Las Vegas Weekly

Deciphering Bond, the Cosmo’s less-traveled nightlife venue

Passion Pit supplied sounds for the ambiguous bar & lounge August 18-21.

Bill Hughes

“We should go to Bond! Passion Pit is DJing!”

When I hear this, I am one of 4,000 Adele concert attendees inching my way out of Chelsea Ballroom at the Cosmopolitan on Saturday night. I want to ask the lady whether she’s ever been to Bond, but figure now is not an appropriate time for small talk with strangers. I just want to get out of this can of sardines alive. She answers the question for me anyway, by continuing to babble to her friend about where she thinks the bar is located.

She hasn’t been there, and she’s not alone. In the spectrum of Cosmo’s nightlife offerings, Bond often gets lost in the shadows of Book & Stage with its free concerts, Marquee with its party-rocking, big-name DJs, Chandelier Bar with its, well, chandelier and Vesper Bar with its first-class cocktails.

So what and where is Bond?

Answering the latter part is easy. Bond is squeezed into the corner of Cosmo, situated between a restaurant called the Henry and the casino floor, facing Las Vegas Boulevard. Bond feels a bit narrow and squished; likely because, when the bar is packed, patrons spill out onto what is essentially a casino walkway.

The first question is a little more difficult. Bond falls into that gray area between a bar and a club. There are fewer mini-dresses and fake boobs, but the people are still by and large attractive. Loud, thumpy music is present (club!), courtesy of a DJ booth where guests like the celeb dudes from Passion Pit can do their thing, but there’s no dancefloor (hotel bar!). The people who aren’t lucky enough to be behind the rope with bottle service (club!) just stand at the bar and talk loudly over the music (bar!).

Similar vibes can be found at places like the Artisan, the Lady Silvia or Blue Martini. And for some, this mix works. It’s the club for people who aren’t club people, or the bar for bar people who like electronic music. For some, it won’t. But, hey, if Bond doesn’t work for you, well, there’s always Vesper ... or Marquee ... or ...