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Gipsy
It was once the premier gay dance club in town, and there's always a mixed crowd at this giant thumpa-thumpa nightclub a stone's throw south of the Hard Rock. Look for Illusions Cabaret drag shows on Sunday night and Latin grooves on Monday.
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Girls Of Glitter Gulch
As you experience Fremont St, you can't help but notice this topless joint that downtown boosters wish would just go away. Inside you'll find surprisingly friendly dancers and a crowd of Middle American tourists.
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Goodtimes
A men's club where conversation rules, but there's also a steel dance floor, video poker, pool tables and a legendary Monday liquor bust from to . It's built next door to the Liberace Museum. A coincidence? We think not.
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Griffin
A gothic Phantom of the Opera setting meets the cool downtown wine and martini scene. Add atmospheric gas fireplaces, vaulted brick ceiling and eclectic jukebox. Stir and sip.
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Hofbräuhaus
Catercorner from the Hard Rock, this beer hall and garden is a fawning replica of the original in Munich. Celebrate Oktoberfest all year with premium imported suds, big Bavarian pretzels, fair frauleins, oom-pah-pah bands and trademark gemütlichkeit (congeniality).
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Hookah Lounge
Next to Paymon's Mediterranean Café, you can recline languorously with a water pipe stuffed with one of 20 premium flavored Egyptian tobaccos. Exotic fig-flavored cocktails are pricier than the off-Strip norm, but for ambience worthy of a pasha, why not?
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Houdini's Lounge
Houdini's, next to the baccarat area in the Monte Carlo Hotel, offers a dark and comfy respite from the clamour and glamour. Piano jazz, magic tricks and other entertainment may take place here, but even if they don't, this luxe lounge is still ideal for a soothing drink and tête-à-tête.
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Ice
It's no contest: Vegas' most stellar DJs spin at this off-Strip jewel box. Deep house, trance and techno play in the main multistoried dance hall, while the sidecar lounge heaves with hip-hop, retro '80s and mash-ups. Shortish lines outside the door ease you in to see the honeys lickety-split.
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Jet
A sophisticated tri-environment club, Jet has broken the sound barrier racing to the creamy top of Vegas' nightlife. Follow the flickering candles and tiny staircase made for strutting onto the mainstream dance floor, or sidle into more intimate lounges where the beats run to deep house and hip-hop.
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Jubilee!
Girls, girls, girls! It's a showgirl production that Vegas wouldn't be Vegas without. As it started, so does it end: with lots of knockers, twinkling rhinestones and enormous headdresses on display. If you can forgive the giant helping of cheese, it's a riot.
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Kà
So what's the hook that's made it the hottest ticket in town? Instead of a stage, there's a grid of moving platforms for a frenzy of martial arts-inspired performances. Weak storytelling mars the sensuous tale of imperial twins, mysterious destinies, love and conflict. Premium seats hold court at the back.
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Krāve
The Strip's only gay club is a glam place packed wall-to-wall with hard bodies, plush booth seating and VIP cabanas - even 'airotic' flyboys. The side lounge has karaoke, salsa and girls-only nights. Enter off Harmon Ave outside Desert Passage.
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La Cage
In this female-impersonator revue, the award-winning Frank Marino (who cameoed in Miss Congeniality 2 ) acts as a catty Joan Rivers, dispensing naughty jokes and remarks between mostly lip-synched impersonations of Diana Ross, Cher and Liza Minnelli.
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La Femme
Za, za, zoom. The classiest topless show in town defines sexy. The 100% red room's intimate bordello feel oozes amour . Onstage, balletic dancers straight from Paris' Crazy Horse Saloon perform provocative cabaret numbers interspersed with voyeuristic l'art du nu vignettes. Zut alors - it's a classy peep show par excellence.
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Lance Burton: Master Magician
There are lots of magicians in Vegas, but few as engaging or talented. Grand illusions include a signature 'flying' white Corvette, but Lance differs from the rest of the pack by emphasizing sleight-of-hand tricks and other close-up magic. The 1275-seat theater built for the master doesn't contain a bad seat.
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Las Vegas Hilton
Where Elvis staged his Las Vegas comeback, carries on the tradition of big-name entertainers like Wayne Newton and Tony Bennett in its cabaret showroom and theater.
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Legends In Concert
It's been around since the early '80s. Vegas' top pop-star impersonator show features real talent - no lip-synching allowed. Video screens beside the stage show real-life concert clips of the performers, while the back-up dancers boogie up a Saturday Night Fever storm.
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Light
Draped with velvet, boxy Light encourages socializing in plush surrounds while professional hosts push top-shelf bottle service. Mainstream dance sounds predominate. If you want to chill, book a VIP booth. Since it's a celeb hangout(think Leo and his entourage), reservations are recommended.
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Love
Vegas' newest and most bizarre Cirque du Soleil hit began as an idea of the late George Harrison. Using the Abbey Road master tapes, it psychedelically fuses the musical legacy of the Beatles with high-energy dance (but none of the troupe's signature acrobatics) as it trips through the Fab Four's story.
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Luxor Imax Theatre
Luxor's theater projects onto a seven-story, wall-mounted - rather than curved overhead - screen, but the images are 10 times more detailed than conventional cinemas, not to mention the 15,000-watt digital surround-sound system.
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Matteo's Underground Lounge
A helluva drive from the Strip, this locals-only hangout near Hoover Dam is paradise for indie-music lovers. Some of Sin City's best rock and jazz bands play underground (literally) shows here. Call first to check schedules.
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Mix
Arrive before sunset and take a free glass elevator ride up to this sky-high restaurant lounge with one of the most breathtaking views in Vegas - and that's even before glimpsing the wall-to-wall leather seating and the champagne bar. Go hobnobbing with the glitterati on the vertiginous open-air patio.
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Monte Carlo Pub & Brewery
This industrial-size microbrewery with big copper brewing vats fills up after sundown. Kick back with a Silver State Stout and do your best imitation of a couch potato while you glue your eyes to three dozen TVs, all tuned to sports.
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Mystère
Cirque du Soleil director Franco Dragone's evocative celebration of life begins with a pair of babies making their way in a world filled with strange creatures. A misguided clown's humorous antics are interspersed with agile feats of acrobats, aerialists and dancers. And it's still the cheapest Cirque ticket in town.
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Napoleon's
Whisk yourself off to a never-neverland of 19th-century France, with overstuffed sofas and a luxurious menu of 100 types of bubbly, including vintage Dom Perignon - soar on a 'champagne flight.' The cigar humidor, dueling pianos and happy-hour carving station make it worth the stroll.
