Las Vegas Bars & Lounges

Caramel. The owners of the Bellagio's dance club, Light, opened Caramel as a warm-up, wind-down, or distinct alternative to the larger club. The sweet name is backed up by martinis served in signature chocolate and caramel-coated chilled glasses.

Bellagio Las Vegas, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Center Strip

Carnaval Court. Harrah's has the rare outdoor lounge to take advantage of the Strip's parade of street life. Misters cool the scene in the summertime, and performing "flair bartenders" juggle bottles to the awe of customers.

Harrah's Las Vegas Casino & Hotel, 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Center Strip

Coyote Ugly. This noisy joint brings the 2000 movie's title nightspot to life with choreographed routines, courtesy of barmaids in tight clothes who break into bar-top dances intended to make Hooter's look like a church picnic.

New York-New York Hotel & Casino, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. S, South Strip

Fontana Lounge. Inside the Bellagio, this bar is styled like a 1940s-era supper club and offers a spectacular view of the dancing water shows outside.

Bellagio Las Vegas, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Center Strip

Ghostbar. Perched on the penthouse level of the Palms, Ghostbar has a glassed-in view of the city and an outdoor deck cantilevered over the side of the building, with a Plexiglas platform that allows revelers to look down 450 feet below.

Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Rd., West Side

Mist. The partners behind the Bellagio's Caramel room opened this more casual counterpart, intended as a place to relax and watch sports on big-screen TVs.

Treasure Island Las Vegas, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Center Strip

Shadow. Caesars Palace converted one of its traditional lounges into Shadow, thus named because of the seemingly naked women dancing behind scrims in silhouette.

Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Center Strip

Tabu. Tabu combines the high-tech touches of a big dance club with the coziness of a lounge. A former Cirque du Soleil lighting designer created "murals" of light that change depending on the perspective of the viewer. Square tables double as "canvases" for projected images and as makeshift dance floors once the music steps up a notch or two around midnight.

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S. South Strip

V Bar. This small hot spot inside the Venetian was launched by the founders of New York's Lotus and Los Angeles' Sunset Room and started the "cool bar" trend in Las Vegas, but as competition heated up around the Strip, the V Bar responded by relaxing the dress code (on weeknights, at least) and going for more of a casual, Los Angeles rock 'n' roll vibe.

Venetian Resort & Casino, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Center Strip

Venus Lounge and Tiki Bar. The retro design of this spot in the Venetian's retail mall will appeal to "Cocktail Nation" nostalgists, though the club has since repositioned itself to have a more mainstream appeal.

Venetian Resort & Casino, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Center Strip