20 Best Nightlife in Las Vegas, Nevada

All hail Victor Drai, classiest of Vegas nightlife sultans. The wild scene inside this after-hours titan is closer to a dance club or a rave than to a lounge, even though its four rooms with two music formats are as gorgeous as any lounge in town. The vibe of decadence can reach an extraordinary pitch, but this, of course, is exactly how an after-hours club should be, right? Besides, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful insider crowd anywhere within the city limits.

Pining for a genuine taste of retro Las Vegas? This kitschy and shagadelic lounge that dates to 1972 remains one of the town's truly essential nightspots. Just north of Encore, this evergreen romantic getaway serves food, but what you're really here for is the firepit—a sunken area with a raised pond with flames shooting out of the center—and signature cocktails such as the Bubble Bath and the lethal, 64-ounce Scorpion. Happy hour's from 3 to 6 pm daily.

Leave your designer handbags on the bar; this is a place to see and be seen. Sophisticated clientele frequent this piano lounge, where a different expert each day (check the website and pick your favorite) tickles the ivories of a one-of-a-kind, art deco–style Steinway grand while patrons sup on trendy offerings like the Poof!—a pairing that reflects Las Vegas bars' current fascination with all things smoky, with a cocktail of Bulleit rye, apple brandy, and sweet vermouth, placed under a smoky dome alongside duck confit croquettes. Caviar is, of course, a given, featured in tacos and the Bellagio Martini, served with an Ossetra cigar.

It's in a shopping mall eight minutes from the Strip (by taxi), but we won't hold that against the Blue Martini, because it's still pretty cool. The cream of local bands plays here nightly, an attractive blue interior curves from room to room, and the cocktail menu is impressive (the signature martinis are served in the shaker). Also, there's a legendary happy hour from 5 to 8 pm daily. Best of all, hordes of the kind of people you'll want to meet (that is, sexy non-tourists of all genders) keep pouring in.

The inventive cocktails snag the spotlight at this hidden gem tucked away at the back of The Cromwell. Try the Bunny Bubbles, with Benedictine liqueur, raspberry puree, pomegranate juice, and Champagne, or one of the extensive collection of bourbons, Scotch, and other whiskeys (and whiskys) from all over the world. There's also a selection of light bites.

Delano gives its classy lobby lounge a moniker that goes with its theme: the 32nd president. Bourbons, whiskeys, and barrel-aged drinks are specialties here, so belly up, let the soft music and tiny twinkling lights help you relax, and ask the bartender to prep you a little something, maybe from the Woodford Reserve barrel service (and yes, you can keep the barrel). What's more, since it's a lobby lounge, there's no cover.

An amazing remnant of classic Vegas that almost faded away before being reborn in the 2010s, this club-restaurant has a front lounge that offers live cocktail entertainment Wednesday through Sunday and a ballroom that features ticketed shows. The entertainment is mostly tributes, usually to one or more members of the Rat Pack but sometimes to other Vegas stars such as Tom Jones. The performers are often Legends in Concert alumni or singers who work on cruise ships. Most of the shows have a dinner or buffet option.

This circular bar's casual, lively atmosphere, comfy couchlike seats, sexy staff, and giant chandelier make it one of the best in town, and worth the trip to the impressive Red Rock Resort complex. What's more, the bar is steps away from Rocks Lounge, another hip spot that features live performers most nights of the week.

Head to the Silverton's frontier-themed, salt-of-the-earth casino (or its sensational, museum-like hunting-fishing Bass Pro Shops), where it's well worth stopping by for a drink and taking a long look at the gigantic, sharks 'n' all aquarium. The aquarium holds 117,000 gallons of salt water and is home to more than 4,000 fish and as many as eight mermaids at a time (yes, really). There's live music spanning a variety of genres on Friday and Saturday, with no cover.

Did you ever think you'd be wearing a winter parka in the Las Vegas desert? If not, then you've underestimated just how gimmicky these 21st-century bars can be. Don the parka provided by minus5°, pay attention to your orientation speech, buy those drink tickets, and step into the Ice Bar, where the temperature is always 5 below zero Celsius (23 Fahrenheit). This frosty clime ensures that you'll have a "cool" time here, but it also keeps the walls, bar, cocktail glasses, chairs, couches, and decorative sculpture in their frozen-solid state. Expensive fun for the sheer weirdness of it? Definitely! The drinks are tasty, too. Additional locations are at The Venetian ( 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S) and The LINQ Promenade ( 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S).

This baroque Paris piano bar can get loud, but it's all good fun. Free music flows Thursday through Sunday from 7 pm to 2 am; tip the dueling piano players well if you really want to hear your favorite song. Creative cocktails include the Banana Split Martini and Godiva chocolate–based Midnight in Paris, and cigar lovers can enjoy a smoke in the exclusive lounge area.

The hookah is an elaborate Middle Eastern water pipe used to smoke exotic tobacco, and it also happens to be a point of distinction (or perhaps gimmick) for this Mediterranean favorite overseen by local entrepreneur Paymon Raouf. Instead of the bare-bones set-up or kitschy Greek murals that occupy most gyro joints in the Valley, Paymon's conjures a sexy, chill-out experience, with a contemporary, red-velvet-laden, incense-filled environment that draws a diverse crowd. The lounge area is separate from casual indoor and patio dining. Prices are a bargain, and the extensive menu offers plenty of dinner options. (Those who remember the original, University-district location, which has closed, will find the new, larger location worth the drive. A second location is at 8380 W. Sahara Ave.)

The very swanky but very inviting indoor-outdoor Press features firepits with seating overlooking the private pool at the Four Seasons, cooled off by misters in the hotter months—and it's open until midnight (1 am on weekends). Like everything at the upscale resort, the libations and accompanying bites (mmm, s'mores over the firepit) are near perfection. Free high-speed Internet and access to digital newspapers and magazines from 100 countries highlight the complimentary services at this lobby bar that doubles as a coffee shop by day.

Few views of the Strip are as breathtaking as the one you'll get from this uber-chic lounge on the 23rd floor of the Waldorf Astoria. The room is wrapped with floor-to-ceiling windows, meaning just about every one of the plush banquettes is a winning seat. Mixologists have concocted cocktails themed to southern Nevada (The Spanish Trail, The Boulder Dam), and it's easy to pay a dollar for every floor of that view in a single cocktail. There's also a small menu of bite-size appetizers, such as shrimp tacos, duck-fat french fries, and sushi, and "luxurious experiences" that include Whistle Pig and Remy Martin Louis XIII tastings. Business-casual dress is recommended.

Head up to the 64th floor of Delano for the 180-degree views of the city inside Skyfall Lounge. Everything up here is higher, including the prices for craft cocktails. Around sunset the crowds can become unbearable, but later in the evening, when live DJs play tunes (on Friday and Saturday), the vibe is chill. Be sure to step into the bathrooms for a different view of the city while you relieve yourself.

This out-of-the-way "secret" lounge is a sort of upscale version of the Peppermill. The vibe is relatively chill even on weekends, so it can serve as a tonic to the usual Vegas lunacy. The interior is filled with gilt-framed paintings (and sometimes frames without the paintings), which are even on the ceiling. Ordinarily, a crazy ceiling stunt like this one would seem silly, but the muted romantic ambience here (candlelight, soft music, dark wood, comfy leather couches) makes it work. Host hotel The Lexi, reopened in 2023, is billed as the first "cannabis-friendly" hotel in Las Vegas.

Whatever the name—and past incarnations include Hyde and Fontana Bar—this posh ultralounge is prime real estate inside the Bellagio, famous for its front-and-center view overlooking the Bellagio fountains. As the name suggests, the latest incarnation hearkens back to an earlier era, with dinner and live entertainment offered in the same room, which drips with the chic atmosphere of a black-and-white movie from the 1930s.

You get two kinds of retro-hip nostalgia at Casa Di Amore, a durable Italian restaurant. Inside, vintage photos of Las Vegas line the walls where a live pianist often entertains diners. Except for the limited bar seating, the indoor area is primarily for those with dinner reservations. Out back, however, the open-air Tiki Di Amore is more for the walk-up crowd of those in shorts and flip-flops, with a separate menu of bar food, cocktails such as The Pain Killer or Dark & Stormy, and often live bands amid the kitschy bamboo and thatched-roof surroundings.

The Chandelier Bar may be The Cosmopolitan's bar of the moment, but you shouldn't overlook the sleek Vesper Bar, the true mixologist space at the hotel. Name an ingredient, any ingredient, and the talented staff behind the bar can come up with a drink for you. Long-forgotten cocktail recipes are a specialty at this very modern square bar sitting alongside hotel registration.

Different cityscapes ranging from sunset in Hong Kong to night in Dubai to evening in New York City change on huge screens (so you can order a Manhattan while you're looking at Manhattan) that make up the background at this lounge, which offers specialty drinks like a pineapple mule.