If you’ve ever wanted to experience dining at a casino without spending all your money, here are some unique places for that experience. From speakeasy-style restaurants and two Michelin star eateries serving Euro-Japanese fusion cuisine, these locations combine gambling and food in one perfect package.
Temecula’s saloon-themed restaurant is an essential stop for cowboy-food enthusiasts. Their extensive menu boasts everything from an impressive 38-ounce cowboy steak to traditional Big Easy dishes like shrimp and grits.
1. minus5o Ice Experience
The minus5o Ice Experience is just what its name implies–an entire bar made entirely out of ice! From furniture to glasses of beverages served from within this establishment, everything here has been expertly carved from this material.
Experienced under a technologically advanced climate control system, the bar offers a consistent temperature of 23 degrees Fahrenheit for an unforgettable experience. Additionally, its New Zealand-sourced ice is created through an air bubble removal process for added authenticity.
On arrival, guests are given insulated coats and gloves before being transported into this winter wonderland for drinks, photo opportunities, keepsake digital photographs (some packages even include this feature!), keepsakes of their experience – plus there are three locations around Las Vegas (including LINQ Promenade’s newly installed Ice Lounge!).
2. Hi Scores Bar-Arcade
Imagine a restaurant where you could play Pac-Man, Frogger and Donkey Kong for free while waiting for food or enjoying drinks – well that place exists and is in Henderson.
Hi Scores Bar-Arcade offers a selection of American dishes such as Ahi Poke, bacon-wrapped corn dogs and burgers, with local craft beers served from its bar. In addition, its lounge features several Sega “candy cabs”, customized sit-down arcade cabinets popular in Japan that contain hundreds of games.
The restaurant features art from local creatives such as Joshua Rodes, Volar Gutierrez and Jimmy Gutierrez depicting characters from Mobile Suit Gundam, Lupin the Third and Studio Ghibli films.
3. Skybar at Waldorf Astoria
Casinos are more than just places for gambling; they also provide fine dining and drinks experiences. Visitors can indulge in traditional schnitzel and German beer or choose something more exotic such as Frankie’s Tiki Room for something truly memorable.
This bar features three distinct sections, each representing a particular era in Las Vegas history. For instance, in the Mojave section you’ll find drinks made using desert spirits such as sotol along with ingredients like aloe vera gel and chili peppers for an authentic desert experience.
This restaurant provides a new take on comfort food and cocktails, from Nashville-style hot chicken to stuffed lechon dishes and dumplings. They even feature an Instagrammable dessert stall offering Taiwanese bubble tea!
4. Ghost Donkey
At Mezcal Sun-Risa, the energy is electric. Twinkling ceiling lights, a white donkey mascot and red lights create an unforgettable ambiance as you sip mezcal-based cocktails such as Cabeza Tequila Vida Mezcal Lime Bitter Orange Hibiscus Cayenne Sun-Risa (cabeza Tequila Vida Mezcal lime bitter orange hibiscus and cayenne).
Ghost Donkey offers equally incredible food, with highlights including grilled octopus, goat cheese “lollipops” with lemon curd, and vegan sliders on its menu.
This tequila and mezcal lounge opened its first location in New York City in 2016, with subsequent locations opening across Denver, Las Vegas, and Auckland. AvroKO Hospitality Interior Design LLC designed its decor as an homage to Mexican culture and cuisine – giving each location its own distinct character.
5. WAKUDA
Tetsuya Wakuda of two Michelin-star fame teamed up with 50 Eggs Hospitality Group to open his debut Las Vegas restaurant at The Palazzo and make their experience truly remarkable. Guests enter through a striking portal that marries Japanese art and street culture with modern art to form a sensory feast of dark woods and stone surfaces – creating an experience not to be forgotten!
From there, diners move into an intimate omakase room where diners sit around a counter lit by boxy paper lanterns illuminating from above. Seasonality greatly informs what dishes will be passed across this counter to diners.
6. Miznon
Casinos around the world feature world-class restaurants. But not all are created equally.
Israeli restaurateur Eyal Shani’s award-winning Miznon chain brings street culture into casino dining rooms through fast, fun food.
Menu options at Pita Pit are more sophisticated than your average mall food stand: their signature pitas wrapped in homemade flatbread are their star attraction, but there are also salads and meat dishes like ribeye minute steak or chicken shawarma available as options.
Shani’s 72nd Street location has quickly gained notoriety on Instagram, though some say it lacks some of the fun associated with their Chelsea Market original location.