A pandemic slowed but didn’t halt the always-steady stream of new restaurants in Las Vegas. Several new eateries on or near the Strip came to life in 2021. Since many of us haven’t been to Vegas in a year or more, this notable short list includes a couple spots that opened doors in late 2020.
Traveling to Sin City for the the annual resumption of March Madness in Las Vegas? Or, just flying in for some still-socially-distanced food and fun? It’s 50-percent capacity as of March 15 and six-top dining is permissible.
Here’s the skinny on new restaurants in Las Vegas.
Chef Todd English
Celebrity chef Todd English left Las Vegas for a few years. He’s back.
When City Center first opened, Todd English P.U.B. was a casual chic pub down near the end of the cul-de-sac near the Aria Resort & Casino. I’ve got great memories of good seafood, laugh-filled beer pong games and the 7-Second Beer Challenge.
The Challenge was to drink a pint of beer in seven seconds. There were hourglasses affixed to the bar filled with just seven seconds of sand. Bartenders were strict on timing. Finish a beer in seven seconds and it was free. Go too slow and you fork over the cash for the brew.
English seems to be in a hurry to get his name back in play in Vegas. In September 2020, he opened the Beast Food Hall at Area 15. It’s a 200,000-square-foot entertainment venue.
Unlike a food court with a variety national fast-food chains, this hall mixes smaller artisan restaurants. Different stations focus on specific cuisines. There’s a wok station, a spot for Roman-style flatbreads, a barbecue station and a vegan stall. English plans to rotate the menu.
English once oversaw Olives at the Bellagio (and did the menu for Beso, Eva Longoria’s nightclub that closed in 2011). When Virgin Hotels opens in late March in the former Hard Rock Hotel and Casino site, English will revive Olives.
Note: When Virgin Hotels opens, it will also house a dozen food-and-beverage outlets, including Nobu and MB Steak.
Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse
Speaking of steak, Flamingo Las Vegas opened vintage-styled Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse over the summer. Highlights include a dry-aged meat cooler, a raw bar, three private dining rooms and a hidden speakeasy. Heading the kitchen is Lamar Moore, winner of the Food Network competition program “Vegas Chef Prizefight.”
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The Mayfair Supper Club
The Mayfair Supper Club has taken over the one-time nightclub space that overlooks the iconic fountains at Bellagio Resort & Casino on the Strip. The restaurant is inspiration by vintage London supper clubs and features Roaring ’20s décor. Old-school presentations of Wagyu prime rib are available.
International Smoke
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is the latest location to open International Smoke. The dining franchise is a collaboration between celebrity chef Michael Mina and restauranteur Ayesha Curry (wife of NBA star Stephen Curry). The barbecue-heavy menu includes smoke-infused dishes, including the eatery’s signature charcoal-grilled oysters. The restaurant was temporarily closed to start the year, but opened during the Super Bowl and may be open for March Madness. For details, call 702-891-3922.
Din Tai Fung
The Din Tai Fung dining experience arrived at ARIA Resort & Casino in 2020. The highly regarded Taiwanese dumpling and noodle house is known around the world for its xiao long bao (steamed soup dumplings). The menu will include handcrafted Shanghai-style noodles and dumplings filled with Kurobuta pork and other treats.
Amalfi
Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, which had been open for 16 years at Caesars Palace, served its last meal in November 2020. Flay has a new seafood restaurant called Amalfi in the works for the location, billed as his first Italian restaurant. Scheduled to open in late spring, Amalfi will feature a Mediterranean theme and incorporate elements of southern Italy’s Amalfi Coast. J&J
Oh I’m excited to try Mayfair Supper Club. I had reservations in 2020 right at the time of Covid shutdown and it was canceled.
Right, Covid was especially bad timing for Mayfair’s opening.
The Mesa Grill is closed? I’m so sorry to hear it. Looking forward to trying the new one. We love Bobby Flay.
Bobby Flay’s new Italian seafood resto is coming in spring. Same spot that was Mesa Grill.
I’m so hungry by just looking at Din Tai Fung dish,beautifully captured !
New restaurants in Las Vegas. Good to read that.
I haven’t been to Vegas, but if I ever go to this place in future, I’ll pay a visit to these restaurants surely 🙂
Until coming across your blog post, I didn’t realize how much I’d love to get back to Vegas. Maybe all this isolation has me suddenly craving for a time and place where we could be crowded together and just have fun. Of course, I’d also love to try out those restaurants!
Las Vegas has really turned into a culinary city! I can’t wait to travel again and try some of these!
I would love to go to Vegas…my goodness the shows and food…what a beautiful place to travel to!
Ohhh, I never even thought that Vegas would have so many interesting food options! The places look so cool, and I definitely want to see the ’20s decor in The Mayfair Supper Club!
Take me to Las Vegas please!!! I’ve been a couple of years ago, i am sure everything changed now…Can’t wait to go again.
I’ve been to Las Vegas but never been to these places you mentioned. I like the smoke place in MGM and the Asian cuisine one. Las Vegas is a beautiful city and so much to offer. I’ll take note of these choices as I want to go back there.
We’ve been wondering if Vegas’ casinos and restaurants are closed during the pandemic, and now we have our answer! So thank you! Well… it’s not as if we could travel to Vegas right now (we live in Europe, so traveling to the USA will have to wait until we get the vaccine or when the situation gets better…), but when we go to L.A. we usually spend a few days in Vegas. We always enjoy going to the awesome buffets you can get there, but we also like being served in a “real” restaurant, so it’s good to know about these new restaurants!
Note: There are some new great restos, but the buffets are mostly gone.
Las Vegas finally has a Din Tai Fung?????!!!! YES. Now I have a reason to go visit my parents. Black truffle and pork Xiao Long Bao FTW!
I have been in Las Vegas so many times and have not been to any of those restaurants, except for the Mesa Grill, but that is unfortunately gone now. In the past, I used to eat on the Strip, but over the last several years I have discovered some real nice restaurants off the Strip. The may not be that fancy, but they had good food.
I love how Vegas is different every time we go! I’d love to go to Bugsy & Meyer and Din Tai Fung!
Beast Food Hall looks like a really cool place to hang out. Would like to visit it.
The Beast Food Hall looks like a lot of fun! The dining options sound much more enticing than a typical food court, especially for an entertainment venue. Also, I LOVE Din Tai Fung and am so glad to know I can get it in Vegas!!