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A whole fish on banana leaves
Whole roasted branzino in banana leaf topped with lemon, fennel, green onion, and roasted corn salsa and served on a bed of rice noodles with poblano Parmesan sauce at La Cocina Exclusivo.
Leinani Shak Photography

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A Daring New Restaurant With Progressive Dishes From Former Twist Chefs Hides Behind Sliding Doors at Tivoli Village

La Cocina Exclusivo from the El Dorado Cantina team opens on Friday at Tivoli Village with progressive Mexican fusion fare

If a secret restaurant serving progressive Mexican cuisine from a former chef at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire appeals to you, the team behind El Dorado Cantina has a new spot for you. La Cocina Exclusivo opens at Tivoli Village on Friday hidden behind a sliding door and up a set of stairs. The exclusive 40-seat experience intends to stay somewhat secret with some in-the-know people told where to find it and others discovering it on their own.

In January 2020, El Dorado Cantina opened at the outdoor shopping center on the westside. Then after Hamptons closed permanently in May 2020, El Dorado scooped up the space. The lower level and adjoining patio space between the restaurants serves as overflow for the crazy popular Mexican restaurant. But a sliding door in the overflow space leads to a set of stairs that, once climbed, reveals La Cocina Exclusivo.

Where El Dorado Cantina specializes in burritos, tacos, and carne asada, diners at La Cocina Exclusivo can find chicken karaage tacos, shrimp tempura tacos, whole branzino with rice noodles and poblano sauce, and tamales with yellow curry shrimp and crab. Diners can expect more tapas as well as large-format dishes meant to share. Down the line, La Cocina Exclusivo expects to add a cheese cart. The restaurant has its own cocktail menu as well, featuring intricate drinks such as a horchata colada, guayabitos en verano, and a Polynesian mango using organic ingredients.

“We want people to discover it,” says Ryan Klaasen, director of operations at El Dorado Cantina and La Cocina Exclusivo. “It’s more of like a secret restaurant within the restaurant that some of our customers will stumble into, some of them will be invited into, but ultimately, the way that we want to get this message out to the people is word of mouth.”

Where diners at El Dorado Cantina can grab a cocktail, drink, and entree and leave about 90 minutes later, those at La Cocina Exclusivo can expect a longer coursed experience. The space features 40 seats, a small bar seating six, and a small patio overlooking the El Dorado Cantina shared patio.

Executive chef Rob Meistrell worked at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire before heading up La Cocina Exclusivo and brought over some of his team from Twist to surprise diners with seasonal dishes and an ever-changing menu. And corporate chef for El Dorado Cantina and La Cocina Exclusivo John Miranda is the former chef de cuisine at Twist. The talent alone in this kitchen promises to bring daring and surprising dishes.

So far, La Cocina Exclusivo plans to be open Tuesday through Saturday for three hours.

A green plate with a seafood dish
Seafood tamale with shrimp, crab, yellow curry, Oaxaca cheese, sofrito, escabeche, and cilantro in squid ink masa at La Cocina Exclusiva.
Leinani Shak Photography
A gray plate with a taco
Yam croquette tacos with breaded yam and Oaxaca cheese, arbol soy cream sauce, pineapple, red onion, caviar lime, and micro cilantro at La Cocina Exclusiva.
Leinani Shak Photography
Three cocktails in a row.
From left: Polynesian Mango, Horchata Colada, and Guayabitos en Verano at La Cocina Exclusiva.
Leinani Shak Photography

Tivoli Village

400 South Rampart Boulevard, , NV 89145 (702) 534-0000 Visit Website

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire

3752 South Las Vegas Boulevard, , NV 89158 (702) 590-8888 Visit Website

Hamptons

440 South Rampart Boulevard, , NV 89145 (702) 916-1482 Visit Website

La Cocina Exclusivo

440 S Rampart Blvd #180, Las Vegas, NV 89145 702-447-0502

El Dorado Cantina

430 South Rampart Boulevard, , NV 89145 (702) 333-1112 Visit Website
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