We arrived in the city of sin just in time for sundown but, given our long drive, weren’t really in the mood to hit the casinos just yet.
We opted instead for a stroll among the bright lights and a visit to fake canals and bridges of shopping mall at The Venetian.
And the next morning, we woke in our very comfortable room at Encore to a fantastic view and blazing sunshine…
After a rather hectic week or so there was only one thing that I fancied today – a session in the gym (which was incredible by most hotel standards) and lazing by the pool.
Wandering around to scope out myriad different pools on offer was so distracting that it took me a while to settle poolside – in a hotel like this, you never know what you will come across – a Jeff Koons sculpture,
a carousel made entirely of fresh flowers,
a Chanel boutique…(I was a bit too pre-occupied by my dream handbag to snap that one though!)
After a few hours topping up the vitamin D, we decided to wander down the strip to take a look around, sample a happy hour or two and grab an early dinner.
There are so many restaurants to try in Las Vegas and as we were once again short on time the obvious solution was just to have two dinners…first at Jaleo and then at Michael Mina. At Jaleo I had the most delicious tender squid in a salty sauce of its own ink garnished with artichokes and pearl onions…nom! The soft fresh bread here also deserves an honourable mention.
And then we headed to Michael Mina for one reason and one reason only…the tuna tartare, which didn’t disappoint – the flavourful Ahi tuna held its own perfectly against the delicious sesame and ancho chile dressing. We got there just in time to nab the last portion. As I was clearly unable to hide the disappointment on my face at having to share the tuna the staff were kind enough to also give us complimentary caviar parfaits – I hoped that this might represent the start of a winning streak for the night but it appeared that was not to be…
Sadly having two dinners and a walk back to the bustling casino in our hotel via the fountain show at the Bellagio didn’t quite offset the happy hour. It turns out the mix of tequila, vodka and champagne do not for a clear head make, something you apparently need not to lose everything remaining in your wallet to the roulette wheel! I have a feeling its novices like me might just keep Las Vegas rolling…