Las Vegas dining and nightlife
Your guide to Las Vegas restaurants, bars, nightlife, and the amazing food scene across the valley. What's opening, what's closing, what's hot, and what's not.
ARIA's new cocktail lounge, Alibi Cocktail Social, opens Friday, Nov 13 right in the middle of the casino floor, across the walkway from the cashier, so you can just walk up. It's built around a Prohibition theme with classic cocktails and a DJ every night at 9, and it's open 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Chris Holmes got a first look inside and found a curved bar, plenty of seating and a big glass installation hanging over the room. It opens about a week before ARIA closes Jewel Nightclub for good after Nov 21, and the resort says it has no plans yet for that space.
The LINQ's newest bar is Track 35 Bar & Lounge, a New York subway-themed spot on the casino floor right next to Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar. The menu in Chris Holmes's photos lists specialty cocktails at $24 (like the City Never Sleeps, with reposado tequila, Frangelico and espresso), domestic bottles at $9 and wine by the glass at $17, so it's an easy stop when you're walking the center Strip.
Oakwell Beer Spa, a Denver brand that pairs private soak suites with a self-pour taproom of craft beer, wine, cider and kombucha, now has a home at 1 E. Charleston Blvd. in the Arts District, and the company says it plans to open in 2027. The Review-Journal's Johnathan L. Wright reports it's a 4,000-square-foot space with a build-out of more than $1 million, run by local franchisees Andrew and Gina Lanzino. Fun detail: Oakwell says its "beer bath" is hops, barley and herbs, with no actual beer in the tub.
The STRAT has three ways to do Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov 26, starting at Top of the World, the rotating room up the tower, where an apple cider-brined smoked turkey breast with sweet potato bread pudding, fingerlings and charred green beans is $59 (dine-in only, with a $24 squash tortellini and an $18 sweet potato cheesecake bar if you want three courses). Down on the main floor, McCall's has a $47 turkey dinner with smoked stuffing and a cranberry-orange bread pudding, and it takes reservations or walk-ins. STRAT Café does a classic turkey plate with pumpkin pie for $28, and the resort says you can get that one at PT's Wings & Sports and View Lounge too.
Andiamo Italian Steakhouse at the D is putting an Italian spin on Thanksgiving, with citrus-brined turkey breast, Italian sausage stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, yam purée and pumpkin cheesecake for $70 a person on Thursday, Nov 26, according to the D's announcement. If you'd rather eat at home, the restaurant says the dinner is also available to go, and you order it by calling (702) 388-2220.
The Pumpkin Roll is Pinkbox's doughnut of the month again, a cinnamon roll covered in house-made pumpkin icing and pralines, and it's around through the end of November. Then from Nov 22 through Nov 26 the shops add a Thanksgiving lineup you can pre-order online or grab in person, including a Turkey Pooh dressed up like a turkey and a Sweetie Pie made with sweet potato cake and torched marshmallow.
The Circus Circus food court we told you was coming is now open, and Vital Vegas ate there and came away "blown away" by the food, the prices and the service. Tony Ravelo's Ravelo Brands took over the space and built seven new counters for it, and Vital Vegas says the kitchen's secret weapon is chef Vic Vegas (Victor Moea), who has "Bar Rescue" and a stack of Food Network shows on his resume. The menu boards in his photos show double smash burgers at Parkway Burger for $13.99, spaghetti marinara at Miliana's for $12.99, and three buttermilk chicken tenders at Chixies for $11.99 (a dollar more for Nashville hot). That's real value for a Strip food court, so it's worth a stop if you're on the north end.
Krispy Kreme says Excalibur gets the first test shop for Hot Light Express, a smaller version of its stores built around the Hot Light and hot Original Glazed doughnuts, and the company says it's only testing the idea for now. An invite Vital Vegas posted sets the opening celebration for Sunday, Nov 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the second-level food court. If you see the Hot Light on, that means a fresh batch is coming off the line.
Myungin Dumplings, the Los Angeles shop known for giant handmade Korean king dumplings and its turn on Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, now has its sign up at Kangnam Square on South Jones, ChinatownVegas reports. WhatNow Las Vegas says the brand's first try here was a counter inside a gas station on South Rainbow that closed in 2024, so this would be its first real Chinatown storefront. There's no opening date yet.
Chef Kengo's Tokyo-style Italian spot on Spring Mountain opened in 2011, and it's marking 15 years with a special menu on Wednesday, Nov 11, from 4:30 to 10 p.m. (last call). ChinatownVegas says the prices drop for the night, with uni tomato cream pasta at $29.50 instead of $42, squid ink pasta at $21 instead of $30, Santa Barbara uni at $19.50 and takoyaki for $4. It's walk-in only, so plan to wait, or get it to go.
Carmine Vento opened Villa Pizza in Commercial Center on East Sahara in 1976, selling pizza by the slice when nobody in town did that, and the RJ says his fellow cabdrivers told him it would never work. It did, and Villa Pizzas spread across the valley and fed a generation of Las Vegans. He sold the Villa name in 2002, went back to making pizza in 2014 with a shop on West Horizon Ridge in Henderson, and grew that into four Carmine's Pizza Kitchens. The RJ and 8 News Now report he died on Oct 30, according to a post from the restaurant, and his children Frank, John and Connie run the shops and say they'll keep his recipes going. The family says he built it all on "hard work, quality food and hospitality," and if you grew up on Villa slices, Carmine's is still where you'll find them.
The bar and grill on the Rio's casino floor has a new name and a music theme, with Revolution Bar & Grill signs up where Luckley Tavern & Grill used to be, Vital Vegas spotted, and he says the walls are now covered in vinyl records. The Rio's own page lists Revolution with truffle cheese dip, fritto misto and wings to share, then a signature burger, rigatoni alla vodka, a New York steak and prime rib. It opens at 3 p.m. and is closed on Wednesdays.
Ferraro's on Paradise Road is doing Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov 26, from noon to 8 p.m., with three courses for $84 ($28 for kids 12 and under) and the regular menu available too. You pick a starter like burrata with blueberry compote or butternut squash ravioli, then get free-range turkey with sausage stuffing, cranberry chutney and mashed potatoes, and finish with pistachio cannoli, tiramisu or pie. On Sunday, Nov 29, at 6 p.m., the restaurant's last Taste & Learn dinner of the year pairs four Il Palazzo wines from Tuscany with jumbo prawns, pasta e fagioli, a saffron sausage risotto and braised short rib for $150 all in. Both need a reservation held with a credit card, and the wine dinner tickets can't be refunded.
South Point's own holiday page says Thanksgiving at Don Vito's, Silverado, Baja Miguel's and Primarily Prime Rib is already sold out, so the move there is the Garden Buffet, which runs all day on Thursday, Nov 26, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. for $32.95 with a club card or $37.95 without. That gets you roast turkey with the trimmings, prime rib, peel-and-eat shrimp, pies and a gelato bar, plus two drinks for guests 21 and up (Bloody Marys until 11 a.m., then wine, Champagne, sangria or draft beer). Before that, on Wednesday, Nov 11, the buffet is free from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. for active duty military and veterans plus one guest, as long as you show a military ID or DD214 at the cashier. South Point also says the Coronado Café will have an $18.95 three-course turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.
Chef Nicole Brisson has been putting goat ragù on the menus at Brezza and Amari all October, and she's wrapping it up with a Goatober Grand Finale at Brezza on Thursday, Nov 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. Instead of a seated dinner, there are food stations all over the restaurant, so you can wander, talk to Brisson and chef Kyle Johnson, and eat your way through whole-goat birria with handmade tortillas and salsa roja, goat and farro stew, goat ragù cavatelli and a goat pâté she's making from the offal. There's also a big spread of fresh and smoked goat cheeses and antipasti, and the night is a tribute to the late New York cheesemonger Anne Saxelby. Food & Loathing reports tickets are $195 with tax, fees, wine, beer and spirits included, and you book on Brezza's website.
The Circus Circus food court has been dark since its old operator fell about $2 million behind on rent, and the reboot we told you about in early October was supposed to open in mid-October. Vital Vegas now says it opens on Sunday, Nov 1, with seven new concepts from Ravelo Brands (the group behind Chicho's Tacos on the property): SunnyStart, Anthony's Deli & Sandwich Co., Parkway Burger, Miliana's Italian Kitchen, Dragon 88, Chixies and Salt & Batter. The resort's own dining page hasn't been updated yet, so treat the date as Vital Vegas' word until the counters are lit.
Attaboy Burger, known for a cheap smash burger, fries and beer deal for Rio Rewards members, quietly closed at the Rio's Canteen Food Hall, local creator Chris Holmes reported, and the counter is now Stack'd Burgers under new management. The Rio's own food hall page now lists Stack'd with single and double smashed burgers, a Zero Stack'd with an Impossible patty, Sidewinder fries you can get loaded and mac and cheese bites with Parmesan and truffle oil. If you went for the old deal, check the new menu before you go.
The revolving steakhouse on the 106th floor of The STRAT has a new seasonal menu from chef Chad Castanino, and The STRAT says it includes mini chilled lobster rolls for $31, chile relleno ravioli for $21, seared diver scallops with ají amarillo crema for $62 and a 24-ounce prime porterhouse for $109. Pastry chef Jessica Santana added desserts like a Campfire S'Mores tart for $18, and there's a new Autumn Sangria for $19. Top of the World is open daily from 4 to 11 p.m., the room makes a full turn every 80 minutes, and Nevada residents park free.
El Cortez's new steakhouse is doing Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov 26, from 2 to 8 p.m., with three courses for $89. You start with an endive salad, lobster bisque or shrimp cocktail, then pick the El Cortez prime rib, a full turkey dinner with sage dressing and cranberry sauce, or a wild mushroom and chestnut Wellington, and finish with apple pie, warm chocolate cake or pumpkin pie. Reservations are open on the El Cortez site.
Piero's, the old-school Italian room across from the Convention Center where Martin Scorsese filmed scenes for Casino, is serving a three-course Thanksgiving dinner for $85 on Thursday, Nov 26, from 3 to 8 p.m. You start with butternut squash soup, a shaved Brussels sprouts salad or pumpkin ravioli, then get roast turkey breast with turkey sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce and sage gravy, and finish with pumpkin cheesecake and warm caramel. The regular menu is on too, so anyone at the table who'd rather have osso buco or the veal chop parmigiana can still order it. There's live music in the Monkey Bar from 4 to 8 p.m. and a $22 Crème Brûlée Old Fashioned on special, and reservations are open on Piero's website.
Downtown's first Five Guys was supposed to start with a hot dog cart under the Plaza's dome in the spring and open the full restaurant over the summer, and the Plaza's own site now just says it's opening in late 2026. Vital Vegas reports the cart by Carousel Bar should open Nov 12 and the 60-seat burger shop in the former Pop Up Pizza space should open Dec 28, so treat those as targets rather than promises.
La Mona Rosa, the Mexican spot at 100 S. Sixth St. that replaced La Comida in January 2023, relaunched as the Pink Monkey nightclub on Oct 1, 2026, and owner Ryan Doherty told Vital Vegas the kitchen now only cooks for special events and buyouts. The new name is a wink (la mona rosa is Spanish for the pink monkey), but if it was your dinner stop before a night out on Fremont East, you'll need a new one.
On Thursday, Nov 26, Marilyn's Café at Tuscany Suites serves turkey or ham with mashed potatoes or yams, green beans or corn and a slice of pumpkin pie for $18.95 plus tax starting at 11 a.m., and Bistecca Italian Steakhouse opens at 2 p.m. with a four-course turkey dinner for $75 plus tax. If you want a head start, Tuscany says Pub 365 has an $18 Turkey Gobbler sandwich (confit turkey, herb stuffing and cranberry sauce on a hoagie roll) from Nov 1 to Nov 30.
Coming-soon signs are up at 730 S. Rampart Blvd. in Boca Park, where Siegel's Bagelmania is moving in right next to its sister shop Pinkbox, and owner Stephen Siegel confirmed the plan to WhatNow Las Vegas. There's no opening date yet, though WhatNow expects it before the end of 2026. The deli's own FAQ says the Boca Park spot will have a full bar with slot machines like the Convention Center flagship, so a Bloody Mary with your lox and shmear is in the cards. Bagelmania has been around since 1989 (it started as Harrie's Bagelmania on East Twain) and bakes more than 20 kinds of New York-style boiled bagels, so west-siders will finally get them without the drive to Convention Center Drive.
The Nashville-style hot chicken chain, which opened its first shop in Henderson in 2021, lists 855 E. Craig Rd. near I-15 as coming soon, and WhatNow Las Vegas says the building looks close to done, though there's no opening date yet. Expect hot chicken sandwiches, tenders, loaded fries and waffles, with heat levels that run from no spice at all up to "Houston We Have A Problem," which you have to sign a waiver to order.
El Cortez opened on Fremont Street on Nov. 7, 1941, and on Saturday, Nov 7 it's marking 85 years by handing out free cake and champagne inside the casino. The property is 21 and up, and the new Alex Prime steakhouse and Siegel's 1941 are steps away if you want to stay for a meal after your toast.
The late-night menu at View Lounge, the bar overlooking The STRAT's sportsbook, kicks in at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday (the lounge is open until 3 a.m.) and at midnight on Friday and Saturday (open until 6 a.m.). The STRAT's November listings put a double smashburger with fries at $6.99 (add bacon for $2), a king-size cinnamon roll at $4.99, carne asada fries at $8.99 and a 16-ounce bone-in ham steak and eggs at $9.99, and the lounge is 21 and up.
Bring a homemade pie or one from your favorite local bakery to The Art of Pie at The Assembly at UnCommons on Saturday, Nov 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and you get to take home as many slices of everyone else's pies as you brought. Each pie needs to serve at least six, be at least 8 inches wide and carry an allergen label, and you have to RSVP by Sunday, Nov 8 to swap (looking is free, and kids under 12 can share a box with an adult who signed up).
From Saturday, Oct 31 through Saturday, Dec 26, Nevada residents get 25% off food and drinks at participating restaurants, bars and lounges in Caesars' eight Las Vegas resorts: Caesars Palace, The Vanderpump Hotel, Harrah's, Flamingo, The LINQ, Paris, Horseshoe and Planet Hollywood. You need a free Caesars Rewards card (21 and up) and your Nevada ID when you pay, and it works on to-go orders too, like Dominique Ansel's holiday pies and The Bedford by Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving meal to go, but not on Caesars Eats pickup or delivery. Self-parking is free with no time limit at all eight resorts when you scan your Nevada ID, and at the Miracle Mile Shops garage you grab a validation sticker from the valet office on the ground floor. The deal runs seven days a week with Thanksgiving and Christmas included, and the only food blackout is the special F1 dining experiences Nov 19 to 21. The list of participating spots lives at caesars.com/lasvegaslocals.
Al Vapor's Mexico City-style street tacos are now a daily thing at Palms, served from a truck on the non-smoking patio from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with three tacos (asada, adobada, birria or pollo) for $12.95 and three quesabirrias for $18.96, plus asada fries, nachos and aguas frescas. The Las Vegas Sun says it's the fifth valley spot for the family business, which a husband and wife with roots in Mexico City started in 2018.
On Friday, Oct 30, from 5 to 9 p.m., each of the makers on Eastgate Road hosts a food truck, with Hapahaole's Hawaiian Tacos at CraftHaus, Lucky Cat BBQ at Las Vegas Distillery, Mood Truck at Neon Desert Brewing (pouring select $5 drinks) and Graby's at Vegas Valley Winery. It's free with free parking, costumes are encouraged, there are trick-or-treat stations for kids, and Vegas Valley Winery adds a costume contest and a Monster Mash dance party after 8 p.m. (its tasting room is 21 and up).
Grape Vine Café, the Napa-style wine bar and Italian spot at Buffalo and Lake Mead, turns 11 with a tasting and case sale on Sunday, Nov 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food & Loathing reports that $25 gets you tastes of more than 80 wines plus a charcuterie table, that bottles are priced below what wine shops charge, and that you order by the 6- or 12-bottle case of one wine for pickup the following week, so call 702-228-9463 to save a spot.