Silk Road: Globally Inspired Fare for 180, and Opulent Decor by Karim Rashid

Silk Road, with a kitchen helmed by chef Martin Heierling from the Bellagio's Sensi restaurant, sits off the main entrance at the new Vdara Hotel & Spa. The contemporary Mediterranean menu uses fresh, sustainable ingredients and also includes Middle Eastern, Asian, and other global influences. Silk Road is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and seats 180 for events.

Karim Rashid designed the opulent decor, which takes inspiration from colorful spice bazaars. Gold mirrors deck floors and walls, and orange chairs sit at clear acrylic tables topped with bamboo mats. An illuminated map of the historic Silk Road trade routes hangs above the bar, and pink couches and curvilinear furniture fill the lounge, which has a 25-seat bar. The space has an open kitchen and a private dining room that seats 14.

Dishes employ atypical flavor combinations and include white anchovies with roasted garlic croquettes, watercress, and spicy saffron aioli; charred marinated beef carpaccio served with crisp cheese “twinkies,” mushrooms, and baby arugula; and aromatic chicken and coconut soup perfumed with cilantro, galangal, tapioca, kaffir lime, and Asian mushrooms.

Frederic Larré, formerly of Le Cirque Las Vegas, heads up the pastry program, and the restaurant has a 200-bottle wine list, with 20 available by the glass.