Best Bars in Las Vegas
With pubs, speakeasies, neighborhood hangouts and over-the-top classy hotel gin joints in every direction as far as you can see, what criteria would be used to determine the best bars in Las Vegas? Would familiarity count? Does it matter if everybody knows your name, like on the old Cheers television show, or is opulence the key factor? Every dimly lit establishment that serves locally brewed beer or craft cocktails in Las Vegas deserves to be on the favorite Las Vegas pub list. Here are several Vegas bars just waiting for your consideration, and perhaps your vote, to be among the best bars in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has temperate weather all year long which makes it a great place for a rooftop bar. It’s quite pleasant to spend an afternoon or evening atop the high-rise hotels in the city. The views vary from majestic visions of the mountains or Lake Las Vegas to glimpses of the intensity of the Vegas strip, where the dreamers and schemers buzz around counting their winnings or mourning their losses. Regardless of which way your chair is pointed, you’re going to be privy to a panorama like no other city anywhere on earth. This Las Vegas pub list begins in the clouds and works its way to the ground floor.
Commonwealth has a split personality with a rooftop bar and an undetectable speakeasy downstairs, unless you know how to find it and have a reservation. The downtown bar is heavy with neighborhood charm and cheap beer, and it also features a killer public address system. On Tuesdays, beers from the first keg cost only 5 cents. As long as you’re there, hopefully you made reservations downstairs at the hidden speakeasy called the Laundry Room, where they’ll whip up personalized unique drinks for your private party.
Omnia is situated above Caesar’s Palace, which is a great place for a bar. Resident DJs like Calvin Harris pump electronic dance music from the stage. The gigantic hi-tech chandelier dangling over the dance floor completely captures the attention of those writhing beneath it. From the dance floor, you can go out onto the terrace and enjoy the less raucous entertainment there that is said to permit actually conversation, so you won’t need to shout to be heard by your crew. Mid-level views of the Strip give a fresh viewpoint to the partying above and below. The outside zone is open from March to October, and you’ll need to reserve a table with VIP bottle service. It’s a winner no matter how or when you look at it.
Beer Park sits atop the Paris Las Vegas resort, offering wide, scenic views of the Bellagio fountain directly across the street. Over 100 brands of beers are available, including local brewery offerings and crafts beers from around the region. Not everyone loves beer as much as Tom T. Hall, and those folks can check out the wine on tap and the craft cocktails. Hangovers are met with bottomless mimosas and a fried chicken, egg and bacon sandwich that puts an end to any discomfort.
There’s plenty to see on the ground level of Sin City. Craft cocktails can be found almost anywhere, but one of the best spots is Oak & Ivy, a solid institution and a continual crowd pleaser. From its cargo shipping container home to the home-brewed ginger beer, cocktails aged in a barrel and a very vital whiskey assortment, Oak & Ivy aims to please and hits the mark.
If you can use a little inspiration, check out Inspire, the lounge and nightclub that straddles two floors at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street. The third story rooftop deck is where the action is, with an open bar for ladies on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 pm to midnight. You’ll hear plenty of Latin dance music on the wraparound terrace, and they even provide hookahs. Inspire is where you’ll find the local hipsters on any day of the week.
Forget about getting into Carson Kitchen without a reservation. That’s not happening. Founded by Kerry Simon and run by his brother Scott Simon, this bar boasts one of the finest restaurants in town as well. When business demanded a quick answer to the teeming crowds, they bought the nightclub next door, added a new bar and some extra tables to solve their space problem.
