Wine and Cocktail Guide: Las Vegas

Allison:I could leave this as the one and only recommendation and be happy with it. I seriously love this lounge SO MUCH. To be fair, I love everything about Circa, but this bar on the 60th floor stands out above everything. Not only do you get beautiful views from the 60th floor, but half of it is located outdoors on the rooftop making it extra sexy. Their cocktails are divine and I beg everyone to check this place out. Also, make a reservation!

Allison:There is a different feel when you are downtown. Everything feels slower, old school and more relaxed. That is the exact way I would describe Commonwealth. They also have 2nd story rooftop bar AND they turn the entire place into a Christmas-themed bar during the holidays!

Allison:The Laundry Room is a speakeasy located within Commonwealth. You must make reservations and you must...speak easy. Come for a personalized cocktail experience but maybe don't come if you are looking to have conversation or meet your neighbor at the bar because you will be told to keep your voice down.

Allison:Whiskey is the name of the game at Oak & Ivy. Located in Container Park (you guessed it, shipping containers), come for a whiskey-based cocktail and stay for the fire-breathing praying mantis!

Allison:I appreciate their basic approach slogan: Cozy vibe and proper cocktails. My attempts to visit have failed me, as we spent all of our cocktail time at the Legacy Club last trip, but this spot is very high on my list for next time!

Allison:I have to be honest here, I have only ever had draft beer at Atomic. That being said, they do have a cocktail list but in all honesty, Atomic is getting an honorable mention under cocktails just because it is such an important piece of Las Vegas history and everyone needs to go here at least once.

Allison:Vegas Vickie is MY GIRL. I once got ripped off by a stripper in a strip club that was located beneath her neon-glowing frame. She now resides inside of Circa, and has her own bar dedicated to her legacy.

Allison:I had my wedding dinner at Bardot when my husband and I eloped in August of 2020. I think I spent the first 30 minutes we were there just dying over the wine list. We were welcomed with two glasses of cremant, ended up ordering a 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin for dinner and then finished the meal with two glasses of Sauternes. One of the best meals in our Vegas history, but also one of the best wine experiences as well!

Allison:1. Save time by ordering the tasting menu 2. Use saved time to read the extensive wine list. We ordered a 2015 Chateauneuf-du-Pape and ended the meal with glasses of Sauternes.

Allison:Ok so technically not "on the Strip", The Hostile Grape gets a pass because it is awesome. Located in essentially the basement of the M Resort, The Hostile Grape is the best spot for anyone wanting to try a variation of wines. It is basically a wine ATM where you preload a card with whatever amount of money you choose, then you can go around an buy yourself samples of anything and everything available until the money on your card runs out. It is a fucking blast, but it is also a very sexy setting.

Allison:Also not technically on the strip, this place is located at the Rio which is just west of the strip so it's not too far off. Really cool, quiet place for the wine nerd. They have a lot of cool older bottles on display, some previously owned by Thomas Jefferson and other cool bits of history. What I really enjoyed about this place is that their menu allows you to build your own flight. We chose expensive wines we had never gotten to try before (like Opus One) and it was an awesome experience.

Allison:If Italian wine is your thing, this is your heaven. So Eataly is kind of like a food hall with many different spots for food, pastries, cocktails or wine. While basically every part of Eataly sells wine, they have a designated wine bar with many different flights and a great selection of by-the-glass. We generally grab a bottle and have a seat on a couch and just kind of take in the whole trip.

Allison:Mon Ami Gabi is incredible regardless of whether or not it is breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, cocktails, etc. I am obsessed. They also have an awesome wine list! Their by-the-glass selections are available on a wine cart which gets wheeled over to you table-side!

Allison:For the acid-heads like myself, Lotus of Siam's wine list has over 300 bottles to choose from, in addition to a large portion of that list being made up of high acid whites to pair with their spicy food!

Allison:Jaleo is owned by the same chef as Bazaar Meat and they just do a wine list the right way. At Jaleo, they differentiate their wine list by flavor rather than region/grape. They also offer mostly Spanish/Portugese options!

Allison:Again, off the strip but beyond worth mentioning! Edo is an incredible Spanish tapas restaurant with a beautiful Spanish-heavy wine list. Do me a favor though, don't even look at the wine list and just ask for Joe who is their sommelier and trust whatever he pours into your glass!