| rev:text
| - Actual rating 2.5.
Earlier this year the No1DP and I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo and had a few drinks at the lobby bar (http://www.yelp.com/biz/C9Yl043iIfZGu98Ba9Evdw?hrid=qoTH7kEEgfsqMhYb81gEzQ). That bar is to date my second favorite cocktail bar due to the impeccable service we received and that the bartenders can consistently mix a well-made drink. It is with great disappointment that I have to write a less-than-stellar review about the experience the No1DP and I had at the hotel bar in Las Vegas. When the two best things about the bar are the view and the wasabi peanuts, that says a lot about the quality of the drinks.
VENUE: The Mandarin Bar isn't the most easily accessible bar from the hotel. Coming from the Cosmopolitan we had to cross the bridge connecting the Cosmopolitan, take the elevator down to the Mandarin Oriental valet entrance then take the elevator up to the 28th floor bar. Like the elevator in Tokyo there's a chair inside.
The view is spectacular - one of the best views of Vegas due to the Cosmopolitan being close to the center of the Strip and just as good as the view from Mix at Mandalay Bay. Seems like everyone in Vegas knows of this view as all of the seats close to the view were packed. The No1DP and I opted for seats at the bar with our backs to the view.
SERVICE: We came well past midnight on a Saturday night when the bar was so crowded and busy. It took at least 5 minutes from the time we flagged a bartender to when we were asked for our drinks. We were at least given complimentary snacks as soon as we sat down.
The pretzels and cheese crackers looked like they would come out of a Cheez-It box but the wasabi peanuts are strangely appetizing. I think I ate almost the entire serving as the No1DP doesn't like the taste of strong wasabi. Though these were good complimentary bites these pale in comparison to Tokyo's bites - their senbei was excellent and their olives are still my gold standard for an olive.
DRINKS
The No1DP doesn't remember his drink, but this is sad considering that he remembers all the good drinks he's had at other bars.
- Pecan Boluevard (Considered to be a cousin to the Negroni, our fall version of the classic Boulevardier brings together William Wolf Pecan whiskey, Bulleit Bourbon, Campari, Aperol, Cinzano 1757 and bitters. Stirred and served in a martini glass, $18). I was drawn to "pecan whiskey" but the campari and bitters were just too strong so I ended up taking back the drink after a few sips.
- Cucumber and Cilantro Margarita (A fresh spin on the margarita using Avion Reposado tequila, cilantro, cucumber, agave nectar, fresh lime juice and a dash of egg whites, $18). The drink was smooth and creamy but typically I don't think of margaritas as "creamy" (they are rather tart) - rather what I was drinking was a mix between a caipirinha and a Pisco sour. Still it was mixed well and I was able to consume most of my drink.
The No1DP, being used to the excellent service he can expect from the Mandarin Hotel in Tokyo was so put off by his subpar drink and the long wait for service that he doesn't even want to stay at the hotel. I think our subpar drinks was because it was a busy Saturday night and usually the quality of drinks falls a bit when there's lots of people to be served. Still I would like to give this bar one more chance in the hopes that they'll serve me a well-mixed drink because supposedly this is one of the top bars along the Strip.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)