Vegas - The 'So much to do, so little time' edition - Part Three

Anyone hungry or in need of a drink? When I say there are a lot of places to eat and drink I'm really understating how much there actually is. The choice is phenomenal and even though the current situation has meant there are very few buffets there is still so much to try that during just a weeks stay you could just eat and drink in your casino of choice the whole time but that's something I don't recommend.

What I do recommend is that you watch YouTube channels such as - All You Can Vegas - YouTube , Yellow Productions - YouTube and SayHiToMatthew - YouTube amongst many others. These three channels in particular are not only interesting and informative but are also a pleasure to watch. Derek from All you You Can Vegas is a particular character we enjoy watching.

Food and drink as with everything is down to personal choice. I'm equally as happy in a fancy restaurant as I am at White Castle, I'm definitely not a food snob and will happily try anything. If I don't like it then I'll continue to eat or drink it unless it really is offensive but I think that's happened maybe just once or twice ever. So for this part of the blog I'm going to just highlight a few places of interest that we've been to and a few I still want to try.

We've been to very few high end places in Vegas, we absolutely love the Afternoon Tea at the Waldorf Astoria, the service is exemplary and the food is amazing and to be honest the best Afternoon Tea we've had anywhere. Over the last few years it's gotten even better with unlimited mimosas too. $58 (£42) each with an extra $29 (£21) for the mimosas that really do flow freely. Great food, calm atmosphere and amazing views.

The Urban Food Hall in the Cosmopolitan is a place we've sadly never tried but it has a selection of various food and drink places from around America all in one place. Other food courts of interest are those in the Forum (Caesars Palace) and The Venetian.

For cheap eats we like Ocean One at Miracle Mile (Planet Hollywood) and has recently been mentioned on a Pennys4Vegas Tip Of the Day Video. You'd do well watching all of his vlogs and especially his new Tips Of The Day he's doing because the information and advice is top notch. Whilst at the Miracle Mile there's a novelty place called Tipsy Robot where for rather a lot of money a robot with create and serve you your drink. Another place of interest in the Miracle Mile is Gordon Ramsey's Burger. This man has places all over Vegas including Hell's Kitchen which recreated the actual TV kitchen and I'm sure a recent series has been filmed there. In Paris he has the Gordon Ramsey Steak Restaurant that serves ultra modern contemporary food at rather high process but with an amazing view from the Eiffel Tower, probably a place to celebrate an anniversary or other special occasion. Whilst we're in Paris Mon Ami Gabi is well known for it's tasty breakfasts too.

I'm not going to bother going into detail with places such as Shake Shack, In n Out Burger, Rainforest Cafe, Chic-A-Fil etc. but I'll give a shout out to one of our favourites - the Cheesecake Factory purely for it's generous portions and amazing cheesecakes. There's one located in the Forum (Caesars Palace) and North Premium Outlets. Word of advice, don't expect to be able to eat starter, main and dessert, it's not ever going to happen, to be honest most times we go just for the cheesecake.

For Mexican food we loved Gonzales y Gonzales in New York New York - they even make fresh guacamole at tableside. Senor Frogs at TI was a decent Mexican place but I found it too noisy and the food wasn't as nice as Gonzales Y Gonzales but I had bought something called a Tix4Tonite Dining Card that greatly reduced the bill. The card was mentioned by Matt Bridger in one of his vlogs as it covered food at the Plaza and so we gave it a go on our visit. It's definitely worth the money IF you are going to eat or drink at a few of the places on the list but I'd say after 1 or 2 uses, the card has paid for itself especially as the card is just $13 (£10) each. Save Every Time You Eat with the Vegas Dining Card from Tix4Tonight.

The Peppermill which is located not too far from Circus Circus has a great Fireside Lounge that was featured in the film Casino. We like to go there for breakfast, Jane particularly likes the French Toast and I try a different thing each time but I did fall foul after ordering 3 super king size pancakes that we're bigger than my head. I just could not finish them. The menu is quite extensive and doesn't just serve breakfast. The unlimited coffee is a big win here.

For hotdogs we love Dirt Dog at the Grand Bazaar by Ballys although Cheffini's Hot Dogs at the Container Park Downtown Vegas also serve up some tasty dogs. Whilst you're Downtown then pop to Pizza Rock or Evel Pie for pizza and you won't be disappointed or if you're in need of a drunken late night snack pop to White Castle. We like White Castle, I know many don't but hey, give it a try. Matt Bridger did and he didn't mind them. We may as well stay Downtown for a while and if you can get up early enough then get yourself down to the Donut Bar for a wide range of tasty donuts with an awesomely decorated and styled bathroom. Nothing better than a Donut with your Starbucks run.

For the novelty get your ass down and spanked at the Heart Attack Grill. It's not healthy, it's not classy but it's fun and the food is fine. It's all a bit of harmless fun with red wine in IV bags, jelly shots in syringes and butter in your milkshake (ok let's ignore the last one as even I wouldn't go near a buttery milkshake). Remember this though - if you don't finish your food you will get spanked.

As we stay Downtown more I've experience more of the food there, Binions Cafe is good value for money as is Magnolias at Four Queens, for a classy night out then Four Queens also has Hugo's Cellar, a wonderful traditional stylish restaurant. Oscar's Steakhouse at the Plaza is also popular and well recommended. If you like your Nachos and Scorpion shots then you can't go wrong with Nacho Daddy and whilst the night is young then make your way down to Atomic Liquors - Las Vegas's oldest freestanding bar. A great selection of craft beers and a chilled atmosphere made this a place I really want to go back to. If like me you're a fan of craft beers the Banger Brewing Company next to Heart Attack Grill also do a tour and serve great beer.

I really could go on and on and on about where to eat. Previous blogs and vlogs have also given you an idea of places we like so before I move on to drinks there's a special mention to a place I really regret not going to and that's Tacos El Gordo. It's always busy with queues out the door, the portion sizes are very generous and the food looks like very flavourful. It sells Mexican tacos of many different types and I want to try them all. Derek from All You Can Vegas has done a decent vlog of the place where we learnt the importance of asking for a half portion.

Drinks, well we don't really party the night away and as Vegas drinks prices are pretty astronomical we always try for cheap and cheerful or at least the good value for money deals like the Happy Half Hour on the Linq High Roller. Once again I'm going to direct you to watching Pennys4Vegas for more, better advice - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2m-ob3WitA2Dsg_kxvesyaEhINVVfbMT - One place he highly recommends is Stage Door and it sounds like a place we'd really like. Playing myVegas and using the gold you've accumulated means you can get food and drinks vouchers, Player Card deals from each casino can also present you with food and drink deals such as Ellis Island - again Pennys has far more comprehensive info on this and there's always Happy Hour.

https://www.lasvegashappyhour.net/ is a good website to search out for Happy Hours, the one we particularly enjoyed was at the Bird Bar in the Flamingo where between 5pm and 6pm all beers are 50cents (36p), there are other deals throughout the night too. If you look at the price of a bottle of Budweiser at the Beer Park in Paris then before tax it's $8.30 (£6) and Heineken which in the UK is basically p*ss water is $11.30 (£8.16) so you can see why it's best to look for deals wherever you are. You can also get 'free' drinks whilst gambling, just make sure you leave a decent tip. It was relatively easy to get a drink this way but I'm not sure how easy it is now with things the way they are.

As you know, I really enjoyed, sitting, chilling and drinking at the Atomic Liquor bar, it was dark and relaxed and that why I also really like both Frankies Tiki Room and the Golden Tiki Bar - both off Strip and nowhere near each other, these two Tiki bars are excellently themed, dark and away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip. The Golden Tiki has a Happy Hour where select drinks are discounted but Frankies does not - if you're not a fan of rum based drinks though then it may not be your thing.

I'll round up this patchwork of information with two unique experiences - 1 for drink, 1 for eats.

The Chandelier 1.5 Bar at the Cosmopolitan is where you want to go and order 'The Flower Drink'. The bar is located between the Casino and the Second Floor and is open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. As well as this Flower (Verbena) drink , it also serves a number of unique drinks and cocktails. I'm not going to spoil what the drink is but you can always Google it I guess.

Blackout - Dining In The Dark - This has been mentioned in a previous blog of mine and located off the Strip. Here you are treated to a 7 course meal all in complete darkness, you won't even know what you've eaten until the end of the experience where you are shown the whole menu. It was such a great experience, complete darkness, relying on touch and then trying to guess what you're eating. It wasn't cheap but it was worth the money - $89.95 (£65) before tax and without drinks.

There you have it, or more accurately, there you don't have it. This blog has not even scratched the surface of where to eat and drink in Vegas. There's hidden bars and restaurants, there's dinner shows like Tournament of Kings, whatever your budget there is something here for you. Vegas caters well to Vegans and Vegetarians with there often being alternative choices and also a number of Vegetarian and Vegan restaurants around the Vegas area - give this website a try for all relevant information - Vegan Las Vegas | Vegan Guides | Vegan Dining (vegansbaby.com)

After all that eating we've now got more than enough energy for what many may see as their worst nightmare - shopping but that for Part 4.