What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Esther's Kitchen
Review
About
Travelers' Choice
2024
Esther's Kitchen is a seasonal neighborhood Italian Restaurant located in the Las Vegas Arts District. We serve fresh Pasta, Pizzas, Vegetables, Proteins, Wine, Beer, Cocktails. Lunch, Dinner and Brunch. Esther's Kitchen has been proud to win several "Best Italian" "Best Downtown" and "Best Brunch" designations in several polls. In 2020 Chef James Trees was named a finalist for James Beard Best Chef Southwest.
Features
CUISINES
Italian
Meal types
Dinner
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Gift Cards Available
Outdoor Seating
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Takeout
Wheelchair Accessible
Is this restaurant wheelchair accessible?
Reserve a table
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Contribute
4.7
(380)
Excellent
303
Good
40
Average
23
Poor
9
Terrible
5
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Kelly S
Knoxville27 contributions
Feb 2025 • couples
Our hosts live in Vegas so they know all the best local places to eat and secrets when and how to get in without reservations. Esther's was worth the standing outside for 20 minutes before they opened for dinner to take the chance that we could get a seat at the bar. You are offered all the same services by friendly high energy bartenders as in the restaurant. Food was fabulous and homemade bread and pasta.
Written February 23, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ara67
Chicago40 contributions
Feb 2025 • business
The food was amazing and server was very attentive. However, I came with coworkers on a Tuesday at 12:30 and we waited an hour and a half to get our food. We ordered 2 sandwiches and a pizza. We needed to get back to work! I can see waiting a little, but not this time. The server kept apologizing profusely.
It was strange because it was not packed and everyone was flustering around in the kitchen and staring at our table. Unfortunately, I will not be coming on my lunch break anymore but will come back on the weekend. Not sure what happened here. I am giving it 4 stars only because of the long wait.
Written February 25, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert M
3 contributions
Dec 2024 • friends
I liked the atmosphere and the menu. Then very much enjoyed what I ordered.
Service was prompt and professional but not gracious.
A small but annoying point: When I booked my reservation online, I was asked if the meal was for a special occasion. I responded that it was to celebrate my birthday--a point repeated several days later over the phone when I changed the number of seats I had originally requested. This information seems to have gone unnoticed.
I would have been embarrassed by a server singing "Happy Birthday" when bringing out a piece of cake, but the host could have said " Happy Birthday and welcome to Esther's Kitchen" and the server could have added good wishes as well.
If this kind of attention to detail cannot be offered, the restaurant should stop asking guests for personal information.
Written December 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anonymous855
1810 contributions
Jun 2024 • couples
We made a reservation and although they were busy, our wait would not have been long for a Monday lunchtime. All street parking is paid, plan for it. Service was good but when asked if I would like bread, I did not realize I was buying a half a loaf to be added to our check. Servers should mention the up charge as bread is normally included with meals in the US. My spouse had the meatball sandwich and said it was good. My pasta had little flavor and was dry. Next table ordered the same dish and it must have been a different cook because it looked delicious. Unlucky me! Ambiance is nice and I can see why people would come here. I'd try a different dish next time.
Written June 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yoyomousa
Las Vegas182 contributions
Jul 2024 • couples
Esther’s Kitchen has moved to larger location and it’s food is still amazing The service is on point but but I feel they can’t accommodate the number of people that are there. Simply put waiting for your meal for over an hour is just unacceptable especially when you’ve ordered two pastas and meatballs We were kept entertained with alcohol, etc. however, the overall wait exceeded expectations. Another family sitting to our left cancelled their entire order because of the wait and ended up eating nothing but bread and drinking. Esther’s you need to do better and I know you can do better, given our 6 year patronage.
Written July 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kingricky11
Las Vegas2 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
Not good. Wine by the glass barely covered the bottom of the glass for $14.00. Server said there is no happy hour when the website says there is…charcuterie board is chincy for $32.00 and has no olives of any kind, only very small rolled meats and cheeses and brought out at different intervals. Hostess said there are no openings when half of the tables were empty. A moment later she told us someone cancelled so we can have a table? Overall a big disappointment.
Written January 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sheri D
5 contributions
Nov 2023 • family
We looked thoroughly at restaurants in the Vegas area before settling on Esther's, and we were genuinely excited to go; however, it ended up being loud, overrated and pretentious. Our cocktails were pretty good, the bread and its sides were nice, but the entrees were just so-so and one of my party sent her entree (carbonara) back because it was too salty. I had the same entree, and I agreed it was very salty (even for someone like myself who likes a lot of salt). However, my biggest area of concern would be the service. They didn't call our names to be seated after we arrived early, and I'm pretty sure they were about to give our table away when my husband swooped in and saved the day. Our server seemed nice enough to begin, but as the night progressed, we were left on our own a good bit and waited on water on several occasions. When my sister said her carbonara was overly salted, our server then explained to us that is how carbonara is. Not that I live by the adage that the customer is always right, but my sister has eaten carbonara all over the world and doesn't need to be told that her reflections on her meal are wrong. Overall the food was okay, but the atmosphere and service were not, especially for the price of the meal. If we are ever in Vegas again, we wouldn't go back.
Written November 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kirk J
1 contribution
Jan 2025 • business
We were in town for a convention and made a reservation based on a coworker's raves. Most of the food we'd had in Vegas was average to bad, so we were really looking forward to this last dinner in town. It was pretty good. But definitely not the stellar experience we were expecting.
We were seated promptly, great. Server greeted us within a few minutes but seemed rushed and like she was trying to get away from the table while I was trying to order a cocktail. Having been a server for many years myself, I understand you can't always stand and chit chat with guests, but it was an unfortunate way to start. When she returned with our drinks she explained how the menu was set up and enthused about the bread, cauliflower, and a couple of entrees. One of them being a lamb dish two of us were considering. All of that was fine except it was almost painfully loud and we had trouble hearing her.
Table next to us raved about the sourdough and the cauliflower so we decided to get those. Two of us got the lamb and one of us got a chicken dish. The bread came out first and was presented nicely. Warm and crusty outside, soft inside, good flavor, but not extraordinary. And it just made me wonder if the folks next to us had ever had good sourdough before. The cauliflower came out next, well ahead of our entrees. Okay, not what we were expecting, but we rolled with it. We were all familiar with the way the cauliflower was prepared, having had it numerous times before at other places. This one had too much anchovy though (and I like anchovy!) so it smelled and tasted more like it was part of a seafood dish than a vegetable with some pleasant umami. We ate about half.
My coworker who had the chicken thought it was fine. The two of us who had the lamb agreed the fennel and arugula salad was nicely done and the polenta was good, but the lamb itself was on its way to being overcooked, and was lost in quite a lot of somewhat gloppy gravy. Maybe the chef set out to make a stew and it was exactly what he intended. But we couldn't help thinking it would have been so much more appealing had there been more lamb, simply braised and served with a couple spoonfuls of the braising liquid.
There was a fair amount of food left on the plates when they were cleared, yet nobody asked about that or if we'd enjoyed the meal. I've worked in houses where the policy was to never ask, but always act as if guests were happy unless they complained. I always thought that was a mistake, and last night in the slightly awkward silence while nothing was being said, I wondered if that's the policy at Esther's.
We shared a "chocolate cake" for dessert, and that was very good, despite there not being very much cake to it. No business is 100% on all the time so I'd go back again. But I'd definitely take any recommendations with a big grain of salt and ask a few more questions about the dishes before ordering.
Written January 29, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristel P
3 contributions
Aug 2024 • family
Waiting more than half an hour before we could sit down, it was full and people kept coming in, this is a good sign. And so it turned out, service very friendly and correct, pizza was delicious according to my son, we had pasta carbonara and spaghetti, all delicious. Beforehand the sourdough bread with 3 kinds of spreads all delicious! What a nice restaurant when you're in Las Vegas.
Automatically translated
Written August 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KCinLG
Los Gatos1562 contributions
Oct 2023 • couples
Been wanting to try this place FOREVER and finally had the opportunity to. So glad we stuck with Esther’s bc there are so many other Italian dining options.
This establishment is off the strip, which automatically makes it a plus. As much as I love the Vegas strip, restaurants can be overpriced for mediocre food. Esther’s is the total opposite. Quality food, tasty food, and NOT overpriced. I forgot our server’s name, but he was awesome. He was attentive and gave us good recommendations.
FYI – entrees here are pretty darn big. I don’t think it’s meant to be had family style, but you certainly can. There is a bread service you must get. It’s basically huge loaves of bread, with a few different spreads. We did the eight-spread option which was so yummy; we got a taste of everything. The food is good, the craft cocktails were good.
I would definitely recommend this place. Didn’t take note of the parking but we took an uber and it was a short 10-min/$10 uber from the strip.
Looking forward to going back again someday.
Written October 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Valerie J
52 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
My husband and ate here on our 20th wedding anniversary. The food was amazing! The freshly made sourdough bread was so good. You get to pick one or more spreads to eat with it, we had 3 and all were delicious. The portions are enough for two people to share, we ordered the Italian chopped salad and the Agnolotti stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese. It was to die for. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who truly appreciates quality ingredients. They should be awarded a Michelin star.
Written April 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick H
60 contributions
Sep 2024 • couples
This restaurant was recommended by a friend who lives in LV. We have been visiting LV for about thirty years (from the UK) but didn’t realise that an Art district had sprung up. We loved it as something different in the city.
Esther’s is a great restaurant, spacious, not too noisy with very attentive and courteous staff. An excellent menu with food that arrived swiftly on warm plates. Wine list was good as well so every box was ticked for us. We will be back next year!
Written September 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cannonater
Salt Lake City1466 contributions
Nov 2022 • none
Have heard and read lots about this place and when a friend got reservations was excited to give it a try… it is different and it is good food if you’re looking for a change in your traditional dinner options.. Our server overcharged us by a lot but we caught it. Mistakes happen but keep your eyes open.
Written December 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patty n
Pahrump109 contributions
Jun 2024 • couples
Beautiful little place that feels like fine dining, but semi casual dress was no barrier. We got very lucky on a weeknight without reservations but reservations are the way to go to be sure.
The bread with various butters defies description, it alone is worth a visit. Loved the anchovy butter & the Foie Gras butter.
We all had pasta leftovers for breakfast the following day, portions are plentiful. Dessert selection is small but we were too stuffed to care.
Service was excellent, I’ll be looking for reasons to visit the arts district again.
Written July 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gregg Neavin
Murrysville34 contributions
Oct 2023 • business
Esther's Kitchen is in a very cool little Vegas neighborhood, off the beaten path. The aromas grabbed me upon exiting the Uber. The hostess was one of the most polite and upbeat people you might wish to encounter. We had arrived early at this understandably busy restaurant, and she did a great job of seating us quickly. As we waited outside for a table, she exited the restaurant and came down the sidewalk to tell us the table was ready. We ordered their signature sourdough bread with anchovy butter and capers. Delicious! The all-day braised goat and gnocchi alla romana with pecorino, orange, and crispy parsley was a dish to long remember. The table service was exemplary, and the open kitchen added greatly to the experience. See for yourself. Skip the strip and visit this little gem of a restaurant.
Written October 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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