It doesn’t seem like too long ago that production shows, concerts, gaming and sporting events were the main driving forces when it came to tourists booking plane tickets to Las Vegas. But now you can add another element to that equation: Restaurants. Our dining scene has exploded so much—and with so much quality—that it’s impossible to ignore. I know from personal experience that tourists are now coming here just to eat at a specific establishment. Food is life, true, but for a growing number of Las Vegas visitors, life is food.
And the city’s restaurant scene is about to get a whole lot more exciting in the coming weeks and months. At each one of them, there’s a table with your name on it!
Who doesn’t love Martin Yan? He’s practically the Mr. Rogers of food shows. If your mother began cooking Chinese food for dinner back in the ’80s, you can most likely thank Yan and his enormously entertaining and endearing PBS series, Yan Can Cook. Yan might be in his 70s now, but his energy is unfailing. He’s ready to bring his brand to Las Vegas at the soon-to-be-rebranded Horseshoe Las Vegas (currently Bally’s) in a restaurant to be called M.Y. Asia. Set to open sometime this fall, it’s sure to contain all the personality of his show, not to mention the flavors of China, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand. And by all means, make sure to bring Mom!
Pastry fans are no doubt familiar with James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Dominique Ansel, the man who invented the Cronut (If you’ve never had one before, put this magazine down and go get one—we’ll wait!). And this month, Ansel opens his first Las Vegas venture: Dominique Ansel Las Vegas at Caesars Palace. The bakery will feature plenty of signature delights, from DKA (Dominique’s Kouign Amann) to a “Lucky 7” collection of unique creations. We personally can’t wait to try the Lucky Penny Pig, made with milk chocolate crémeux, homemade raspberry jam and salted peanut feuilletine, all sandwiched between vanilla sable cookies in the shape of pig, topped with a chocolate penny.
Aria is already well-known as a foodie’s paradise, and now the property is about to get its first food court—and a seriously elevated one at that. Proper Eats will be situated on the second-level promenade (where you can find other titans like Jean Georges Steakhouse, Carbone, Bardot Brasserie and more) and feature a dozen varied cuisines in a 24,000-square-foot space designed by Alessandro Munge. Tenants will include Seoul Bird, Wexler’s Deli, Egghead and Temaki, and offerings will range from cocktails to cuisine.
Sports fans who park at Mandalay Bay to get to Allegiant Stadium will definitely want to check out the upcoming Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar, which will be awaiting them just steps from the walkway to the stadium. This concept from Carver Road Hospitality combines everything you want in a sports bar experience—dining, drinking, sports viewing and a luxurious environment. Get ready for great scratch burgers, sliders and tacos, as well as a cocktail menu curated by mixology great Francesco Lafranconi. In addition, there will be a “Flanker To Go” walk-up window for those fans who can’t wait to get their seat for the next Raiders game.
The high-end dining scene is about to welcome a new heavyweight contender: Ocean Prime, a $20 million project set to open at 63, a multilevel retail and hospitality complex at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard South and Harmon Avenue, in the spring of 2023. It will be one of only 18 in the country, measure more than 14,500 square feet, and sit four stories above the Las Vegas Strip, so you’re guaranteed spectacular views while enjoying a menu that includes the best of land and sea. The space will include 400 seats, two bars and three private dining rooms.
Mediterranean cuisine is extremely popular on the Las Vegas Strip, as it encapsulates so many different regions. One of the more under-represented sub-categories is Israeli street food ... but no longer. Chef Eyal Shani is opening two outposts of his most popular restaurants, HaSalon and Miznon, at The Venetian in early 2023. HaSalon, which also has locations in Ibiza, New York and Miami, will feature an interactive, open kitchen and lots of energy throughout your dining experience, while Miznon features a highly varied pita menu and serves everything from breakfast to late-night noshing.
Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant empire is about to get just a little bit bigger. He’ll soon be opening Ramsay’s Kitchen at Harrah’s, which will mark his sixth enterprise in Sin City. It promises customers a journey around the culinary world, including not only twists on his signature classics but a raw bar, soups, salads, sandwiches and more.
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