Where Las Vegas Insiders Go To Eat, Drink & Play

Whether Vegas is your regular stomping ground or you hit it up every so often, you’ve probably never experienced Vegas the way locals do. Yes, let’s settle this now, people live in Vegas, not in the hotels, but there’s actually an entire city outside of the Strip. I know, who would have thought?

The best way to experience is to do so as a local. And here at Galavantier, we’ve got a full array of ‘characters’ employed – all with very diversified tastes in their night-on-the-town options. After a brief survey from a few of our staff, we’ve compiled a list of options to fit your party personality type.

Party Animal
If you are looking to get in a lot of drinking, partying and then curing your all-nighter with an epic hangover b-fast early in the a.m. then we’ve got the lineup for you. As our resident party animal says, “Party at Drai’s. ‘Nuf said.” Yes, that’s Drai’s Dayclub, Nightclub & After Hours venues. You can roll out of bed at 11 a.m. and head to Drai’s pool for some day drinking, get in a shower and a change of clothing, head back out to Drai’s Nightclub until 4 a.m. If you’re still not done, mosey on down to the new Drai’s After Hours club for a nightcap. However, if you’re the party animal on a budget, our resident animal recommends drinking at Imperial Palace (now The Quad) where you can get $1 beers and margaritas right on the Strip. Looking for that cure all hangover meal? Look no further than Hash House A Go Go, where you can get Vegas ‘twisted farm food.’ Not sure what that means? Don’t worry, it’s just massive portions of amazingly crafted home cooked meals. Try the chicken fried steak with waffles, deliciouso!

Hipster
The resident Galavantier hipster in our office is so hipster he’s too obscure to call himself a hipster. The other hipster in our office was actually too hipster to even respond to our survey, so we’re hoping one hipster recommendation is good enough. If you want to go for a drink then you’ll have to get off of the Strip and head to Henderson where you’ll find Hi Scores Video Game Bar. Our hipster likes it because the video games are set to free play at which point he states, “Take that, Insert Coins!” Both sites, though, are video arcades serving booze. Who can hate on that? Now, if you’re looking for an obscure place to eat where the food is amazing, try Baby Stacks Café (several locations in the Vegas valley, none of which are on the Strip). A must order includes the Gourmet Red Velvet Pancakes.

Foodie
Now, our resident foodie is the office phenomenon at finding the best places to dine in town. Here, he breaks it down and throws in a few good spots to hit for drinks, grub and some fun as well. If you’re going to eat anywhere, do so at Mon Ami Gabi, which has a ‘superb atmosphere’ for dining with friends or try Kyara, which is Japanese-style tapas. Need some sweets to go with that cocktail, then try Sweet Raku, perfect for snacking on caviar, quiche and dessert with a glass of fine wine. Calling all Cali-lovers, head to Commonwealth, “the bar that most resembles the Los Angeles scene.” Don’t forget to try the speakeasy downtown known as Laundry Room. If you’re on the Strip, grab a drink from the superb mixologists at the Cosmopolitan’s Chandelier Bar that is located on floor 1.5. This is where the unique drinks are served.

Young Professional
For those career-bound young professionals that want to have fun in Vegas, but not too much fun (i.e. having their Vegas adventure go viral on social media), then try our favorites 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque or The Foundation Room. Both are upscale places to grab cocktails and get a little crazy, but only a little bit. If you want to try some interesting cuisine and enjoy a delicious brew as well, then head to the Cornish Pasty Co. Any other time, you might drive right by this hole-in-the-wall, but you’d be missing out on amazing grub. Our young pro also very much enjoys the new gastropub downtown Carson’s Kitchen.