6 Secret Lounges, Restaurants, & Speakeasies in Las Vegas

Best Friend

Roy Choi is known for his contributions to the LA food truck scene and his coterie of rock star, celeb, and DJ friends—so when he opened a restaurant in the quickly revamping Park MGM, people took notice. It’s a little slice of his LA: You’ll walk through a funky neon front masquerading as a Koreatown liquor store into a dining room with décor inspired by Korean spas. Order Choi’s hits like tamarind cod hot pot, lobster kung pao, and a fried bologna sandwich before moving on to serious—and seriously large—cocktails that run the gamut from Rat Pack-era "O.G.s" to sugary, boozy slushies. As the night wears on and the drinks kick in, the music gets louder and Choi’s industry best friends—DJ Crykit, Beat Junkies, or whoever else is in town—take to the DJ booth. No reason to change venues when everything you need is right here.

Elio

Enrique Olvera and Daniela Soto-Innes weren't looking to create just another Sin City fine dining experience when they opened Elio in 2020. Rather, Olvera—whose Mexico City restaurant Pujol ranked No. 12 in the 2019 World's 50 Best Restaurants—wanted the "fun and happy spirit of Mexican restaurants" focused on shareable food and a seriously great menu of tequila, mezcal, and other Mexican distillates. With Soto-Innes, named the World's Best Female Chef in 2019, also at the helm, you're in for a culinary treat. Stay long enough and you can slide right into the nighttime revelry at the adjacent 55,000-square-foot Encore Beach Club.

Mayfair Supper Club

What’s old is new again. Vegas virtually originated the supper club, where the night evolves (or devolves, as the case may be) from swinging jazz club, to dinner accompanied by a multi-piece band, to live performances with dancers descending in rings suspended above the tables. And when Mayfair opened in the former Hyde space in Bellagio, diners were ready for a throwback—done in the most modern possible way, of course.

On Fridays and Saturdays, Mayfair After Dark kicks into high gear beginning at 11 p.m., where live musical acts and performances make way to a late-night dance party, with a special dinner menu served until 2 a.m. Order theatrical drinks (think lemon drops with citrus bubbles that pop) to go along with totally indulgent bites like wagyu hand rolls layered with caviar and gold leaf). The whole production is accompanied by the best view of the Bellagio fountains.

Mr. Coco

If your idea of fabulous nightlife is getting far away from the madding crowds, Mr. Coco is your kind of place. Opened by local mixology hero Francesco Lafranco in 2019, this luxury cocktail lounge in the Fantasy Tower of the Palms feels like one of the city's greatest secrets right now. Before you even step in the elevator, you’ll be given a cocktail to sip on as you're whisked up to the masculine, sexy lounge. While you hide away and enjoy the live piano music, you'll be served Gruyère cheese puffs, chilled capellini, Osetra caviar, a foie gras torchon, and other nibbles. In addition the theatrical espresso martini service, the drinks menu includes more than 30 vermouths, fortified wines, and a truffle-infused Cognac.

Ghost Donkey

Can’t find this eight-seat tequila bar? Just look for the green exit door with a pink donkey inside Cosmopolitan’s Block 16 Urban Food Hall. From the hotel casino that started the secret location trend with its "secret pizza" place (whose cult following still goes there late night), this hideaway is all tequila, mezcal, and truffle nachos. We’re not talking basic margaritas here; think drinks like the Mira Q’Cute (Sombra mezcal, Avua Amburana cachaça, aquavit, Pedro Ximenez sherry, spiced squash syrup, lemon, and egg whites).

Sara’s

Surprisingly for most, Las Vegas never had a rich speakeasy culture during Prohibition years (the law was only sporadically enforced, and saloons generally operated in the open). Still, contemporary Vegas does themed speakeasies like no other city, so it should strike no one as strange that it now has a “meat-easy.” Michael Symon’s meat-themed supper club, Sara’s, sits inside a room within his Mabel’s BBQ. Inspired by nostalgic Las Vegas restaurants, it boasts a menu of French-American dishes, served table-side. Look for an entire smoked prime rib menu (with crab Béarnaise, shaved truffles, and foie gras butter), Dover sole meunière, shellfish tower, Steak Oscar and truffle fried chicken, and desserts like cherries jubilee and bananas Foster. Part of the Palms’ nearly $700 million renovation, the supper club’s leather-wrapped bar and secret garden are where you’ll find the beautiful people right now.