Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
curtained windows block out the casino, enhancing the feel of an upscale urban
hot spot, as opposed to just another casino bar.
BARS ON THE NORTH STRIP
The
Horse-A-Round Bar
555
(in Circus Circus;
%
877/434
-
9175 or 702/734
-
0410; www.circuscircus.com; Fri-Sat 4:30-11:30pm)
is a mandatory stop for lovers
of the surreal. Set in the middle of the casino's Midway, where children scream for
money and stuffed animals, and the looks on adults' faces hint that they might be
resisting infanticide, the Horse-A-Round Bar is a revolving carousel, lined by
horses and poles. The area where the actual bar is remains stationary as the chairs
and booths swirl around it, and harried parents duck in for a quick shot. It's no
wonder that Hunter S. Thompson couldn't resist highlighting this bar in
Fear and
Loathing in Las Vegas.
BARS EAST OF THE STRIP
As the superlative of motif-driven bars,
Quark's Bar
555
(in the Las Vegas
Hilton, 3000 Paradise Rd.;
%
888/732
-
7117 or 702/697
-
8725; www.lvhilton.
com; Sun-Thurs 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm)
is a must. I happen to
hate
Star Trek,
but I love this bar for its sheer creativity and the dedication of its
staff to remaining in character. Klingons, Ferengi, and other costumed Trek fig-
ures interact with customers in this futuristic hub. Both the food and drink
menus are in Trekker—the Holy Rings of Betazed are onion rings, and the Warp
Core Breach involves a concentration of alcohol so high it's practically flammable
and is served in a container that looks larger than Spock's head. This is a great spot
pretty much any time of the year, save for mid-August, when the
Star Trek
con-
vention brings thousands of diehard geeks into town. True Trekkers and alcohol
do not mix.
Vintage Vegas
No Las Vegas visit is complete without a stop at
Peppermill Fireside
Lounge
555
(2985 Las Vegas Blvd. S.;
%
702/735-4177; www.peppermill
lasvegas.com; 24 hr.).
With the bubbling fire pool, mirrored walls, circular
booths, neon tubes of blue and pink and cocktail servers dressed in elegant
black gowns, this is the epitome of what Vegas once was. In a city where
implosion trumps preservation, it's a wonder that The Peppermill is still
around. Voted one of “America's 10 Best Make-Out Bars” by
Nerve Magazine,
this is not the bar to bring someone who wants to be “just friends.” It is,
however, the bar to bring someone to who appreciates colorful cocktails and
who can hold their liquor—the signature Scorpion ($14) is an alky's dream
come true, with six different kinds of liquor and ice cream, and is served in
what looks like a fishbowl. It tastes great going down but by the time
you get to the bottom of the 64-ouncer, the flavor will be the least of your
concerns.
