The elegant Gymkhana has opened at ARIA Resort & Casino in Vegas, marking the U.S. debut of the two Michelin-starred London restaurant and the first Indian fine-dining restaurant on the Strip. Founded by siblings Jyotin, Karam, and Sunaina Sethi,  in partnership with MGM Resorts, Gymkhana Las Vegas delivers contemporary Indian cuisine under executive chef Srikant Kumar. 

With interiors by North End Design, the space reimagines the intimacy of a London townhouse for Las Vegas with nods to India’s historic Gymkhana clubs and the Sethi family’s heritage. Distinct spaces include The Vault and the VIP 42 Bar.

The beverage program features signature cocktails like the Bagheera, a green spicy mezcal margarita inspired by Chaprah, a bold Indian chutney made with ants from the jungles of India and the Gymkhana Punch Trolley Service, presented tableside for up to eight people to share, plus reserve cocktails,  interpretations of classic and contemporary creations using premium spirits, like The Boss Hog, Gymkhana’s spin on an Old Fashioned.

Vegas

Courtesy Salt & Straw

Also new to the Las Vegas strip, artisan ice cream brand  Salt & Straw made its debut this week,  opening new shops at Paris Las Vegas and Flamingo Las Vegas. To celebrate the openings, both shops feature a special menu, The Icons Series, a variety of Salt & Straw’s signature flavors created by co-founder and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek. 

 Malek has created a menu of 13 classic flavors, including Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, Honey Lavender, Arbequina Olive Oil, and Chocolate Gooey Brownie. Salt & Straw also offers seasonal, monthly rotating menus. The icon series includes:

 Pots of Gold & Rainbows – Hand-sorted rainbow marshmallows tossed into a cereal-steeped ice cream 

Birthday Cakes & Blackberries – Hunks of rainbow-sprinkled birthday crumble studded throughout double-vanilla ice cream and ribboned with blackberry jam 

Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache – Pieces of almond brittle and hunks of creamy chocolate ganache swirled in vanilla ice cream 

Chocolate Chili Crisp Peanut Butter Cups – Milk chocolate ice cream with bite-sized, housemade chili crisp peanut butter cups, swirled with peanut butter marshmallow fluff  

Death by Chocolate Chocolate Cake (v) – Chocolate barley oat milk swirled with chocolate caramel fudge and hunks of chocolate cake, finished with a chocolate ganache.

What’s Popping Up is a column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink