This fall, Gracious Hospitality Management (GHM)—the visionary team behind COTE Korean Steakhouse and COQODAQ—ushers in a new era of dining on the Las Vegas Strip with the debut of COTE Vegas at The Venetian Las Vegas. As the brand’s first West Coast location and most ambitious project to date, COTE Vegas marks a defining moment for both GHM and The Venetian, arriving amid the resort’s sweeping $1.5 billion transformation and the next generation of luxury dining in Las Vegas.
Photo by Michael Kleinberg for Rockwell Group, courtesy of COTE.
Founded by James Beard Award-nominated restaurateur Simon Kim, GHM has become synonymous with reimagining fine dining through immersive design, cultural resonance, and the perfect balance of sophistication and play. COTE—America’s only Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse—has earned global acclaim for fusing the convivial spirit of Korean barbecue with the precision and prestige of an American steakhouse. With thriving locations in New York, Miami, and Singapore, its arrival in Las Vegas represents both a homecoming for Kim, who began his hospitality career in the city, and a bold leap forward in the evolution of experiential dining.
Photo by Gary He, courtesy of COTE.
Set within The Venetian’s iconic Waterfall Atrium, COTE Vegas redefines spectacle. Conceived in collaboration with David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group, the 17,000-square-foot restaurant evokes the theatrical pulse of Las Vegas—its cinematic gold-and-crimson portal opening to a grand dining room that spirals around a glowing bar, complete with a live DJ booth, stadium-style seating, and skybox-style private rooms above. At the table, Executive Chef David Shim presents signature dishes like the famed Butcher’s Feast and the Las Vegas-exclusive BlackJack Sandwich, while Victoria James and Sondre Kasin lead an award-winning beverage program of over 1,200 labels and Vegas-inspired cocktails.
Photo by Michael Kleinberg for Rockwell Group, courtesy of COTE.
For the restaurant’s black-tie opening party on October 3, the UNLV band played a jaw-dropping procession into the restaurant, guiding guests to an opening speech by Nas and a DJ set by Anderson .Paak.
“This is the ultimate night of the grown and sexy!” said Nas to the crowd from the second floor balcony. “This is the ultimate night because COTE is in Las Vegas. It’s been a long time coming. I am honored to be a part of this time. I’m honored to be a part of this room. Just two months ago, this was a construction site, but tonight, it is everything. In the land of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr…”
Photo by Gary He, courtesy of COTE.
As The Venetian continues to redefine its culinary landscape under the leadership of CEO Patrick Nichols, COTE Vegas stands as a beacon of innovation and partnership, melding design, cuisine, and hospitality into one unforgettable experience.
Whitewall spoke with Kim and Nichols about the collaboration that brought COTE Vegas to life, how it embodies the spirit of Sin City, and what this milestone means for the future of dining on the Las Vegas Strip.
Inside COTE Vegas
Patrick Nichols, courtesy of The Venetian Las Vegas.
Photo by Michael Kleinberg for Rockwell Group, courtesy of COTE.
WHITEWALL: Las Vegas is an interesting place—a circus of entertainment in the desert. What is it that you think continues to draw people to The Venetian specifically?
PATRICK NICHOLS: What drew me to The Venetian was the founder of the company, Sheldon Adelson, who built this place 26 years ago. For 25 years, he put his heart and soul into this. That impact is still part of the Venetian culture—that people are important. You’ve got to take care of your team. For example, Sheldon famously paid every single team member, including tips, all through the duration of COVID. Not one layoff; everyone employed.
But one of the big differentiators for The Venetian is that we’re incredibly focused on curating fantastic experiences for our guests. I’m super proud to say that in September, we closed the month with the highest monthly guest satisfaction scores in its 26-year history, which is hard to do with all the changes we’re making, too.
Simon Kim Headshot
SIMON KIM: I went to UNLV. I started my career in hospitality right here in Las Vegas. The Venetian has always been my favorite place. The founder-led mentality—there’s something that’s distinct about that, when founders are leading. There is a creativity, a boldness. People come first.
I have always been a huge fan of The Venetian, and to fast-forward 20 years to bringing COTE here, it’s truly a dream come true, as well as a homecoming experience.
WW: How does The Venetian’s people-first approach influence the vibrant and playful design of your suites?
PN: That type of people-first mentality is incredibly important to what we do at The Venetian here. One of our newest suites was designed by Meyer Davis. I’ve been following their journey and projects for many, many years—a designer and architect that I’ve always wanted to work with. And the brief on this suite, as kind of all of our suites in this new tower, is that we want to have some fun. We wanted some color, some vibrancy, some energy. That’s what The Venetian is all about.
The Collaboration: The Venetian x COTE Vegas
Photo by Michael Kleinberg for Rockwell Group, courtesy of COTE.
WW: How did the collaboration between COTE and The Venetian first take shape?
PN: I’ve been wanting to work with Simon for about a decade now. 2017 or 2018 was my first experience at COTE.
SK: It’s truly an honor. Las Vegas DNA has always been embedded in myself and the COTE brand. So, when I had an opportunity to bring it here, we really dialed up the DNA of Las Vegas, and we created a truly beautiful restaurant that has the most amount of entertainment per square foot, without compromising, that I’ve ever been to.
Is it a club-restaurant or is it a Michelin-starred restaurant? I believe in the power of “and.” It’s about making it a club-restaurant, where entertainment is there, pulsating energy is there—but still, we take what we do extremely seriously. We procure the best cut of meat, the hospitality. It has 12,000 bottles of wine.
We’re truly embodying the Venetian’s hospitality spirit; we’re able to really put people first—whether that is our customer or our staff. We truly really harnessed the power of “and,” and I am so excited to share that here.
WW: What was in the space before? What went into transforming it into the vibrant setting it is now?
PN: The space used to be Barney’s New York, and it was kind of hard to tear it apart. It was a very beautiful space.
SK: There were other restaurant-ready spaces, but when I looked at the space, it was just perfect. You can see the shape of the restaurant is not a simple box. It’s a really unique space that’s really difficult to find. And space is the most important because that’s the canvas.
As a New Yorker, I have such a strong affinity toward the magnificent brand that is Barney’s New York, so to carry that creativity forward and bring something new with respect to tradition, but looking forward to the future, I thought it was a perfect space.
The transformation came with David Rockwell—a master of universe when it comes to an amazing restaurant hospitality design. We really wanted to bring something new, something you haven’t seen in his amazing portfolio. We wanted to make sure that this embarks the new journey. What is the future with respect to the past?
What’s Special About Sin City
Photo by Gary He, courtesy of COTE.
WW: How is the guest experience at COTE Las Vegas different from your other locations?
SK: We’re in Las Vegas, so it’s “go big or go home.” We have four private rooms upstairs. We have a private balcony, karaoke system—the bells and whistles. And we have hard-to-find $25,000 bottles of wine. But that’s only one very small aspect of what we do. Our butcher’s feast, our main driver, is $88. That includes four different cuts of meat, four different cuts of vegetables, pickled vegetables, stews, egg soufflé, bowl of rice, and dessert, as well.
There are plenty of locals here, and they don’t necessarily always venture out to the Strip, because it’s a destination-only place, but it’s a very important mission of ours to ensure that we’re appealing to the locals—and people who are looking for value-driven, delicious meals and hospitality. So, if a dad that works hard wants to take their children and families for dinner, it’s equally important to us that we get to please them as much as we get to please the visitors.
Photo by Michael Kleinberg for Rockwell Group, courtesy of COTE.
WW: Simon, you are known for your craveable dishes. Is there anything unique to the Vegas location?
SK: We wanted to embody what is Las Vegas, so we took that really serious, but with a lot of fun. We took Shigoku oysters, my favorite West Coast oysters, and we made Shigoku oyster dynamite with tobiko and Dungeness crab meat. It’s almost like an oyster Rockefeller, but dynamite. It has this local sushi place, that fun, but with the most exquisite oyster in the world.
And we have the BlackJack sandwich. I love the colors of our wagyu—inside, it’s perfectly red. We shave a generous amount of Périgord black truffle on top. It’s almost half truffle and half A5 Japanese wagyu on a milk toast. If you’re pulling up to our bar, the oval bar, it truly embodies a spirit of “see and be seen” because there’s no chairs. You’re exchanging eye contact, and everyone’s going to be very jealous when you’re eating that BlackJack sandwich.
Photo by Gary He, courtesy of COTE.
WW: When people visit Las Vegas for the first time, what do they usually misunderstand about the city?
PN: Vegas often gets the headlines, at least this summer, that it’s down—negative, negative, negative. When you back up, though, we have the largest hotel market in the country. We have more rooms than New York City. We run the highest occupancy of any single market in the country, even with the softness we had this summer—about 84 percent. But people love Las Vegas. There’s always a place in people’s minds for Las Vegas.
SK: People think that it’s a big box and it can be somewhat soulless. When you’re looking at properties like the Venetian, there’s a collection of soul-rich creatives and creating that’s a city of its own. Of course, if you’re looking for the shadow, you will see shadow, but if you’re looking for the light, there’s so much excitement that’s happening. With Bazaar, for instance, José [Andres] is bringing an amazing steakhouse. I’s a beautiful place, with an outdoor component and water elements. Things like that just doesn’t exist outside of last. Las Vegas. I think Vegas, for what it is, needs to be celebrated.
Patrick Nichols’s Perfect 24 Hours in Las Vegas
Photo by Gary He, courtesy of COTE.
Morning: I would check in on the weekend and then go to Bouchon for brunch.
Noon: I’d either spend some time at the pool or the spa to get rejuvenated, and probably have a quick nap. Then, I’d get ready for the night.
Night: Cocktails and a cigar before dinner at the Blue Room, which is at the Palazzo High Limit—a really fun space. And of course, dinner at COTE. If I was a first-timer, I would have to check out the Sphere. I would plan it on whatever weekend had an act that I wanted to see.
Simon Kim’s Perfect 24 Hours in Las Vegas
Photo by Michael Kleinberg for Rockwell Group, courtesy of COTE.
Morning: Bouchon is my favorite. It’s a beautiful room, and the bread starter is dynamite.
Noon: I’d hit the spa. But I also love Asian food so much, so for lunch, I’d go to Hong Kong Cafe. They have this congee with chicken and abalone, which is very unique. I love that restaurant. Then, I’d want to hit the Black Jack table, get riled it up, hit a roulette, throw some dice, and really feel the Vegas energy.
Night: I’d have dinner at Mott 32. They have really exquisite ingredients—like dehydrated abalone and sea cucumber—and the peking duck is to die for. Then, I’ll probably watch a show at Voltaire and maybe hit TAO for the energy. I’d get a little more inebriated at Rosina and hit the table to try my luck!
