What are the bars like now?

Are the bars opened again?

 

I think they've been open, just limited to 25% capacity.

 

They're rather boring at the moment, IMO. I've been to the bar at Pizza Rock and Center Bar at Mirage a couple weeks ago and there was never anybody there.

 

I can't say that every bar is open every day, but plenty of them are.

 

what is it like though? Here in NJ you cant even sit at the "bar", you have to sit at tables. I am assuming in vegas the actual bar is opened but its every other seat?

 

Honestly, that's kind of a difficult question to answer categorically. There's no across-the-board rule, but you can generally sit at the bar. Some places have every other seat blocked off, others are fully open but with plexi dividers. The main thing I've encountered is that you have to be seated to be served a drink; you can't just walk in and get something to go. At Aria, for example, I wanted to get a drink for my friend to bring back to our room, and the bartender (who, full disclosure, I'm good friends with, so I may have gotten a little extra leeway), just told me to sit down, he poured her drink, and we were on our way.

 

Also, I'm talking about "bar" bars, not restaurant bars. For those you need a reservation, but OpenTable/7Rooms sometimes has issues reserving for solos, so you have to call. But you can't just walk in and post up at a barstool.

 

Got it. Im talking about bars bars also. I just wanna have some fun and I dont really gamble. so restaurant bars need reservations? thats nice to know because i sometimes like to eat at them.

 

Yes. You basically cannot go into a restaurant without a reservation of some kind. I don't know this for sure, but I think it's a way to control capacity without relying on the staff keeping track of who comes and goes. It doesn't have to necessarily be a far-in-advance reservation, I've made them same day, if not within a half-hour or so. Just don't rely on the online systems, which are inexplicably still broken. But again, no categorical answer, so your best bet is to call if you have particular places in mind..

 

At the Orleans they have a section of the bar blocked and social distanced so that you can order a drink and go. I think I saw this at the Linq too.

 

How is Carnaval Court? Are they allowed Live music?

 

Downtown.
At the Cal the sports book bar has every machine on with a divider between them. The Holo Bar has every other machine off.

At Four Queens, the bar at the entrance has ever machine on with the dividers. I've seen the dividers removed between couples.

Golden Nugget. At the the non-VP bar in Chart House to eat. Limited seating.

 

Most are open and most that are open on the strip have some varying degree of reservations required (required by local govt if they serve food for sure). Even Chandelier bar at Cosmo required reservations on our last 2 trips, but at most places, that involves scanning a QR code to get on a list / reservation for 10 or 15 minutes later. Almost every place has some sort of limitations on seating at the actual bar for distancing. For example, when we went to vanderpump, they had just 2 or 3 sets of chairs at the bar so a party of up to 4 could sit together at the bar but only one party on each end of the bar and no chairs and no service at the rest of the actual bar.

Bars with gaming mostly had either every 2nd or 3rd spot available, and chairs removed and or machines disabled 1 or 2 spots in between. A few places have plexiglass dividers and every seat open. Bars without gaming and food are spaced out and pretty dead most of the time but several are open.

I did not see anything going on at Carnival Court but I think I only went by at night once. The whole seating area amphitheatre thing there has been roped off every time I've been by. There is some really limited entertainment at some bars some nights like I think last time I noticed Harrahs piano bar still had a dueling piano thing but only for a couple hours once or twice a week and really limited capacity. And you may see a random guitar or piano player here and there, but remember they are limited to 50 people or fewer for 'entertainment' so anywhere doing this is using some loophole or another. I know when I went back to RiRa and the Guniess store the night after we ate there at Christmas, they did have a sign up advertising live music that night, and the Guiness store still had drinks to go, but I think RiRa only gets away with that because they're really small venue and it's just considered food with someone singing vs a bar with live 'entertainment' or whatever. I've seen pianist at Petrossian every time I've gone by as well, but there is not the live cover bands playing everywhere every night like in the before times.

 

My local taverns are open and operating as normal (25% wink wink). They take your name when you arrive if you are eating at a table and write it in a book and call it a reservation. At the bar it's open seating without reservations. And if you know which bars you'll even get live entertainment between periods of the VGK games or weekend live entertainment. Just have to know where to look in this town, it's not in the tourist trap areas. As Jerry Garcia use to sing "Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart. You just gotta poke around."

 

Haha when I saw this just started tapping my feet along to the song and let out a "Woooooo" at the appropriate parts. Thanks!

 

do you need to wear your mask if you're seated at the bar with a drink? guessing it's a place by place thing, but wanted to see what everyone's experiences have been.

 

You have to raise the mask back up in between every drink. I found that out at The Mirage a few weeks ago.

 

We were there about a month ago. Cosmo no mask while seated at bar and every other machine turned off. Bellagio no mask while seated at bar and they have plexiglass in between each machine. PH mask at all times and plexiglass in between each machine. So yes different at each place. LOL

 

Enforcement varies a bit, but I can tell you that the vast majority of people are wearing a mask when not actively drinking or eating. They'll pull it down but then put it back up without being prompted. It's just the norm these days.

 

Or course - it is here as well. But bars aren't even allowed to have people sitting at them where I live so I was just curious if they kept the same "you can take it off once you're served" deal or if you have to put it back on after every sip because of the bartender.