rewrite this title Inside AmEx’s First Sidecar Lounge in Las Vegas – NerdWallet

American Express’ Centurion Lounge network just opened its first table-service lounge restaurant concept designed for travelers looking for a quick bite at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. It’s called Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge.

This isn’t your typical lounge with travelers hunting for an open seat and raiding the buffet. Instead, travelers will be seated at a table, order food by scanning a QR code and have the food served to their table eight minutes later.

Sidecar is the second Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas, and the 32nd lounge in the Centurion Lounge network. The existing Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas will remain open.

I visited the lounge during a press preview before it opened to the public on March 4, 2026.

The Sidecar lounge is located to the left of the escalators if you’re coming up from the trams that drop you off in Concourse D. Follow the railing to the left to get to the entrance. The closest gate is D1, but it’s across the hallway from the lounge. Opening hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The nearby Centurion lounge is also located near gate D1, but it has extended opening hours from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and guests can enter as early as three hours before their departing flight.

To make the Sidecar lounge, AmEx turned a former slot machine storage area into an “oasis in the desert.” The lounge is filled with plants and green tiles to represent an oasis, and the floors use more neutral, dusty colors to evoke the desert.

It’s all hidden behind a relatively compact entrance with a partially enclosed facade, giving it a speakeasy vibe.

Brass lighting, an antique mirror, plush seating and vintage photography hung on the walls also give it a glamorous Vegas treatment.

The small space has just 33 seats between bar seating and tables and booths along the wall. There are no large tables, so the seating is best suited for pairs or solo travelers.

If you aren’t sitting near the windows with views of the tarmac, it’s easy to imagine this bar outside of the airport.

Like other lounges, Sidecar has plenty of power outlets, its own Wi-Fi network and two of its own bathrooms.

The food in this lounge is the main attraction, and it’s served as small plates so that visitors can eat quickly and try a variety of dishes.

The menu will rotate monthly, featuring dishes from The Culinary Collective by The Centurion Lounge, a group of James Beard Award-winning chefs.

At opening, some of the lunch and dinner dishes included chicken parmesan sliders (listed on the menu as “chicky chicky parm parm sliders”), crushed cucumber salad, mini lobster rolls, parmesan truffle fries and a mini charcuterie plate.

There were also several desserts, such as an espresso martini panna cotta and a Meyer lemon posset (a type of creamy citrus custard).

Breakfast will be served at Sidecar from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Some of the breakfast items at opening included an acai bowl, egg bites, cranberry chicken sausage links, and avocado toast with schug labneh (yogurt topped with herby green sauce) and black sesame seeds.

The avocado toast turned out to be my favorite. The flavors were well balanced, and it will be a welcome reprieve from the indulgent food of Las Vegas.

There was even a special Sidecar cocktail, consisting of cognac, Cointreau and lemon.

Cardholders with access to the Centurion Lounge will be able to access Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge starting 90 minutes before departure.

If visitors arrive at Las Vegas’ airport earlier, they can also visit the nearby AmEx Centurion Lounge up to three hours before their departing flight.

Cards with Centurion Lounge access

American Express Platinum Card®

on American Express’ website

Rates & Fees

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

on American Express’ website

Rates & Fees

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

on American Express’ website

Rates & Fees

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

on American Express’ website

Rates & Fees

The Delta cards only provide access when the cardholder is taking a Delta-operated flight.

Like the Centurion Lounge, cardholders will have to pay a $50 fee for each additional adult guest, or $30 for children aged 2 through 17. All guests must be traveling on the same flight as the cardholder. Terms apply.

For travelers looking for a break from the buffets (in Vegas or at other airport lounges), Sidecar is a convenient stop if your departing flight is leaving from Concourse D.

Sidecar’s food is slightly fancier than you might find at other Centurion Lounge locations, and it’s served in small plates for travelers who are trying to grab a quick bite. The intimate space doesn’t seat many people, so families or larger groups might opt for the larger Centurion Lounge just across the hallway.

Just keep in mind there might be a waitlist to enter either lounge during busy periods at the airport.

Top photo by Meghan Coyle/NerdWallet.