We made reservations a month in advance for Valentines Day at 8pm. We arrived at 7, just to hit the casino for a bit before dinner. We strolled by the restaurant, just to get a peek, and we noticed a very long, chaotic line that snaked around with probably 100 people in it. We were told that everyone in line had reservations and that apparently the restaurant had overbooked. We waited in line for 30 minutes until the hostess informed us that they were at least 2 hours behind. People with 6:00 reservations were still in line at 7:30 so we knew there was no hope. The hostesses were shaken and irritable and very unaccomodating but really, who can blame them? It was not their fault, but they were stuck on the front lines with angry customers. The manager made an appearance, but was unapologetic. We ate at China Grill at Mandalay instead and it was incredible.

After reading all the great reports about Mon Ami Gabi I was a little disappointed when I visited last week.

The location, atmosphere and service were all great. Drinks were very good and reasonably priced. However, the food (apart from the onion soup) was very average.

I would recommend this for a quick bite to eat but not for a special occasion.

Far in advance of my trip to Las Vegas in February 2008 I researched restaurant after restaurant to decide the very few I would make reservations for in advance.

One restaurant that consistently was rated well (#5 on Trip Advisor) was Mon Ami Gabi. That combined with the fact that my co-worker had dined there months earlier (and loved it!) made me decide that I had to try this place out for myself.

I was able to make reservations in advance from their website via Open Table, a service that taps into their computer and lets you know what dining times are available. We made a 7pm reservation and had requested to sit outside on the sidewalk patio, despite the fact that you actually can't reserve these seats in advance (it is first-come first-serve).

Mon Ami Gabi is located inside the Paris hotel, which is a wonderful place to just browse around as you feel as if you are walking in a quaint french village. It's really one of the better "themed" hotels we have seen. The restaurant itself is located just off the casino floor. When we arrived at 7pm the restaurant was relatively empty, most likely due to the fact it was Superbowl Sunday and many people were in the sports bars.

We asked to sit outside but were advised it would not be a good idea since it was windy and in the low 50s outside. As much as we wanted the view of the fountains, we decided to heed the advice and sit inside. We asked for a window seat and were given one with no problem. From the window we had a fairly good but obstructed view of the Bellagio fountain show that starts at dusk.

The restaurant is very quaint. I have been to Paris and the restaurant was very reminiscent of what you would walk into should you visit that city.

We started with the french onion soup, which is to die for! It's a rather huge bowl of soup topped with gobs of cheese and enhanced with strips of onion inside the broth. It is simply amazing. A baguette was brought to our table, which I don't particularly care for as I'd rather have softer warm bread rather than something hard.

I must tell you that I'm not a fan of french food, which may surprise you since I chose this restaurant. The reason I chose Mon Ami Gabi is because they are more "americanized" than true french restaurants and you really get some delicious dishes here that American pallets will enjoy.

While I was deeply immersed in my french onion soup starter my friend ordered Escargots de Bourgogne. Hard to imagine my friend enjoying snails, but it arrived in a butter sauce and he was absolutely loving it! His wife had the onion soup and since wasn't feeling that well and didn't want a huge dinner, ordered the Cavatelli Pasta which she thought was excellent.

For my entree I ordered Steak Béarnaise which came topped with a delicious butter sauce. Accompanying it was a sizeable portion of "frites" which are somewhere between french fries and potato chips. They really must be experienced to be appreciated.

Since I was treated to my meal (which included a bottle of wine) I don't know exactly how expensive it was for 3 people, but my friend was rather impressed that it wasn't as costly as he had anticipated.

Mon Ami Gabi is one of the highest rated restaurants in Vegas -- and for good reason. It's something out of the "norm" as far as ambiance is concerned and the food and service is outstanding. To come to Vegas and not be able to sample the best french onion soup you will ever eat is a crime within itself.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at: repstein@hometheaterforum.com

This restaurant rates above average only because of the view of the strip,Bellagio fountains, french onion soup and bread pudding dessert. If it wasn't for those highlights it would rate terrible for service. We were seated on the outside patio and had to wait 15 minutes just for someone to wait on us; then 20 minutes more and two "excuse me's" to get bread and our drink orders. We had to go talk to the manager after that as we waited another 30 minutes for meals; the ribeye was scorched and had to be sent back. Maybe it was the waitresses "off day" but it was frustrating for our party. There were a couple of tables which had much faster service (different waiters).

On the plus side, we really enjoyed the people watching, the french onion soup was great, and the bread pudding was divine. Good selection of wine. We were comped for dessert and coffee which was fine, but would rather have had some discount off the food/drink portion.

You have a better chance of patio seating (or a shorter wait) if you go there before 5:00 p.m. Wait time after that is 45 minutes and longer.