Best Cocktail Bars in Las Vegas 2026: Strip, Downtown and Speakeasies

Las Vegas has moved well beyond free casino well drinks. The Strip now has cocktail lounges run by some of the best-known names in the business, and downtown and the west side have independent bars that locals swear by. This guide picks the bars worth going out of your way for, all checked against their own websites or their resort's in September 2026.

Bars change hours, menus and even names often. The Cromwell, for example, is now The Vanderpump Las Vegas Hotel, and several bars from older lists have closed. Confirm before you go, and carry a physical ID: you must be 21, and many bars check everyone.

Quick Picks

On the Strip

The Venetian and Palazzo

The Venetian Resort has the strongest cluster of cocktail bars on the Strip. Its own list includes:

• Close Company: a casual bar "from the creators of Death & Co", the influential New York cocktail bar. The resort calls it "unpretentious, unapologetically fun".
• Rosina: a small, elegant cocktail lounge. Reservations are recommended, and smoking isn't allowed.
• Juliet Cocktail Room: another no-smoking lounge; the resort highly recommends reservations, especially for four or more.
• Electra Cocktail Club: no smoking indoors, and reservations are suggested to avoid a wait.

The resort says its premier lounges stay open until at least midnight on weeknights and 2am at weekends; Bellini Bar and Bar Luca on the casino floors are open 24 hours.

Wynn and Encore

• Overlook Lounge, Aperitifs & Spirits: a newly designed lounge Wynn describes as "an opulent and cozy haven for aperitifs, cocktails and spirits".
• Eastside Lounge: an intimate lounge overlooking Encore's pools, with hand-crafted cocktails.
• Little Bubble Bar at Delilah: a nod to golden-age Hollywood, with cocktails and canapés.

Expect luxury-resort prices and a smart dress code. Wynn's site doesn't list hours for these, so check before you go.

The Chandelier (Cosmopolitan)

The three-story bar wrapped in strands of crystal is one of the Strip's best-known sights and a classic first drink. It gets crowded later in the evening, so go early for a seat. The Cosmopolitan's site blocks automated checks, so confirm its current hours and menu there.

Downtown and the Arts District

The Underground (The Mob Museum)

In the basement of the Mob Museum at 300 Stewart Avenue, The Underground is a Prohibition-themed speakeasy and working distillery, surrounded by 1920s artifacts. It makes its own spirit, 300 Stewart Reserve. Hours are 11am to 11pm Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Check the museum's site for how to get in on the day.

The Laundry Room (inside Commonwealth)

Commonwealth, at 525 Fremont Street, is a late-night bar with a rooftop over Fremont East, open Thursday 9pm to 2am and Friday and Saturday 10pm to 4am. Hidden inside is The Laundry Room, a speakeasy with very limited seating. You can't just walk in: plan ahead and ask Commonwealth how to reserve.

Atomic Liquors

At 917 E Fremont Street, Atomic Liquors has been "serving Vegas since 1952" and bills itself as the city's oldest freestanding bar. It is more historic neighborhood bar than cocktail lab, but a good stop on a Fremont East crawl. Open noon to 2am Sunday to Thursday and until 3am Friday and Saturday.

Velveteen Rabbit

At 1218 S Main Street in the Arts District, Velveteen Rabbit is a neighborhood cocktail bar south of Fremont Street. It takes reservations through SevenRooms, and it is a natural first or last stop on a First Friday evening.

West of the Strip

Herbs & Rye

A steakhouse and cocktail bar at 3713 W Sahara Avenue, open since 2009 and a short ride west of the Strip. It sums itself up as "pretty good steaks, and REALLY good cocktails". It opens Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 3am, so it works for a late nightcap as well as dinner. Book through SevenRooms at weekends.

Tiki bars

• Frankie's Tiki Room (1712 W Charleston Blvd): open 24 hours every day, with an interior by tiki builder Bamboo Ben and art by Shag and Leroy Schmaltz. Smoking and gaming are allowed.
• The Golden Tiki (3939 Spring Mountain Rd, Chinatown): open 24 hours, 21+ only with a physical ID, with an "Up All Night Happy Hour" from 1am to 4am. Friday and Saturday evening reservations need a prepaid minimum that goes toward your bill.

Peppermill Fireside Lounge

Not a craft cocktail bar, but a Las Vegas classic: open since 1972 at 2985 Las Vegas Blvd S, with rope-lit booths and oversized drinks such as the 64-ounce Scorpion. It is open 24 hours Thursday to Sunday and 7am to 2am Monday to Wednesday.

Two Easy Cocktail Crawls

Venetian and Palazzo, no taxi needed

1. Start at Close Company for something playful.
2. Move to Rosina or Juliet for a quieter, smoke-free drink (book ahead).
3. Finish at Bar Luca or Bellini Bar, open 24 hours.

Downtown

1. Early evening at The Underground in the Mob Museum.
2. Walk to Fremont East for Atomic Liquors.
3. End at Commonwealth's rooftop, or The Laundry Room if you've reserved.

Velveteen Rabbit in the Arts District is a short ride south of Fremont Street if you want a fourth stop.

Ordering, Prices and Etiquette

• Prices: resort lounges on the Strip charge the most; downtown and off-Strip bars are usually cheaper. Resort bars add tax, and table service may carry a service charge, so read the menu and the bill.
• Test a bar with a classic. An Old Fashioned, Negroni or daiquiri shows quickly whether the bar takes care over dilution and balance.
• Or describe what you like. Good bartenders will make something to suit if you name a spirit and a flavor direction, when the bar isn't slammed.
• Tip a dollar or two per drink, or about 20% on a tab.
• Happy hours come and go; check the bar's own page on the day, or see our happy hours guide.
• Free casino drinks go to people who are gambling, and many casinos now track play before serving. See our free drinks guide.
• Getting back: use a rideshare or taxi. Nevada enforces DUI laws strictly.

For dives, sports bars and more late-night options, see our bars guide; for views, our rooftop bars guide.