3 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.

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.

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.