It’s T-minus 14 days and counting until the start of Las Vegas jewelry week. Luxury opens on Wednesday, May 27, while the JCK show opens two days later, on Friday, May 29. (Both shows close Monday, June 1.)
While attending the shows is primarily an exercise in buying, we can’t deny that extracurricular activities such as wining and dining are part of the city’s ever-widening appeal. To that end, we called up Matt Villano, our resident Sin City expert, to talk us through the best new spots worthy of your attention.
If we may be so bold as to offer you unsolicited advice, it would be to take Matt’s suggestions to heart. Personally, we wouldn’t dare make a reservation without his approval.
Below, his always-excellent takes on where to eat, drink, and play this month in Las Vegas.
Where to Eat
“Cantina Contramar at Fontainebleau Las Vegas is one of the best new restaurants in Vegas. It’s a totally different style of cuisine. The dining room is very minimalist and chic. The cocktail program is incredible. Unlike other ethnic restaurants that have Americanized their food, the dishes at Contramar actually have Mexican flavors.”
“I loved my experience at Gymkhana, a new restaurant at Aria, the first fine dining Indian restaurant in Vegas. It’s the first U.S. outpost of a restaurant in London and I’ve gotten the same feedback there as I had about Contramar: I imagine the food is not quite as spicy and flavorful as it is in London but it’s pretty out there for the Vegas palette. What that says to me is that the resorts are more willing to take a chance on bringing in restaurant brands that are delivering food outside the comfort zone of the average guest. For a while, the complaint about Vegas was that the food was a B-. These places are approaching As.”
“Worth noting is Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at its new home at Palazzo. It was in the Sahara, the northernmost casino resort on the Strip, but the casino lacks all the personality it used to have back in the day. José Andrés moved it to Palazzo, right next to Milos, in the heart of Restaurant Row. For people going to the convention center or the Sphere, they’ll walk right by it every day.”
“Other places to consider include Carbone Riviera, a seafood-focused upscale Italian restaurant right on the lake at Bellagio, and High Steaks, James Trees’ newest restaurant. It’s in the old Voodoo Steak location at the top of the Rio. It’s vintage James—he’s taken the traditional steakhouse and put his spin on it. They have a build-your-own seafood tower on the menu, and the view is incredible.”
Where to Drink
“There’s always new stuff in the Arts District. Viking Mike’s is the place with the yurt. The vibe and experience are one of a kind. You’re sitting in this circular wooden yurt built exclusively for this themed bar. It’s just really different and it’s become quite a thing. I had to wait maybe 20 minutes to get in. For the Arts District, that’s notable.”
“They’re doing really cool stuff at Doberman, including live music on weekends (American Idol alum Mikalah Gordon is now performing every weekend). Craft Creamery across the street is an ice cream store in the front and a speakeasy in the back. It’s interesting for people who don’t frequent speakeasies. And like Contramar, Nocturno in the Arts District has a great Mexico City vibe.”
Where to Play
“No Doubt plays at the Sphere during jewelry week. One of the coolest new things in all of Vegas is this virtual reality experience called Interstellar Arc at Area15. You basically wear these googles and wander around a virtual room. You’re on a virtual journey to a land called Arcadia, 11 light years away. When you take the glasses off, you realize you’re essentially walking around a completely empty warehouse. It’s mind-boggling. I thought I was going to hate it and I loved it. I did it with my teenage daughter and she said it was the coolest thing ever.”
“Every year they redo the F1 activation at Grand Prix Plaza, and go bigger and bolder, which is really cool because it’s already pretty rad. This year the go-kart course is even bigger, they’ve got more simulators. There’s a new F1 Arcade at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.”
“Universal Horror Unleashed, also at Area15, is a live-action haunted house. It’s one facility with four separate haunted houses you walk through. People come out and scare you. There’s a central bar to make an afternoon out of it. But it’s not recommended for anyone under 13.”
“Have you heard of Zoox? It’s a purpose-built autonomous vehicle. Unlike a Waymo, which is a robot car, the Zoox has no steering wheel; it’s just a carriage that goes forward and backward. It’s rolling out in Vegas and they’re free. You can take them to get to certain places in town, like between Resorts World and Area15. It’s so cool. You have to call for them via their app and they’re usually posted up in ride share locations. Because they’re driverless and private, they are really great places to make out. It’s a completely different experience—more like a ride at a theme park than it is transport—but it does get you where you need to go.”
Top: The tostada de atún at Cantina Contramar at Fontainebleau Las Vegas (photo courtesy of Fontainebleau)
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