SushiSamba Lounge

Cocktail trees and sugar-cane lighting? The décor at SushiSamba Lounge is a step beyond the realms of “normal” even by Sin City standards. Decked out in thousands of ascending yellow pipes and dangling cylinders, the convivial industrial décor of SushiSamba Lounge is as exotic as the sashimi tiraditos artfully concocted by her Japanese chefs. Described as a fusion of Brazilian street culture and Japanese modernism, the Palazzo Hotel experience is further enhanced by a plethora of cultural surprises – including a troupe of samba dancers!

The SushiSamba brand first launched it's attack on Las Vegas back in the fall of 2008, following on from the wildly successful enterprises of NYC7 and NYC Park in New York. A fastidious approach to blending the contrasting cuisines of Brazil and Japan led to SushiSamba becoming two-time winner of the “Taste of The Nation” award. SushiSamba Lounge Las Vegas is the first club effort attempted by the post-modernist group, whose primary intention was to create a visceral experience alongside the dining facility. It sure paid off. Although intimate, the 200-capacity lounge club is regularly packed to excess and usually a stay-location for many seasoned Vegas clubbers.

Labeled by several publications as an “Avant-Garde fusion of cultures”, the interior of SushiSamba Lounge has become a definitive talking point among visitors to Vegas within on-line forums. “Shunga Pop” artist Felipe Yung (also known as “Flip”) is the graffiti maestro accredited with Samba's controversial artwork and magnificent murals. He blends the urban cool of Brazilian street style with Japan-ized animation to create a comic strip of social activity, befitting of Samba's party spirit. Owners Matt Johnson and Shimon Bikovza re-employed the industrial-oriented creativity of Los Angeles-based “I.Crave” for the $14 million project. The L.A outfit were previously responsible for the sculptural marvels within Koi Restaurant NYC, as well as the sensual interiors of W-Hotel in Atlanta.

SushiSamba's departure from clean-cut minimalism is reflected in the caliber of entertainment served nightly within the lounge area. Far from being just a contemporary nightclub with a rotating DJ schedule, Samba serves up a variegated menu of visual and audio treats ranging from Japanese drummers and dancers, to full blown Brazilian carnival sets with all the dynamism of a Mardi Gras parade. The permanently festive vibe is further enhanced with the raw samba rhythms synonymous with Latin American music, combined with refreshing departures into springy Japanese pop.

Aside from it's flavorful décor and tantalizing cuisine, SushiSamba Lounge has earned a deserved reputation for mixology, with some of the most sinful cocktail combinations in Las Vegas. The “Choco Loco” offers divinity in the form of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Kahlua and Vanilla vodka, while “Javatida” blends Hennessy, Angostura bitter and white chocolate liqueur in what can only be described as liquid heaven. In a defiant step away from up-market competitors who prefer to keep their cocktail secrets under the hat, SushiSamba's sommeliers will even demonstrate how each of their creations are made from scratch!