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You’ll have to go to great lengths (heights, actually) to get to Twist by Pierre Gagnaire; the Five-Star restaurant sits on the 23rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, where you’ll find the hotel’s Sky Lobby. Once you enter the hotel complex’s front entrance, head to the elevator. It has just a few buttons to choose from, of course, one of them being the Sky Lounge. From there, shoot up to the 23rd floor. When you exit the elevator, you’ll see the main desk on your left.

Once you’re facing the desk, you’ll have a bar and lounge on your right side, with a long corridor with black marble floors on your left — this is the path to Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. Soft candlelight illuminates the hall, and once you enter the restaurant, a hostess will greet you. The wine cooler rests above the entrance, which you’ll be able to ogle through the glass walls upstairs, with the bar immediately to your right and the main dining room ahead of you. Being on a high floor also gives you a spectacular view of the Las Vegas Strip; most of your vista will be across City Center Drive or the rest of the City Center complex, as well as across the street of Planet Hollywood and the rest of the central/southern end of the Strip.

With high-concept food and a high-altitude real estate, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire has a fitting business-casual dress code. Jackets are suggested for gentlemen who dine in the Five-Star restaurant, though they aren’t required. When we ate at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, people came in various states of dressiness; older diners kept with tradition, with men in jackets and women in dresses. The younger guys in the room wore collared shirts and slacks, with the ladies in cocktail dresses. You don’t need to come in tails, but we’d still recommend reserving your best Vegas outfit (within modesty, of course) for dinner at this restaurant. You’ll want your attire to be as upscale as the fusion cuisine, which combines the finest ingredients from around the globe in inventive and flavorful ways. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire is chef Pierre Gagnaire’s first outpost in the United States; if you’re familiar with the master’s work, then you’ll know to get primped and scoot up to the 23rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas for a one-of-a-kind meal.

As far as cancellation policies go, you won’t find any more accommodating than the one at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. Keeping in line with its home base, the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, the Five-Star restaurant doesn’t require any fees, even if you cancel. The restaurant does, however, ask you to have consideration for other diners who wish to experience the fusion cuisine, so it lays out a few guidelines.

The restaurant requests that you cancel your reservation at least six hours before your scheduled time, though again, you won’t be charged for backing out. And for large parties that book the private room, you’re asked to give at least 12 hours’ advance notice; should you do so, you’ll be issued a gift certificate for whatever balance you may have had. This is one of the most generous cancellation policies you’ll find at any restaurant in Las Vegas, especially one of Twist by Pierre Gagnaire’s caliber.

To arrange a culinary excursion through chef Pierre Gagnaire’s fusion food fantasy, call Twist by Pierre Gagnaire directly from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or book a reservation online through the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant’s OpenTable site.

Keep in mind that while the restaurant suggests reservations, they aren’t required. And you won’t be charged any fees, should you have to back out. It’s best to make reservations at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire well in advance, though we dined there, our table was booked for a Wednesday night just five days in advance, but don’t press your luck.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire’s dining room seats only 62 diners at a total of 22 tables, with two complete seatings per night. That means it can be tough to come by a table, especially on the weekends, as Twist by Pierre Gagnaire serves some of the most inventive and original cuisine you’ll find in Las Vegas. One such example is the Grand Dessert, which features five small sweets inspired by French traditional patisseries, including the Amelie, made of green tea opaline, lemongrass ganache and glace royale citron. Again, to avoid any broken hearts or disappointed stomachs, be sure to make your reservation at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire well in advance of your desired time and date.

Reservations are not a requirement to dine at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, though the restaurant suggests them. Like most high-end spots, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant is busier on weekends than during the workweek. So you’ll likely experience a tougher time snagging a table on Friday or Saturday, even though Twist by Pierre Gagnaire takes reservations up until 10:30 p.m. on those nights.

We didn’t book our table at the Las Vegas restaurant until about five days beforehand, though we ate on a Wednesday evening. Plan your meal at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire in advance, it’s worth it for the sheer culinary variety and imagination you’ll experience in just a few hours at the restaurant. Plus, you’ll want one of the tables closest to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the main dining room so that you can take in that twinkling Strip with each bite of your fabulous fusion food.

Given its quiet atmosphere and the sheer delicacy of many of the ingredients in its food, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire better suits smaller group dining than larger parties. That isn’t to say you should avoid dining with a bunch of people at the restaurant, however. If you plan to come with more than just a party of four, look into booking the 16-seat private dining room.

Otherwise, the main dining room tends to have a more hushed atmosphere than most restaurants in Las Vegas, with high ceilings and enough space between tables to prevent conversations from overlapping. When we dined at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, most tables had only couples at them, though there was one foursome. Even so, the room felt quiet and subdued, with diners dishing on which parts of their meals they enjoyed most. If you’re a foodie and want to test yourself with something new, then try the Five-Star restaurant. Just be sure to bring your sense of adventure, and maybe a friend.

The private dining room at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire continues many of the motifs you’ll find in the main dining room: that cracked eggshell mural on the walls and in the plates that greet you at your table, the clean lines, orb lights suspended from the ceiling and the fabulous floor-to-ceiling windows with fantastic views of Las Vegas. The room seats up to 16 diners, so whether you’re on business or just bringing your extended family and friends along for an inventive, fusion-cuisine experience, you’ll have plenty of room to enjoy it. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire’s main dining room doesn’t feel overwhelmingly open, despite the adequate space and high ceilings, but the placement of partitions and tables intentionally creates intimacy. In any case, if you book the private room, you won’t have to worry about what other diners are doing or saying, instead, you’ll have more space to yourself to discuss the intricate and delicate dishes the French fusion masters bring to your table.

Considering that it serves high-concept food at a high altitude (the 23rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas), Twist by Pierre Gagnaire seems like it would charge you an arm and a leg; however, the reasonable price range for a meal at the restaurant pleasantly surprised us.

You can order a three-course, prix fixe dinner for just $105, or $170 with wine pairings. Or, opt for the six-course tasting menu for $189; the six-course meal runs the gamut at $295 with wine pairings or $350 for more rare wines with the grand pairing.

If you’d prefer to dine à la carte, you can do that, too, though we’d recommend one of the prix fixe menus because of all the other goodies that come with them. Even so, appetizers, such as the Twist by Pierre Gagnaireed Bouillabaisse of velouté of cauliflower, ice cream of artichoke and olive oil, marmalade of red pepper, fennel confit with candied garlic and fish and saffron cocktail, run between $16 and $46, though prices and offerings change with the season.

Main courses range from $43 to $98; we had the surf ’n’ turf, which consisted of Nebraska prime beef carpaccio, Florida clam salad and shaved foie gras; chestnut soup, razor clams, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized hazelnuts; and fanny bay oyster, scented with coconut milk and seasoned ginger, and Sapporo foam.

Side dishes like eggplant stiletto and tender potato alexia go for $8 apiece. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire can also tailor menus for vegetarians, vegans and those with food allergies; be sure to let the restaurant know at the time you make your reservation. Luckily, though, you won’t have to break the bank to enjoy a meal at the Five-Star restaurant — maybe just give it a shake or two.

When you’re dealing with a Five-Star restaurant like Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, there’s a world of things to know — it takes hard work and plenty of exquisite details to earn that coveted Forbes Travel Guide rating. Here are the five things we think you need to know about Twist:
 
1. Location. The Five-Star restaurant sits on the 23rd floor of the fantastic Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. The Five-Star hotel has its own distinct style and approach to service, and you can get a feel for that the moment you step out of the elevators and into the Sky Lobby on the 23rd floor. That perch affords you incredible views of the Las Vegas Strip through Twist’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

2. Pierre Gagnaire. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire is the renowned French chef’s first foray into the United States, and that alone brought plenty of fanfare. Gagnaire and his chef de cuisine, Ryuki Kawasaki, more than lived up to the hype, earning a coveted Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating in 2012.

3. Fusion. Be prepared to have all your senses engaged during a meal at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire — this isn’t just a restaurant that serves delicious food, but one that challenges your conceptions about cuisine, from the preparation to the presentation. Haute cuisine, avant-garde, concept food — whatever you want to call it, just know that your experience will be a sensory journey as well as a meal.

4. Seasonality. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire offers a special menu that epitomizes the freshest ingredients from each season plus à la carte dishes, such as “Spring in Oregon,” which included courses with such vernal delights as fresh morel mushrooms braised in Oregon sweet wine and King crab with Oregon asparagus.

5. Tasting menus. You can order à la carte at Twist, but we’d suggest that you opt for either the three-course tasting menu for $105 or the six-course tasting menu for $189. Prepare for your mind and palate to be dazzled as course after course of surprises come your way, with multiple stages to almost every dish.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire has some of the most spectacular views you’ll find in any restaurant in the world, and that’s just the beginning of this Five-Star restaurant’s appeal. On the 23rd floor of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, the fine-dining establishment looks out over the Las Vegas Strip, with stunning vistas facing northeast. Dangling bubble lights illuminate the main dining room, giving the space an ethereal feel; combined with the twinkling lights of Las Vegas Boulevard they make for a visual experience only surpassed by the gustatory wonders Chef Pierre Gagnaire brings to your palate at Twist.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire describes its interior design as being a “culinary show on a glittering stage, overlooking the city.” It’s no wonder: Adam Tihany — one of the biggest stars in the interior design and architecture community, directed this production.

After walking down a candlelit hallway with black marble floors, you’ll see the Twist by Pierre Gagnaire’s signature motif of a cracked eggshell in the mural on the wall. The space feels sleek and slightly futuristic, without being ostentatious; 300 orbs dangle from the ceiling to light the dining room, creating an almost champagne-like look. More lights twinkle outside the room: Walls are made of rich marble, but one features floor-to-ceiling windows that look northeast out on to the Las Vegas Strip. If you glance back to where you came in, you’ll see the wine cooler above the entrance area, with full glass-and-steel walls upstairs giving you a peek into the restaurant’s cellar (if a cellar could be upstairs and made of glass, of course).

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire’s eggshell motif plays on, with a plate of the same pattern adorning your table, along with a single candle in a carafe-like candleholder and small flowers suspended in a globe vase. The variety of shapes, textures and colors makes for an altogether colorful yet subdued ambience, which perfectly suits the fusion cuisine you’ll find in this Five-Star restaurant.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire boasts a total of 22 tables with 62 seats, many of them overlooking the Las Vegas Strip through the main dining room’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The restaurant also has a private dining room, which, if it’s not booked, may be used for regular reservations, that seats 16 diners. You can also order the full menu at the restaurant’s bar, though we think you’re better served by requesting a table closer to the signature floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the Sin City skyline. You’ll face northeast, the best vantage point from this part of town, with clear views out to Planet Hollywood and further north up to Paris. And, of course, you’ll be able to pair those delicious views with the inventive food that comes your way.

You’ll continue to feel the buzzing vibe from the streets of Vegas at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, with its instrumental jazz humming in the background. The upbeat music at the Five-Star restaurant complements the majestic ambience, as it chimes throughout the Adam Tihany-designed dining room, which is lit by more than 300 illuminated globes floating gently across the double-height ceiling. Don’t worry about the music interrupting your conversation — with a seating capacity of only 60 people and the jazz playing at a minimum volume, you’ll find the dining experience an intimate escape from the boisterous streets that bellow 23 floors below.

The intimate atmosphere at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire is a refreshing change after experiencing the din of Las Vegas nightlife. With the seating capacity capped at 60 people, the noise level stays comfortably low. The upbeat instrumental jazz music humming in the background carries on the energetic vibe from Sin City’s Strip, but it doesn’t interrupt your conversations. And when you dine at the Five-Star restaurant, you’ll have plenty to talk about — French chef Pierre Gagnaire is long credited as the pioneer of the molecular gastronomy movement and his food pleases the senses with its scientific flair and experimental textures and temperatures.

When you need a break from the raucous nightclubs and fierce social scene in Sin City, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire makes the perfect location for a date. When we dined there, virtually all the other tables in the restaurant were filled with couples, as opposed to larger groups. Along with bringing you course after course of inventive cuisine, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant offers stunning views of the Las Vegas Strip through floor-to-ceiling windows, all in a dynamic and original atmosphere. The cracked-eggshell motif, globe lights suspended above you and flawless marble walls will make you feel as if you’ve been transported to a temple of food; you wouldn’t be far off from the truth. Perched atop the 23rd floor inside the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire takes you on a culinary journey from the moment you step into the hotel’s lobby; once you ascend the 23 floors, you’re in store for an intimate ambience filled with imaginative French fusion cuisine. The food at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire lends itself to conversation, with distinct ingredients and presentations leading the way, and the Adam Tihany-designed interior will leave any date impressed. Another plus: You can experience all this at a reasonable price, just $105 for the three-course menu. That makes Twist by Pierre Gagnaire a solid choice, no matter if you’re celebrating a special occasion or just want to make a great impression on your main squeeze.

When you’re dining on the 23rd floor, there are stunning views of Las Vegas from nearly every table at the Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. While there’s not one table that’s best at the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant, there are a handful of spots that are particularly coveted. When making a reservation at Twist, you’ll want to request one of the tables closest to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the glittering Las Vegas Strip. A pair of tables for two, and one four-top table are closest to the windows, so they offer the most dramatic, unobstructed vistas. Few experiences in life can match the backdrop of twinkling lights and the haute cuisine you’ll find in a meal at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. 

The table settings at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire reflect the restaurant’s postmodern décor; for example, the plate that awaits each diner echoes the cracked eggshell motif that appears throughout the space, including as a mural in the front entrance. A single candle in a carafe-like glass illuminates each table, and flowers are suspended in a globe vase that matches the 300 bubble lights dangling from the ceiling. That broken eggshell motif reappears in the vases, tying the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant’s architecture and table setting all together for a heightened dining experience.

Expect nothing less than smooth and efficient service at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. Servers don all-black outfits, floating about the room with care and precision. Even if you get up to use the restroom during your meal, a staff member will likely accompany you to the door. And when you return, you’ll find a fresh, carefully folded napkin awaiting you at the table. These may seem like small details, but the quality of service at Twist can’t be overstated; the minutiae make the difference, and in large part, helped the Las Vegas restaurant earn a coveted Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating.

Romance climbs to new heights at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire — quite literally. Perched high on the 23rd floor of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant dazzles with spectacular views of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, but that’s just the beginning. Renowned chef Pierre Gagnaire takes you through a culinary adventure full of twists and turns, exploring new ingredient combinations and cooking techniques that turn tried-and-true dishes on their heads. The 300 bubble lights dangling from the ceiling add an effervescent feel to the main dining room. Paired with a glass of champagne, the subtle service and the sleek surroundings combine for a romantic evening beyond compare. And in case the conversation falters, the curious nature of so many of Gagnaire’s avant-garde presentations and combinations will provide inspiration — something any romantic evening can use.

French chef Pierre Gagnaire tries to do the unthinkable at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire by innovatively mixing textures, tastes and temperatures, breaking convention one course at a time. But every superhero has one limitation, and for Gagnaire, it’s not being able to cook up magic in all of his 12 restaurants at once. With some being as far-flung as Hong Kong, Dubai and Russia, there’s a slim chance he will be in the country when you visit his Five-Star Las Vegas restaurant, let alone able to visit your table. In Gagnaire’s place, his entrusted chef de cuisine, Ryuki Kawasaki, translates the chef’s vision onto your plate and tries to visit guests as often as possible.

Legendary French chef Pierre Gagnaire is at the helm of Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, located inside the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. This upscale Five-Star restaurant is Gagnaire’s second pairing with the Hong Kong-based hotel brand (his acclaimed Pierre restaurant is the premier dining room at Mandarin Oriental’s flagship Hong Kong hotel). Hailing from a family of restaurateurs, Gagnaire made a name for himself with his first restaurant, St. Etienne, which he opened to acclaim in Paris in 1981. He has since gone on to preside over an empire of restaurants around the goal where he practices a unique approach to traditional French cooking.

Ryuki Kawasaki is the chef de cuisine at Twist, and he acts as the on-the-scene translator of many of Gagnaire’s best culinary ideas. Kawasaki has worked with Gagnaire since 2005, previously as senior sous chef of Sketch Lecture Room, Gagnaire’s London restaurant. Kawasaki began his professional career in France as commis de cuisine at the acclaimed Paul Bocuse. He followed that up with stints as chef de partie at chef Joël Robuchon’s Château Restaurant Taillevent Robuchon in Japan. In 2002, Kawasaki headed to Paris to serve as demi-chef de partie at Restaurant Nirvana and then two years as senior sous chef at Restaurant Ô Rebelle. In 2005, he moved to London to cook at Sketch, and since then, he’s worked closely with chef Gagnaire.  

At Twist, Kawasaki collaborates with Gagnaire to take diners on a culinary journey and exploration using surprising ingredient combinations and techniques to break down the expectations of even the most seasoned gourmet. 

The menu at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire reflects chef Pierre Gagnaire’s and chef de cuisine Ryuki Kawasaki's dedication to French fusion cuisine; you’ll see familiar ingredients, but with the chefs’ own inventive takes. For example, the surf ’n’ turf entrée at the Five-Star restaurant features Nebraska prime beef carpaccio, Florida clam salad and shaved foie gras; along with chestnut soup, razor clams, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized hazelnuts; finally with a fanny bay oyster, scented with coconut milk and seasoned ginger and Sapporo foam. It’s more than your standard steak and lobster, that’s for sure. The foie gras melts in your mouth, while the clams and beef carpaccio provide their own distinct flavors and textures, highlighting the freshness and quality of each ingredient.

The grand dessert epitomizes the chef’s take on fine cuisine; you’ll receive five courses, each inspired by traditional French patisseries. Our favorite among them was the Amelie, which consists of a green tea opaline, lemongrass ganache and glace royale citron, all combining for a light, citrusy sort of biscuit, with pops of green tea, a mix of flavors and textures unlike any we’ve tasted before. And that’s what you get with every dish at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire: a familiar ingredient taken to a new and creative place.

Don’t fill up on the bread and butter at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, as it’s easy to do; the Five-Star restaurant’s special service during our visit included three different kinds of bread: a mini baguette; a molasses-walnut-raisin bread and a multigrain roll. All the breads came out warm, with crispy outsides and soft insides. As if that weren’t enough, special butter was flown in from Normandy. You’ll get both salted and unsalted butter served at the perfect temperature so it easily spreads on the bread offerings. You’ll have to keep yourself from eating too much before the rest of your culinary journey continues.

Desserts at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire vary with the seasons, but as a general rule, you can count on the Five-Star restaurant offering you a bevy of different dishes that incorporate seasonal fruits, while finishing with a touch of chocolate. Not bad, if you’ve got a sweet tooth and enjoy the finer things. When we ate at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, we opted for the grand dessert Pierre Gagnaire, which includes five small sweets served in succession. Our favorite was the Amelie, though the Plums, made of caramelized plums, red currant gelée and brandy ice cream stood out as well. And of course, the ultimate Biscuit Chocolate Rue Balzac wrapped things up with a chocolate glaze, banana-lime coulis and a mojito sorbet. The tiered dessert comes from Gagnaire’s restaurant in Paris and may vary with the season; in the autumn, it’s served five ways, while the summer menu includes six dishes. If this sounds like a sugar overload, order desserts à la carte or on the spirit menu, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire’s most current seasonal offerings.

Food presentation at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire is as artful as you’ll see in just about any eatery. The Five-Star restaurant takes great care to ensure that each dish comes out like a piece of art, with a number of asymmetrical serving dishes, special pots and a variety of plates and glasses to present the food in a functional but aesthetically pleasing manner. For example, the opening crostata appears in what looks like a tall, slender shot glass, which invites you to dip the protruding bread into the puree at its bottom. Single-bite amuse-bouches, such as the steamed and deep-fried potato chips in clarified water with dates, come teed up on a wooden holder, fastened to a bed of potato. Other dishes might arrive on silver platters, while one of the dessert offerings, the Apple Royale, came in a chilled martini glass. Suffice it to say the food presentation plays a huge part in the dining experience at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire; the restaurant wants to wow you not only with flavors, but with sights and textures as well.

Deciding on what to order at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire is something of a challenge all in itself as each season and menu brings you a different world of culinary surprises. Here are five offerings we found most memorable at the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant:
 
1. Beef carpaccio. The Nebraska Prime beef carpaccio, served with Florida clam salad and shaved foie gras brings disparate textures and flavors together for a sensory overload.

2. Fritto misto of zucchini and eggplant. Served with satiny San Daniele ham, this side showcases fresh vegetables at their best.

3. Joie de Vivre. We can’t say enough good things about this specialty cocktail, which blends Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, Junmai Daiginjo sake, pineapple, fresh lime juice, basil and ginger syrup for a delicately sweet and spicy experience.

4. Pierre’s Surf ’N’ Turf. Suffice it to say this isn’t just a lobster tail and a steak. Gagnaire takes the classic idea and turns it on its head — and we wouldn’t want to ruin his surprise.

5. Grand Dessert Pierre Gagnaire. The master chef wouldn’t put his name on just any dessert, and this five-part finisher seems to take you on a tour of everything sweet and satisfying in the world. We loved the Amelie, a trio of green tea opaline, lemongrass ganache and glace royale citron.

Chef de cuisine Ryuki Kawasaki, a disciple of Pierre Gagnaire, puts the renowned chef’s gospel into practice at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. A proponent of the fusion movement, Gagnaire approaches food in an avant-garde manner, taking ingredients you may know and already love and using them in new and surprising ways, or sometimes showcasing underappreciated elements. Kawasaki and his cuisine at Twist offer a classic French ideal with a modern, entertaining approach, with culinary ideas always moving and constantly evolving. If you come to Twist with a full set of expectations, rest assured the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant will challenge your idea of what cuisine can be. 

Ricardo Sanchez is the pastry chef at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. Sanchez hails from Dallas, and he previously worked at Nobuo, an acclaimed Japanese restaurant in Phoenix, Ariz. The pastry chef was on the team that prepared for the opening of the Five-Star restaurant Twist in 2009. He works to interpret many of chef Pierre Gagnaire’s delicate desserts to the delight of diners, including the Grand Desert Pierre Gagnaire, a five-piece finisher that includes the Biscuit Chocolate Rue Balzac, made with chocolate glaze, banana-lime coulis and mojito sorbet. The highly rated Forbes Travel Guide restaurant will surprise you throughout your meal, and Sanchez’s pastries are no exception to that rule.

Some of the items on the seasonal Spirit Menu at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire can suit diners with food allergies. The Spirit Menu changes with each season, based on what’s fresh, so there’s no guarantee that what you see on the menu today will be there in a few weeks.
 
Otherwise, while the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant doesn’t print a specific menu of items geared toward food allergies, the Las Vegas outpost of master chef Pierre Gagnaire is always willing to work with you to tailor the ingredients in your meal to your specific needs and desires. If you have any special requirements, be sure to let the staff at Twist know when making your reservation.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire actually has an entire vegetarian tasting menu available to you — though that tasting menu isn’t actually printed on the regular menu. Even so, don’t hesitate to ask for the vegetarian menu at the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant, and, if you’re vegan, to have the dishes modified to meet your dietary needs. Making each meal a personalized experience is just part of the reason the Las Vegas restaurant received the coveted Five-Star rating, so keep that in mind if you have any questions or concerns about ingredients. It’s best to let the restaurant know if you’ll be seeking vegetarian or vegan dishes when making your reservation. 

The cheese course at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire changes seasonally, meaning each visit to the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant will be different from your last. As an à la carte order, the cheese course costs $20 and includes your choice of seasonal cheeses accompanied by   Sarasson cream, walnut paste, Cramone mustard and homemade chutney. Again, as with the entire Spirit Menu at Twist, the cheese course varies with the seasons in order to bring you the freshest ingredients as part of chef Pierre Gagnaire’s French-fusion cuisine. Your palate will be both delighted and challenged by the cheese course at Twist; expect nothing less.

To say that Twist by Pierre Gagnaire has a signature dessert would be putting things lightly; in fact, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant’s signature dessert is a multi-dish affair, taking you on a tour of all things sweet. When we had dinner at twist, the Grand Dessert Pierre Gagnaire included five sections. The Amelie was a trio of green tea opaline, lemongrass ganache and glace royale citron affair; Plums combined caramelized plums with red currant gelée and brandy ice cream; Apple Royale included cinnamon Gala apples, green apple-lime granité and cinnamon syrup; Roma brought parmesan sable, ginger confit, mascarpone cream, fresh figs and pistachios; and Biscuit Chocolate Rue Balzac included chocolate glaze, banana-lime coulis and mojito sorbet. 

There are a lot of components, even for five individual dishes, but we’ll say this: The Grand Dessert Pierre Gagnaire was wonderful in every way. We particularly loved the Amelie — the green tea opaline burst with more flavor than we anticipated.

Between the amuse bouche and the petit fours you receive at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, you might think it’s your birthday, given all the gifts. And if you have your birthday dinner at Twist, well, all the better. The amuse bouche course when we dined at the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant brought a bevy of wonders — many more than we even had time to write down. One of the standouts included a steamed and deep-fried potato chip in clarified water with dates. However, it’s nearly impossible to describe the kaleidoscope of flavors, textures and creative presentations the amuse bouche course brings. Just a few of the ingredients in the various amuse bouche: Roquefort cheese and apricot; piquillo peppers; caviar; saffron and black olives. Each of these special ingredients from around the globe was as delicately and masterfully prepared, as you’d expect.

Seasonal dishes play an essential role in every meal served at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire; while the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant uses the freshest ingredients possible for every single item on the menu, the Spirit Menu changes each season, setting you on a three- or six-course journey to follow the master chef’s whimsy. When we dined at Twist, we loved the Fall Spirit menu. In particular, the Nebraska Prime beef carpaccio with Florida clam salad and shaved foie gras was delightful. The Spring Menu features a John Dory filet napped in a piment d’Espelette and pink peppercorn butter. You can opt for a three-course tasting menu for $105, or the six-course tasting menu for $189; the three-course menu will cost $170 with wine pairings, while the six-course menu will run $295 with pairings, and $350 with the grand pairing (rare and specialty wines). But any way you go, you’ll be entranced by the creativity and thought put into every seasonal dish at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire.

Depending on how you look at things, Twist by Pierre Gagnaire does and does not have a bar menu; what we mean is that the Forbes Travel Guide Four Star restaurant serves its entire menu at the bar, allowing you to enjoy the exquisite cuisine in a less formal atmosphere. Though you’ll still have the same sparkling marble, globe lights and tremendous views of Las Vegas surrounding you. And that menu includes endless creative spins on familiar dishes, such as Pierre Gagnaire’s surf ’n’ turf, which pairs grilled langoustines with seared veal tenderloin, along with dry orange-scented osso bucco jus and crispy tomatoes with lavender opaline and sweet potato. Prepare to have your culinary expectations shattered by the food at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, even if you just sit at the bar.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire serves a number of specialty cocktails, but we’d recommend trying the joie de vivre, the Twist by Pierre Gagnaire martini. This delicious elixir mixes Domaine de Canton, Junmai Daiginjo sake, pineapple, fresh lime juice, basil and ginger syrup for a refreshing, citrusy beverage that isn’t too sweet and packs a little herbal bite to it. The restaurant also serves a lemongrass mojito, which combines Sagatiba Caçhaca, cilantro, agave nectar and fresh lime juice, and the Lychee Smash, with Grey Goose Poire, lychee liqueur, pear puree, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice and mint leaves. As you can see from the ingredients in all these cocktails, the drinks at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire don’t leave your thirst longing for the treatment your hunger gets at the Five-Star restaurant. The signature cocktail menu features no fewer than 10 options, and that’s excluding the extensive wine list or bottles of scotch and aperitifs.

If you appreciate rare bottles of wine, you’ll be well served by a meal at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. The Five-Star restaurant offers excellent wine pairings to go with its three- and six-course menus at a reasonable cost, along with a grand pairing featuring more rare pours with the six-course menu. For standouts, look no further than the 1990 Domaine de la Romanée Conti, La Tache, for a cool $9,900. Or perhaps the 1937 Domaine de Lambrays, Clos de Lambrays for $7,500 suits you better. Of course, you’ll find an extensive selection of domestic, French and Italian wines, along with an off-the-beaten-path Swiss Chateau d’Auvernier Pinot Gris, a nod to the chef for $85. Take one look above the entranceway to catch a glimpse at the wine loft to get an idea of the sheer number of different bottles Twist by Pierre Gagnaire has to offer. And if you’re not a connoisseur, trust the knowledgeable sommelier to pair wines with your meal.

You won’t feel left out at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire if you abstain from alcohol; in fact, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant features three mocktails on its signature drink menu. La Passionee takes passion-fruit puree and mixes it with rosemary-infused syrup and fresh-squeezed lemon juice for an exotic, but citrusy flavor, while the Fraicheur d’Autumn combines fresh pear puree, raspberries, mint and lemon juice. Last, but not least, La Jardinière mixes vegetable, olive and fresh lemon juices with the chef’s patchi spices for a drink more like a Bloody Mary, but it’s nothing like the original drink. And that’s the beauty in all the food at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, not just the mocktails, you’ll see ingredients you’re familiar with (and even some you’re not), served to you in new and inventive ways.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire has a bar that’s impossible to miss, as it’s a prominent feature on the right as you enter the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant. Sip a seasonal signature cocktail or dine on the full menu at the Las Vegas restaurant’s bar. To call them specialties might be selling some of these drinks short; concoctions such as the Joie de Vivre mix fine ingredients for exciting and original flavors. The Joie de Vivre — the house martini — is both sweet and spicy with its blend of Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, Junmai Daiginjo sake, pineapple, fresh lime juice, basil and ginger syrup. Other signature cocktails include the Manhattan Fino, a new take that adds fino sherry and the sparkling wine brachetto to the classic cocktail recipe. Be sure to ask your server or bartender at the Las Vegas restaurant for recommendations, as the drinks and the level of service at the Twist bar mesh with the sleek, avant-garde dining experience.

The sommeliers at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire are adept at creating wine pairings for any dish on the creative and seasonally changing menu. The internationally styled wine menu at the restaurant is extensive — at more than 40 pages — so the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant has quite a collection from which to draw. The wine list covers every fine wine region of the world: French champagne, bold reds from Australia’s Barossa and the dessert wines from Piedmont, Italy.  
 
If you order the three-course tasting menu at Twist, the wine pairing will cost an additional $65, making the total $170; adding wine pairings to the six-course tasting menu will bring your total to $295. With the Grand Pairing option, the six-course meal costs  $350 total. As the name suggests, the Grand Pairing, features more rare and special wines to better bring out the distinct flavors and textures in all the fabulous ingredients in each dish at the Las Vegas restaurant.

Julie Lin is the wine director and sommelier at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. Lin came aboard before the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant and Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas opened in 2009. She is a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers and has previously worked at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and at steakhouses in Texas. Lin’s program includes an internationally focused wine list, which spans more than 40 printed pages. The list offers the best and most intriguing wines from Argentina, Australia, Austria, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Chile, Spain, the United States and a number of other countries. The Five-Star restaurant offers a number of wine pairing options, with a Grand Pairing standing out as an accompaniment to the six-course chef’s tasting menu. If you have questions about wine or need suggestions for a bottle or pairings, don’t hesitate to ask Lin or your server at Twist.