The saddest restaurant closings in Las Vegas in 2021

Closing a restaurant or bar is almost always a sad occasion — and, unfortunately, Las Vegas saw some favorites disappear from the dining scene in 2021. The following restaurant and bar closings made a particularly large impact by drawing dedicated regulars or bringing the area something essential. These eight restaurants really surprised fans when they closed.

Costa Di Mare

One of the best Italian seafood restaurants in Las Vegas closed in July. Costa Di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas featured dishes from chef Mark LoRusso, who opened the restaurant in 2015 with a roster of Mediterranean seafood and Italian cuisine. Aside from the romantic patio overlooking a lagoon surrounded by private cabanas, Costa Di Mare featured fresh pastas and 40-plus fish flown in from the coast of Italy daily. Its most famous dish, langoustines, were flown in from a very secret locale on the Mediterranean.

A dining room with a stained glass piece of artwork in the background. — Rose. Rabbit. Lie.

Rose. Rabbit. Lie.

Rose. Rabbit. Lie., the daring supper club at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, opted not to reopen in March. The venue with live entertainment and fabulous presentations for dishes such as a beef Wellington, caviar tacos, and a terrarium chocolate dessert reopened in June 2020, only to close in January 2021, a victim of reduced capacities in restaurants.

“After seven incredible years of providing world-class dining and entertainment to our guests, Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has closed to the public. The reimagined supper club experience made its debut in 2013 as the first-of-its-kind and changed the Las Vegas dining scene forever,” a spokesperson said at the time. Superfrico took its place.

Two pancakes on a white plate with whipped cream and a pink sauce. — Guava chiffon pancakes at Cinnamon’s Restaurant.

Cinnamon’s

Cinnamon’s, the restaurant out of Hawai’i on the westside, permanently closed in February as ownership awaited a Payroll Protection Program loan. The restaurant specialized in guava chiffon pancakes and closed four separate times during the pandemic, ultimately trying its hand at takeout, but suffered from electrical and water heater problems. Kono’s Northshore with its kalua pork took its place.

Sixth + Mill

Sixth + Mill, the Italian restaurant from Matteo Ferdinandi and chef Angelo Auriana, the team behind Eater 38 member Matteo’s Italian Ristorante, quietly closed and converted into Brera Osteria from the duo. Sixth + Mill, which opened in 2019, featured dishes from six Southern Italian regions, along with items Auriana remembers from his childhood. Casual dishes such as pizzas with red or white sauces, pastas using hard durum wheat or egg-based, fritters, and larger entrees.

Elio

Technically, Elio, the Mexican blockbuster at Wynn Las Vegas, closed in November 2020, five months after opening, but the resort didn’t make it official until 2021. The restaurant from Enrique Olvera, Daniela Soto-Innes, and Santiago Perez of ATM Group planned to go through a renovation when it originally closed. Elio featured a menu of regional Mexican dishes made with seasonal ingredients. Casa Playa took its place.

A white plate with slice sushi rolls neatly arranged. — Sushi at Osaka.

Osaka

One of the oldest Japanese restaurants in Las Vegas, Osaka, closed its location near Summerlin. The long-time Japanese restaurant right on the border of Summerlin closed after a 23-year run on Lake Mead Boulevard and Buffalo Drive in September. Owner Joy Faas-Nakanishi decided to retire and move to Florida. Her siblings operate the original restaurant and a second in Henderson, which both remain open. Slater’s 50/50 opens in the space this year.

The interior of a restaurant decorated with Christmas lights. — Rao’s.

Rao’s

Rao’s closed after 15 years at Caesars Palace in November. The second outlet for the Italian restaurant with East Harlem roots opened in 1896 with only four tables and six booths in a space decorated in Christmas lights year-round and Frank Sinatra and Frankie Valli photos on the wall. Rao’s specialized in meatballs made with ground veal, pork, and beef and Sunday gravy, along with Uncle Vincent’s lemon chicken that’s charcoal broiled and topped with Vincent’s famous lemon sauce, all meant to share. Caesars Palace did not announce a replacement for the restaurant.

A colorful dining room with a column in the center — Marigold.

Marigold

Marigold, the restaurant from Las Vegas-based Gen3 Hospitality and owner Billy Richardson at Resorts World, permanently closed a little more than five months since it debuted when the new resort opened on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip in June. Marigold featured mid-century modern décor, an ode to the golden days of Las Vegas and Palm Springs, along with a roster of craft burgers, lobster rolls, and decadent desserts, with classic American staples at the heart of the menu. Lobster-forward dishes such as lobster avocado toast, lobster croquettes, lobster linguini, and proper lobster rolls were the big draw here. Resorts World did not announce a replacement.

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