A Trip to Provence at Primrose

The Place: Primrose
The Location: Park MGM Hotel | 3770 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
The Dishes: Mediterranean Plate, Fresh Fruit, Berry Pavlova
By: Laura Stoddard

The amount of places to dine in Las Vegas is almost astronomical, and often, visitors opt for the more illustrious or well-known restaurants (which you can’t go wrong with as they pretty much always live up to the hype). But perhaps for one of your meals, take the opportunity to veer off the beaten path to discover some of the hidden gems tucked within the glittery folds of the Strip.

One of these is Primrose, located within the recently opened Park MGM Hotel (previously the Monte Carlo). Part of the magic of this French eatery is that you don’t feel like you’re in a restaurant, but rather in a charming country estate in the south of France. It has been designed in such a way as to make you feel as if you’re moving through the various rooms of the home.

There’s the main dining area, bright and airy, with stylish, custom bistro furnishings, and colorful, sweeping murals (meant to evoke the feeling of being in a park or garden); the cozy and sumptuous Drawing Room, filled with plush chairs, lamps for reading, works of art by French impressionists, and a large selection of vintage and early edition books; the spacious, genial bar, decorated in varying hues of yellow and green; and finally, the lush garden and terrace inspired by the French Riviera.

The noise and hubbub of Vegas melt away as you nestle into this unique, comfortably elegant space. But what’s an amazing ambiance without amazing food to back it up? Primrose’s talented culinary team uses fresh seafood and vegetables to highlight the refined yet approachable menu, while a custom-built wood-fire grill utilizing peach wood, almond wood and mesquite charcoal creates bold flavors for standout dishes. As far as libations go, Primrose’s cocktails bring a lighter, fresher approach to drinking in Las Vegas, using herbs and other ingredients grown in the restaurant’s garden.

During our visit, we opted to eat in the main dining room, from which we had views of all the rooms and garden, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and large, retractable doors. We had our work cut out for us, trying to decide what to choose from the breakfast menu, which featured a modest selection of re-imagined French classics, such as the bacon, egg and cheese croissant with fire-roasted peppers and chili relish, and the avocado toast with radish, pickled red onion and and lemon.

Finally, the Mediterranean Plate was decided upon, a visually stunning compilation of tomato, cucumber, avocado, yogurt, feta, preserved lemon, and hard-boiled egg drizzled by olive oil. After some rather heavy eating elsewhere in Las Vegas, the lightness of this dish was both refreshing and satisfying. We also enjoyed the fresh fruit platter, and dainty croque sandwiches filled with ham, gruyere cheese and mornay.

And let us not forget dessert! You can’t go to a French restaurant and not try one of their sweet treats. At the server’s recommendation, we tried the berry pavlova, and O-M-G. Heaven! Filled with strawberry sorbet and topped with chantilly cream and fresh berries, every bite of this confection was like a gift. Worth the trip itself! It was an absolutely delightful meal, in a beautiful location, and a wonderful way to start the day. The say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but Primrose is one place you’ll definitely want to talk about.

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