I honestly stumbled upon the Foundation Room Las Vegas while looking at the offerings from the House of Blues. The wild decor and top floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel drew me in.
Recent reviews were mixed but there were enough in the 4 star plus range to make me commit.
What I Ordered At The Foundation Room
I started the night with a margarita because, well, why not. I thought this one was excellent and until I find some in Las Vegas that are better I will keep this place in mind.
As good as the one I had at the Kahala Hotel & Resort or Mauna Kea Beach Resort? not quite.
The other cocktail of the night was the Rooftop, my wife and I both felt it was crisp and refreshing.
Shrimp soup? Nope. This was the shrimp cocktail and it was delicious! The “soup-sauce” in the bowl was loaded with chunks of shrimp and had a spicy hint of heat that really set this dish off.
Mh favorite dish of the evening.
The Salmon was cooked perfectly, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The potato side (tucked underneath the salmon) was also cooked perfectly, it was like a giant well seasoned French fry
I was planning to visit Strip Steak during my visit so I made it a point to try the steak to compare.
I ordered this ribeye medium rare and it was pink inside with no red center, just a tad overcooked. The seasoning was subtle and not overdone, just the way I like it. The outside char was also on point.
No cheese butter topping for me.
Service
Although it bills itself as a fine dining experience it is not. Think of it more of a fancy club with a separate section for those who want to dine in an eclectic atmosphere.
The host and hostess on the lobby level were friendly and quickly able to check my reservation. The hostesses up top were clearly just “handlers”.
Upon arriving on the top floor we were told to wait on the club side which had no seating and was, well, a club. They did have a cool outside deck with some of the best views of the Vegas strip but otherwise with the bar full and the seating reserved we just kind of stood around.
Like at a club, you didn’t plan on going to.
The club side was packed and after 10 minutes I wondered how they would know who we were when our table was ready. I headed back to the hostesses and viola, our table was ready. I guess we will never know how they find people in the club when their table is ready.
Our waiter was friendly but a bit too casual for the menu and price point, I’ll take casual friendly over rude any day though.
All in all the service was good and we were happy with the experience.
Ambiance
The big draw here is the outside view of the Las Vegas strip, just amazing at night and so IG worthy that you could barely see it through the sea of phones.
Don’t worry I got my shot.
There are actually two outside sections, one accessed from the club section and one from the dining, the club side had a better angle of the strip.
Location & Contact Information
You can valet at the Mandalay and then enter the main lobby entrance. Just to the right is the elevator entrance and you will see the hosts behind the roped-off entrance.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the experience but this is definitely a one time visit. The views from the club side might bring me back up with a friend to experience it, gotta get that shot right?
If you have been here what was your experience?
