The best bars in Las Vegas
Drinking is hardly a novelty in Vegas: you can drink pretty much anywhere, anytime.
Choose between lavish lounges at casino-resorts on the Strip, hipster-friendly dive bars, Prohibition-style speakeasies, and vintage Tiki bars. In comparison to the city's world-famous nightclub circuit, Vegas' bar scene is relatively low-key, especially if you're bar-hopping downtown. But bear in mind that you'll still need a reservation (and you should dress the part) at the hottest spots on the Strip.
For further Las Vegas inspiration, see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, things to do and things to do for free. Use our ultimate weekend guide to plan your stay. If travelling further afield, find our ultimate guide to the Grand Canon National Park here.
Find a bar by area
The Strip
The Chandelier
Arriving at this sophisticated cocktail bar is like stepping into a larger-than-life chandelier. Draped with crystals and rising three levels through the centre of The Cosmopolitan hotel, the Chandelier is the perfect place for a cocktail before a show or a sophisticated nightcap later in the evening. Each of the three levels has its own theme: the first level offers live music, the middle level is reserved for private parties, and the uppermost level is a straightforward cocktail lounge. Visiting the Chandelier is like stepping through the looking glass, so it’s fitting that one of the house specials was inspired by Alice in Wonderland: “We’re All Mad Here” is a gin-based cocktail that looks blue at first but changes colours once fully blended.
Contact: cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/lounges-bars/chandelier
Prices: ￡
Peppermill Restaurant & Fireside Lounge
Two for the price of one: this retro cocktail bar and diner is a Vegas classic. It’s not located on the Strip, nor in downtown Vegas, but in the area in between. In true Vegas fashion, it’s open 24 hours. The retro decor is deliciously kitschy, and there’s a cocktail list to match: their Blue Hawaiian, featuring Cura?ao and pineapple, is a longtime staple, as is the notorious rum-based Scorpion Bowl. Cosy up with a drink inside one of the neon-coloured crescent-shaped booths and bask in the glow of fireplaces in the wee hours of the morning. The people-watching can’t be beat, either.
Contact: peppermilllasvegas.com
Prices: ￡
Rhumbar Tropical Ulta Lounge
It’s hard to know what time it is inside many bars on the Strip: dark and windowless, they’re located deep inside is casino resorts. Rhumbar Tropical Ultra Lounge is a notable exception. Though it’s at The Mirage, this bar and cigar lounge is located right on the resort’s edge, with a large open-air patio and a long list of Caribbean-inspired rum cocktails. Fresh air, live music or DJ-spun beats, views of the Strip and The Mirage’s faux volcano, a cold Mojito in your hand — it's a quintessential Vegas experience. And it’s an outdoor party that goes on year-round: in winter, the staff turns on heat lamps. For a twist on a classic Sin City cocktail, try Rhumbar’s Latin Manhattan.
Contact: rhumbarlasvegas.com
Prices: ￡￡
Bar Parasol
Twirling parasols, whimsical chandeliers, over-the-top floral arrangements: it’s hard to imagine another bar in Vegas that has such a glamorous and fanciful atmosphere as Bar Parasol at the Wynn. A quiet nook inside this colorful venue is great for an elegant pre-dinner drink and a gourmet bite. Try the champagne flight, the ‘Jet Set’ champagne and caviar pairing, or the decadent old-fashioned for two, prepared tableside.
Contact: wynnlasvegas.com
Prices: ￡￡￡
The Mayfair Supper Club
Location, location, location: this swanky cocktail lounge-meets-nightclub overlooks the famous Bellagio fountains, and it’s hard to beat the view as you sip champagne and watch the dancing water below. But the Mayfair Supper Club has plenty going for it apart from its privileged position. The venue is a high-end restaurant and bar most evenings, serving up gourmet classics like filet mignon and lobster thermidor in a retro-luxe atmosphere. But on weekends, the space transforms into ‘’Mayfair After Dark’ at 11pm, featuring live music and cabaret performances. Catch the fountain show from the front balconies every fifteen minutes.
Contact: bellagio.com
Prices:​ ￡￡￡
Getting in:​ ​Reservations recommended
Downtown
Atomic Liquors
The fantastic vintage neon signs outside are your first clue: Atomic Liquors is the oldest freestanding bar in Vegas. The name was inspired by the nearby Nevada Test Site for nuclear devices that was in full swing around the time the bar opened in 1952. Since then, the downtown bar has attracted a local crowd — and the occasional celebrity looking to escape the Strip for a quiet drink without being asked for an autograph. Barbara Streisand was reportedly a regular in her Vegas heyday, and the Rat Pack drank here, too. Atomic Liquors was restored after the original owners passed away, but the place retains its mid-century charm, offering a great craft beer list and the classic secret-ingredient ‘Atomic Cocktail.’
Contact: atomic.vegas
Prices: ￡
Downtown Cocktail Room
This chic and low-lit cocktail bar in downtown Vegas is a throwback to Sin City’s Prohibition era. The entrance is difficult to find — an intentional detail — and the crowd is into serious cocktails. Of course, you can order a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, but DCR’s custom cocktails, from the tequila-based Witchy Woman to the nutty New York Breakfast, are fun to try. Between 5pm and 8 pm Tuesday through Saturday, some drinks (and all beer and wine) are half price. A happy hour (or three), indeed. On most nights of the week, DJ-spun tunes lend a clubby vibe to the late-night scene.
Contact: downtowncocktailroom.com
Prices: ￡￡
Frankie’s Tiki Room
It doesn’t get much more authentic than this. Frankie’s Tiki Room, a longtime Sin City drinking institution, is a retro Polynesian-themed dive bar specialising in over-the-top tiki cocktails and vintage Vegas charm. The hand-carved tables and bamboo accents evoke the Pacific Islands, but the low lighting and bar stools are straight out of 1950s-era Vegas. Try a rum-based tiki drink like the Zombie, a classic hangover cure invented in the 1930s, or the Nakalele Knockout, a mix of two kinds of rum with hibiscus and lime. And you can stop by anytime: Frankie’s is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Contact: frankiestikiroom.com
Prices: ￡
Commonwealth
Commonwealth, located on a cool corner in downtown Vegas, is a modern bar with a Prohibition slant: there are cocktails inspired by the 1930s, and a speakeasy section, the Laundry Room, that’s only accessible via text message reservation (see the website for more details.) But you can also just kick back with a craft beer at the bar or have a margarita on the rooftop terrace. Mules, from the Moscow Mule to the Mexican Standoff, made with ginger beer, tequila, and lime, are a house specialty. There’s a lively trivia night every Tuesday, and a rotating schedule of after-dark entertainment.
Contact: commonwealthlv.com
Prices: ￡
