Las Vegas, like the best of us, is always evolving. The self-proclaimed Entertainment Capital of the World is constantly adding new restaurants, new diversions, and new spectacles to behold.
One of the benefits of having the annual JCK show in Sin City is that participants and organizers alike get to tap out of show programming and tap into the current of change that defines the local zeitgeist. Year after year, once we leave the proceedings at The Venetian Resort, the toughest question is: How am I going to spend my free time? Below are some ideas you might want to consider.
Close to Home
Because JCK attendees and exhibitors spend so much time in The Venetian Resort, it’s important to know all about the latest and greatest options there. Thankfully, there’s lots to keep you busy.
No. 1 on everyone’s list: Nomikai, a Japanese restaurant that is one part sushi counter and one part speakeasy (the name is a mash-up of the Japanese words for “to drink” and “to gather”). The counter is the domain of chef Setsuji Mitsui, who specializes in hand rolls and nigiri. Items are made to order and intended to be enjoyed on-site; for guests who’d rather grab their food and go to the Sphere or the convention center, takeaway options are available. The speakeasy, which has notably less pomp and circumstance than other Vegas speakeasies, offers an extensive sake and Japanese whiskey collection as well as an innovative cocktail program.
Elsewhere on property, The Venetian Resort recently welcomed the first Las Vegas outpost of Gjelina, a beloved Venice Beach restaurant in Los Angeles famous for its produce-forward farm-to-table cuisine. The eatery is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, and if you try only one item on the menu, make sure it’s the addictive anchovy and burrata toast with house-made peperonata, parsley, and olive oil.
Sadly, the resort’s much-anticipated Via Via food hall will not be open in time for the JCK event. When it does open, this will be the site of the only Las Vegas Strip location of All’Antico Vinaio, a cult-favorite Italian sandwich shop that started in Florence in the early 1990s. Keep it on your radar for next year (or any time after Aug. 1).
To the north, inside Resorts World Las Vegas, chef Jeremy Ford (who won Top Chef Season 13) has opened an outpost of Stubborn Seed, his Michelin-starred restaurant from Miami. The eatery offers one of the only chef-driven tasting menus in town. Guests have the option of elevating the experience with three additional courses and/or a wine pairing that incorporates six wines from regions all over the world. One standout dish during Stubborn Seed’s opening week was the sake-and-citrus–cured Japanese yellowtail, served with crispy tapioca, compressed Asian pear, and a passion fruit buttermilk emulsion. It was paired with Dassai 45 Junmai Daiginjo sake.
Of course, another huge attraction near The Venetian is the Sphere—the most technologically sophisticated concert venue in the world. Country star Kenny Chesney will perform on select dates throughout the month of June, including shows on June 6 and 7, just as JCK is getting started.
Strip Search
Other casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip have rolled out new venues and attractions in the last few months.
At The Linq, Spiegelworld—the same theater company behind Absinthe and (the now-defunct) OPM—has introduced DiscoShow, a bodacious musical that celebrates the birth and rise of disco. The show is great fun and is fascinating as an art form. The venue has no seats; instead, guests are encouraged to dance and interact with performers as the story unfolds. The show also is home to a restaurant and two bars: One bar, 99 Prince, resembles a 1980s New York City subway station, while the Diner Ross restaurant has a 1970s theme and serves dishes such as meatloaf and chicken schnitzel.
Big changes also are—pardon the pun—taking flight just south along Las Vegas Boulevard, at the Flamingo Las Vegas. In January, the hotel-casino welcomed two new celebrity restaurants: Gordon Ramsay Burger, the seventh local restaurant from chef Gordon Ramsay, and Pinky’s by Vanderpump, owned by the inimitable TV star and philanthropist Lisa Vanderpump. While the former spot is casual, the latter is over-the-top swanky, complete with a gilded ceiling, dishes that come in golden birdcages, and craft cocktails galore.
MGM Grand has tapped into the TV universe with its latest restaurant, too: The new Netflix Bites is a café with a menu of food and drinks based entirely on Netflix programming. One dish, inspired by Squid Game, features chicken tenders, red and green dipping sauces, and a wheel you must spin to see which sauce you get.
Downtown Dalliances
Las Vegas is more than just the Strip. The Arts District, a neighborhood that is part of downtown, continues to play host to some of the hottest spots in town.
It’s no secret that the best Italian restaurant in Las Vegas is Esther’s Kitchen, a hip Italian joint that serves pizzas, pastas, and other dishes—all made from scratch. In 2024, the restaurant added an ultra-exclusive cocktail lounge in an upstairs loft that overlooks the dining room. The Treehaus bar is a great spot for an after-dinner digestif.
At the beginning of 2025, James Trees, the owner of Esther’s, opened another cocktail bar just south on Main Street. Petite Bohème specializes in modern spins on classic French cocktails. The signature drink, J’Accuse, combines apple brandy, amaro, and absinthe; mixologists light the absinthe on fire before pouring the other ingredients into the hot glass.
Another newcomer to the Arts District: Doberman Drawing Room, which opened this spring. The menu here has been developed by Juyoung Kang, a mixology oracle who has built other programs around the city at places including Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den inside Resorts World Las Vegas, and the Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort. Kang is renowned for inventive drinks, and she delivers in the new digs. If you have just one, go for the Tom Kha Fizza, which combines gin, lime, and bird’s eye chili with cream, coconut, and egg whites.
On the other side of downtown, the circa 1941 El Cortez Hotel & Casino recently unveiled a huge expansion to its casino floor, complete with two new bars and a new restaurant. The slot floor and main table-games pit remain the best places to spot gambling influencers filming for their various social media channels.
Other Cool Stuff
No discussion about what’s new in Las Vegas would be complete without mentioning other fun destinations and attractions.
Perhaps the quirkiest is the latest addition to Area15, the immersive entertainment playground just west of Interstate 15. This attraction, dubbed Dopeameme, is a 30-minute adventure with physical challenges specifically designed to provide participants with real-life dopamine hits. The result, as one might expect, leaves everyone happy.
Other newcomers revolve around sports.
The first has technically been in Las Vegas since 2023: It’s Grand Prix Plaza, home to the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix each November. Except for race week, the Plaza has been off-limits to laypeople for the last two years. Starting in late March, however, the facility opened to the public with an interactive exhibition, race simulators, and more. The most exhilarating experience: F1 Drive, where guests can ride electric karts on the Formula One course at speeds of up to 29 mph.
The second sports-centric experience, Swingers Las Vegas, comprises four mini-golf courses, an arcade, and two bars in a cavernous space that had another life as the Rumjungle nightclub at Mandalay Bay. Each course features nine holes as well as little tables to rest cocktails while you swing.
Finally, Chicken N Pickle in nearby Henderson combines two of America’s favorite pastimes: fried chicken and pickleball. The venue features dining areas on two levels, a sports bar, six indoor and eight covered outdoor pickleball courts, a dog park, beer gardens, and yard games including Ping-Pong, shuffleboard, cornhole, Battleship, Jenga Giant, and more. Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are among the investors behind this growing chain, which has locations in Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City; and Glendale, Ariz., to name a few. The dynamic duo might not have achieved a three-peat at the Super Bowl this year, but this place is a surefire winner.
Top: The shapeliest landmark on Las Vegas Boulevard, The Sphere (photo: LVCVA)