Las Vegas Strip bar owner launching neighborhood spot

On the Las Vegas Strip, sparkling wine and caviar blini. Off the Strip, craft beer and sports viewing. Gina Paul is den mother to both.

She launched Liam’s Den & Bubble Bar in January 2025 in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, with global fizz, stylish grazeables, art deco design and a shower of pale pink from a cherry blossom tree in the middle. The bar earned a spot that year among the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Top 100 Restaurants.

Paul’s latest project, JP’s Brasserie & Sports Den, is scheduled to debut Oct. 24 on West Sahara Avenue just east of South Jones Boulevard. The restaurant aims to occupy a space between fine dining and casual pub, combining the tradition of a neighborhood spot to watch sports with chef-driven dishes, good beer, craft cocktails and a nod to European brasseries.

Liam’s is named for Paul’s son. JP’s takes its name from her husband and draws inspiration from what the founder called “his old neighborhood ‘man cave,’ a place where quality food, sports and genuine connection come together without the formality of fine dining or the drawbacks of a dive bar.

“We want JP’s to be somewhere (people) can make a weekly ritual rather than a spot they save for a special occasion.”

On the menu

JP’s encompasses 2,000 square feet, with seating for up to 75 (including 25 in the bar and lounge), seven TVs populating the room, leather couches and club chairs, wood-paneled walls, sports memorabilia (but not overdone), framed art, low lighting and potted tropical plants with long, oar-shaped leaves.

Corporate executive chef Josh Green (Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck group) and chef de cuisine Christy Xayphrarath (Nobu, Majordōmo Meat & Fish) are creating a menu that runs to sourdough pull-apart bread, pelmeni dumplings, a house sausage board, stuffed peppers, ratatouile, lamb chops and steak frites, plus daily fish and steak specials.

Keris Kuwana, founder of Donutique and owner of Bakers Blueprint pastry consulting, leads the pastry program, including a dramatic domed cake served on a lacy golden stand.

In the glass

Beverage director Cesilia Beremun (Golden Tiki, Chica) rounds out the team, overseeing offerings that range from European beers (including Chimay and Duvel) and local brews (including Neon Desert and Beer Zombies) to craft cocktails like a Root Refresher (tequila, beet juice, carrot juice, lime, agave) and the Red Zone, a Cognac and rye whiskey old-fashioned with Black Forest cherry flavors.

JP’s Brasserie & Sports Den, 5781 W. Sahara Ave., will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for lunch and dinner, with a golden hour limited menu served from 2 to 6 p.m. The restaurant will also host watch parties for major playoffs and championships. Reservations: toast.app. Visit jpsbrasserie.com.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.