The Best New Las Vegas Sleeps and Eats

The Delano single-handedly redefined Miami sexy-chic design when it opened in South Beach in 1995 (okay, let’s be honest — it redefined sexy, period), so we have high hopes for the Vegas location, which opened September 2 next to Mandalay Bay. Look for a modern take on the Delano’s signature white-on-white aesthetic in the 1,117 guestrooms (all of which are suites, by the way) and variations in scale and texture in the dramatic public spaces. Also on tap are an Alain Ducasse eatery, a craft cocktail spot dubbed Franklin, and the steamy Bathhouse Spa.

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto is set to launch a new outpost of his Philadelphia-based restaurant either later this year or in early 2015 at the Mirage. His crispy rock shrimp tempura with spicy aioli is a dish that launched a thousand knockoffs at sushi bars around the country. While each location (which now include ones in New York and Honolulu) of this nouveau Japanese hot spot has its own signature dishes, some of his most beloved include hamachi tacos, yellowtail pastrami and spicy Alaskan king crab. Look for our favorite: the “duck, duck, duck” trio entrée, which can include a duck confit spring roll, crispy roasted duck, a decadent foie gras-filled croissant, a perfectly cooked over-easy duck egg, or rich duck meatball soup.

You may not think of the western edge of Las Vegas as a big draw for visitors, but this new complex (named after the fancy New York City neighborhood) isn’t just a condo complex; there’s also find shopping, as well as restaurants that are sure to draw crowds, including an Italian steakhouse by Top Chef Masters alum Alex Stratta and an outpost of Bachi Burger, where the interesting takes on the french fry include oxtail chili cheese fries and sea salt–crusted fries served with pineapple ketchup.

Grand Bazaar will have more than 150 shops when it opens in October, but don’t call it a shopping mall. This outdoor complex, located outside Bally’s, is designed to look like a 21st-century take on an Old World market, similar to Marrakech’s souk or Istanbul’s bazaar. You’ll see familiar names — Havaianas, Lush, Rock and Republic — as well as new-to-the-U.S. brands such as Rome-based paper and leather goods purveyor Campo Marzio. Los Angeles–based chef Sam Marvin will also have five venues, including ice cream, cupcake and macaroon shops.

In September, Chicago star chef Tony Hu opened a Vegas outpost of his venerable Chinese stalwart at the Palms, adding an haute Szechuan option to the city’s impressive roster of Asian fine dining. The menu is crazy long but filled with all of our favorites from the region. Dim sum is served every day (in the dramatic plum-colored dining room and on the terrace), as are fiery Szechuan classics including hot pot, mapo tofu and dry chili chicken. Our advice? Cool the burn with calamansi- and lychee-sweetened cocktails.

This new hot spot at Tivoli Village is one of the most highly anticipated openings of the fall. Vegas-based husband-and-wife dynamos Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla, the pair behind locally beloved Honey Salt, have steeped the restaurant in comforting Americana. Picture dishes served in mason jars, plenty of white subway tile, menus written on chalkboards, and a bar that serves craft beers and doubles as an arcade. Then there’s the food itself, which includes deviled eggs served with bacon, hot smoked chicken wings served with ranch dressing, and Kansas City–style BBQ ribs paired with cole slaw and a bacon-cheddar biscuit.

Some of the coolest openings of the past year – the High Roller (the world’s tallest observation wheel), Brooklyn Bowl (a Vegas outpost of the New York bowling-alley-cum-restaurant-cum-concert-venue) – are in the new Linq complex. And next month it will add to the roster with the Linq Hotel, a $223 million revamp of the former Quad, set to open just in time for Halloween. The guestrooms have colorful street art–inspired murals and modern treats, including iPad/iPhone docks, LED TVs and charging stations. Best of all, some have views of the striking London Eye–like Ferris wheel and are connected to the complex’s 12 restaurants, eight bars, 14 shops and two concert venues.

This dumpling bar and noodle house opened this month in the Paris Hotel. As at Lao Sez Chuan, there are dim sum carts, but that’s where the similarity ends. The fusion menu also includes Japanese and Taiwanese fare, and the setting is designed to look like an outdoor café, with exposed brick and streetlamp-style fixtures. And the dishes are as casual as they are familar; look for pork soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, Peking duck and fried rice.

We would follow the James Beard Award–winning Spanish chef José Andrés just about anywhere. And his Jaleo outpost at the Cosmopolitan is one of our first stops when we’re in town. We dare you to find a better jetlag-fighting meal than sangria, Iberico ham, piquillo peppers filled with goat cheese, and croquettes, which are playfully served in a sneaker. Yeah, you read that right. Now his new steakhouse at the SLS explodes the concept with even more fanciful preparations and presentations, such as foie gras served with cotton candy or melted into s’mores. Expect grand presentations as well, including flights of caviar and elaborate raw bar plates, before you even get to the meat part of the menu.

Food, music and art. That’s the winning combo on tap at this all-ages festival, taking place October 24 to 26. Now in its second year, its mission is to serve up some of the most wonderful things that life has to offer alongside some social justice inspiration in areas such as gay rights, bullying and more. The fest brings in some pretty heavy hitters: Musicians include Kanye West, Foo Fighters and Outkast; chefs include Hubert Keller, Giada De Laurentiis, Jonathan Waxman and Marc Forgione; and art world star Charlotte Dutoit is curating a series of murals by street artists around the city. It all kicks off with preview party Grills & Guitars, a take on a backyard barbecue that allows a lucky few festivalgoers to throw back microbrews and dig into some killer eats while interacting with big name chefs. Life is beautiful indeed.