It's 5 p.m., or close enough, and I'm lounging in an oxblood banquette at Rosina, the Palazzo's sultry art deco cocktail spot. A chandelier glitters overhead, and curtains at the end of our alcove are pulled aside, so that the space feels both private and connected. I'm only halfway through a Seasonal Fix — made with your spirit of choice (gin), lemon and muddled with whatever's fresh — so my vision's still perfectly clear when I realize: This place glows.
Indeed, Rosina has a candlelit ambiance, thanks to the 7 tons of brass deployed in graceful arches and warm accents throughout the intimate space, where a menu of classic Negronis, gimlets and Collins complements the decor, and a Champagne call button
summons bubbly upon request.
One of the cocktails at the Electra Cocktail Club, the Age of Aquarius. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Venetian Las Vegas
The bar is a meeting spot inside the casino, a place for pre-dinner drinks or post-show socializing, an alternative to getting decked out and paying for the privilege to dance in a nightclub.
Over the past few years, the Venetian and the Palazzo have recognized the value of spaces like Rosina, cocktail-driven gathering points that manage to be simultaneously destination-worthy, low-key and cover-free.
In 2016, the Venetian opened the Dorsey, importing New York barman Sam Ross of Attaboy and Diamond Reef, to design a menu that felt relevant and fresh on the Las Vegas Strip. The success of that venue, a swank and swaggering outlet where you can order
a punch bowl in a disco ball while sitting in a library setting before a steam fireplace, led to the debut of Rosina one year later with Ross still writing the script.
Now, the sister resorts are adding a third lounge to what they've dubbed the Venetian Cocktail Collective.
Electra Cocktail Club will be a high-energy addition to the drinking landscape. Designed by Simeone Deary Design Group under a consulting agreement with Gensler, the 127-seat room is focused around a 40-foot digital display showcasing original art in
70 million pixels. Sofas fill the center of the space, with materials like brass, granite and etched metal adding to the decor.
The bar leans on rums, agricoles and mezcals, with its Ross-designed menu featuring drinks like the Penichillin, a frozen rendition of the Penicillin with lemon, ginger, honey and scotch, and the Pina Verde, with green Chartreuse, pineapple, lime and
coconut.
Set to be open nightly until 4 a.m., and with a soundtrack that includes rock, hip-hop and pop, Electra will add a shot of adrenalin to the Venetian's and the Palazzo's booze buffet. The perfect complement to a cocktail culture that's vibrant and growing.