The Palms Casino Resort just underwent a massive, two-year makeover that cost nearly $700 million dollars. Locals who knew the property before say it looks totally different—new restaurants, clubs, suites, artwork. But among all the changes, there are two centerpieces: Damien Hurst's shark sculpture, set in the Unknown Bar, and the same artist's 60-foot-tall demon statue placed in the middle of the Palms' main swimming pool. Bobby Flay's new restaurant is tied to both of them.
Shark is Bobby's first high-end project to open in five years—the last was Gato in New York City. "That's not unusual for me, I take my time opening restaurants," he told Delish ahead of the Palms grand reopening.
"Being part of the relaunch of this property has been incredibly exciting, and frankly, I don't think I can remember a bigger opening or reopening in Las Vegas in a long time."
He came up with the restaurant's name after seeing the aforementioned sculpture; the restaurant itself looks out onto the pool, which is part of Kaos' 73,000-square-foot Dayclub. Restaurant goers will have prime people watching access as they dine on food from Bobby's "fish with Latin flavors"-focused menu. Recipes lean on peppers from South America, Mexico, and the Mediterranean, with "chili peppers of all different iterations" in the mix, including chipotle, ancho, aji amarillo, panca and rocoto.
There's also an extensive sushi and sashimi menu—"If you're gonna serve fish, especially in a place like Vegas, sushi and sashimi are a very, very important part of it," Bobby says. To appease a wide crowd, there's a mix of cooked fish, raw fish, and semi-cooked fish options.
Shark is open now at the Palms Casino Resort alongside restaurants by chefs Michael Symon and Marc Vetri. Take a look inside the restaurant in the video above!
Madison Flager is the Lifestyle Editor at Delish.com; she covers food news and trends, travel-worthy food experiences, and the products you need in your kitchen right now. She has a deep love of coffee and manchego cheese.
