I've been to Vegas over 50 times. Here are the 8 best restaurants on The Strip.

• I've been to Las Vegas over 50 times and I usually go there for the food. 
• The Chef Truck is a great place to grab a quick bite, and Lago has great views. 
• Giada's is one of my favorite places to eat in Vegas, and I love splurging at Ocean Prime. 

Some people go to Vegas to gamble; I go to eat.

After visiting Las Vegas over 50 times, my husband and I have a dining strategy: We return to a few of our favorite spots and then try a couple of new ones.

And with Las Vegas tourism levels reaching a record-breaking high at the end of 2023, knowing where to make a reservation — or where you can pop by for great food without one — is as crucial as ever.

Here are some of my favorite restaurants on The Strip.

The Chef Truck is the perfect spot for delicious Cuban food at reasonable prices

As a fan of the movie "The Chef," I knew I had to try The Chef Truck, a bright-yellow food truck parked inside the Park MGM.

The truck serves Cuban-inspired food and is a collaboration between celebrity chef Roy Choi and actor/director Jon Favreau that opened in late 2023.

I suggest starting with a warm sandwich, like the Cubano, and ending with the chocolate lava cake.

The prices are reasonable — every dish is under $20 — and there's a small seating area nearby, making this the perfect lunch stop between gambling or shopping on The Strip.

Lago combines great views of the Bellagio fountains and excellent Italian food

I'm a sucker for a restaurant with a view of the Bellagio Fountains —especially at night — so I often head to one of the restaurants in the Bellagio Hotel & Casino for a romantic dinner.

Lago by Julian Serrano serves upscale Italian fare, my favorite cuisine. During our last visit there, we shared the delicious seafood linguine and prime rib with peppercorn sauce.

Both were accompanied by a bottle of Chianti recommended by our server.

Try to snag a table on the outdoor patio for the best possible views. You have a better chance of getting a spot if you reserve a table in advance.

Ocean Prime is a splurge-worthy restaurant perfect for celebrating special occasions

In 2023, Ocean Prime opened on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue — it even has a rooftop terrace overlooking The Strip.

The upscale restaurant chain is known for steak and seafood, and we dined here for our 32nd anniversary. We began with oysters and bubbly, moved on to scallops and martinis, and ended with warm butter cake.

Everything was delicious and Ocean Prime had excellent service. It's a splurge — most appetizers are $25 or more — but worth it for a special occasion.

Catch is Instagram-worthy with seriously good brunch entrées and creative cocktails

Catch is filled with beautiful decor and photo opportunities that make it obvious it was designed to be a place where visitors can take the perfect Instagram photo.

At first, that made me doubt the quality of the food — but I've learned the food is even better than the decor.

On a recent trip to Catch, I got the best French toast I've ever eaten.

The French toast offerings vary by season, but the one I tried was filled with a delicious Meyer-lemon cream. We topped off our meal with a couple of cocktails with fun names like Lush Lemonade and Detox Retox.

Bardot Brasserie offers a French-inspired brunch menu reminiscent of a Parisian Cafe

Another great brunch option on The Strip is Bardot Brasserie, located inside the Aria Resort & Casino. The decor is all dark wood and marble, which reminds me of cafés in Paris.

On a recent visit, we started with deviled eggs topped with caviar and steak tartare and both were excellent. For entrées, I enjoyed the French omelet, and my husband got eggs Benedict with smoked salmon.

Although both items were delicious, I was especially obsessed with Bardot Brasserie's version of hash browns. The small, crispy squares of layered potatoes were perfectly seasoned, putting any other hash browns to shame.

You can't go wrong with lunch or dinner at Giada's

We first discovered GIADA shortly after it opened in 2014 in the Cromwell. We had reservations for lunch and liked it so much we returned that evening for dinner.

Now, it's one of our regular dining spots. I always request a window table so we can enjoy the view of The Strip while dining.

The Giada De Laurentiis-created restaurant serves upscale Italian food. If we're here for dinner, we share the bone-in ribeye topped with a sunny-side-up egg and pair it with one of the pasta.

The best New York slice in Las Vegas can be found at Secret Pizza

I'm not even sure the official name of this place is Secret Pizza because there's no signage at the entrance, and it doesn't appear on the website of the Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino where it's located.

What I do know is that this is great New York-style pizza, and we never go to Vegas without stopping here for lunch.

To find this place head to the third level of the Boulevard Tower of the Cosmopolitan and look for a long hallway next to Jaleo. The line can get long, so come with some patience. You can order a slice or a whole pie.

There's limited seating inside so we usually take our pizza and beer to the communal seating areas nearby.

Mon Ami Gabi has long been my go-to spot for lunch with a view

We've been eating at Mon Ami Gabi for over 20 years, mostly for lunch.

Located inside Paris Las Vegas, the French eatery has a patio directly across the street from the Bellagio Fountains. We love to sit watch the fountain show while we eat. Showtimes vary so I usually check them and make our dining reservations accordingly.

The food is French bistro fare featuring entrées like steak au poivre and trout almondine. We always start with a baguette and a starter, such as the chicken-liver-mousse páté, and complete our meal with glasses of wine or classic cocktails.