Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro

Morel’s sits in in the lobby of the Palazzo Hotel. I had the Dungeness Crab omelette for breakfast this past Saturday. The service was adequate, but not at the level of other restaurants in the Venetian/​Palazzo complex. The brioche toast was uninspiring, as were the home fried potatoes. The sausage was top notch in spite of the price. The French Press coffee was the highlight although I prefer it a little hotter. In all the breakfast was a good experience, but not at top shelf prices.

This was once one of my favorite spots for a snack and a cocktail when I visit Las Vegas. After this last visit, not so much!
I went in and told the hostess I wanted to sit at the bar. She said, sure but we only have bar seating today. The lounge area was filled with tables and some kind of a business meeting going on. The comfortable sofas were all missing. Not a big deal since I wanted to sit at the bar, but I noticed the uncomfortable vibe in the room.
I pretty much hated the bartender from the beginning. She was not welcoming and clearly missed her dose of Abilify that morning. She was cold and made me feel like I was annoying her. I ordered a glass of champagne and asked for the menu. She brought me the dinner menu. I then had to ask for the cheese menu. Then I had to ask for the lunch menu! I asked why the hesitation on brining me the lunch menu? She tells me that I would have to get my order in for a lunch menu item within the next ten minutes.
Maybe she was trying to get me to order from the dinner menu because she knew how much I would hate the burger I ordered! This was one of the worst burgers I have ever had. Flavorless! I mean try adding salt and pepper at least! This was a classic burger, nothing fancy and they managed to screw it up.
In the future I will stick with champagne and cheese at Morels. They are both excellent here… I had a second glass of bubbly to be sure!

Great steak here at Morsels!
We started off with butternut squash soup; plenty of flavor and smooth texture.
House salad ensued and was above average.
The filet mignon was fork tender and full of flavor. Cooked to a perfect medium rare.
We ended the meal with a fantastic vanilla crème brûlée and an expresso.
Service was superb.

Skip this place at all costs. You’ve been warned.
It should be a sign that a French steakhouse on the strip is completely empty the majority of the time– because ANYWHERE else would be a better choice.
Over priced for the quality of service, ambience, and food.
Service– HORRIBLE customer service. Just awful. I’m not sure who was our actual waiter because our first waiter made a HUGE, clumsy, rookie mistake (I don’t want to go into details about that, because for benefit of the doubt it was a freak accident, not an everyday occurrence) and was swept away before he could even apologize. At least 3 other waiters took his place. Unfortunately quantity didn’t equal quality. All lacked professionalism for this being a more «classy» restaurant. The real problem though is the manager. The manager of this restaurant needs to take charge, have a mandatory customer service training for his staff, and remember that the customers are important and it is his job to make sure they leave happy, full, and satisfied! The way the «clumsy mistake» was handled was NOT okay. Not by a long shot and that was definitely the worst part of the whole dining experience.
Ambience– It was basically empty except one or two other tables. This was 730 on a weekend night. Besides the actual restaurant, the bathrooms looked like they haven’t been remodeled since before the Palazzo was built, and the soap used to wash your hands is the same kind you get at the dollar store, Softsoap, and it was obvious water had been added to it to make it last longer.
Food– food was just okay. Not bad, but not something worth going back for. There are better steaks that are cooked how you ordered them, all over the strip. The tartare was served with what looked and tasted like ruffles potato chips. Sauces and salts were brought to the table without an explanation of which was which.
If you want a «fancy» meal on the strip, or are craving a good steak, don’t just settle for this place because of convenience or short wait time! There’s a reason! You will be disappointed.
As a side note, we were given a name and email by the Palazzo to express our experience at Morels, whom we emailed within an hour of our meal. It’s been over 72 hours and we still have not received a response.

Pleasantly surprised. Some of the reviews were less than flattering, but my party of eight was very happy.
— Easy to find
— Excellent service
— Nice space, not too loud
— The charcuterie board was above average, but not excellent. Good cheeses, especially the mimolette. The cured meats were pretty standard
— The beef tartare was average by itself, but combined with Morels’ homemade ruffles, it was excellent
— The steak (prime rib eye) was very nicely aged. Nice and meaty, tender, full of flavor. I tasted the beef rather than salt and butter, which was refreshing in a high end steakhouse

Located off the lobby of The Palazzo and, as such, easily missed by those visiting the property who are not checking in, Morels could easily be seen as the «third option» steakhouse in a resort complex housing Carnevino as well as Delmonico, but a close look shows several differences, a leisurely breakfast or brunch on the outdoor patio providing a great opportunity to take them all in, particularly the city’s greatest cheese selection.
Part of a small group, another location found at The Grove in Beverley Hills, Morels spins French on the traditional «big meat» concept and going so far as to produce their own wines a glimpse at the interior speaks to the grand brasseries of Central Europe with large nudes hung on walls and an airy, spacious layout while an oyster bar sits up front to tempt those without time or interest for a table within.
Sitting with two friends and a trio of children at a spacious table of three two-​tops fit together overlooking the sunny 9:00am Strip below, it was admittedly as guests of the house that a sizable meal was taken, the feast essentially comprised of four courses with children’s orders thankfully taken first as two-​hours of restaurant rumors and banter proved a challenge for all but the 2-​year old, the staff doing an admirable job of expediting plates… and an even better one of trying to clear space for what was decidedly too much food.
Perhaps not going to the lengths of Batali or Lagasse in terms of meat sourcing or buying produce from the very best purveyors around, suffice it to say that those interested in coffee are well advised to elect service from French Presses featuring roasts from Equator, for although priced at $ 5 – 7 per person depending on the bean the quality offered from Thomas Keller’s preferred brand are easily the best in Sheldon Adelson’s complex, particularly with free refills arriving promptly as cup-​after-​cup was downed.
Offering Mimosas and Bloody Marys mixed tableside it is with pillowy beignets that each brunch at Morels begins, and although granulated sugar would better be replaced with the powdered stuff of New Orleans the oilless donuts proved quite light, as did the leafy greens dressed in fruit and balsamic with a great kick added by Laura Chanel’s ever creamy chevre.
Attempting to sample a good variety of items, rather than just focus on obvious ‘breakfast hits,’ it was with four savories ranging from sandwiches to benedicts that meal marched on and although the picked crab crowned with a perfectly poached egg was unfortunately overwhelmed by a touch too much lemon while a steak requested ‘medium’ was tender and tasty despite being served nearly blue atop a bed of sauteed onions, both the chicken sandwich and risotto were exceedingly well executed — the former particularly intricate with the nuttiness of Comte playing nicely off peppery arugula bathed in buttery Mornay.
Assuredly taking the opportunity to explore a recently updated carte du fromage, something Morels would be well advised to emphasize both at the tableside and in advertisements around the resort, it was with a great deal of effort that selections were limited to a mere ten options and weaving a wide swath of beasts, countries, and textures one would be hard pressed to make a single bad choice — the aged Canadian Cheddar particularly on-​point while both the creamy Brie and Stilton-​Sandwich Huntsman were equally well selected, palates rejuvenated between bites by candied walnuts and date paste made in house.
Never one to skimp on sweets, though admittedly a bit disappointed that nearly half the desserts are unavailable at brunch (as is the cheese fondue,) it was still in pancakes, French toast, and a lovely rustic tart that the afternoon concluded, the Pacojet crafted quartet of ice creams exceedingly rich and creamy with the marshmallow studded lightness of lemon meringue the best amongst the crowd.
***Neither trying nor succeeding in any way to steal the thunder of other Steakhouses within the Venetian/​Palazzo complex, Morels is better appraised as an upper/​mid-​range option to be celebrated for its differences, the early opening hours offering a significant upgrade on Grand Lux in terms of service or setting while the fromage, coffee, and ice cream are Strip-​side second to none.

After eyeing this place for some time, Diane selected Morels for her birthday dinner. It was our first time here but will not be our last.
We were initially presented with a salty Olive Tapenade, butter with Hawaiian Sea Salt, and delicious soft warm rolls. Quickly following were Wild Caught Prawns that were cold and meaty, and a Horseradishy Cocktail Sauce. My other preliminary course was a crock of excellent sweet Onion Soup Gratinee with a large and well-​deconstructed croûton and well-​melted Comte and Gruyère Cheeses.
Both of us then enjoyed the night’s featured Surf & Turf Special of Filet and Half-​Lobster. We each received a very nice lobster half and a nicely seasoned 8 oz. Filet with little char cooked perfectly medium rare as ordered. The lobster meat was sweet dipped in either drawn butter or specially requested Buerre Blanc, and ran out just a few bites ahead of the Filet. Excellent whipped Mashed Potatoes accompanied the combo entrée. Three flavored sea salts were also provided: Black Hawaiian Sea Salt, Smoked Black Sea Salt, and Red Hawaiian Sea Salt.
We finished with very good Classic Profiteroles served with Candied Vanilla Almond Ice Cream and Malted Chocolate Sauce. I just wish there had been more ice cream.
Our booth back was hard but seating was otherwise comfortable, with a nice cushioned bottom. Sensually appealing fine art adorned several walls.
Service was excellent except for tea sweeteners initially being removed prematurely. Chamomile Decaf Iced Tea was specially made for me, with needed refills quickly supplied without request. The dining room was not that crowded on a Saturday night.
In sum, we found Morels to be an upscale dining venue with a nice classy ambiance, fine food, and excellent service!