the week (probably a Wednesday night in early April). I'll send them an email this week and see whether I receive a response. From what I read above, I won't get too upset if it takes a few tries.

[ellenost]

OK, I just sent my email, and received the automated reply.

[ellenost]

Just received a response from them that they accept reservations only one month in advance. I'll resend my request next month.

[Chris VR]

That's what I did, started exactly a month out and got my reservation about a week and a half (and 3 emails later) after I started trying. The site and confirmation email doesn't mention the cost of the meal, so I'm glad I know what to expect from the posts here. It's steep but I'm not going out for meals like this often, so I can fit it into my budget.

[popoki321]

I sent a reservation request on 1/28, I received the auto reply within an hour and received a confirmation email on 2/4! My reservation is for a weekday in late March. I offered up 4 good dates and let them choose for me.
I'm hoping the 250 (wine/service) is still the price when I get there!
One question regarding the wine, if anyone knows....Is it a set amount, like a tasting size , per course or is it a full glass, refilled as desired?

[jsa056]

It's not a full glass, but it's a decent pour. It's not one wine per course, but they do their best to match a wine to 4-5 different bites. I think we ended up trying 5 different wines while we were there. If you really like something, ask for a little extra. It's what we did, and they were more than happy to pour a bit more.

[LVI]

I am going on 3/18 and can't wait. Do you know if you are required to get the wine? Personally would like to skip and pair my own beer/wine/cocktail preferences.

[jsa056]

As far as I know, the wine is included in the price whether you drink it or not. I'm not sure if they offer any other alternatives... I don't think it would hurt to call and ask. The biggest problem is getting hold of someone who knows what the heck they're talking about.

[zippyh]

I'm pretty sure if you let them know you didn't drink, they'd accomodate you with some alternative beverages. I think some one on this thread mentioned that. Not quite sure what they'd do if you wanted different wines.

When they finally replied to my wife, they repeatedly asked if we had any special food needs.

My only regret with eating there is that I felt a bit off that night and couldn't fully enjoy the food.

[margieco]

we had one person in our party who isn't a wine drinker and asked them to create cocktails for him instead. They said they loved the challenge and brought him a great assortment of bourbon-based beverages.

[LVI]

While not as hard as Ko in NYC, é's reservation policy is very similar. And it is instantly creating a mystique for itself. What other restaurant in Las Vegas has garnered this much hype and anticipation? And at 8 seats twice nightly, one can only imagine it will continue for sometime into the future (as long as the food quality continues to deliver). I was lucky enough to get a reservation for a Friday night during THE tourney in March. And it was quite painless. Sent an email, got an auto-reply and waited. Not like Ko's maddening open all reservation spots up at 10am only to have them all filled @ 10:01:06 (for those who think I am kidding about 6 seconds, try for yourself!). Let's hope, like Ko, that é's food quality keeps it going for a long time.

[ellenost]

LVI,

Sorry to disagree with you, but I find the resy system at Ko to be very simple and straightforward: log on to the system before 10, and I usually don't have much trouble getting the date that I want (I'm not successful 100%, but usually above 90% of the time). It's straightforward in that I immediately know whether I've gotten the reservation.

I just sent my email to the "e" website, and now, who knows how long it will take for a response. From the posts above, I may need to send a few additional requests. I just hope that if I'm lucky enough to get the reservation at "e", I'll enjoy it as much as my dinners/lunches at Ko. (I hope so considering it is more expensive than Ko).

[sockster]

Here's hoping the food and experience at e will be significantly better than my two at Ko. I went back as my first one was fair at best. The second time wasn't any better. To me, Ko is one of the most overrated restaurants in the US. Hopefully e will be much better!! In four days, I wlll find out.

[LVI]

At Ko, lunch (which is probably more comparable to é's dinner) is $175. Dinner, which is only 8 courses, is $125. So let's split the difference and call it $150.

As far as the reservations are concerned, it may have gotten easier to secure a reservation recently as it has aged. Ko's reservation system was not only lamented by me, but by many restaurant critics alike. Adam Platt even questioned whether he should subtract a star for its absurdity. And behind Rao's, the 2nd hardest to get.

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/wrinkles-to-the-ko-reservation-system/

http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/45942/

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2009/07...

Then again, you may have the worlds fastest fingers and a server located on the corner of 1st Ave and 10th street.

[ellenost]

Everyone makes such a big deal out of the Ko resy system. I've been dining at Ko on a monthly basis for almost 3 years without any problem using their system, and my office/apartment are on the UES of NYC. And considering I'm past 50 years old, no I'm not the most tech savy either.

[sockster]

Just back from the "e" experience. All I can say is this, from the maddening crowd outside at Jalleo, to the private tranquility, (but not tranquil at all, so don't get me wrong), to the BEST dining experience in Las Vegas, E by Jose Andres is the place to try for all foodies. Many, many courses here, as explained elsewhere here on CH, served with incredible pride and passion, from the chefs, who genuinely care, unlike Momfuku Ko in NY, where it seems they are doing you a favor while talking to you, to the incredible wait staff of two, who are all over the lucky few people (up to eight), who get to experience this culinary adventure night after night. The wine, the beer, yes the beer, and the port, go exquistitly with the food courses, served right in front of you by hand chosen chefs, who care about you and your likes and dislikes. All I can say is this: If you love food, and love an incredible foody experience, don't miss "e" by Jose Andres. One of the best foodie experiences in the US right now for a reasonable ALL IN price of $250. And it's well worth it. One more note.....we had a great group tonight...no one knew each other going in....and dinner was a constant chat about each course's taste....phenominal experience!!!! One of the ten best in the world, and up there with the best in Vegas!!

[dailybread8383]

Care to compare it to el bulli? Lol

[sockster]

Totally different- It's a communal table with a lot of interaction with the other guests, servers, and chefs.

[sockster]

It's a totally different experience. This is a communal dinner where you can interaction with the chefs, the incredible wait staff (of two), and your fellow diners.

[Chris VR]

What's the expected attire at é?

[sockster]

I asked the same question. Jeans are ok as they are almost everywhere in Vegas. Just look nice..

[2000fair]

ok i want and need e! where or how do i find the reservation e-mail?? were on our way in 2 weeks so i want to try for a reservation. i know it's probably to late but maybe a waiting list?? anyone have any connections? thank you

[kagemusha49]

[e-mail] I wrote a nice email two days ago indicating what days next week I'd be in Vegas and saying I'd take any time they had available on any one of thise dates. I got a reservation for next Thursday. They get back to you within a day (don't know about weekends) and if you get a reservation they send you a form to fill in with credit card info to make sure you are not a no show. My guess is that you'll have more luck with a midweek reservation - but ya never know.

[Chris VR]

Also, based on what I've read here and my own experience, I think that even if you don't get in, you should call (maybe the Jaleo main number?) at 4pm or so the day-of to see if there are any cancellations for the 5:30 seating and let them know you'd also be interested if they have cancellations for the 8:30 seating. It's to their advantage to get butts in seats, even if they have credit card holds, so I'm surprised they haven't created a "last minute opening" communication tool.

I can envision a discreet light mounted on the outside of hotel which flashes if they have an opening ;) but a voice mailbox probably makes more sense.

[2000fair]

thank you so much! i sent a nice e-mail and keeping my fingers crossed.

[Galaxy Girl]

FYI Just emailed them today....found out they're closed Tuesdays now too, in addition to Sun/Mon. So sadly this is a no-go for us this trip. And if it's anything like minibar here in DC....it's not to be missed. Hope you get your res!

[2000fair]

thank you all! i sent an e-mail on sunday and got a response right away.we have reservations for saturday march 19 at 5:30. were going thursday to L'Atelier so it should be a nice time! thanks again!

[Heeney]

It's my personal opinion that you are going to the two best restaurants in the city.

[Benjamin B]

Confirmed our reservations for 5/6 for 2
Quite excited, this will be a highlight for us while in vegas

[SDGourmand]

I'll be there on 5/7. are you going to vegas for Vegas Uncorked?

[Benjamin B]

No... actually I didn't even know it was happening. We'll be there from 5/5 to 5/8 and then will drive to Carmel Ca then up to Yountville, Napa, and San Francisco.

[SDGourmand]

Definitely look into it since you will already be there that weekend. www.vegasuncorked.com

[Benjamin B]

I went and looked over it as soon as you mentioned it.
Unfortunately I have all my dinners planned out and most things I would be interested in are sold out.
We've got (in order):
Carnevino (for the riserva steaks)
é by José Andrés
Raku (15 course Kaiseki)
Le Cirque (Pre-Theatre)

Unless you know of some sort of availability to the masters series dinners...

-----
Le Cirque
Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

é by José Andrés
3708 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

[Benjamin B]

My golden tickets came today...

[SDGourmand]

mine too!

[darelleats]

What's the dress code like for é? Is a collared shirt enough or would a tie be recommended?

Can't wait to dine!

[Benjamin B]

My plan was nice jeans and a collared shirt.
most any place on the strip will accept that unless a jacket is listed in the requirements... which is rare any more.

[ellenost]

Casual attire is fine. It's one of the most comfortable and relaxed restaurants.

[deepfry7]

Sorry if I missed this, but does anybody know who the chef de cuisine is and what's his/her background? I'm just curious.

kevinEats lists out many of the chefs on his website when he went in Jan:
http://www.kevineats.com/2011/01/e-by...

"é featured a dedicated staff of seven: Felix Meana, Michael Turner, Anthony Perri, Johannes Bernu, Stephanie K, Edwin Robles, and a chef who unfortunately I didn't get the name of. "

[SDGourmand]

Edwin Robles is the exec. He helped open the bazaar in LA and has worked with Jose andres for awhile.

[Cafetiere]

I just called for a reservation in a few weeks and it seems like they have changed their pricing a bit. Beverage pairings and tip are no longer included. It's now $160 + beverages + tax + tip. There is still the 10 alcoholic pairings ($105), but the non-alcohol pairings won't be available until 6/20/2011.

[ellenost]

Since I don't order alcoholic beverage pairings, this is a fantastic deal (for me). The non-alcoholic beverage pairings I had at e in April were exquisite. Curious as to why they won't be available for a few weeks.

[SDGourmand]

I agree my girlfriend had the non alcoholic pairings and I liked them more than the alcoholic ones. I think this is a much better lay out for the pricing. I know at the end of my dinner at E half the people were confused if tip was included already or not. This makes it much easier.

[ellenost]

I wound up leaving an extra 10% (I know it wasn't required, but I do the same thing at Per Se where service is also included); Anthony was extremely kind to me (even though I ordered the non-alcoholic beverage pairings, he gave me very generous tastes of all of the wines).

[SDGourmand]

I did the same thing

[mstinawu]

Just curious, but did any of you people who got to go end up leaving hungry? I know there are quite a number of plates but they seems like one or two bites each. Just wondering.. I have a reservation in a few weeks and wanted to let my meat and potatoes boyfriend (who I am "dragging" to this) know if he might still be hungry when we're done. =)

[Benjamin B]

I doubt he would be hungry.
We did the all the courses + asked to try some of the paella at the bar afterwords. I could barely finish the relatively small plate of the paella. Unless he's a HUGE eater, I don't think he'll be disappointed. I'm 6' tall and weigh 195lbs and can put away a good portion of food.

If he's still hungry, sit down at the bar and order more food. The menu at Jaleo is excellent.

-----
Jaleo
3708 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

[ellenost]

Definitely did not leave hungry (and I regularly eat the 16 course lunch at Momofuku Ko in NYC). Your BF should be quite happy with the quantity and quality of the food.

[Modorecords2003]

We didn't leave hungry at all. Unlike Minibar in DC, which required a burger on the way home.

[mstinawu]

Oh! Another question.. How long did the meal take? We're seated at the geriatric time slot so I figured it might be possible to catch a 9pm show after?

[ellenost]

I had the 5:30 reservation, and was done by 8:00.

[honkman]

Wow, that's too fast.

[ellenost]

2 1/2 hours is plenty of time. Some people stayed longer (I was the first to leave).

[honkman]

Jose Andres has a similar concept in LA (Saam) and the dinner was 4+ hours. Since you have two seatings at e it looks like that it is much more rushed, something I really don't like.

[deepfry7]

I did both in the span of a week, and they're just two different dining experiences. Saam is more of a 4-star service/ambiance in a quiet room. e is interacting with the chefs and fellow foodies (who else would want to email a "secret" address/restaurant). And the dishes definitely do not intersect. I definitely did not feel rushed.

[honkman]

I saw a number of blog posts about e and the different dishes (some of them overlapped with the dishes we had at Saam) and 2.5 hours is definitely rushed for us. It is independent if you have interaction with the chefs or not but we prefer to have longer breaks between courses (even if they are just small sized like at Saam or e) which wouldn't be possible in 2.5 hours. But it might come down to cultural differences as we are originally from Europe where having a reasonable paced tasting menu is very different than in the US. We are for example often at Providence in LA for the Chef's tasting (15 + courses) and you can read that many people complain about it that it often can take up to four hours - Our shortest one was 5 hours, many more around 6 hours.

[Rio Yeti]

I'm from France, and I didn't feel the dinner at é was rushed at all, it wasn't "taking its time" either, but nicely paced for the kind of experience it offers.

[Larry]

Five hours! I think I'd go nuts. I've eaten at Andres' minibar, and 27 courses took only something like 3 hours; that was plenty of time. I've also eaten at Bazaar, and had the chef's menu at Providence, and took much less time. We Americans must be impatient.

[honkman]

"We Americans must be impatient." - Yes. I can't even imagine how one could have the chef's tasting at Providence in less than 3 hours and still enjoy the food.

[lipgloss]

Its vegas, everything has to take less time, shows are shorter, attractions are pint sized. No casino wants one of their restaurants keeping people off the gaming floor for 4+ hours, unless they're on a heater.

2.5 hours sounds enough to me.

[honkman]

Our tasting menus at L'Atelier, B&B, Aureole and others are always slow and nicely paced. The only exception was Sage where the GM invited us back because service was so underwhelming including being really rushed, e.g. waiter waitung with next course next to our table when we hadn't finished the previous one and many other issues.

[Benjamin B]

Our meal was 3 hours and then we went off to the bar and tried the paella.
Never once was it rushed.
But this wasn't like dinner at the French Laundry, this was much much more causal and, frankly, more fun.
It's not too fast, and I've never read a single review where people complained about the pacing.

[sockster]

Thinking about going back to e- Last went in February- has the menu changed at all? Or is there somewhere else to go on this level??

[Rio Yeti]

Was there at the end of june, you can read my dish by dish review here : http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7930... don't know how much it changed since february.

[Chris VR]

I was there in February and have read a few reviews of recent meals. There definitely have been changes to the menu.

[thatdarnblake]

anyone been lately? is it still super hard to get into? I sent an email today and got stock reply (wasn't expecting anything back today, but still want to know if I should get my hopes up).

[ah6tyfour]

I'll be there on October 15th!

They do reply, but it's not immediate. e is not open Mondays or Tuesdays so you probably won't get a response until Wednesday.

[elvisahmed]

Well they do get cancellations so its worth it to be on standby. I got a table for 2 three days before the dinner.

[ah6tyfour]

Which means Jose Andres just made $160+tax without providing any food at all =D

[elvisahmed]

really cancellations are 160$!!! I wonder how they can enforce it like I can contest a charge on the CC if I am unable to make it.

[ah6tyfour]

The cancellation policy is that a penalty of 50% will be charged if you don't cancel more than 14 days in advance. So the couple that cancelled three days prior to the reservation lost $160 total (two people at half the price per person). If you just don't show up at all, they charge you the full 100%.

You can't contest the charges because you signed that form with your credit card info on it. They'd just send the credit card company that form and then you'll owe $160 plus the credit card interest on that $160!

[ah6tyfour]

Does anyone know if e is still sending out golden tickets in the mail?

I'm dining there in a week and have not received anything in the mail. I'm local, but I assume they must send those things out at least 1-2 weeks early so that people receive them before they leave for Vegas, right?

I hope they haven't stopped sending them out as they'd make a great souvenir.

[deepfry7]

I went in June (booked a full month in advance) and didn't get a golden ticket in the mail. I had a fantastic time, so I hope you have a great meal/time as well.

[FireKing]

I'm going next week on Wednesday and just received my golden ticket in the mail today, so, yes, you will have a nice souvenir...I'm even more excited after reading this thread...

[elvisahmed]

Congrats Fireking I am sure you will enjoy it. Would you mind sharing your experience and more importantly how was the alcohol pairing? that was one thing I thought could use an improvement.

[davis_sq_pro]

I am also going on Wednesday -- 8:30 seating. Will I see you there?

[barleywino]

davis, as a cocktail pro you might enjoy asking them to do a cocktail pairing for you instead of the wine pairing-- we did this, it was fun (even though the drinks were a bit on the light side as one might expect)

[davis_sq_pro]

Intriguing idea! What kinds of pairings did they come up with? And did they work as well as wine?

I don't have anywhere to be the next morning until after 10:00 so I might give it a try if I'm feeling up to the challenge.

[barleywino]

the drinks were pretty light as i recall, no need to worry about a hangover (we even had a couple beforehand at the bar before we went into the Library)...I don't recall specifics, but enjoyed seeing the bartender get to surprise us with some creativity. It's debatable whether the cocktails worked better than wine, but since a lot of the food tended to inhabit that twilight zone between savory and sweet, as seems to often be the case with these molecular places, cocktails were not wholly out of place. PS. if you're looking for good Italian, try Terra Rossa in the Red Rock Resort on Charleston (far from the Strip). We actually ate there 2 nights in a row!

[FireKing]

Davis, yes, I will be there for the 8:30 seating....and for elvisahmed I will share my thoughts on the beverage pairing. I think there is still availability for this seating by the way

[wadejay26]

Tried getting Reservations for Nov 18th. Heard back today that E is dark Nov 16-24. Dang!

[itryalot]

Tried to get resies for next Friday. Got it at 5:30; now deciding if it's worth it over Bartolotta and will we still be hungry?

[ah6tyfour]

I ate at e last weekend and it's definitely worth it for the food and the experience. You get to watch them plate table-side which is, in itself, worth the cost of admission. I felt like I was watching them tape an episode of Top Chef.

As for the amount of food you get, I felt it was perfect. I went in decently hungry (not "ready for a buffet" hungry, but not "had Costco hot dog and coke two hours ago" hungry) and came out satisfied. I stayed awake another 4-5 hours and did not have the urge to snack before bed.

They have a new menu now featuring a few changes. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but they did add a spherification of olive from elBulli. I dislike olives very much and so, while it was great to try one of elBulli's signature dishes, I would have rather had a substitute. If you don't like olives, mention that on the reservation so they can be prepared to offer you something else. You will encounter spherification in other courses and, by the time you get to the olive, spherification will no longer be a novelty anyway.

[randomthoughts]

Woo, got my reservation form! Unfortunately, my friends all bailed, so I'll be dining alone, but I'm ok with that. Looking forward to it after reading all about it here.

[ah6tyfour]

I'll be your eating buddy if you'd like. Assuming you'd pick up the tab. I'd, of course, offer to buy you a few slices of Secret Pizza Place afterwards. And imagine the great karma you'd get by providing a great meal for a poor med student foodie who ate at e back in October and realizing nothing in Vegas will ever compare to that meal... =P

[randomthoughts]

Haha thanks for the generous offer! At least you've had that meal... My only fine-dining Vegas experience so far has been Picasso, which was very good, but uneven.

[ah6tyfour]

So that's a no, huh? =)

It was a great meal altogether. I can only think of one dish I would not like to eat again and that's because I dislike olives like Wile E. Coyote dislikes Roadrunner. If you don't like black olives, you might want to mention it on your form.

[elvisahmed]

Would you mind sharing what the prices are now as I have read they have changed from the 250$ all in with alcohol, tax and tips format they had last year.

[ah6tyfour]

I don't think things have changed since October (except for their super expensive menus for December and February).

$160 per person for the meal. Alcoholic tasting is $110 per person and non-alcoholic tasting is $60 per person. Gratuity is 21%.

[davis_sq_pro]

When I went in November everything came to around $500 pp IIRC. Not sure how that added up because someone else decided to paid the bill (perfect!), and I only got a very quick glimpse ... but it was an amazing meal. I would have had no issue paying it myself if necessary (i.e., I don't think it was a total ripoff), and probably will return at some point.

[elvisahmed]

500$ per person !! how did the bill get up there did you guys order an extra bottle of wine or extra drinks? In that price range one can even go for Joel Robuchon Degustation Menu! That is double what we paid last year.

[ah6tyfour]

Did you happen to go near Thanksgiving? e had special menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day. And, being Vegas, those special menus lasted from a week before the holiday to a week after the holiday.

Just guessing the special menu would be around $250. So $250 + $110 wine pairings + 8.1% tax + 21% gratuity = ~$450.

[davis_sq_pro]

It was November 2. Perhaps I misread the bill. There were three of us, and one felt a bit ill and left halfway through the meal. The other two of us split the remaining third portions of both food and wine. So it's likely that I was a bit gone by the time the bill arrived, but I distinctly recall being shocked at how high the number was, given my expectation of $160 + $110.

[Karleen77]

When we ate at e, in November, our total bill for 2 with the wine pairing was $825.00 including a 20% tip and tax. Per person it was around $330.00, before tip. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[ChadChad]

That sounds close to what my reservation for tonight was quoted as. $195 for the meal plus $135 for the alcohol pairing.

[randomthoughts]

The price quoted in the confirmation email was "$160 + beverages + tip"... so just a little hazy, though they say you can email with further questions (and they seem to be pretty responsive on the days they are open). I'll report back after attending

One useful bit of info if you're booking: it's not 30 days in advance, it's from month to month. So if you're looking to book for the 25th of July, reservations open at 12am PST on June 25th.

[drtechno]

Price quoted as of today is $195 for meal plus XX for alcohol.

[GourmetWednesday]

Our absolutely fantastic dinner for two on April 14, including the standard alcoholic beverage pairings, tax and service charge, was $835. Please don't ask me to itemize or do math, otherwise I'm happy to answer questions.

[lechonbaboy]

Just an FYI e by jose andres is now taking reservation up to 3 months in advance. Cheers