Downtown Lip Smacking Tour in Las Vegas, NV

Discover the locals’ favorite destination, the newly revitalized booming downtown that showcases a completely different side of Vegas, away from noisy slot machines and gaming tables for a welcome slice of urban authenticity instead.

In recent years, downtown has gone uptown in a big way, undergoing a thrilling renaissance to become the city’s most dynamic food scene. Get to know the independent chefs and restaurateurs bringing their singular visions to life with seasonally driven, farm-to-table artisan fare, and cocktails crafted with heart and soul.

The expert guides provide an insider’s view of this special neighborhood. You’ll learn about downtown’s historic past, what prompted its resurgence, and what the future holds for this new trendy area. You’ll be privy to all its intriguing nooks and crannies, which only savvy locals know about.

Get escorted right to the best table at nationally acclaimed Carson Kitchen. Founded by the late-great Kerry Simon, who was famed as the celebrity “rock ‘n’ roll’’ chef, it sports an open kitchen to catch all the action up close and personal, as you enjoy classic Americana dishes that have been elevated with seasonal ingredients and modern twists.

Next, it’s on to downtown’s newest hot spot, La Mona Rosa. It’s impossible to miss with its 7-foot pink neon monkey clinging to the restaurant’s exterior in a nod to its name in Spanish for “the pink monkey.’’ Chefs Daniel Arias and Isidro Marquez-Castillo, who met while honing their skills at the upscale é by José Andrés, are the duo behind this vibrant Mexican restaurant. They’ve taken inspiration from their heritage, family recipes, and travels to create a menu of robust specialty dishes that highlight Mexico’s diverse regions, flavors, and culinary techniques.

At 7th & Carson, the hearth oven is the heart of this distinguished neighborhood restaurant. It’s used for most everything on the menu, from baking flatbreads to roasting stocks to finishing desserts. Helmed by a veteran chef who has cooked at a number of high-profile restaurants on the Strip, 7th & Carson exemplifies hyper seasonal cooking that showcases peak-fresh ingredients. With artsy tiled tables, and a brick-lined patio full of greenery, this is a restaurant made for lingering. No wonder it was named “New Restaurant of the Year’’ by the Nevada Restaurant Association in 2018.

Amble through the unique Container Park, a must-stop, where shipping containers have been converted into bustling restaurants, boutiques selling locally-made goods, and a spirited venue for free live music.

In between bites, quench your thirst at the clandestine Downtown Cocktail Room, which Food & Wine singled out as one of its “Best Cocktails Bars in the U.S.’’ With the feel of an urbane New York speakeasy, DCR was Vegas’ first craft cocktail bar. It boasts 60 seasonal menus with some of the most creative hand-crafted cocktails around. Guests will receive a choice of signature cocktail, red or white wine, local beer or soft drink.

Arrive early: Mandatory check-in 15 minutes prior to the start time. In fairness to those who arrive on time, we will depart promptly. There are no reschedules or refunds for latecomers and no-shows.

Downtown Meeting location: Meet inside Carson Kitchen restaurant. 124 S. 6th Street Suite 100 Las Vegas, NV 89101. Your tour guide will be wearing a Lip Smacking Foodie Tours shirt.