To help set the mood, here is a list of romantic bars off the beaten path in downtown Las Vegas.
DOWNTOWN COCKTAIL ROOM
Dark and mysterious, the Downtown Cocktail Room is an abrupt change of pace from the bright lights and chaos of the nearby Fremont Street Experience. The bar and lounge takes pride in expertly crafted cocktails, served in a quiet environment with lounge beats in the background. The eclectic menu changes about four times a year, but feel free to order absinthe or a shareable punch bowl when on a double date. Mike Morey’s Sip’n’Tip is a bar-within-a-bar near the side alley entrance. 111 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702.880.3696, downtowncocktailroom.com
GARAGISTE
Located in the heart of the up-and-coming Downtown Arts District, Garagiste is a wine bar founded by a pair of former Strip sommeliers. Buy a bottle to go from the retail shop or hang around in an industrial-modern tasting room while enjoying flights organized by style and region. Garagiste makes a point to have natural, organic, low-intervention wines that are hard to find anywhere else. 197 E. California Ave., 702.954.3658, garagistelv.com
THE LAUNDRY ROOM
Can you keep a secret? The Laundry Room is a hidden speakeasy, tucked away inside Commonwealth about a block east of the Fremont Street Experience. Admission usually requires a reservation. It’s an intimate space with vintage furniture and bartenders who prefer to customize cocktails based on mood and feel. There’s also a regular menu of inventive recipes and complex ingredient combinations. 525 E. Fremont St., 702.291.7389, laundryroomlv.comThe Japanese Cocktail at the Laundry Room is a combination of cognac, orgeat syrup and angostura.
LEGACY CLUB
The Legacy Club is one of the most alluring destinations inside Circa, the newest and tallest resort on Fremont Street. The top-floor rooftop lounge has incredible 360-degree views of the Strip and Downtown, whether enjoying your cocktail indoors or outside on an expansive patio. The bar pays tribute to old-school Vegas with busts dedicated to casino moguls past and present. Yet the strong, indulgent cocktails are the best reason to pay a visit. Circa, 702.247.2258, circalasvegas.com
OAK & IVY
Oak & Ivy is your best bet for scoring drinks at the Downtown Container Park, a collection of businesses built from cargo shipping containers. The bar itself has just a handful of seats, but there’s extra room on the patio and rooftop deck. Mules and barrel-aged cocktails are the specialty, but Oak & Ivy also has one of the best whiskey collections in Downtown Vegas. 707 E. Fremont St., 702.553.2549, oakandivy.com
SILVER STAMP
The Silver Stamp feels like a trip back in time, as well as a secret you only share among friends (or with a special date). The bar is layered in vintage decor, from oddball taxidermy to wood paneling, but has a loose vibe and in-depth beer selection. Most of the taps are dedicated to European drafts, including a smoky rauchbier and the kind of Kölsch you’d typically find at a European festival. 222 E. Imperial Ave., 702.527.1784, silverstamplv.com
THE UNDERGROUND
Las Vegas: where tourist attractions come with a bar. The Mob Museum pays tribute to Sin City’s criminal past with floors of exhibits in the building that was once the Downtown courthouse. Venture to the basement level, however, and you’ll discover a Prohibition-style speakeasy with vintage cocktails, live music and even a real operational distillery to produce moonshine and other spirits in house. 300 Stewart Ave., 702.229.2734, themobmuseum.orgThe Irish coffee cocktail is served at The Underground, the Prohibition-style speakeasy and distillery, located within the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas.
