Opening Set for Venetian’s Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill

A year in the making, but one of the most anticipated arrivals of the year, Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, will finally debut at the Venetian this week, transplanting executive chef and partner Timon Balloo’s menu and exuberant spirit from Florida to the resort’s "restaurant row."

Reservations are now being taken for their first weekend of dinner service starting Friday, Nov. 11, with bookings for lunch beginning Monday, Nov. 14. Future opening hours will be Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with brunch served on the weekend.

Kept well under wraps behind a huge, L-shaped wall of plywood covering the former 6,710-square-foot former V Bar space, Sugarcane will feature a "raw bar, robata grill and an open hot kitchen" and a separate bar and lounge. The house motto will be "kick back, eat well, and stay awhile."

A sister venture to SushiSamba, found one floor above at the Grand Canal Shoppes retail hub, Sugarcane’s menu is centered around "small plates" and creating a "shared experience."

A popular Miami destination since 2010, previously promised dishes include crudos and shellfish, beef short ribs Korean-style or octopus with aji panca, plus "goat cheese croquettes with membrillo marmalade" and Miami favorites "bacon wrapped dates with linguiça and manchego," and the "duck & waffle," created with a "crispy leg confit, duck egg and mustard maple."