Since Mon Ami Gabi Made a sensation in 1999 with its terrace on the Strip in Paris Las Vegas, alfresco dining was a hit here – especially after a year of COVID-19 when almost every place with a vacant strip of street added outdoor tables.
One of the newest, most scenic, and largest places is at Beccas Restaurant & Lounge, which opened last spring on 12656 Southern Highlands Parkway in the Tuscan Highlands.
“It’s huge,” said co-owner Winnie Schulman. She doesn’t exaggerate. It is 12,000 square feet – the equivalent of several average-sized houses – and encloses the development’s resort hall, which houses Becca’s dining room, an esports lounge, and a fitness and health club. The courtyard is divided into a veranda and a vineyard and offers both sunlit and shady spaces, tables with water and fire elements, an Italian wine cart, lush landscaped gardens and a view of a megaresort-style pool area right next to the terrace.
Schulman said she knew the outdoor space would be popular.
“You feel so confident out there in the air,” she said, “to dine with that certainty.”
Becca’s menu is based heavily on small plates and pizzas, with starters, salads, pasta and more. beccarestaurant.com
Skull house, which opened in March with Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, also has an expansive outdoor area that extends into the resort’s pool area. Reps from restaurant owner Hakkasan Group said they wanted the Virgin spot to reflect the feel of their original Casa Calavera in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, which sits on a beach. Hence the “toe-in-the-sand” seating for the new one. The restaurant specializes in Mexican cuisine made with authentic ingredients, but with an American flavor in mind. hakkasangroup.com
In the usual place, a new place by James Trees, a finalist for the James Beard Award, has a covered terrace with 40 seats overlooking the picturesque fountains of Tivoli Village and serves classic Italian cuisine with creative twists such as beef carpaccio with garlic truffle aioli and mushroom arugula in addition to the required capers and olive oil. alsolito.com
Sister place Ada’s wine bar, It serves cold cuts and small dishes, as well as popular vintages, and has a shaded terrace overlooking the green landscape of Tivoli Village. adaslv.com
Project BBQ, a fixed food truck anchored at the new Circa resort in downtown Las Vegas, overlooking the Main Street Stage and the action along Fremont Street, serving home-smoked meats like the chopped-breast street tacos, or grilled chicken smoked pulled pork. circalasvegas.com
A number of local restaurants have also expanded and / or upgraded their outdoor dining areas.
Parking on Fremont at 506 Fremont St. recently renovated its premises, adding more greenery and an improved sound system. Offerings include The Seattlelite, a burger made with brie, pinot noir-glazed mushrooms, caramelized onions, baby wild rucola, and coffee-infused mayo. parkonfremont.com
The outside area at Carson kitchen at 124 S. Sixth St. has expanded from the green inner courtyard behind the restaurant to the roof terrace. There you will find dishes such as bacon jam with Havarti and toasted baguette or risotto with black rice and oxtail with parmesan cream. carsonkitchen.com
Esther’s kitchen at 1130 S. Casino Center Blvd. has individual dining tents until June 1st. The patio area is fully equipped with lawn, lounge chairs and a fireplace. Homemade pasta is a specialty, like Mafalda Nero, with lobster, fennel, truffle and lemon. estherslv.com
Strong tapas at 4180 S. Rainbow Blvd. has redesigned its courtyard with a European flair, reminiscent of a lounge on the Black Sea beaches of the Bulgarian home of the chef / owner. It serves dishes like mini peppers stuffed with seasoned ground pork and a yogurt and dill sauce. barforte.com
Green Valley Ranch Resort presented “The Backyard at Sundown” and Red Rock Resort has Crimson in Bloom, both of which take advantage of the resort’s extensive landscaping and serve snacks and sausages. greenvalleyranch.com; redrockresort.com
And don’t forget the restaurants that have had the most beautiful outdoor restaurants in the valley for a long time.
Bacchus hike and America, Both are located in the plaza at 2620 Regatta Drive and have great views of Lake Jacqueline from Desert Shores. Specialties include fried foie gras with cranberry jam and brioche for the former, braised Colorado lamb shank with broccoli raven, and creamy truffle polenta for the latter. marschebachus.com; americanalasvegas.com
Summerlins Vintner grill at 10100 W. Charleston Blvd. has an elegant area with flower gardens and vines, lit Moroccan lanterns hanging from trees, two lit cabanas, gas lanterns, fire pits and burning candles on each table with a linen table. Bouillabaisse with mussels, clams, prawns, snapper, calamari and scallops is one of the many options on the menu. vglasvegas.com
Hawthorn grill and Jade Asian Cuisine & Noodles at the JW Marriott have great views of the resort in Summerlin’s zen-like landscaping. The Hawthorn Grill dinner menu includes braised beef ribs with roasted root vegetables and sweet potatoes; Jade has sushi, teppanyaki and such standards as General Tso’s Chicken. marriott.com
plug at The Venetian overlooks the pool at the resort’s Venezia Tower, with sprawling trees and other plants. Steak bouchon, grilled rib eye and bearnaise sauce with french fries, is one of the modern interpretations of French cuisine from award-winning chef Thomas Keller. thomaseller.com
In Henderson, kitchen table at 1716 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway has a courtyard with cabanas and palm trees. Breakfast and lunch include Croque Madame. Table preparation of dishes such as guacamole and omelets is also available for groups of four or fewer, upon prior reservation with 24-hour notice. küchentischlv.com
And Mimi and Coco Bistro in Montelago Village, which serves dishes such as Dover sole, rack of lamb and Provence veal, has a shaded terrace overlooking Lake Las Vegas. mimicocorestaurant.com
The Review Journal is owned by the family of Sheldon Adelson, the late chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., which runs The Venetian.
Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.
