The Most-Anticipated Restaurant and Bar Openings in Las Vegas This Winter

THE STRIP

Beauty & Essex

For nearly two years, rumors of Beauty & Essex taking over the Comme Ça space at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and now the resort announces that the brunch and dinner restaurant from Tao Group is officially by March. Expect a 2016 opening of the restaurant that’s a partnership between Tao Group, which has Marquee at the resort, and Chris Santos, the chef who has appeared on Chopped and also owns New York City’s The Stanton Social. On the Lower East Side in New York, Beauty & Essex serves up share plates and champagne brunches on the weekends. The restaurant also has a dress code that requests “upscale casual attire” and frowns on “shorts, hats, flip-flops, ripped jeans, or tank tops.”

Beer Park

Beer Park by Budweiser

Paris Las Vegas wants to get ahead of the beer park and plans to debut Beer Park. The concept from Hexx executive chef Matthew Silverman takes over the rooftop section of the Chateau Nightclub & Gardens. Food will be cooked outdoors on grills. The Paris location is hyped as "the first of multiple locations."

Sugar Factory American Brasserie

A 19,000-square-foot restaurant, candy story and chocolate lounge are headed to the front of Fashion Show mall. Sugar Factory fans, brace. The restaurant version of the celebrity-friendly brasserie is about to return to the Strip. Sugar Factory American Brasserie plans what owners describe as “its largest and most lavish restaurant and retail complex to date” in early 2016 at Fashion Show mall.  The 19,000-square-foot restaurant sits on the plaza at the front of Fashion Show.

WESTSIDE

El Burro Borracho

The Guy Fieri takeover of Las Vegas continues when he rides into town on a drunken donkey next year. The whirling dervish brings El Burro Borracho, his ode to the Mexican restaurant that originally opened Harrah’s Laughlin in December 2014, to the Rio in early 2016. That means dishes with crazy names such as the crispy Mahi Mahi Juan tacos, “Flaming Queso Fundido,” Acapulco gold salads, drunken fish tacos, lava rock shrimp and more. Salsas, bocaditos and street tacos join the imported beers, tequilas, margaritas and cocktails planned for the menu.

Summerlin

Libre

Clique Hospitality takes over Mercadito at Red Rock Resort reopening it as Libre in February. The restaurant and bar management group from partners Andy Masi, Brian Massie and Shane Monaco renovates the space and revamps menu from Massie as well.

southwest

DW Kitchen & Market

DW Bistro chef Dalton Wilson and his partner Bryce Krausman plan to open DW Kitchen & Market, a 7,721-square-foot space dubbed a food hall, offering baked goods, flowers, a wine bar, retail items, prepped foods and cooking classes at the Gramercy. Outside, a 1,500-square-foot patio inside the courtyard.

DOWNTOWN

Le Pho

District One chef Khai Vu's next venture at downtown's Juhl residential building is the Vietnamese kitchen Le Pho on the western corner, right next door to the Classic Jewel Le Pho's 2,557 square feet of work space will also include a compact 240 square feet of outdoor seating, featuring views of Bonneville and Third Street and the drive-thru wedding chapel across the street. Via social media chef Vu has been teasing possible dishes as he preps the menu. Alongside to be expected twists on the traditional pho bowl, already hinted are banh cuon, "steamed rice roll stuffed with ground pork, wood ear mushroom and shallot," banh mi op la, created with a "baguette, pâté, eggs, fresh cut veggies," banh beo, a variety of steamed rice dishes served tapas style and pho ga, a Vietnamese chicken noodle soup.