¡VIVA! by Ray Garcia at Resorts World Las Vegas
Concept Description:
¡Viva! Is a new Mexican restaurant concept from chef Ray Garcia that celebrates life through food, drink and fun. The design is approachable, lively and sophisticated and takes its cues from the famed Mezcal bars in Oaxaca, Mexico but with a Las Vegas twist.
Project Description:
¡Viva! Is located in Resorts World Las Vegas adjacent the Casino on the ground floor. The 8,000 square foot space includes an indoor promenade patio, feature bar, main dining space, 1,000 square foot outdoor patio and private dining room.
As guests approach the restaurant, they arrive at the entry and indoor promenade patio seating area. This dynamic and lively space pulls the feel of the outdoor patio to the front of the restaurant. Wood arches welcome guests in and create a vignette for an unexpected moment at the entry, a large ‘exploding flower’ infinity mirror. The infinity mirror acts as an art installation and interactive Instagram moment for guests upon arrival. A wood trellis overgrown with red and pink flowers covers the seating area and gives the patio a lush feel and dramatic height yet intimate scale within the larger 7-story space. A vibrant mural inspired by the culture, landscape, architecture and patterns of Mexico is the backdrop for the seating area. A rope screen and gazebo bookend both sides of the patio to offer guest varied and fun seating options.
Once inside, guests enter the bar area where the design is all about the tequila bar. The mural from the promenade patio wraps into the bar area and sets as the backdrop for the tequila bottle display. The design for this display was influenced by the architecture of ancient ruins around Mexico interpreted in a modern way. The main feature of the bar however is the massive wood and rattan ceiling feature suspended over the bar. The ‘petals’ that make up this feature were inspired by the blue agave plant, the plant that tequila and mezcal are made from and casts dramatic shadows around the bar from integrated lighting through the petals.
Moving further into the space a large wood truss structure creates a transition from the bar area to the main dining and brings the scale of the room down to be more intimate. In the center of the dining room is a large driftwood sculpture. This sculpture is surrounded by four round banquettes with channel tufting and become the see-and-be-seen tables for the space.
The outdoor patio has an eclectic and residential feel that is comfortable, sophisticated and lush tying into the interior of the restaurant while still feeling like a unique space. A wood trellis with overgrown greenery covers the mix of lounge and dining seating with pops of lime green upholstery and graphic patterns on accent pillows and area rugs.
The private dining room is directly adjacent the patio and pulls the outdoor patio feel in. The trellis and greenery from the patio reappear in the ceiling and set up the large walnut live edge table that seats 16. A custom-made tequila cabinet is the backdrop for the room and features gold skull pulls allowing only the luckiest patrons access to their private tequila collection safely stored for their arrival.
Project Design Team:
- Vincent Celano – Founder & CEO
- Stephanie Niebler – Partner & Creative Director
- Michelle Schneiter – Interior Design Project Manager
- Medline Chang – Interior Designer
- Mark Simpson – Lighting Design
