In Vegas’ New Illuminarium, Lumin Cafe & Kitchen Slings Comfort Classics With A Twist

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Launched on April 21 at Area15, the Illuminarium includes a restaurant by executive chef Kim Canteenwalla and hospitality veteran Elizabeth Blau. Lumin Cafe & Kitchen serves revamped comfort food and serves dinner at Illuminarium, an immersive, family-friendly virtual reality experience with multiple 360-degree shows.

At Illuminarium, visitors leave reality behind to enter a virtual world where, depending on the room, the scent of flowers fills the room or shakes the ground as VR elephants run amok. Opening with various VR simulations, participants can walk in “Space” and leave footprints on the moon, go on a safari during “Wild”, or walk into a Georgia O’Keeffe painting before entering the light-filled space of Lumin Cafe .

Two women at a standing table in a room with neon pink and violet floral visuals projected on the walls.

In the Illuminati.
Bill Milne

The restaurant couple, also behind Honey Salt and Buddy V’s Ristorante in Las Vegas, as well as hanging restaurants like the inbound Conrad, collaborated with architect and designer David Rockwell to create a two-story, contemporary restaurant space with a separate patio. “David Rockwell has been a friend, collaborator and mentor for nearly 25 years, so when he calls me and says he’s working on something exciting, I don’t even ask questions. I just literally say yes,” Blau says of the opportunity to open at Illuminarium, adjacent to Area15.

Bathed in natural light with an earthy decor, the lively café, located on one side of the building, offers counter service with an approachable all-day menu featuring American comfort food favorites with some unexpected elements. . The cafe is open from 11am to 8pm. “It’s so light and airy,” says Blau. “It’s earth tones and there’s a lot of green, so we definitely have that natural aesthetic here that we love at Honey Salt.”

Interior view of a restaurant with empty tables in a long room with wood panels and suspended ceiling fixtures draped with leaves.

Bill Milne

Glass exterior doors to a restaurant, softly lit by overhead and floor lamps.

Bill Milne

Glass exterior doors to a restaurant, softly lit by overhead and floor lamps.

Bill Milne

Opposite the lobby and adjacent to the large, industrial building, a covered patio and bar serves a late night tapas-style menu, ideal for night owls – the patio is open until midnight five nights a week and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. An attraction ticket is not necessary to dine at both locations. Explaining how the modern museum restaurant has evolved over the years, Blau says she wanted “something unique and special” in the style of the memorable destination cafes in New York City and popping up in other cities across the country.

View of the patio with ceiling plants hanging over wood-panelled group tables and sofas with blue-striped cushions.

The good for terrace during the day and late at night at Lumin Cafe & Kitchen.
Bill Milne

Lumin Cafe’s menu includes signature salads, burgers, sliders, and fries and ups the ante. Think: a salad with red lentils, chickpeas and hummus; a BLT bowl (which mimics the classic no-bread sandwich); a fried chicken sandwich topped with kimchi; and, on the more classic side, a fish and chip plate and burger options, including an impossible burger. Side dishes include Parmesan and truffle fries, a delicious mac and cheese with a Ritz cracker crust and crispy onion rings. There are also small snack plates such as pretzel bites with the cheese sauce for dipping and a tater tot poutine, one of Canteenwalla’s main dishes.

Expect a little heat too. The Korean fried chicken and buffalo cauliflower bites offer a bit of spice, while the hot chicken sliders and crispy arancini with sriracha aioli are spicy too.

A gray ceramic plate with a pile of spicy chicken studded with green onion and sesame seeds, served with a spicy aioli and dressed multicolored cabbage.

Bill Milne

A salad with bacon, lettuce and tomatoes in a gray ceramic bowl atop a purple tray.

Bill Milne

A black bowl of crispy fried cauliflower garnished with sliced ​​red peppers, blue cheese crumbles and a side of hot sauce on a marble table with drinks, napkin and cutlery.

Bill Milne

Buffalo cauliflower bites.

When it comes to drinks, Lumin offers beer, wine and canned cocktails on the cafe side and a full bar on the patio, complete with a trio of themed cocktails based on each Illuminarium show. From the O’Keeffe menu, guests can order drinks featuring floating flowers such as the Red Canna, a vodka cocktail, and a marigold float, while the “Space” section features three specialty drinks, including a Tiki-inspired vodka cocktail with a blend of juices, spices, and gold sugar garnish. These drinks are also available at Illuminarium After Dark, where the setting changes from the streets of Tokyo to a French flower garden, among other things.

Those who leave room for dessert can take a trip to the cookie and pastry shop. Here you’ll find dark chocolate chip cookies, s’mores nachos and Oreo milkshakes, among the many offerings.

A coffee cup, an empty plate, two spoons and a bowl filled with graham crackers, chocolate bar pieces and toasted marshmallows on a gray marble table.

S’mores nachos.
Bill Milne

“It’s going to be as entertaining as the shows you’ll see here,” Blau says of the new restaurant. “It’s a great addition to the experience.”

Lumin Cafe and Kitchen is open daily from 11am to 8pm. Patio hours Sunday through Thursday extend until midnight; terrace hours on Friday and Saturday extended until 2 a.m

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