Sidebar

Downtown Las Vegas has been undergoing quite the nightlife renaissance recently, one quite different from the bling-bling action happening a few miles south on Las Vegas Boulevard. While Strip casinos compete with each other to see who can build the biggest, baddest nightclub and pack it with as many hot, sweaty bodies and celebrities as possible, the Downtown scene has evolved considerably differently. Its latest additions are (for the most part) cozy, unassuming spots for bar hoppers to conveniently wander from one watering hole to another, which is good both for the businesses and for the spicy variety of visitors to, and residents of, Downtown.

Sidebar is the latest addition to the growing selection of nightspots on Third Street. Nestled between the Celebrity Showroom and Triple George Grill, Sidebar is an intimate bar, and apart from the requisite in-bar video poker machines, it is aesthetically un-Vegas. Much like its neighbor Triple George (the two are connected by a convenient doorway), Sidebar recalls a classy San Francisco gathering spot, awash in chocolates and tans, with sumptuous wood details, white vinyl booths and subtle lighting.

A sophisticated getaway for cocktails and conversation, sidebar's menu features classic libations as well as new variations such as the "Sidebar sidecar" (Hennessy and Cointreau served with a fresh lemon and sugar rim), along with fine wines and beers. A limited, but tantalizing, appetizer menu includes oysters Rockefeller, satay skewers and fried calamari, as well as sweets such as truffles and crème brulée.

Sidebar also features an extensive selection of cigars to please both casual stogy-lovers and tobacco connoisseurs alike. Choices range from inexpensive selections such as A. Fuente and Hoyo de Monterrey to higher-end options such as Macanudo and La Aurora Preferidos.

-- Review by Pj Perez