As is often the case in Vegas, the real challenge is finding the right places to go. In a city where tourist traps and mediocre restaurants are everywhere, ‘chancing it’ has never been an option. From listening to the Mobbed Up history podcast (a joint production of the Las Vegas Mob Museum and a Nevada newspaper), I find out about The Peppermill – a decades-old restaurant at the far north of the Strip, accurately described as one of the last vestiges of ‘old Vegas’. It’s definitely worth a visit. By far the best tip, though, comes from Nate Silver, the nerdy American pollster who regularly competes in poker tournaments here. On his own podcast, he plugs Tacos el Gordo – a fantastic budget eatery where you can arrive with $20 and leave with an excellent meal and a decent wad of change.
For those keen to avoid venues where mask-wearing is over zealous, I’m able to find two. One is a rather pricey speakeasy bar (The Laundry Room) which has prioritised authentic period ambience over modern pandemic concerns. The other is the infamous Heart Attack Grill, a provocative novelty restaurant which gleefully promotes gluttony and obesity. Given its long-standing crusade against health and safety, it was practically inevitable it would choose to defy CDC guidance.
As for casinos, my own favourite remains El Cortez: a charmingly ramshackle place whose ambience resembles something between a heist movie and that Arctic Monkeys video set in a casino on the moon. This place hasn’t changed for years and isn’t going to start now. Being off the Strip, it’s also refreshingly hassle-free to deal with. No long check-in queues or extortionate mini-bar prices to worry about. The perfect respite from an increasingly officious world.
On the casino floor, I put the mask policy to the test. Having obtained a smoke from a kindly by-stander, I park myself at a blackjack table holding the (unlit) cigarette between my fingers. The dealer intervenes almost immediately. ‘Sir, if you’re not going to light that, you’ll need to put on your mask,’ he says. As a habitual non-smoker, I’d never normally contemplate reaching for a match, but here we are. Let’s just hope what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
How to do it
Rooms at the El Cortez casino start from £54 per night (including ‘amenity fee’). BA flies direct to Las Vegas daily, with fares from £453 return (economy).
Dinner for two at the Peppermill from £100 (with drinks). Drinks for two at the Laundry Room (pre-booking required) from £70. Dinner for two at the Heart Attack Grill from £70 (with drinks).
