Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
beer while watching the cult classics that play on the big screen than it is a place
to whoop it up like a drunken frat boy.
Dark and ornate,
Hookah Lounge
5
(two locations within Paymon's
Mediterranean Cafe: 4147 S. Maryland Pkwy.;
%
702/731
-
6030; www.paymons.com;
and 8380 W. Sahara Ave.; Sun-Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri-Sat 5pm-3am)
is a romantic
Middle Eastern nook where even nonsmokers indulge in the flavored tobacco water
pipes. Sit down in the plush red velvet seats, and a hookah master will soon
approach, offering you such tempting flavored tobacco as Turkish, apple, jasmine,
cherry cola, and more. Then, take your disposable mouthpiece and puff away! (No,
it's not the wacky tobaccy, and no, you can't supply your own and yes, they've
already been asked that 10 million times.) A low-key spot that's conducive to con-
versations, Hookah is perfect for small groups or a date. The lounge is attached to
Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe, and serves delicious hummus, baba ghanouj and
other delights from their kitchen (see p. 100 for a review). Stop in for happy hour
(5-7pm) when most drinks and hookahs are half-price.
Two words: velvet wallpaper.
Champagnes Café
5
(3557 S. Maryland Pkwy.;
%
702/737
-
1699; 24 hr.; cash only)
is still old Vegas, from the red leather booths
to the Rat Pack-filled juke box and cheap drinks. This place is a genuine, free-
standing, neighborhood bar with a mixed clientele of hipsters and down-and-out
drunks whose interactions can provide free entertainment. It's the kind of bar
David Lynch would love.
The Artisan
55
(1501 W. Sahara Ave.;
%
702/214
-
4000; www.theartisanhotel.
com; 24 hr.)
is just a dab over-the-top in about everything it does, but hey, so is Vegas.
From the fountain in the lobby to the paintings, dangling golden frames festooned
on every inch of every wall and even every inch of the ceiling, and ornate statuary,
there's simply no place else in this town, or other towns, like it. With live entertain-
ment Tuesday through Sunday (times vary daily; see website) and a killer happy hour
(two-for-one house wines, wells, and domestics) this is the perfect place to kick back
on one of their comfortable couches and make use of the free Wi-Fi, or grab a book
out of one of the many bookshelves and learn a thing or two while you drink. See
p. 61 for a review of the hotel.
BARS IN DOWNTOWN
Mayor Oscar Goodman has heavily focused on revitalizing Downtown in recent
years, and the effort has really started to ferment. A couple of different pods of
bars have popped up, catering to a crowd that's divided between tourists and
locals. Though some of the spots are in areas that used to primarily draw prosti-
tutes and drug dealers, the city's efforts are beginning to show signs of progress.
Dino's
(1516 Las Vegas Blvd. S.;
%
702/382
-
3894; www.dinoslv.com; 24 hr.;
karaoke with Danny G Thurs 9pm, Fri-Sat 10pm; cash only)
bills itself “The Last
Neighborhood Bar in Las Vegas,” and none of its regulars would dare contest that.
Once you've visited a few times, the patrons here are like family . . . in a creepy
drunken uncle kind of way. Still, if dive bars are your speed and you've got a thick
skin, it's a diamond in the Las Vegas rough. The bartenders will quickly know you
by name and libation, and if you show up enough, you may make it into the run-
ning for the monthly “Drunk of the Month” competition (the winner gets a pre-
mier parking spot). There's a small stage that's run by Danny G, the karaoke king,
who does a killer rendition of Pure Prairie League's “Amy” and anything Elton
John, entertaining the drunkards 3 nights a week.
