Best Vegas Ultra Lounges and Bars

Best Ultra Lounges and Bars in Las Vegas

Ultra Lounges are an in-between category of nightlife that is less active and more conversation friendly than a top Las Vegas night club but emphasize music and dance more than an upscale bar.  They are smaller than night clubs but with expensive drink pricing similar to the clubs and some like Tabu (not recommended) charge a cover.

For most serious clubbers, these ultra lounges are used for pre/post clubbing for an hour or so. Within this group are lounges that have a good view of the Vegas skyline. There are some that are destination types of lounges-bars for the entire evening.  Also, some are geared to different age groups.

Here are the top bars and lounges in Vegas divided along the pre/post clubbing, age of crowd, views and restaurant combination bars/lounges.  The bars then follow in order of overall preference.

Best Pre/Post Clubbing Lounges

• V
• Foundation Room
• Mix
• Noir Bar
• eyecandy
• Parasol Down
• Blush
• ghostbar
• VooDoo Lounge
• Playboy
• Downtown Cocktail Room
• Red Square

For those who prefer an older crowd less inclined to club hop, these are our recommendations.

• Fontana
• Mix
• Shadow Bar
• Napoleon's

If you are most interested in a view, these are the top choices.

• Mandarin Oriental Bar
• Foundation Room
• Mix
• ghostbar
• Playboy
• VooDoo Lounge

There are restaurant and music/lounge combinations and these are our favorites.

• Red Square
• Mix
• Cafe Martorano
• Cathouse

Pre/Post Clubbing

V bar (Venetian) is probably a bit better for the pre rather than post clubbing part of your night.  There is no cover, drinks are mostly high single digit (which is cheap for Vegas nightlife) and it is usually easy to get into early in the evening.  Around midnight to 2 am you get fallout from Tao or other clubs and it can get less conversation friendly.

Décor is modern with plush sofas that may not always be reserved.  You can dance to a DJ on a small floor.  You have to find it by heading towards the Blue Man Group but its location also reduces stray casino crowds.  The projection video is interesting for a while but after an hour or so you will be ready to move on without much damage to your budget.

Foundation Room (Mandalay Bay) is accessed by private elevator and has an exotic mansion décor with very good food from well-reviewed chef Russell Grabe.  It is perfect for an hour or so including gazing up the strip from the 43rd floor balcony.  The crowd is one of the oldest for a Vegas lounge although lively.

Mondays is often the most crowded because it is has always been their industry night.  After 10 pm you can now enter on other nights if you pay the $20 cover for both men and women.  Drinks are surprisingly almost as cheap as V Bar and there is different music in 3 separate rooms.  Membership has golf, restaurant and other cities' Foundation Room privileges for $2,250 but membership is no longer needed for just the lounge.

Mix (Mandalay Bay) is an excellent single Michelin star restaurant in a very white, modern restaurant but it also has a lounge and music.  The view from the floor to ceiling windows (or outside) up the strip is outstanding (comparable to Foundation Room).  Again the crowd is noticeably older than the average clubber but sometimes gets a little younger as the night wears on.

Admission for men is $25 for Fr/Sa and $20 the rest of the week.  Drinks are expensive at around $16 but about the same as the major nightclubs.  Of the most interesting bathrooms in Vegas, we would rank Mix near the top along with Tao, Seamless, Downtown Cocktail Room, Playboy and the men's bathroom near the cashier's cage at Hilton.

Noir Bar (Luxor) is geared for exclusivity and is extremely well appointed with crystal chandelier, mother of pearl wall covering, and a private hallway entrance.  There is no cover charge but you must have a reservation and the reservation does not guarantee entry.  Your flip flops and "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt that fits you perfectly (3 pant sizes smaller) may not be enough to get in here.

Celebrities like the no-photography atmosphere and don't mind $18+ drinks.  Bottle service is not as a strong requirement here as with some of the night clubs and starts at $500 a bottle and up.  The isolated relaxed tone is perfect for post clubbing and you can get in free into LAX if you are looking for a pre-clubbing lounge.

eyecandy (Mandalay Bay) is a no cover  lounge that is in the middle of the casino floor.  If you just want to breeze in and breeze out, this is perfect for a short stay although the drinks are very roughly $2-3 higher than V bar but in line with the expensive clubs.  Quality of their drinks offsets high price somewhat.  Crowd is sometimes a bit older than average.  Some tables are touch interactive and they have music videos.

Parasol Down (Wynn) has great outdoor seating for a view of the Lake of Dreams which has a handful of different shows that recycle every half hour.  It has a very cheerful ambiance with bright colors.  The bartenders are very competent which offsets the high end prices although there is no cover.

Although it is clearly not an ultra lounge with a DJ and loud, thumping music, it is a very well done bar for pre or post dinner/clubbing.  If a waterfall might help you unwind this is the perfect choice for the serious clubbers.

Blush (Wynn) is billed as a boutique nightclub but it is more a lounge bordering on a club with a smallish underlit dance floor but interesting décor of silk lanterns that change colors.  The advantage of this ultra lounge is its location near XS and Tryst, in the Encore/Wynn complex and not far from Tao and Lavo at the Venetian and Palazzo.

You can easily pop in and enjoy the indoor or outdoor patio area, sip good but expensive drinks (about $14 with bottle service at almost Noir levels) and sometimes avoid the $30 cover if you go early enough.  The crowd is older than average.

ghostbar (Palms) is one of our top choice for lounges with a view but not for those with vertigo or fear of heights.  You have a great view from a glass floor that allows you to see down to the pool.  If you cannot enjoy this, your best bet would be other lounges with a regular balcony/patio setup.  Men have a $10 Su-Th cover, $25 for Fr-Sa.  Drinks are near nightclub pricing.  Décor is modern and dark inside, lighter outside and crowd is often younger than average skewed to men.

VooDoo Lounge (Rio) is not as well appointed as others and service is spotty but has an outstanding view from 2 levels, the base and the flag level.  The base is reached by a glass elevator with its own excellent view and then you walk up the stairs towards the flag.  Although it could stand more seating, you will probably mill about taking in the view for about an hour or so before heading some place else.

However, if you want to get a huge buzz on before hitting the clubs, VooDoo will do. The $25 Witch Doctor is a rum monster that can drown out multiple drinks at the clubs and the Spellmaker bottle service at less than $200 now includes 3 bottles of liqueur as well as all the goodies to make your own drinks.  For a $20 cover you can pre-spend on drinks at a much more reasonable price than at the clubs.

Playboy (Palms) is another lounge with a view although nearby Moon and ghostbar are slightly more interesting.  The Playboy décor has digital photos of playmates and is lush and dark with a fireplace and small dance floor.

An advantage is that it is downstairs from Moon which is a very good nightclub and in the Palms complex which also houses ghostbar in a different tower.  If you want to spend a lot of time playing blackjack at $50 a hand with bunnies, this could possibly be considered a destination type of lounge but we expect most of you will be here for about an hour or so and then off to a real club or hitting the other nearby lounges.

Downtown Cocktail Room (Fremont and Las Vegas Blvd.) is the most difficult lounge to find since its door blends with the wall.  However, it is well appointed inside with red candles and dark woods.  Drinks are excellent and cheaper than on the strip.  Its down-tempo House music is good for pre-clubbing and even better for post-clubbing.  Clientele is younger than average.

Older Crowds

Fontana (Bellagio) is more a destination type of lounge that appeals to an older crowd.  There is an excellent view of the Bellagio fountains, even better when you go out on the balcony, and the dance floor is actually larger than some of the smaller clubs although it does not get as crowded.  They rotate 4 bands and they are all very good if your musical tastes are more in the 80s-90s although they cover recent tunes too.

If you are in your twenties or just into your thirties, you will probably find Fontana too staid although the fountains are good for a post club chill down.  If you are older and want a very nice upscale lounge that can turn into a few hours, this is probably the top choice especially as a complete nightclub replacement.

However, unlike some other lounges that cater to an older crowd such as Mix, Blush, etc., Fontana is more polarizing.  You are more likely to dislike or really love this lounge.  Drinks are expensive at around $14 (although beers start at $6) but no cover.

Shadow Bar (Caesars) has exotic dancers behind backlit screens and flair bartending in a modern setting.  There is an unusually generous amount of seating although there is also dancing too.  Drinks are in the mid-teen area but there is no cover.  It is mostly an older crowd.  The open design makes it very easy to pop in for the flair and to view the shadow dancing and then go back to clubbing.  If you prefer more of a dancing bar, Cleopatra's Barge is not far away and often very lively for a somewhat older crowd.

Napoleon's (Paris) is the lounge for champagne lovers. At over 100 champagnes it is the largest selection in Las Vegas and they also have sampler sized servings.  It has the design of an upscale old-line French restaurant.

They no longer have the jazz emphasis but their dueling pianists play requests and are hard to stump.  True clubbers visit here just long enough to get their champagne fix and leave very quickly.  However, an older group may hang around until some of their favorites are played.  That might take a while. No cover with drinks about average priced.

Best Views

Mandarin Oriental Bar (Mandarin Oriental) has a very nice view of the City Center complex from the 23rd floor that it shares with Twist (a chef with a Michelin 3 star restaurant in France) and the lobby for the hotel.  You also have an excellent view of the North and South strip which makes this possibly the best view in Vegas overall. The very upscale bar with outstanding service is plush and pricy with drinks a few dollars higher than average for Vegas nightlife.  Beers are $10 and cocktails are $18-20.  Bottle service starts at $250 for 4+.

Food is appetizers such as Kobe beef and chorizo potatos that range from $5 to $16 and vary day to day but usually consist of 7 choices that are 2 spoonfuls of food.  Quality of the food is quite good but portions are small.  However, if you are planning to dine at Twist later on, this will work out well.  The hours are 5 to 2 am everyday.

Foundation Room, Mix, ghostbar, Playboy and VooDoo have been discussed before and all have great views of the city but not as central as Mandarin Oriental.

Other Lounges

eyecandy (Mandalay Bay) is right in the casino. However, Mandalay Bay has the most spacing between gaming tables and slot machines, even more than Caesars, so eyecandy is more an oasis than you would think.

They have VIP booths and interesting lighting as well as a small dance floor with fluctuating colors. The live dj seems to play a few more oldies than other clubs. Crowd is older than average.

Minus 5 (Mandalay Place near Mandalay Bay) is made completely from imported Canadian ice and kept at 23 degrees (which is -5 degrees centigrade) to keep the seating, tables, etc. from melting. They supply jackets, gloves and booties to keep you from freezing in the allowed 30 minutes of Vodka sipping time. Glasses are made of imported New Zealand ice. If you don't like Vodka you are simply left out in the cold.  It is a unique experience but most don't repeat.

Caramel (Bellagio) is a pleasant upscale lounge not geared to dancing but more relaxing in comfortable leather seats. Music can range from top 40 to 80's but depending on DJ can be hip hip too.

Gold (Aria) is based somewhat on Elvis' Graceland mansion decor.  There is a stallion replica lamp at the door and lots of gold color in this lounge.  The key advantage of this bar is that it is next to the Viva Elvis theater.  Someone who is walking up the stairs (not escalators) will see Gold before seeing the theater.  Drink pricing and hours are the same as Deuce which are both operated by Light Group.  Some snacks are available with bottle service at $425 for up to 6.

Revolution (Mirage) was created as an adjunct to the Cirque du Soleil Beatles show LOVE but they don't specialize in Beatles music except for Thursdays. Psychedelic feel and Go-Go dancers in miniskirts almost completes a time warp to the 60's. Bottle service is not necessary for seating.  Like Gold this is a collaborative project with Cirque.

The Duece (Aria) is a unique lounge with dancing, dining, and high limit Blackjack.  It is designed towork well for those seeking a little bit of everything or to appease different desires within a group.  The food will come from Union which is the Brian Massie restaurant at Aria.

For now only appetizers are offered which mostly range from $13 to $18.  A domestic beer runs $9 and most drinks are in the low to mid-teens.  Bottle service is $475 for 4.  Hours are 10 to 4am.

Las Vegas Restaurant Lounges

Café Martorano (Rio) is on the second floor across from McFadden's and RUB Barbecue. They have very good meatballs and one of the loudest-perhaps too loud-sound systems in Vegas. If you just want to eat, arrive before 8 pm and get good Italian that is pricey, especially if they tack on Voss water without asking you first. If you really like gangster movies, which constantly play here, you may forgive their faults. Some can't forgive them.

Cathouse (Luxor) is celebrity chef Kerry Simon's new eclectic menu restaurant. The food is very good and a tad better than at his Kitchen at the Hard Rock which is now closed.

Loungerie is the nightclub at Cathouse open Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The bordello theme is played out with live dancers wearing custom lingerie, themed photos on the walls and a myriad of bordello knick-knacks. Industry Night is on Madame Mondays. They seem to play more House with vocals and Dance.  Wednesdays is their new after hours House night.