Las Vegas

On and off its famous Strip, the 24-hour entertainment mecca wows with innovative dining, world-class performances, and endless shopping opportunities. What happens in Vegas... stays with you for a lifetime.

INTERNATIONAL CUISINE

The fashionable Las Vegas Arts District is known as 18b, a nod to its 18-block layout. Here, a wonderfully diverse range of independent restaurants bring eclectic global influences to the city’s food culture. Greek food is well represented with Taverna Costera’s famed brunch or the beloved feta fries at The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill. Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina serves Mexican delicacies, or build up an appetite for the irresistible selection at Doña María Tamales.

ASIAN FUSION FOOD

Only those with insider knowledge find their way to Las Vegas’s Chinatown, but it boasts some of the most authentic Asian food in the United States. Highlights include the hot pots at Chubby Cattle, the excellent pho at Viet Noodle Bar, and the ramen at Ramen Sora, where chefs bring their expertise all the way from Sapporo in Japan.

CLASSIC BARS

Vegas is a place to cut loose, and its classic bars are ideal spots for pre-dinner drinks or enjoying yourself into the small hours. Frankie’s Tiki Room is one of the city’s most evocative spots and serves up authentic classics such as Zombies and Mai Tais. More tropical goodness can be found at The Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge, a classic, neon-tinged Vegas bar with signature concoctions such as The Hawaiian Sunset Mimosa. Elevated vintage chic and a bohemian ambiance make the Velveteen Rabbit one of the city’s more sophisticated cocktail bars, with sisters Pamela and Christina Dylag mixing up their housemade syrups and infusions for their inventive menu.

CRYSTAL CLEAR

Find high-end retailers right on the Strip in the sophisticated surroundings of The Shops at Crystals. An elegant collection of specialty fashion and jewelry boutiques, the building’s grand staircase evokes the Spanish Steps of Rome, while the three-story Treehouse opens up into a magical mahogany and sapele wood-lined space. If you’re looking for haute couture, you’ll find plenty of temptation amid the striking, angular architecture created by architect Daniel Libeskind.

WINNING TIME

One of the beautiful aspects of Las Vegas is that many of the prestigious casinos and hotels have their own exclusive collection of clothes, jewelry, and décor. At Wynn Las Vegas, for instance, you can have tailors create bespoke outfits, peruse high-end watches, or pick up exotic, lavish perfumes. The contemporary artworks are fascinating, and you can even invest in your very own piece of fine art at the 3,000-square-foot Eden Gallery.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

The Las Vegas Arts District is also home to some of the most exciting art galleries and creative boutiques in Vegas. The Arts Factory is the largest and most important hub. It houses dozens of local artists, photographers, and galleries under one roof, all selling art that you won’t find anywhere else in town. Antique Alley Mall is home to more than a dozen purveyors of vintage jewelry, designer clothes, and the retro chic furniture and décor that Vegas does so well.

QUIRKY MUSEUMS

Many of the city’s best museums are away from the modern-day Strip and closer to Fremont Street, the original Las Vegas hotspot. Nowhere are those days evoked more vividly than at the Neon Museum, where some of history’s most iconic signs are laid to rest. Elsewhere, the Mob Museum is a non-profit institution offering a provocative and fascinating insight into the history of the mafia and organized crime, and how it has affected American society. For a glitzier day trip, pay a visit to Liberace’s lavish car collection at the Liberace Garage at the south end of the Strip.

ON-STAGE ENTERTAINMENT

A wealth of spectacular and incredible productions grace Las Vegas’s many beautiful theaters. Cirque du Soleil presents six different, spectacular performances across the city. Arguably, the most sensational is The Beatles LOVE, which mixes showstopping gymnastics and atmospheric clowning with the glorious music of the Fab Four in a multisensory celebration. Absinthe is a more intimate circus affair in a huge tent that gets you up close and personal with the international cast of acrobats and variety stars. The recently opened Sphere is the latest event venue in the city, and it’s a cutting-edge multimedia concert stage with futuristic video projections taking entertainment to the next level.

DAY TRIPS

Las Vegas is surrounded by natural and man-made wonders, and it makes for a refreshing break to take a day trip to appreciate some of the local landmarks. Take your encounter with the magnificent Grand Canyon up a grade by booking a GC Flight helicopter tour, touching down for a champagne toast and some of the most memorable panoramas imaginable. Also close by is the Hoover Dam, a wonder of modern engineering, or get out into some of the country’s most inspiring landscapes on a day hike in Zion National Park, with its stunningly dramatic rock formations.

Las Vegas hosts some of the biggest names in entertainment and huge sporting events all year round. One of the most eclectic and enjoyable events is the Life is Beautiful Festival, which takes place in mid- to late September each year. As well as A-list musical guests, the city enthusiastically celebrates the artistic and culinary worlds for a weekend, with names such as performance legends Blue Man Group and artistic collective Meow Wolf adding to the exciting line-ups. lifeisbeautiful.com