Julian Serrano Tapas

Julian Serrano Tapas was a Las Vegas restaurant specializing in contemporary Spanish small plates, created and operated by chef Julian Serrano. It occupied a prominent position in the lobby of the Aria Resort and Casino and became Serrano's second Las Vegas restaurant after Picasso, his acclaimed fine-dining venue at the nearby Bellagio. The restaurant was developed through a relationship between Serrano and MGM Resorts International during the creation of Aria. In 2009, MGM offered Serrano a contract to open a restaurant at the new resort. Serrano accepted on the condition that the project include a tapas concept, a format he had wanted to pursue for more than a decade. Serrano traveled to Spain in search of a design partner, ultimately selecting Gente de Valor. The interior was developed by the firm together with Serrano and was intended to express the energy and cultural character of Spain while maintaining visual balance in a high-profile casino-resort setting. Serrano also recruited Jose Lopez Picazo, a fellow chef from Madrid whom he met in Washington, D.C., to serve as chef. The restaurant's initial menu testing took place before the kitchen was fully operational. MGM and Serrano executives sampled approximately 25 to 30 dishes in a rapid tasting session, after which the restaurant opened to a first-day crowd of about 600 guests. The menu focused on shareable Spanish-inspired dishes rather than a conventional multi-course fine-dining format. Offerings included several versions of paella, including a vegan preparation; marinated olives; stuffed piquillo peppers; grilled calamari; empanadas; squid-ink rice with chicken and saffron; lobster with roasted red peppers; and dishes using Black Iberian pork. The kitchen also incorporated occasional Asian influences, including ahi tuna tempura served with seaweed salad, avocado-rocoto mayonnaise, and ponzu. Desserts included torrija, a Spanish-style bread pudding, paired with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream. Beverage service emphasized Spanish drinking culture. The bar offered several styles of sangria, Spanish wines, and carajillo, an after-dinner coffee drink prepared with xtabentun. Cocktails included the Piña Smash, made with pineapple puree, simple syrup, mint, and lime. The restaurant's design, location, and menu positioned it as a relatively accessible, social counterpart to Serrano's more formal Picasso concept, while retaining a strong culinary identity. External reviews were generally favorable. Zagat gave the restaurant a 4.5 out of 5 rating for food and 4.4 for both decor and service, while Time Out rated it four out of five stars. Julian Serrano Tapas closed in February 2025. Construction permits for the former space were subsequently issued for a new restaurant called Gymkhana, marking the end of the brand's operation at Aria.

Julian Serrano Tapas emerged from chef Julian Serrano's long-standing interest in opening a Spanish tapas restaurant. Before the project, Serrano was already associated with Picasso, a formal restaurant at Bellagio in Las Vegas. When MGM Resorts International offered him a contract for a new restaurant at the developing Aria Resort and Casino in 2009, Serrano agreed on the condition that the agreement allow him to create a tapas concept. This arrangement produced a restaurant that extended his Las Vegas portfolio into a more informal and share-oriented style of dining. Serrano traveled to Spain to locate a design firm capable of giving the restaurant a distinctly Spanish identity. Gente de Valor was selected, and the final environment was designed by the firm in collaboration with Serrano. Located in the Aria lobby, the restaurant was intended to communicate the vitality of Spanish culture while preserving an appropriate sense of balance within the resort's large-scale public spaces. For the culinary team, Serrano recruited Jose Lopez Picazo, a chef from Madrid whom he encountered in Washington, D.C. Lopez Picazo became the restaurant's chef. Development moved quickly: the first menu tasting occurred before the kitchen was fully operational, with MGM and Serrano representatives sampling roughly 25 to 30 dishes in approximately 40 minutes. The restaurant then opened to a first-day audience of about 600 guests. Its menu interpreted Spanish tapas through a contemporary lens. Traditional formats such as paella, empanadas, marinated olives, piquillo peppers, calamari, and Iberian pork appeared alongside more modern preparations and occasional Asian-inspired combinations. A representative seafood dish paired ahi tuna tempura with seaweed salad, avocado-rocoto mayonnaise, and ponzu. Other offerings included squid-ink rice with chicken and saffron, lobster with roasted red peppers, and salmon with truffle bechamel and mushrooms. A vegan paella option broadened the menu beyond meat and seafood. The beverage program reinforced the Spanish theme through multiple sangrias, a primarily Spanish wine list, and carajillo made with xtabentun. The Piña Smash provided a tropical cocktail option using pineapple puree, simple syrup, mint, and lime. Dessert included torrija with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream. Review coverage was positive. Zagat awarded high marks for food and for decor and service, while Time Out gave the restaurant four stars out of five. Julian Serrano Tapas remained part of Aria's dining offering until its closure in February 2025. Permits for the space were later associated with Gymkhana, a different restaurant concept.

• 2025

  Closure

  [1]Julian Serrano Tapasen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant closed in February 2025. Construction permits for the former location were issued to a new restaurant named Gymkhana.

• 2009

  MGM offers Serrano an Aria restaurant contract

  [1]Julian Serrano Tapasen.wikipedia.org

  MGM Resorts International offered Julian Serrano a contract to open a restaurant at the new Aria Resort and Casino. Serrano accepted while requiring the project to include a tapas restaurant.

• Restaurant opens at Aria

  [1]Julian Serrano Tapasen.wikipedia.org

  Julian Serrano Tapas opened in the lobby of Aria Resort and Casino after menu testing involving approximately 25 to 30 dishes. About 600 guests attended on the first day.

A contemporary Spanish tapas restaurant designed for social, shareable dining in a Las Vegas casino-resort environment. The concept combined traditional Spanish ingredients and dishes with modern technique, occasional Asian influences, a prominent beverage program, and a more casual format than Julian Serrano's fine-dining restaurant Picasso.

• Main menu

  Contemporary Spanish tapas

  The restaurant's core offering consisted of shareable Spanish-inspired plates prepared in contemporary styles. The menu included marinated olives, stuffed piquillo peppers, grilled calamari, empanadas, seafood, Iberian pork, and rice dishes. Some preparations incorporated Asian flavors and ingredients, making the concept broader than a strictly traditional tapas menu.

• Main menu

  Paella and Spanish rice dishes

  Paella was a central part of the menu and was offered in more than one variation, including a vegan option. Other rice preparations included squid-ink rice with chicken and saffron, reflecting the restaurant's use of recognizable Spanish formats with varied ingredients.

• Dessert

  Desserts

  The dessert selection included torrija, a Spanish bread-based dessert, served with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream. The presentation combined a traditional Spanish reference with richer contemporary accompaniments.

• Beverages

  Spanish beverage program

  The bar featured several types of sangria, a wine list focused mainly on Spain, and carajillo, a Spanish after-dinner drink prepared with xtabentun. Cocktails also included the Piña Smash, made with pineapple puree, simple syrup, mint, and lime.

• 2025

  Restaurant closureOther

  Background

  Julian Serrano Tapas operated inside Aria Resort and Casino until February 2025.

  Action taken

  The restaurant ceased operations, and construction permits were issued for a new restaurant called Gymkhana in the former space.

  Aftermath

  The Julian Serrano Tapas brand became defunct and no longer operated at Aria.

  Source

• 2009

  Conditioning the Aria contract on a tapas conceptStrategy

  Background

  MGM Resorts International recruited Julian Serrano for a restaurant at the new Aria Resort and Casino. Serrano had wanted to open a Spanish tapas restaurant for more than a decade.

  Action taken

  Serrano agreed to the restaurant contract only on the condition that he could include a tapas restaurant, leading to the creation of Julian Serrano Tapas.

  Aftermath

  The decision expanded Serrano's Las Vegas portfolio beyond formal fine dining and established a Spanish small-plates concept within Aria.

  Source

1. 1Julian Serrano Tapasen.wikipedia.org