Casa Playa
Restaurant in Nevada, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Casa Playa is a coastal Mexican restaurant located within Encore Las Vegas. It is located near Encore Beach Club. It is led by James Beard–finalist executive chef Sarah Thompson.
| Casa Playa | |
|---|---|
The lounge bar at Casa Playa | |
 Interactive map of Casa Playa | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2021 |
| Location | 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, Nevada, 89109, United States |
| Coordinates | 36.1290°N 115.1659°W |
| Website | www |
History
Casa Playa opened in 2021 in the former Elio space.[1] Chef Sarah Thompson has served as executive chef since opening. She previously served as chef de cuisine at Elio. Prior to Wynn, chef Thompson worked at the Michelin-starred Marea as well as serving as executive sous chef at the upscale Mexican restaurant Cosme.[2][3]
Chef Thompson was named a James Beard finalist in 2025.[4] Chef Thompson describes her method as "my goal is to take the best of the country’s cuisine and then elevate it."[5]
Condé Nast describes the architecture as "a contemporary take on preclassical Mexican aesthetics, and alive with people enjoying themselves".[6]
Cuisine
Condé Nast describes the menu as "highlighting faultlessly fresh ingredients" and "targeted toward in-the-know gourmand". It highlights dishes such as "slightly sweet squash tamal appetizer with mole verde and Thai basil, beautifully charred octopus a la plancha with coloradito mole, and a melty American Wagyu short rib suadero".[6]
Casa Playa has a unique in-house masa program, using nine types of corn grown mostly by small farmers in Oaxaca. From these sources, Casa Playa mills and treats 50-75 kilograms of corn per day, which it then uses to create hand-pressed tortillas and other dishes.[7]
Reception
Las Vegas Weekly's opening review called it "one of the most refined Mexican restaurants the Strip has ever seen".[8]
Casa Playa was named one of the top 100 restaurants in Las Vegas in 2025,[9] as well as among the best Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas,[5] and the best "something different" on the Strip.[10] CBS News described the cuisine as "spectacular".[11]