BEST Hidden Spots in Las Vegas
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On our last few Vegas trips, we’ve made it a point to search out as many hidden spots (speakeasies) as we can find. I know we’ve missed plenty (and new ones do keep popping up), but many of them are definite standouts! So far to make things easy, all of my favorite hidden spots are in the Cosmopolitan.
We’ve also found a few fun hidden gems in other Vegas casinos and have a list of more for our next trip! It’s a fun way to kill a little time (less time gambling = more money saved!), enjoy a different aspect of Las Vegas, and just have fun with friends.
1. Indulge in margaritas and nachos at Ghost Donkey
The Ghost Donkey is SUCH a fun hidden secret on the Las Vegas Strip. Located behind the food court at the Cosmopolitan, it’s not easy to find, but it’s well worth the effort.
My best advice is to go searching for it early in the day so that you can be there right when it opens. The bar can be a bit tricky to find, and it’s quite small, so it doesn’t hold many people. If you don’t arrive at just the right time you might not be able to get in, and you definitely won’t get a table.
On our first visit, we wandered around for quite some time until we located it between two food spots in the food court. Walk to the back and look for this door:
If it’s just before 4 (or whenever it opens when you are there), there will probably be a line to get in. Luckily for us, we’ve always encountered short lines when we arrive right at opening, so we are able to get a table versus many folks who came later and had to stand.
The menu consists of a variety of nachos along with tasty margaritas, tequilas, and other fun drinks. The drinks are strong and delicious, and the nachos are quite yummy!
Book your stay at Aria (for a little less $) to be next door to the Cosmopolitan and enjoy these hidden spots!
2. Secret Pizza – BEST pizza on the Las Vegas Strip
Also located in the Cosmopolitan but on the third floor, Secret Pizza isn’t as difficult to find as Ghost Donkey. Next to Blue Ribbon, you’ll find a long hallway lined with records. Follow the hallway to the BEST pizza on the Las Vegas Strip.
We actually smelled the pizza before we found the hallway! With a variety of tasty slices, it’s a great place to grab a quick and inexpensive meal.
As the slices are typical New York style, they are pretty large and filling. There are a few counters and small tables but it’s really more of a grab-and-go type place.
Through the years, we’ve tried many of the pizza places in Las Vegas, and this one is definitely my favorite – the pizza isn’t greasy, the sauce is yummy, and it’s quick and easy.
Related Posts: 10 Fun Things to Do for $20 or Less on the Las Vegas Strip and Free Things to Do in Las Vegas
3. Live it up with live music at a speakeasy
Located on the first floor behind an actual barbershop is a super cool speakeasy, The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails. When we visited, it didn’t open until 6, so we had to wait til then to really experience it, but the lovely employee working the counter gave us a quick peek!
You enter the speakeasy through the door marked Janitor in the back of the barbershop on the first floor of the Cosmopolitan. The room is much larger than I expected, and the bar is absolutely gorgeous. It was actually showcased in the movie “The Greatest Showman.”
Get your own copy of The Greatest Showman here – the bar is more fun if you recognize it!
Most nights, live music starts around 10, but since we were there earlier, we didn’t wait around. You do have to pay for the seating with drink minimums, but you can also just order a drink from the bar and walk around or sit at the bar.
4. Apre Ski at the Ski Lodge
The final hidden gem in Las Vegas that I’ve visited in the Cosmopolitan is the Ski Lodge. (There is actually another speakeasy in the Cosmopolitan, but I haven’t visited it yet.) Wander back toward the Cosmopolitan buffet (called the Wicked Spoon), and right next to the restaurant Superfrico (also worth visiting!) is a solid door with a small ski logo on it.
Open that door, and you’ll be transported to an old-school ski lodge! I really enjoyed my last visit here – the drinks were quite pricey but strong and delicious, and the atmosphere was so much fun.
In addition to the ski decor (including softly falling snow through a window over the bar), some pretty interesting characters will join you – I’ll let you discover who (and what) they are on your own visit, but suffice it to say that they add to the atmosphere!
5. Revisit prohibition at the 1923 Prohibition Bar
Leaving the Cosmopolitan and heading over to Mandalay Bay is another cute little speakeasy. As far as hidden gems in Las Vegas go, the 1923 Prohibition Bar is not terribly well hidden, but it does have a fun vibe.
Before you enter Mandalay Bay (in the mall area with all the shops and restaurants between Mandalay Bay and Luxor), there is a small storefront that looks like a bookshelf. Push the shelf, and you’ll end up in a marvelous little speakeasy. Order a few drinks, relax, and enjoy the calm respite from the busy casinos!
6. Give The Lock a call on your next Las Vegas trip!
In the basement of the Horseshoe Casino is a fabulous little bar called The Cabinet of Curiosities. On its own, it’s a pretty cool bar with unique decor, fun drinks, and a very different vibe. However, head to the back, and you’ll discover a locked door with a phone next to it.
Pick up the phone, and you might be able to gain entry into a hidden speakeasy called The Lock. The Lock is an experience unlike the other Las Vegas speakeasies, as you do a little work to enter. Once you are inside, look around at all the crazy details, AND let the bartenders create a custom cocktail just for you! There is a two-drink minimum, so make sure you allow yourself enough time to enjoy the experience!
7. Here Kitty Kitty …
The final speakeasy in Las Vegas I’ve had the pleasure of visiting is located in the food court of the new Resorts World Casino. Once again, we had to go on a little hunt to find it, and even when we located the convenience storefront that hides it, we had to spend a bit of time figuring out how to get in!
Here, Kitty Kitty Vice Den has a very cool speakeasy feel with low lighting and creative cocktails and tends to be a little less crowded than the older speakeasies in the Cosmopolitan. This one also has a two-drink minimum, so keep that in mind when you plan your visit.
Where to stay when visiting Las Vegas speakeasies
Through the years, we’ve stayed at many of the Las Vegas Casinos and definitely have favorites. If the kids are with us, my favorite choice is ParkMGM. I love that it’s smoke-free, and the pool is perfect for enjoying all day.
On our last trip, we stayed at Paris, and I liked the location for getting around the strip. The Cosmopolitan was just across the street, but it also had easy access to Horseshoe, the monorail and the north strip casinos. Plus, as a Caesar’s Diamond (thanks to my Wyndham status), I don’t have to pay resort fees – which made our last stay free!
Map of Las Vegas hidden spots
FAQs: BEST hidden spots in Las Vegas
What is a speakeasy in Vegas?
A hidden bar.
What’s the difference between a bar and a speakeasy?
A speakeasy often has a more intimate environment.
What do you need to get into a speakeasy?
Sometimes just knowing the location is enough, sometimes you’ll need a password.
Conclusion: BEST hidden gems in Las Vegas
Speakeasies are starting to pop up here in the Midwest, too, in Indianapolis, and as it’s been such a favorite memory from our Vegas trips, I’ve been making it a point to look for them here, too!
Have you had the chance to check out any of the hidden gems in Las Vegas that I’ve shared here? Maybe you’ve experienced some of the other fun speakeasies in the city. I know that we’ve enjoyed the ones we’ve discovered, and every summer on our annual trip, I make it a point to look for new ones.
So, if you are headed to Las Vegas, save a copy of this post and go look for some of these hidden spots yourself. If you are anything like me, you’ll discover that a good speakeasy adds a fun new dimension to a traditional Las Vegas getaway!
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