Top new restaurants — and notable closings — in Las Vegas for 2023

As 2023 draws to a close, we celebrate noteworthy restaurant openings and closings — 23 in each category — that occurred in the past year in Las Vegas.

This list is not comprehensive. We considered only standard restaurants that had opened or closed by Dec. 1. New spots had to launch this year; places that simply moved or reopened were excluded. To be deemed closed, restaurants had to permanently cease operations, not be temporarily shuttered or relocating.

Here’s to all the Vegas flavor in 2024.

Openings

Amari: This Italian American restaurant, anticipated for more than a year, opened in July in the UnCommons development in the southwest. Highlights: housemade breads and pasta, saltimbocca pizza and at least 100 amari liqueurs.

Azzurra Cucina Italiana: Azzurra debuted in February in a distinctive building on a renewing stretch of Water Street in Henderson. The kitchen sends out chef’s meatballs, risotto of the day, penne alla vodka and pork chops agrodolce.

Basilico Ristorante Italiano: Modern Italian joined the Evora development in the southwest with the March launch of Basilico. At brunch, there’s gnocco fritto. At dinner, sea urchin bucatini. Plus, social hour and cocktails abounding.

Casa de Raku: Once pastries, now tapas. In November, Casa de Raku, a tapas bar, debuted in the former Sweets Raku bakery in Chinatown. The menu, besides meat and seafood, also features beverages and, yes, desserts.

Cathédrale: In May, Cathédrale from New York City brought its signature drama to Aria, with a soaring dining room featuring a monumental ceiling installation. It’s the ideal spot for caviar omelets, Dover sole and tableside crêpes Suzette.

Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup: The first Vegas location of the popular Korean restaurant from the Bay Area debuted in April on Decatur Boulevard south of Sahara Avenue. The signature dish is braised short ribs (kalbijjim) heaped with cheese brûléed at table.

Double Zero Pie & Pub: Progressive Neapolitan takes a star turn at this Chinatown pizzeria that debuted in June. Owner-pizzaiolo Michael Vakneen obsesses over his dough. Taste the results in a perfect wood-fire pizza Margherita.

Echo & Rig Butcher & Steakhouse: In February, chef-owner Sam Marvin opened his third Echo & Rig, this time in Henderson. Diners select from about 10 cuts of beef variously sourced from different farms and ranches. Zabuton, baby!

Fine Company: Chef Roy Ellamar left the Strip two years ago, returning in September with Fine Company in Downtown Summerlin. The menu mingles his Hawaiian roots with global influences: banana bread, black bass, Yucatán roast pork.

Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Sports Kitchen: The Food Network star took Vegas to Flavortown again with the July launch of the restaurant in Horseshoe Las Vegas. Look for trash can nachos, doughnut burgers and ribs with jalapeño cornbread.

HaSalon: HaSalon, which opened in July in The Venetian, is a sit-down spot earlier in the evening, a tabletop-dancing party place later on. International chef Eyal Shani brings Israeli dishes touched with French and Japanese influences.

LPM Restaurant & Bar: The whimsical spirit of Jean Cocteau, the French writer and filmmaker, informs LPM, which debuted in November in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas with a menu from the South of France. Try: escargots and a Tomatini cocktail.

Mizunara: Chef Shotaro “Sho” Kamio from the Bay Area launched his Mizunara in June at The Sundry food hall in UnCommons. The restaurant showcases temaki hand rolls served open face. And the chilled chashu ramen? Splendid.

La Mona Rosa: The chefs behind Peyote came aboard to helm the kitchen for the January debut of Mona Rosa. Their take on regional Mexican cooking runs to xoxoctic tamarind lettuce salad, pork belly tacos and carnitas with mole amarillo.

Ocean Prime: This $20 million restaurant debuted in June atop the 63 development. Its capacious terrace overlooks the Strip. Grab a seat for brioche French toast at brunch, a Maryland crab melt at lunch and dry-aged wagyu at dinner.

Palette Tea Lounge: Palette, from the owners of Koi Palace in the Bay Area, debuted in November in Chinatown. Dim sum is the point: radish cakes, lobster har gow with lobster stock, xiao long bao with spheres of black vinegar gelatin.

Peter Luger Steak House: An outpost of Peter Luger, which opened in 1887 in Brooklyn, debuted at Caesars Palace in October. An iceberg wedge, a USDA Prime Luger Burger and dry-aged Prime steaks take pride of place on the menu.

La Popular CDMX: La Popular, from a Mexico City restaurant group, began service in June at the Palms. The menu features modern Mexican dishes such as prawns aguachile, quesabirria tacos, enchiladas blancas and habanero barbecue ribs.

Ppang Co.: This bakery, whose name means “bread” in Korean, opened in November on South Jones Boulevard, off Spring Mountain Road, with sweet and savory baked goods. A must-buy: Mont Blanc pastry cylinders topped with caramel.

Stanton Social Prime: Stanton Social of New York City spun off Stanton Social Prime in March at Caesars Palace. Flagship French onion soup dumplings made the trip to the Strip. Pair them with a 64-ounce Super Tomahawk steak.

1228 Main: In June, a longtime Wolfgang Puck exec opened the restaurant, with the chef as a partner. The place features a top-notch bakery, breakfast shakshuka, sugar snap pea salad at lunch and cast-iron Jidori chicken at dinner.

Winnie & Ethel’s Downtown Diner: The winner of a $1 million free diner launched in November on East Charleston Boulevard. Comfort classics range from Benedicts to a meatloaf sandwich to breaded pork chops.

Zippy’s: After years of waiting by locals, the diner chain opened in the southwest, its first shop outside of Hawaii. The menu, released in phases, currently offers Spam and eggs, famous Zippy’s chili, saimin and a Korean fried chicken plate.

Closings

Aureole: After 24 years at Mandalay Bay, celebrated chef Charlie Palmer closed the restaurant in April, making way for Retro by Voltaggio, a culinary residency from Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, the restaurateurs and “Top Chef” stars.

Banger Brewing: This Fremont Street brewery closed in March after making beer for almost a decade. “We lift our glass and cheers our friends, our family, our followers and our amazing city!” the owners said in a Facebook farewell.

Big Wong: The owners decided to retire, closing shop in May after 12 years of serving noodle soups, curries, Hainanese chicken and signature deep-fried pork chops from their Chinatown storefront.

Bourbon St. Parade: This New Orleans-inspired spot, with a marching band and a hand-cranked vintage cocktail shaker, debuted in October at Grand Bazaar Shops. A month later, it closed. No reason was given.

Donut Bar: May saw Donut Bar end its seven-year run in downtown, after branching out from San Diego in 2016. The doughnuts ranged from classics such as apple fritters to newer styles such as vegan PB & J.

The Dorsey: This Venetian bar that helped define the Vegas cocktail experience since 2016 closed in June. 81/82 hospitality took over the space, redesigned it and launched Juliet Cocktail Room, named for a rare British rose.

Fleur: This casual spot for regional French cooking began life in 2005 at Mandalay Bay as Fleur de Lys, a fine dining destination from famed chef Hubert Keller. Fleur shut in May. In January, chef Michael Mina is opening Orla in the space.

Gordon Biersch Brewery: After almost 30 years of brewing, Gordon Biersch in the Howard Hughes Center closed in April. Its parent company described the closing as “a strategic decision based solely on business demands.”

Half Bird Chicken & Beer: Chef Brian Howard of Sparrow + Wolf closed his Chinatown chicken spot in December after about 18 months. But when one cluck closes, another opens: A Henderson Half Bird launched in November.

Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar: The restaurant closed in April at Red Rock Resort after almost a decade of wood-fire American dishes. Leoncito, showcasing regional Mexican cooking, replaced Hearthstone with its November debut.

Lily Bar & Lounge: In late spring 2022, media reports emerged that singer Bruno Mars would open a concept in Lily. In July, Bellagio said only that Lily would close that month. In November, the property finally confirmed Mars is on his way.

Lupo: Around Labor Day, chef Wolfgang Puck and Mandalay Bay said goodbye to the restaurant, which had opened 24 years earlier. Caramá, an Italian spot honoring the chef’s mother, is set to replace Lupo in January.

M.Y. Asia: Chef Martin Yan, the TV star and restaurateur, opened his pan-Asian namesake in March in Horseshoe Las Vegas with dim sum, Thai curries and noodle pulls. Five months later, the restaurant closed without comment.

Old Homestead Steakhouse: Old Homestead began life in New York City in 1868; its Caesars Palace version dates to 2012. The steakhouse, with its dry-aged beef, closed in May to become Brasserie B by Bobby Flay, which recently started accepting reservations for January.

138 Degrees: Chef Matt Meyer’s homage to dry-aged beef — named after the ideal temperature for serving steaks — closed in November after about 13 months in Henderson. The chef has hinted that he’s working on a new project in the area.

Planet Hollywood Restaurant: The restaurant debuted in 1994 with a celeb-laden bash. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis were investors. Planet Hollywood Restaurant shut in May; it occupied two locations in the Forum Shops over the years.

The Smashed Pig Gastropub: In May, this British spot downtown announced its sudden closure on Instagram, while also teasing folks to “keep an eye out for what’s happening next.” Fans miss the fish and chips and full English breakfast.

Square Bar: This ’70s-themed spot opened in April 2022 with groovy stripes racing along walls, retro dishes, open-mic nights and live entertainment. The bar closed in October in the funky New Orleans Square at Commercial Center.

Sweets Raku: In June, airy cream puffs, apple compote pies and quiche plates ended at this beloved Chinatown bakery, which had been open for a decade. A social media post cited “circumstances beyond our control” for the closing.

Tacos & Tequila: After a decade on the Strip, Tacos & Tequila moved to Palace Station, launching in April 2022. The No. 1 Alambre tacos and the barbacoa enchiladas lasted there about 16½ months — the restaurant shut in September.

Vegas Test Kitchen: This downtown incubator opened in December 2020 to assist chefs during the pandemic. Over the next 2½ years, until its June closing, the Test Kitchen helped more than 50 chefs try out new dishes and concepts.

VegeNation: VegeNation, a pioneering vegan restaurant in downtown, closed in July after eight years. Earlier health challenges prompted chef-founder Donald Lemperle to adopt a plant-based diet, leading him to open the restaurant.

Wolfgang Puck Players Locker: The menu from the famed chef offered a New American menu for sports viewing in Summerlin. The Locker shut in July to begin its transformation into Lupo, which is moving off Strip from Mandalay Bay.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram and @ItsJLW on X.