A:
Back in '97, when cigar bars were all the rage, actor George Hamilton decided to open his own venue in Las Vegas. Hamilton's Lounge was located within New York-New York and offered nightly live jazz, with seating capacity for 200 cigar lovers. But it was short-lived: The venue closed for good in 2000. When asked for an opinion on why the venture failed, an industry insider speculated at the time that Hamilton’s simply missed the boat: "The popularity of cigar bars has leveled off over the last couple of years," commented Sharon Wayne, show manager of the International Tobacco Expo. "The peak years for the trend were really in 1996 and 1997."
That said, Las Vegas is still one of the few U.S. cities that welcomes smokers in general and has close ties with the cigar-smoking community in particular. The city has long played host to Cigar Aficionado's annual "Big Smoke" event (a huge get-together for smokers and retailers hosted at Paris or Mandalay Bay), while the magazine's front page has featured numerous gambling legends and Las Vegas habitués over the years, including the likes of Steve Wynn, Michael Jordan, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, James Woods, and Emeril Lagasse, to name a few.
In addition to the plentiful cigar stores around town, several of which roll their own on or off property, there are still several venues where you can enjoy a cigar in a comfortable environment with a cocktail, perhaps some appetizers, and even some live music. Here are a few suggestions:
- Napoleon’s, Paris: In addition to a fully stocked humidor, this cigar bar has the feel of an old-style gentleman's club (in the European, rather than Las Vegas strip, sense), with plush leather chairs, specialty scotches and brandies, and general smokiness. Open 4 pm-2 am Sun.-Thurs., and till 3 am Fri/Sat., the venue features a live pianist 5-8 pm and dueling pianos 9 pm-1 am. Happy hour runs 4-7 pm and features complimentary appetizers with the purchase of a beverage.
- Gustav Mauler, inside J W Marriot, 221 N. Rampart: One of the numerous ventures of eponymous celebrity chef and local entrepreneur, this, like Napoleon's, seems the closest we've found to a Hamilton's-type lounge and boasts an elegant European ambience, specializing in premium spirits, select wines, vintage ports, and a selection of fine smokes including Partagas, Cohiba, Arturo Fuente, and their own Gustav Mauler hand-rolled cigars. Apparently, the venue used to feature live music, but they informed us that there's some kind of ruling that dictates you have to charge an extra 10% if you offer live music within a casino venue, so they axed the live music and only have the recorded stuff now. We were also informed that, although it's a specialist cigar bar, the state-of-the-art air-exchange system ensures that it's never smoky. Open daily from 4 pm until late. 702/869-6700
- Platinum Lounge, Boulder Station: Until March 7, this well-established cigar bar and lounge was strictly the private domain of VIPs. With its dark leather and cherry-wood furnishings and floor-to-ceiling humidor, the intimate lounge (it seats 10 - 15 people) has that same classic gentleman's club vibe as Napoleon's and is attached to a fully stocked bar, open 24/7. The reason for the change in policy is that the bar has been equipped with gaming machines and, in compliance with state wide-open gaming laws, the venue must now be open to all. We were informed that there's no dress code and that in fact "the only thing you can't do in there is sleep!" But as a courtesy to others, we suggest that smart-casual attire is probably appropriate. There's no music, although there is a piano, and when asked if it would be okay for patrons to play it if they felt so inclined, we were told, "Sure!"
- Havana Cigar Company: This smoker's paradise has been around for nine years and is featured in the most recent issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine, not to mention being
Update 23 March 2006
Thanks to the readers who have written in with the following suggestions:
Chicago Brewing Company & Cigar Lounge, downtown at the Four Queens. It's open from 11 am-11 pm daily and, we're assured, "has delicious Chicago-style pizza and a well-ventilated cigar bar."
André's at the Monte Carlo - open daily from 5:30 pm until the restaurant closes, offering cocktail service and a full humidor. You don't have to be a patron of the restaurant to enjoy the self-contained lounge. Tel: 702/798-7151
Cuba Libra at the Hard Rock - bar and cigar lounge open daily. Hours are 5 pm-midnight Monday through Wednesday, 5 pm-3 am Thursday and Friday, and noon-3 am Saturday and noon-midnight on Sunday.
Del Frisco's Double Eagle, 3925 Paradise Rd. is home to Havana Dee's Cigar Lounge & Piano Bar, with the
de rigueur leather sofa and deep club chairs, plus a custom-built humidor. Again, you don't have to dine there to enjoy a cocktail and cigar and can even order from the full menu. Open daily from 4.30 pm-11 pm (except Sundays, when it closes at 10 pm).
LATEST UPDATE 07/13/2006: Another cool venue to add to the list is
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (4561 W. Flamingo location). The lounge is open from 4:30 pm-4 am daily, has live jazz from 10:30 pm-2 am Thursday through Saturday, and possesses a well-stocked humidor (local Havana Honeys from $8, Montecristo Rubustos for $11, Davidoff's from $27-$36 apiece, Romeo y Julieta Churchills for $22, and Arturo Fuente's from $20 and up). A great after-hours food play, too -- their late-night menu is served from 10:30 pm daily.
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