It's Saturday night on the Strip, and a familiar question hangs in the air: "What do you want to do tonight?"
There are many options. There are nightclubs set behind velvet ropes and populated with young partiers bouncing to the beats of celebrity DJs. There are hotel bars and lounges, all-comers-welcome spots where the crowd reflects the larger casino vibe. There are barstaurants with robust beer lists, gastropubs with cocktails on tap, saloons with mechanical bulls and slick lounges where flutes of champagne clink around comfy booths.
But the Venetian is betting there's room for another type of venue in the Strip mix: a New York-style cocktail bar focused on craft libations served in sophisticated surroundings.
Sam Ross of Attaboy in New York has designed the menu for the Dorsey, a sophisticated cocktail bar slated to open at the Venetian in December. Photo Credit: Anthony Mair
Come December, the Italy-themed resort will welcome the Dorsey, a grown-up nightspot that can function as a destination for after-dinner drinks, a pre-party stop or an all-night hang set on the resort's casino floor. With a cocktail menu by Sam Ross of New York's Attaboy and design by Thomas Schlesser, a James Beard winner who has worked on spaces such as the Publican in Chicago and Ma Peche in New York, the Dorsey will add an urban sensibility to the Venetian's nightlife slate.
"The one thing we've been missing at the Venetian is a great cocktail bar, and the Dorsey is just that," said George Markantonis, president and CEO of the resort via press release. "Whether guests are looking for the perfect place to start an evening with a cocktail or a spot to stay a while and socialize, the Dorsey will fit the bill."