More Las Vegas hangouts

Escaping the status quo bar scene is easier than it seems.

Champagne’s Café

3557 S. Maryland Parkway

(702) 737-1699

Unusually dark inside (even by Vegas lounge standards), Champagne is an old-style haunt with wide booths, mellow bartenders and merciful drink prices. The atmosphere is equal parts cozy and sleazy, with red bulbs, red carpet and, most striking of all, Champagne’s trademark red velvet wallpaper. Karaoke takes over the back room Friday and Saturday nights, with polyester-clad locals belting out Sinatra without irony.

The Dispensary Lounge

2451 E. Tropicana Ave.

(702) 458-6343

The quiet Dispensary is a far cry from the sterile environment implied by its name, although it is some locals’ favorite source of medicine, both from taps and bottles. The tucked-away location means that the Dispensary is rarely crowded — the perfect place to kick back with a small or large group and still be able to converse. As for décor, the wall-to-wall shag carpet and thick wooden tables are nice, but it’s the lazily rotating water wheel in back that really pulls the room together.

Pogo’s Tavern

2103 N. Decatur Blvd.

(702) 646-9735

An informal, beautifully lived-in little neighborhood place with vinyl booths, ‘70s-era beer signage and a wall full of assorted sports trophies. The weekday clientele is mostly 50-plus locals, but Friday night is the big draw, when jazz fans of all ages pack the place to hear some of Vegas’ most practiced players trade licks, including several retired casino show guys who don’t seem to have lost a thing.