“Lavo” means “to bathe,” but after leaving this club, you might feel slightly dirty. After all, the go-go dancers, the girls “bathing” with each other in tubs, and all the beautiful people dining and dancing in a hot club don’t give way to clean thoughts.
Lavo, the newest restaurant/club in the Palazzo from the team behind Tao, is modeled after a Mediterranean bath house. If you’ve been inside Tao, you’ll see some similarities in the Lavo aesthetic– water pouring from large vases on a wall downstairs in the lounge, big circular lanterns hanging behind the bar, armies of leather couches and pale blue tiles. Walk upstairs and follow the dimly lit elevated walkway in between sinks with running water to get to the club. As you ascend the stairs, you’ll see scantily-clad girls splashing around rose petals in bathtubs. Round the corner to enter the bar and there you’ll see spacious VIP areas, an ample-sized dance floor and several elevated platforms – some boxes like other clubs, but in the back VIP section, it’s practically a stage like Forty Deuce’s.
“Lavo is smaller and more intimate than Tao,” said Noah Tepperberg, partner, who is also one of the partners behind Tao. “Lavo differs from other clubs in that it is a true concept that is very unique. We've taken the bathhouse inspiration and brought it to life via various elements throughout the space.”
Even though a lounge is stereotypically more relaxing and less charged than a club, Tepperberg says both the lounge and the club at Lavo are great gathering spaces. “There is a lot of energy that flows throughout and DJs on both floors keep that energy level very high,” he added.
Despite its architectural intimacy, the 4,500-square-foot club aims to deliver an over-the-top experience. Some big names are lined up to spin at Lavo’s turntables – DJ Reach and DJ Vice among them – and the award-winning chef Ludo Lefebvre, LA’s beloved master of L’Orangerie and Bastide, is head of Lavo’s kitchen.
Lefebvre spent the past six months creating several ‘wow’ dishes for Lavo – 250 or so, in fact. Lefebvre drew culinary inspiration from Spain, France, Italy and other Mediterranean countries, which Tepperberg describes as “signature dishes like Ludo’s Crudos, hamachi, salmon tartare and a duo of tuna, the Ultimate Pizza, with toppings that include lobster, crispy potatoes and truffles, and bread pudding.” Other tantalizing dishes include the San Danielle prosciutto Panini, with figs, mascarpone and honeycomb, Kobe beef sliders with mustard-glazed bacon, shrimp scampi with panzanella and twice-cooked roasted chicken.
Of course, signature cocktails are a prerequisite of every high-end lounge, and Lavo’s cocktails veer far from the beaten path. The Uva Bianco is a popular signature cocktail made with Smirnoff White Grape, muddled green grapes and St. Germain. The Saggio has Stoli Blueberry, Sage and fresh lemon juice.
One of Lavo’s unique aspects is its terrace, which directly overlooks the flicker cityscape of the strip, and customers can smoke hookah and order bottle service al fresco. “We have a hookah master who can prepare hookah offerings to suit any taste,” Tepperberg added.
And when it comes to bottle service, just pick your preference – lounge, terrace or club – and Lavo’s VIP hosts will cater to your wishes. “The tables on the patio are ideal for conversation and hookah, and inside, in the lounge or the club, would appeal more to the customer who wants to dance all night long,” Tepperberg says.
Click here for more info on Lavo Lounge, Las Vegas NV
