The Hidden Gems of Las Vegas

Keeping a secret in Las Vegas is not all that much of a challenge in a city that thrives on discretion in questionable situations. However, often times there are options for the visitor that appear to be exclusive but simply are not well known. These “secrets” are not as much secrets in Las Vegas as they are a few spots on the Las Vegas strip that often go overlooked or underappreciated. You can tell your friends that you have some inside information just to feel like a Las Vegas Insider when in fact you have just become an expert on hidden Las Vegas.

Feeling a little kinky? The Cromwell Hotel has some chic rooms that scream sexy but they also package some surprises. With the right light that full-length mirror on the wall gives you a voyeuristic fantasy right into the shower. It’s up to you to reveal the secret to your partner.

Set right off the lobby at Trump Las Vegas the DJT Lounge is just right for an afternoon drink or a midday meal or a nightcap. In other words, they have a cocktail for your every need. If you happen to need some calories that do not come in liquid form try the Capellini. This will be a secret that will be hard to keep. 

This foray into fitness at Cosmopolitan Hotel should be more well known but it is not, so take advantage of the ability to walk into great fitness class that pushes your limits while helping you feel good about your hedonistic approach to vacation on the Las Vegas strip. Sweat 60 is the ideal way for you to kick-start your workout schedule launch your confidence into another dimension.

The cocktail is the worse kept secret in Las Vegas as the Verbena is the best seller at the Cosmopolitan. The bar, Level 1.5 is a bit more of an enigma as plenty of people walk by but not many know that what they do here is something special. It’s all about experiencing your cocktail so get ready for sensory stimulation in the form of a good drink.

8 seats and no menu to speak of but if you get into this place at Jaleo at Cosmopolitan you can be sure that you will tell everyone. Chef Jose Andreas has a staff that will baffle you with flavors and tantalizes you will an atmosphere of exclusivity. One table and you eat what you are served.

There is a place that is called secret pizza but instead, head to Lago for lunch and sit in their bar and order their pizzette. It’s not really a secret but not enough people are talking about it.  Don't be astonished when you walk away thinking you may have just experienced the best-tasting pizza ever. Its meant for sharing but you'll have a hard time parting with even one piece.

The cocktails are top notch and the food is habit inducing but the main draw is the outdoor lounge with a view of Aria Resort and the fire pits that are perfect for long conversations about new found friendships and immense discretion. This is a place where secrets are formulated and agreed upon. Don't get me wrong, you will need to eat but if there was ever a place to be secretive but appear as if you are hiding nothing, Vice Versa at Vdara is the spot.

You’ll be shocked by both the price and the quality of the accommodations at the Golden Gate Hotel in Downtown Las Vegas. This is a hidden gem that will have you saving money and feeling like a high roller. Well, relative to Downtown Las Vegas that is.

You pay a little extra but you get a private check-in, exemplary customer service and a lounge with great views, cocktails, breakfast, snacks, and a sense of exclusivity that is often missing from the Las Vegas experience. Happy hour is a bit more refined as you lounge with a stiff drink and a place to ponder the evening ahead. The Prestige Level at Palazzo is available to anyone as long as you are willing to pay a little extra.

It is difficult to consider the Peppermill as a secret spot but it is part of a hidden Las Vegas that is right out in the open. The spot has a long history and when you walk into the lounge and take a seat by the fireplace you realize that the hands of time stopped and allowed this little gem to be held in a time capsule. Grab a giant scorpion and drink away.

You don’t really even have to eat to get in a game of Bocce at Rao’s at Caesars Palace. Order a drink and let the bartender know you want to play on the court out back. You might even be able to order a meatball to go along with a good bottle of wine. Don’t know the rules? It’s Vegas, make up your own rules.

The view from the restaurant is spectacular but the price can be a bit overwhelming, however, if you stop in for lunch it is a bit more manageable. The Eiffel Tower Restaurant can easily be your romantic getaway or your splurge meal.

Lunch at the bar with whiskey and fried chicken. Why would you go to a steakhouse for fried chicken? Because they are delivering a crispy on the outside moist on the inside hand dipped morsel of savory, sweet, salty and sensational at Delmonico. It’s only available at lunchtime so make sure to stop in before your party gets started.

You won’t find it on the menu but if you ask for it they still serve Wolfgang Puck’s famous pancetta wrapped meatloaf with port wine sauce. Ask for it over mashed potatoes and you’ll get a slice of the good life. Spago is a Las Vegas icon so missing it should not even be considered.

You need to know that this is a secret that the casinos do not always want you to know. If you slide a few coins into a machine you get a free drink. That is common knowledge. What is not as widely known is that if you step up to a casino bar with video poker machines and order a cocktail, that is also free. Try it at the Fusion at Palazzo.

A few more not so secret spots in Las Vegas that you should know about include:

• The bar at Beauty & Essex at Cosmopolitan Resort
• Counter seating at Momofuku
• Metro Pizza for the best pizza in Las Vegas
• The patio at Skyfall at Delano Las Vegas. (Not a secret but you should know about it.)
• Another bar with great views is the Mandarin Bar way up high over the Las Vegas strip, which is a hidden gem as well.