BARS & LOUNGES

CASA FUENTE CIGARS

At a decade old, Casa Fuente is an institution in The Forum Shops. Those who are serious about their cigars can choose from the selection in the walk-in humidor and belly up to the bar in the newly renovated space for an unusual assortment of cocktails and spirits, including Casa Fuente’s own Kavalan Sherry Cask Strength Whisky and Jack Daniel’s Casa Fuente Single Barrel Whiskey. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-731-5051; casafuente.com

CENTER BAR

A legend in its own right for 20 years and counting, Hard Rock’s celeb-favorite Center Bar is back and better than ever after undergoing a full-scale renovation. Expect rock stars. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 702-693-5000; hardrockhotel.com

CLIQUE BAR & LOUNGE

A distinct counterpoint to the Cosmopolitan’s high-energy club scene, Clique offers light bites and tableside cocktail service in a sexy, matte black and shimmering gold room inspired by women’s jewelry and boasting a dramatic backlit bar. Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7939; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

THE DORSEY

For those who love a classic, laborintensive mixed drink formulated by a famed master mixologist (and with a minimum of electronic dance music), enter The Dorsey, whose cocktails are designed by Sam Ross of Attaboy and Milk & Honey. Don’t miss the Penicillin, a smoky-sweet remedy for everything— made with single-malt and blended Scotch, honey, ginger, and lemon. Venetian, 866-659-9643; venetian.com

FIZZ

David Furnish and Elton John’s two-story Champagne bar is an exquisite blend of ’70s-style bronze accents and faux-fur prints. Caesars Palace, 702-776-3200; caesars.com

FRANKIE’S TIKI ROOM

Down authentic (and authentically strong) tiki drinks in a retro space with hand-carved furnishings, vintage posters, and an exotic soundtrack. You’ll find original carvings by Tiki Bosko (who made art for the Tropicana) and Leroy Schmaltz, the king of tiki carvers. 1712 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-385-3110; frankiestikiroom.com

FRANKLIN

While the Delano celebrates its desert surroundings with neutral décor that brings the outdoors in, the hotel’s lobby bar, Franklin, provides a lush, modern contrast with dark leather furniture, warm wood walls, gold accents, and a fireplace. Delano Las Vegas, 702-632-7888; delanolasvegas.com

THE GOLDEN TIKI

Located in Chinatown, the newer of Vegas’s two favorite tiki bars features tropical drinks, talking tiki statues, and a giant conch shell. Look for “shrunken heads” of local celebs. 3939 Spring Mountain Road, 702-222-3196; thegoldentiki.com

HERBS & RYE

From Gothic “alcoholic remedies” to quaffs from the Golden Age to the perfect Sazerac, Herbs & Rye is darkly and wittily vintage. Owner and award-winning mixologist Nectaly Mendoza’s place is where the industry goes at the end of the night to take the edge off. 3713 W. Sahara Ave., 702982-8036; herbsandrye.com

MANDARIN BAR

Unofficially called “The Edge” due to its perch in one of the hotel’s particularly sharp corners, Mandarin Bar’s VIP area requires advance booking, so call ahead to relish the awesome 23rd-floor views afforded by three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. Mandarin Oriental, 888-881-9367; mandarinoriental.com

PARASOL UP

With colorful fabrics and hanging lanterns, this casino-level lounge just underwent a million-dollar renovation and still offers some of the best peoplewatching in Las Vegas. The updated drink menu features five barrel-aged craft cocktails available on draft. The bar’s counterpart, Parasol Down (an escalator ride away), overlooks Wynn’s picturesque Lake of Dreams. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3392; wynnlasvegas.com

PETROSSIAN BAR

Just like its New York sibling, Petrossian Bar celebrates caviar and vodka in a loungey atmosphere (prepare for conspicuous consumption; it’s right on the edge of the casino floor). INSIDER TIP: Petrossian also has one of the most civilized high teas in town: Think fresh scones and clotted cream accompanied by a pianist commanding the one-of-a-kind Steinway. Bellagio, 702-693-6163; bellagio.com

SKYFALL LOUNGE

This jewel-toned bar and lounge, which connects with Alain Ducasse’s vertiginous restaurant Rivea, is one of the best places on the Strip to settle in for the living theater that is a flaming Las Vegas sunset over the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area. Do it with a cocktail from the bar menu (perhaps from the Shaken and Stirred category). Delano Las Vegas, 702632-7575; delanolasvegas.com

VELVETEEN RABBIT

The Downtown bar, run by two sisters, is filled with Victorian furniture and features stylistic quirks like draft-beer pulls fashioned from old wooden mannequin hands. The cocktail list includes such unusual concoctions as The Ghost Next Door (fig-infused tequila, banana syrup, Aztec chocolate bitters, and biscotti “mist”) and the

smoky Black Leather Jackets (mezcal, Lustau East India sherry, Cynar, and vanilla). 1218 S. Main St., 702-6859642; velveteenrabbitlv.com

VICE VERSA PATIO & LOUNGE

Vdara’s fireside patio bar is a perfect place for cocktails and light bites before a night on the town. Vdara, 702-590-2312; vdara.com

VISTA COCKTAIL LOUNGE

This glittery cocktail lounge features a rotating display of cityscapes from around the world. Caesars Palace, 702-731-7852; caesars.com

for marquee shows. Bellagio, 702693-7871; bellagio.com

DISCOVERY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Even the local children’s museum has flash to spare in Las Vegas. Here, visiting young ones can create computer art, play the laser harp, enter into the virtual eye of a hurricane, and even earn a paycheck working in the ecofriendly Green Village. 360 Promenade Place, Downtown; 702-382-3445; discoverykidslv.org

MARJORIE BARRICK MUSEUM OF ART

The Marjorie Barrick Museum, part of the University of Las Vegas’s College of Fine Arts, houses pre-columbian art and cultural objects from the American Southwest and Mesoamerica, as well as contemporary art from artists associated with the Las Vegas valley. 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy, 702-895-3381; unlv.edu/barrickmuseum

NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM

This surprising and engaging institution—a Smithsonian affiliate—tracks the development of the US nuclear program from the Manhattan Project through today. Don’t miss the simulator that allows you to experience bomb testing as Vegas residents used to—from an “outdoor” seat looking out onto the action. 755 E. Flamingo Road, 702-794-5151; nationalatomictestingmuseum.org

THE NEON MUSEUM

The so-called “neon boneyard” has housed more than 80 relics of Vegas’s neon sign history since it opened in 1996. Fronting it all is the beautifully restored La Concha, an iconic midcentury hotel moved here to serve as the quirky cultural site’s visitors center. INSIDER TIP: For extra drama, reserve a night tour, when the neon signs are all lit up from below for show. 770 Las Vegas Blvd. N., 702-3876366; neonmuseum.org

THE SMITH CENTER

Downtown’s performing arts center is home to the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and dedicated Broadway and Cabaret Jazz programs. The Art Deco-style masterpiece also hosts a fantastic lineup of traveling Broadway shows, visiting orchestras, and more. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702-749-2000; thesmithcenter.com

SPRINGS PRESERVE

This 180-acre, $250 million Mojave Desert preserve, three miles west of the Strip, takes visitors through galleries, botanical gardens, and a living collection of Gila monsters, foxes, and that other kind of Vegas nightlife—nocturnal critters like recluse spiders, sidewinders, and black widows. The best biological resource in southern Nevada, it’s also one of the state’s oldest archaeological treasures: Nomadic Native American tribes lived at the Springs 12,000 years ago. 333 S. Valley View Blvd., 702822-7700; springspreserve.org