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| - "What a view..."
Those were the first words out of my mouth when I stepped into the Mandarin Bar, perched on the 23rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
I wasn't really that high up, but I was lucky enough to be in Vegas on the 1 day per year that the desert gets a wicked awesome lightning storm, and seeing the huge lightning flashes against the backdrop of the Strip lights was a sight to behold.
The huge, floor-to-ceiling windows at Mandarin Bar provided views from all sides. The bar itself is contemporary but cozy (albeit too sterile for my taste), and a singer and her musical backup kept the jazz standards coming. A lovely setting to enjoy some cocktails.
Speaking of cocktails... they're crazy expensive. Like everything else on the menu, my elderflower smash -- a straightforward gin and St. Germain creation that doesn't seem too hard to make -- costs $18. I could've bought a whole bottle of gin for that money. Too rich for my blood.
That said, the cocktail tasted great. (Cocktails are mixed in a kitchen out of sight, so it's up to your tastebuds to figure out if you got a heavy pour or not.)
A great touch are the complementary bar snacks -- trail mix and salted peanuts. Maybe if you eat enough snacks instead of going out for dinner, you can recoup the cost of the cocktails?
That's what I pondered as I finished my drink, paid my tab, and hurried on to other things.
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