The 50 Most-Anticipated Restaurant and Nightlife Openings in 2013

Welcome to 2013, the year of the blockbuster openings all across Las Vegas. Fifty restaurants, lounges and nightclubs have already laid out plans to infiltrate Sin City by the end of the year. Some have already tipped their concepts. Others, such as Tom Colicchio's restaurant coming to the Mirage or Akira Back's second restaurant at Mandalay Bay, haven't even decided on a name. Big projects such as The Linq and Downtown Grand have their own subset of restaurants and bars going in that plan to start opening toward the end of the year. And Hakkasan at the MGM Grand promises to change the nightlife landscape in Vegas. Here's a look at what's on the horizon for restaurant and bar openings in 2013 in alphabetical order. See something missing? Drop it in the comments or send an email to vegas@eater.com.

Bradley Martin contributed to this article.

1842 Pub
Location: MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Early 2013
Michael Mina's gastropub concept, 1842 Pub, replaces his own MGM Grand seafood restaurant Seablue. This time around the focus will be on craft beer, snacks, shellfish, sausage and burgers within a vintage-design setting.
· All Coverage of 1842 Pub [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]

Unnamed Akira Back restaurant
Location: 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: March
Replacing the shuttered China Grill at Mandalay Bay, Akira Back of Yellowtail at the Bellagio will front a new restaurant rumored by Mandalay Bay staff to be Japanese in direction. It joins Brian Massie's Citizens and Red Square in a triumvirate of the resort's restaurants to be run by the Light Group in 2013.
· All Coverage of Akira Back [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Banger Brewing
Location: Neonopolis, 450 E. Fremont St.
Opening: March
A 6,772-square-foot brew pub on Fremont Street, Banger Brewing will feature microbrews created on site, with seated patios, a bar and a walk-up window for the sale of growler bottles.
· All Coverage of Banger Brewing [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Carmine's
Location: Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Winter
The New York outpost of Carmine's plans to open a 25,000 square-foot, two-level restaurant. Look for family-style Italian food in the former Planet Hollywood space.
· Carmine's Plans to Open at the Forum Shops at Caesars [~ELV~]
[Photo: Chelsea McManus]
Chronic Tacos
Location: Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road
Opening: Early 2013
The second Vegas location for Chronic Taco will sit inside the Palms food court, The Eatery. The franchise likes to combine burritos and tacos with an edgy design aesthetic.
· All Coverage of Chronic Tacos [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Citizens Kitchen & Bar
Location: Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Late January
The Light Group's executive chef Brian Massie, opens a casual American bistro, Citizens Kitchen & Bar, inside the former Red, White & Blue space at Mandalay Bay. The comfort food menu will be available 24 hours a day.
· All Coverage of Citizens Kitchen & Bar [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Unnamed Delano Beach Club
Location: Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Unknown
The Light Group plans to open an unnamed beach club in the vein of Ibiza's Ushuaia. The nightclub and beach club can fit 2,182 revelers round the former Landshark Lagoon pool.
· All Coverage of Ushuaia [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Dos Caminos
Location: 10820 W. Charleston Blvd.
Opening: March
Dos Caminos, the Mexican restaurant formerly at the Palazzo will move to Summerlin and take over the shuttered Agave space. Taking advantage of the larger real-estate the restaurant design will include candlelight inside and lanterns and fire pits on the outside patio.
· All Coverage of Dos Caminos [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Downtown Grand
Location: 206 N. Third St.
Opening: Certificate of Occupancy by Sept. 15
So much plans to go into the coming Downtown Grand. Look for I Love Burgers, Daily Kitchen & Wellness Bar, Biergarten, NY Deli & Sports Book and S+O Cafe, as well as bars called the Empire Room, Lobby Bar and Center Scene. The Commissary on Downtown3rd promises to the the central hub next to an outpost of Vegas Chinatown "Ultra Tavern Little Macau. The biggest get? Pizza Rock, Tony Gemignani's Sacramento "pizza experience" taking over the former Celebrity Theater with a flaming truck to be mounted to the building roof. Mob Bar will undergo a revamp while Triple George Grill and Hogs & Heifers join the fray.
· All Coverage of Downtown Grand [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]

Fat Choy
Location: 595 E. Sahara Ave.
Opening: Mid-January
Sheridan Su plans to open his own restaurant inside the Teddy's Bar & Grill space at the Eureka Casino. Look for an Asian menu that expands on the dishes of Great Bao as well as some holdovers from Teddy's, such as a burger and Philly cheese steak. But expect the three-meal restaurant to feature bao in addition to dishes from Su's childhood.
· All Coverage of Fat Choy [~ELV~]
[Photo: Credit]
Fremont Country Club
Location: 601 Fremont St.
Opening: January
The 10,000-square-foot Fremont Country Club music venue from Big Daddy Carlos and Ava Berman will join their newly opened Backstage Bar & Billiards Lounge within the same building. Blues, rock and alternative bands will be booked three or four nights a week.
· All Coverage of Fremont Country Club [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Hakkasan
Location: MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: April 2013
The massive club will take up 75,000 square feet over five levels filled with the restaurant and lounge as well as a new nightclub component, something unique to Las Vegas. Inside Hakkasan plans to have a similar Chinoiserie decor to the flagship, Michelin-starred London location.
· All Coverage of Hakkasan [~ELV~]
[Photo: Gillet & Boissier]
Heraea
Location: Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road
Opening: January
Taking over from Garduños, The ONE Group is building Heraea, a women friendly sports bar with the advertising tag-line  of "Where Girl's Go To Play." Live entertainment and music are also scheduled to become part of the mix.
· All Coverage of Heraea [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Inspire Theater
Location: 501 Fremont St.
Opening: First quarter of 2013
Tony Hsieh's Fremont Street theater will provide a venue for visiting lecturers, plenty of space for locals  to interact, an espresso bar, an international newsstand and a second floor lounge and bar.
· All Coverage of Inspire Theater [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
La Comida
Location: 106 S. Sixth St.
Opening: March
Michael Morton's Downtown Mexican restaurant project has stripped a Sixth Street building to its bones and aims to rebuild with a 25-foot cocktail bar and outside dining on a newly created patio area.
· All Coverage of La Comida [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Light Nightclub
Location: Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: March
From Cirque de Soleil and The Light Group, the former Rumjungle space at Mandalay Bay will be transformed into The Light Nightclub. The 38,000-square-foot venue will include an enormous video wall, an elevating DJ booth and Cirque du Soleil performers, including winched dancers dropping from the ceiling.
· All Coverage of Light Nightclub [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
The Linq
Location: 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: End of 2013
The $550 million Linq plans to start opening at the end of 2013 with a lineup of 32 tenants already announced. Aside from sporting the tallest observation wheel in the world dubbed the High Roller, The Linq plans to have a Brooklyn Bowl with a concert, nightclub, bar, bowling alley and restaurant venue with food from the Bromberg Brother's Blue Ribbon. Yard House will have a two-level outdoor patio and beer garden space. An Asian-themed restaurant called F.A.M.E., which stands for food, art, music and entertainment, will offer sushi, dim sum, noodle bowls and robata grill foods with lounge seating and street art from urban Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul. Sprinkles, the Los Angeles-based cupcake and ice cream shop; Flour & Barley, a brick oven pizzeria from Billy Richardson and his chef and partner Anthony Meidenbauer's Block 16 Hospitality; Off the Strip Bistro, a bistro and bar from former N9NE Group partner Andrew Belmonti; The Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery; and Chayo Mexicano are among the food and beverage tenants announced.
· The Linq Locks Down an Amazing Lineup of Tenants [~ELV~]
· All Coverage of The Linq [~ELV~]
[Photo: Courtesy]
Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
Location: Red Rock Resort, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd.
Opening: Summer
Lucille's brings its second barbecue restaurant to Red Rock Resort, taking over the Cabo Mexican Restaurant space.
· All Coverage of Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Lulu's Bread & Breakfast
Location: 6720 Sky Point Drive
Opening: January?
Look for fresh-baked artisanal breads in this bakery at the back of the newest Metro Pizza. Chris Hanmer, who won Season 2 of Top Chef Just Desserts and owns the School of Pastry Design, created the dessert menu and plans to offer baking classes.
· All Coverage of Lulu's Bread & Breakfast [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Mingo Kitchen & Lounge
Location: 1017 N. First St.
Opening: February
Mingo Collaso already has Mundo at the World Market Center. Now he plans to open Mingo Kitchen and Lounge, a more casual concept with American (and likely Latin-influenced) small plates and cocktails.
· All Coverage of Mingo Kitchen & Lounge [~ELV~]
[Photo: Facebook]
Nobu Restaurant & Lounge
Location: Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Feb. 1
Nobu Matsuhisa plans to not only open his second Vegas restaurant but an entire hotel tower, where he will design the room service menu. The 12,775-square-foot restaurant designed by David Rockwell features bowed columns of bamboo along the exterior to resemble a traditional Japanese ikebana basket used for flower arranging.
· All Coverage of Nobu Restaurant & Lounge [~ELV~]
[Photo: Courtesy]
Park on Fremont
Location: 506 Fremont St.
Opening: Jan. 15
The beer garden and gastropub opening downtown takes over the former Maharaja Hookah Lounge space.
· All Coverage of Park on Fremont [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Rachel's Kitchen
Location: 150 Las Vegas Blvd. N.
Opening: January
The off-Strip favorite plans to open a 2,791-square-foot, quick-serve restaurant with seating for 71 people and room for outdoor seating under a covered area at The Ogden.
· All Coverage of Rachel's Kitchen [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Radio City Pizzeria
Location: 508 Fremont St.
Opening: Jan. 11
Ousted from Tivoli Village, Radio City Pizzeria is now just about ready to open on Fremont Street.
· All Coverage of Radio City Pizzeria [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Rockhouse Bar & Nightclub
Location: Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: End of January
The dive bar, ousted from Imperial Palace to make way for the Linq, plans to bring 9,000 square feet of pool tables, beer pong tables and a mechanical bull when it returns at the end of the month.
· All Coverage of Rockhouse Bar & Nightclub [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Unnamed Shawn McClain restaurant
Location: Aria, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Unknown
Skybox Sports Bar & Grill shuts down today to make way for an unnamed new project. Shawn McClain, the Chicago chef behind Sage, said the once the Buffet at Aria finished its remodel, he was opening a more casual concept at Aria.
· All Coverage of Shawn McClain [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Slice Perfect
Location: 150 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Unknown
Miki Agarwal's organic friendly pizza joint, Slice, plans to open in The Ogden. Agarwal plans to serenade guests on the ukulele.
· All Coverage of Slice Perfect [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Unnamed Tom Colicchio restaurant
Location: Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Summer
Kokomo's closes early this year to make way for a new steakhouse from Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio. The yet-unnamed 250-seat restaurant will focus on meats prepared entirely over an open flame — from wood-burning ovens to charcoal grills.
· Crafty Tom Colicchio Lights a Camp Fire on Kokomo's [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Twin Peaks
Location: 3717 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Opening: Winter
The breastaurant trend continues with Twin Peaks bringing its Lumberjill waitstaff to Harmon Corner. The restaurant will feature patio dining, rock climbing wall contests and TVs everywhere you turn.
· All Coverage of Twin Peaks [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]
Velveteen Rabbit
Location: 1218 S. Main St.
Opening: End of January
The Velveteen Rabbit takes over a vacant space ravaged by fire. This lounge named for a children's book to leap onto the scene by the end of January.
· All Coverage of Velveteen Rabbit [~ELV~]
[Photo: Susan Stapleton]
Xishi
Location: Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road
Opening: Winter
A pan-Asian concept from the One Group takes over the former Little Buddha space at the Palms.
· All Coverage of Xishi [~ELV~]
[Photo: Bradley Martin]