12 Best Bars in Downtown, Las Vegas

This Downtown bar is the oldest freestanding bar in Las Vegas (dating back to 1952) and owns the first liquor license in the state (literally, No. 00001). It takes its name from the custom of patrons in the 1950s, who would buy drinks, head to the roof, and watch atomic blasts in the desert in the distance. The Rat Pack and Barbra Streisand drank here. Fast-forward to now, and it's become the place to hang out, with 20 microbrews on tap and an inventive menu that specializes in fancy beer cocktails. There's even a restaurant next door. The bar is open until 2 am on weeknights, 3 am on weekends.

If you're lucky enough to find this bar, which is in an old garage off Commerce Street in the Arts District, you will be rewarded with some of the best cocktails in Las Vegas. Nightly selections are written on brown butcher paper and hung from a clothesline behind the bar. Depending on when you visit, the options may range from a drink that mimics blueberry pie to a horchata milk punch. The bar has an inventive selection of non-alcoholic drinks, too. Perhaps the only downside is the hipster factor; on weekends, even the coolest of guests may feel like they're not cool enough.

Tucked alongside The Smith Center’s big concert hall is a cozy, 240-seat cabaret (bearing the name of Smith Center president Myron Martin) that creates an upscale vibe and a close communication with performers that’s unduplicated in the casino venues. Patrons sip wine at tables-for-four while hometown favorites such as Frankie Moreno and Earl Turner work around visiting headliners that have included trumpet legend Herb Alpert, pianist George Winston, and jazz singer Jane Monheit. Shows are held mostly on weekends but also on occasional weeknights.

Should you happen to be Downtown, head over to Downtown Container Park and sit inside a shipping container to sip barrel-aged cocktails and whiskeys galore. Although tiny—it's sometimes tough to nab a spot at the bar—this little railroad car of a drinking spot packs a punch with a well-crafted menu of drinks. Can't decide on a whiskey? Order a flight. Want to try something truly special? Order a taste of one of the bar's barrel-aged bourbons.

Fresh off his success at Esther's Kitchen, Chef James Trees in late 2024 opened this Arts District cocktail bar on the site of an old auto repair shop. Inside, the drinks have a notably French flair—many incorporate absinthe. On warm nights, the open-air patio is one of the best spots in town. Be sure not to miss the opportunity to purchase a padlock and affix it to the chain link fence near the rest rooms.

There's nothing better than a feel-good story in Las Vegas. Sisters Pamela and Christina Dylag saved and scrimped to open this great, velvet-lined cocktail lounge dotted with furniture they found at vintage shops and equipped with beer taps that look like hands. Two different new-ish immersive patio experiences create a true "Alice in Wonderland" vibe. A great cocktail list with a vintage feel and punches are just some of the treasures behind the bar. Regular Wednesday specials mean a number of wines are available for $5 per glass.

Don't let the name deceive you: Backstage Bar & Billiards and Fremont Country Club is one location, albeit with separate venues. Live music is a constant at this adults-only hot spot on the southeast corner of 6th and Fremont Streets. Genres range from rock and metal to honky-tonk and rap. As the name suggests, billiards is a big part of the appeal. Optional table service includes cut-the-line passes and a spot near the stage.

Think of this 99-seat venue as a tiny Vaudeville fantasy world; on any given night, you might encounter an aerialist, a drag queen, a piano singer, a juggler, a comedian, or something entirely different (and similarly mind-boggling). There's burlesque, too. Owner Ryan Doherty bills the space, which is only open weekend nights, as a "variety club" and the name is apt; the more you go, the more variety you're likely to see. Drinks, including craft cocktails, are strong and designed to get the audience nice and loud. Perhaps the best part of the Cheapshot experience is the value: for a low set price you get 90 minutes of entertainment. Where else in Vegas can you find such a deal?

As good as Vegas Bohemia gets, this Downtown bar, close to the Beauty Bar and the Downtown Cocktail Room, is an instant winner. Some wags have likened it to a Peppermill for the younger, looser set, but this description fails to account for the beauty of its hipster crowd as well as its decor, from the kitschy neon sign outside to the fire grills, the barrel-vaulted brick ceiling, the semicircular banquettes, and the griffin insignias on the bathroom walls. The best feature, though, is the back room, which resembles a study owned by King Henry VIII—had he lived in the 1950s.

"The Pal" is one of the oldest strip clubs in the area—it opened, appropriately, in '69 (1969 that is) and was a favorite spot for certain members of the Rat Pack. It also is one of Las Vegas's most notorious haunts; two separate owners have been accused of murders, and it was also owned briefly by a noted heart surgeon. Because the club was grandfathered into the North Las Vegas zoning codes, it's allowed to have both a full bar and full nudity (elsewhere in town, you can't have both). There's also a burlesque stage.

Located inside the Plaza Hotel & Casino, this dive bar is renowned for stiff drinks and hard living. While the original Sand Dollar near Chinatown is renowned for live music (it opened in 1976 and has a long history of being a great place for live blues), the Downtown outpost is more of a watering hole. A modest menu from Pop Up Pizza is available all night long; just be prepared to wait a while for food.

Since it's part of The Mob Museum, you may wish to think of The Underground as an immersive and interactive exhibit on Prohibition-era speakeasies. Memorabilia from the 1920s abounds. Period music plays all night long. But it also functions as a working bar, with hand-crafted cocktails, drink specials, and serious bartender sass. There’s even a distillery in a back room—The Underground distills and serves its own special-edition moonshine, and visitors can take guided tours. Admission to the museum gets you in for free, but if you aren’t visiting the museum, check the bar’s Instagram account for the nightly password to give the bouncer at the back door. And be sure to check out some of the secret meeting rooms; one is hidden behind a big painting.