Bazaar Mar – Las Vegas

The latest Bazaar in chef José Andrés empire just opened at Crystals, the luxe shopping center connected to Las Vegas’s Aria hotel, and it’s a sight to behold. Yes, Bazaar Mar is a “mall restaurant,” but just as fancy as the Washington DC Bazaar, only sporting a seafood-focused menu with numerous eye-popping small plates.

Though whimsical presentations are fewer in number, they include pick-and-dip fried baby squid with ink, and a tableside-prepped liquid nitrogen version of the New York Sour called the Nitro Continental Sour, both delicious spectacles.

Bazaar Mar resurrects items from the once-wonderful South Beach locations, including a delicately crispy Singaporean Kueh Pai Ti appetizer and a spiraling Seafood Butifarra sausage served with roasted tomato-topped Pan de Cristal. Typically, the dishes are José-level impeccable, though priced to match elite Crystals shops like Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton. One oven-fired fish or grilled steak costs $120, so stick to smaller plates to see more impressive plates and plating. Examples: a gorgeous map-like presentation of Ora King Salmon Carpaccio, chicken with a stained glass-like mosaic dip, and Alaskan King Crab Chawanmushi served in a crab-shaped bowl.