Buckle Up: SLS Las Vegas Debuts Tonight

SLS Las Vegas
Address: 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Phone: 1-855-761-7757
Status: Opens at midnight

The day has finally come where the north end of the Strip has a new resort, one that promises to change the dynamic of the corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. SLS Las Vegas swings open the doors tonight at midnight to show off its $415 million renovation of the former Sahara Hotel. And that means a bevy of new restaurants to explore.

José Andrés' Bazaar Meat tops the list with its own reinvention of Andrés' The Bazaar. Look for a menu of whole suckling pigs; cuts of beef, pork, fish and poultry; and wild game and offal. A tartare bar showcases carpaccios and cured meats. A raw seafood bar includes caviars. Andrés includes his tapas as well. More than 600 wines make the menu. Other notables include a carpet with an image of a butcher's diagram of an entire cow, and one long table that runs nearly the entire length of its dining room.

Cleo with its pyramid-shaped entrance features a 14-foot image of Cleopatra and food from the Mediterranean. Chef Danny Elmaleh serves up a shared-plates menu of mezze, tagines and flatbreads.

Katsuya by Starck brings sushi from master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi and designer Philippe Starck. Sushi and sashimi platters, rolls, robata and specialty cocktails top the menu of this bento box shaped space.

Ku Noodle is Andrés' take on Asian cuisine with hand-pulled and cut noodles. Find soups, siu mai, rice, vegetables and salads as well as Taiwanese-style shaved ice on the menu here.

The Griddle Cafe brings Jodi Hortze's breakfast and comfort foods. Open 24/7, The Griddle Cafe serves breakfast all day as well as the Liquid Diet menu with Boozy Pitchers to share.

Also on hand, Vegas' second 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria with its Neapolitan pizzas that can be customized. These babies cook in 60 to 90 seconds in the restaurant's 800-degree wood-burning ovens.

Vegas lands its first Umami Burger, Beer Garden & Sports Book, the cult burger joint. All of the beef burgers are made with hand-ground, hand-formed premium steak. The result is a sophisticated, tightly edited selection of burgers, sides and accompaniments like The Manly Burger, The Truffle Burger and Cheesy Tots. Find 35 craft beers that can be sipped in the restaurant's outdoor beer garden overlooking the Strip or in the sports book operated by William Hill.

Head up to the mezzanine level for The SLS Buffet, open daily for breakfast and dinner, as well as weekend brunch. Find stations with food covering Chinese, Japanese, wood-grilled, Indian, Mediterranean and seafood. Peking duck, pastas, steakhouse classics and more can be found in this buffet set up to look like a rustic cabin.

For something very casual, head to The Perq with LAMILL Coffee, tea, salads, panini, quiches, pastries and gelato.

The resort's lobby bar, Monkey Bar, features classic cocktails and craft beers. It also has an outside terrace where cigars are available to order.

Then there's nightlife. Three nightclubs come with SLS Las Vegas. Life is a 20,000-square-foot club with a rooftop pool. Erick Morillo spins there at midnight. Foxtail is a little more lounge than nightclub with open-format music and celebrity appearances. It has its own pool club. And finally The Sayers Club, the live-music venue.
· All Coverage of SLS Las Vegas [~ELV~]
[Photos: SLS Las Vegas]