A Complete Guide to Downtown Las Vegas

Third Street in Downtown Las Vegas
Third Street in Downtown Las Vegas | © Downtown Grand / David Guettler
Lissa Townsend Rodgers

The site of the first homes and hotels in Las Vegas, Downtown is both the newest and oldest neighborhood in Sin City.

With its wide array of restaurants, bars, shops, and attractions, Downtown is one of the most interesting and varied neighborhoods in Las Vegas. Whether you seek an upscale steakhouse, a low-key nameless bar or an old-school record store, you can find it somewhere around Fremont Street.

Eat

Andiamo Steakhouse

Hotel Restaurant, Restaurant, Steakhouse, Italian, American

the-d-las-vegas-downtown
© Michael Dorausch / Flickr

Located in The D on Fremont Street, Andiamo Steakhouse offers updates on old Vegas classics. There are top-shelf martinis, tableside Caesar salads and a dessert cart the size of the Queen Mary. The menu includes carnivore standards like ribeye and porterhouse, as well as a range of homemade pastas.

Flock and Fowl

Restaurant, Asian, Chinese

The menu at Flock and Fowl may be minimal, but what they do, they do exceptionally well. And what they do is chicken: chicken wings, chicken sandwiches, Hainanese chicken rice and so on. The extensive drinks menu ranges from turmeric-spiced wellness shots to coffee Manhattans.

Drink

Downtown Cocktail Room

Bar, Cocktail Bar, American

downtown cocktail room
Flickr / © odonata98

Today, Downtown Las Vegas has no shortage of bars, but when Downtown Cocktail Room opened it was pretty much the only option in the area. The dimly-lit front room features DJs and well-crafted cocktails; in the back, the Sip n’ Tip offers are more relaxed option.

Eureka!

Bar, Craft Ale Bar, Restaurant, American

eureka-burger
© Eureka!

Along with its menu of top-notch burgers and bites, Eureka! also offers a large menu of whiskeys and microbrews. There are ryes, bourbons and single malts, as wells as IPAs, stouts and saisons for your sipping pleasure.

The Griffin

Bar, American

grifin-downtown-vegas
© Sarah Nichols / Flickr
You’d think the appeal of a fireplace in the middle of the desert would be limited, but the Griffin seems to do pretty well with theirs. The vaguely Medieval theme (brick, arches, those firepits) contrasts with the hipster jukebox and back-room DJ dance nights.

See & do

Bunkhouse Saloon

Music Venue

The Bunkhouse Saloon always has something going on: bands, variety shows, trivia contests, a vintage boutique and usually a food truck or two. The Western-themed interior has a solid sound system and friendly bartenders. An outdoor area accommodates larger shows or allows for a break from the volume inside.

Fremont Arcade

Amusement Park

pinball
© PinballRobin / Flickr

Sure, you can drop those quarters into a video poker machine, but wouldn’t the world’s largest Pac-Man game be more fun? Fremont Arcade has video games, pinball, skee ball, basketball, cranes and a variety of other amusements.

The Mob Museum

Museum

The Mob Museum
© robertharding / Alamy Stock Photo
The building that is now The Mob Museum was once a post office and courthouse. Today, it houses relics such as fixed slot machines and a brick wall that still has bullet holes from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. You can fire a Tommy gun, listen to FBI wiretaps, conduct a virtual autopsy or have a real drink in a fake speakeasy.

Shop

11th Street Records

Shop, Store

11th-street-records
Lissa Townsend Rodgers / © Culture Trip

It’s vinyl only at 11th Street Records, but what vinyl! The store stocks new, used and vintage albums and singles. National Southwestern Recording is an in-house studio where acts including the Killers and Anti-Flag have recorded.

Downtown Container Park

Historical Landmark, Park, Shop

Beyond the fire-breathing mantis, the Downtown Container Park offers shopping and dining, as well as a playground and movie screenings. Whether you seek vintage clothing, pop-art toys, cigars or chocolate, you can find it here.

Writer’s Block

Bookstore, Store

writersblock2
© The Writer’s Block
Writer’s Block is much more than just a bookstore. Sure, there’s an outstanding collection of volumes, but there are also readings, classes, book clubs and other special events. Say hi to the pet rabbit, check out the book machine and peruse everything from literary classics to graphic novels.

Stay

Downtown Grand

Boutique Hotel, Casino Hotel

DT_Grand_Pool_Facing_Fremont
courtesy Downtown Grand / David Guettler

The Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino offers a relaxed, cosmopolitan style and central location. The Citrus pool deck is a chill spot with a view of Downtown, good food and frequent special events. For dining, check out the in-house Freedom Beat restaurant, or cross Third Street to Triple George Grill or Pizza Rock.

El Cortez Hotel & Casino

Boutique Hotel, Budget Hotel, Casino Hotel

The interior reception area at El Cortez Hotel and Casino, with wooden furnishings, a staircase and a bar
Courtesy of El Cortez Hotel and Casino / Expedia
The El Cortez Hotel & Casino is the oldest casino currently operating. It has enjoyed a rich and colorful past, as the mob once owned the establishment—former owner Bugsy Siegel gets his props at Siegel’s 1941, a restaurant popular with late-night crowds. Rooms range from budget doubles to tricked-out historic suites.

Plaza Hotel & Casino

Casino Hotel

plaza
Flickr / © Michael Beaton

The glittering Plaza Hotel & Casino has been poised at the west end of Fremont Street since 1971. The lightbulb-dotted entry has been seen in films such as Casino and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; enormous murals by Shepherd Fairey and D-Face adorn the sides. The property has been recently renovated, but retains its old-school glitter.

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