The reports of the death of Las Vegas are greatly exaggerated.

Sure, as most major media outlets have reported, visitation is down from where it was a year ago. And yes, hotels are desperate enough for business that many of them have—gasp!—temporarily suspended parking fees for out-of-town guests. Despite the haters who say the destination has jumped the proverbial shark, Las Vegas is still going strong.

In fact, with a slew of new restaurants, bars, and attractions, Sin City might now be better than ever before. These developments are good news for those of us who plan to attend the Luxury and JCK Las Vegas shows from May 27 to June 1. Below are some ideas for how to book downtime while you’re in town.

Restaurants Galore

New restaurants are like jackpots in Las Vegas—they just keep coming. This past year saw several major openings, both on the Las Vegas Strip and off. The newest addition to the local dining scene: the much-anticipated Cantina Contramar inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

The restaurant is the first adaptation of Contramar, chef Gabriela Cámara’s beloved restaurant in Mexico City. Much like that flagship, the Vegas version will focus on seafood. The menu features signature dishes such as tuna tostada and pescado a la talla. A central bar, run by Tequila Casa Dragones, offers craft cocktails and small-batch tequilas for sipping.

Two other notable recent openings include Gymkhana at Aria Las Vegas and Carbone Riviera at Bellagio. The former, an outpost of the famous London hot spot, is the first high-end Indian restaurant on the Strip. To cater to an American audience, the menu features beef in dishes such as Wagyu keema naan beef and short rib pepper fry. Other standouts include lobster Goan curry and slow-braised pork cheek vindaloo.

The latter—a seafood-heavy version of the Italian restaurant Carbone—sits on the shore of the Vegas version of Lake Como, giving diners a front-row seat to the fountain show that goes off every 15 minutes. Big spenders can pay to arrive in style on a 33-foot Riva yacht.

There also are new restaurants at The Venetian Resort, good news for anyone craving a quick bite after a day spent on the show floor at The Venetian Expo. Two highlights offer variations on the steakhouse theme. At Bazaar Meat, which moved from Sahara Las Vegas, chef (and activist) José Andrés serves several fancy cuts of beef as well as Spanish treats like a jamón bar.

With Cote, chef Simon Kim presents a modern spin on Korean barbecue that features a selection of Japanese A5 Wagyu from various prefectures. The newish food court, Via Via, opened shortly after the 2025 JCK show, and is now a favorite for authentic Tuscan schiacciata sandwiches from All’Antico Vinaio and spicy hot chicken from Chef Johnny Ray Zone at Howlin’ Ray’s.

Finally, off the Strip, Chef James Trees opened his first steakhouse in the old Voodoo Lounge space atop the Rio, and locals love it. High Steaks (get it?) features the usual complement of beef cuts as well as creative seafood towers and a bacon appetizer that tastes like candy. The views from up there aren’t too shabby, either.

Bars and Then Some

This is the golden era of the Las Vegas bar scene, with more than a half-dozen new and newish establishments worth trying. Downtown, the Japanese-inspired White Whale serves a mix of traditional cocktails and whimsical interpretations such as the frozen “Penichillin” made with Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie, ginger syrup, honey, and lemon. Pachi-Pachi, an eclectic bar/nightclub/restaurant, overwhelms the senses and is best enjoyed after midnight and a few edibles.

In the Arts District, other new bars bring eclectic vibes. The most curious of the bunch: Viking Mike’s Alpine Yurt Bar, which, as the name suggests, incorporates an honest-to-goodness yurt. Drinks here are notably Scandinavian—there are several selections of Danish mead, and a lunchbox-style Yoo-hoo carton spiked with an upside-down nip of Ullr schnapps. There’s even a limited food menu reminiscent of what you might find in a German beer hall.

Other Arts District bars are quirky in different ways. Dark Sister is witchy, complete with dim lighting, tarot cards, and menus that change with each solstice and equinox.

Prowl is campy, with a jungle theme and cat imagery most everywhere you look. Craft Creamery extends and amplifies the ongoing speakeasy trend—it’s an ice cream shop in the front and a bar in the back through the walk-in freezer. Once you’re back there, be on the lookout for the random Salma Hayek murals.

For those who prefer group experiences, Lip Smacking Foodie Tours offers a new Arts District Craft Cocktail Crawl that gets you five drinks at five bars in two hours. The tour is $99 per person.

On the Strip, the best new nightlife destination is Bottled Blonde, a three-story sports bar that sprouted practically overnight on the sidewalk in front of the Grand Bazaar Shops. The venue boasts more than 40 televisions and a drink menu that includes “Capri Sin” cocktails in juice pouches. Head to the rooftop bar for some fresh air and a glimpse of the fountain show in front of Bellagio across the street.

New Diversions

Considering that Las Vegas bills itself as the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” the city is always welcoming the new. The latest attraction is the four-story BLVD mall across from Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. While parts of this shopping destination are still under construction, guests can check out flagship stores for Adidas and Puma along with an epic overlook with great views of City Center and the Strip. A three-story In-N-Out Burger is expected to open here later this year.

Around the corner, at the Grand Prix Plaza, the F1 X experience has been completely revamped with new memorabilia and an enhanced 4-D theater with stereoscopic LED technology that surrounds guests with holographic visuals. The F1 Drive go-karts have also evolved from last year—the space now includes a wider track and more drive time on a part of the official course that will host the annual race on Nov. 21.

If you like museums, check out the Hall of Excellence at Fontainebleau, which displays sports mementos and artifacts from luminaries such as Tom Brady, Muhammad Ali, and Aaron Judge, and the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, where an exhibit of animal mummies from ancient Egypt will run through Sept. 13.

There’s nothing quite like experiencing a show at Sphere, the orb-like arena attached to The Venetian Resort. The one-of-a-kind venue will host Gwen Stefani and No Doubt on May 27, 29, and 30 and will run multiple daily showings of The Wizard of Oz, a reimagined version of the classic complete with blowing wind and apples that fall from the sky.

Other entertainment options the week of JCK Las Vegas include Blake Shelton at The Colosseum inside Caesars Palace on May 24; Sebastian Maniscalco at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on May 23–24; and Russell Dickerson at PH Live inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on May 22.

Summer Standbys

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention some of the city’s old standbys for solid summer fun.

Just south of BLVD mall, across from Park MGM, BrewDog brewery has the foremost outdoor rooftop patio in the city, with sweeping views of the Strip. (The beer isn’t bad either.) While several resort pools offer day passes, the best experiences are at Flamingo Las Vegas, the only Strip casino with swim-up blackjack, and Palms, where the pool complex is surrounded by two stories of cabanas. Both offer live DJs several days a week.

For indoor fun, check out the Las Vegas Aces, who play at Michelob Ultra Arena attached to Mandalay Bay. The reigning WNBA champs feature four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, arguably the best player in the entire league, and the Aces are practically unstoppable at home. Tickets are hard to come by but usually are available at a premium on StubHub and other resale sites.

Top: The Vegas strip by night (courtesy Rio Las Vegas)