If anyone ever wanted to compress all the trendy nightclubs and produce one essence of Las Vegas nightlife, the result wouldn’t fall far from Tabú Ultra Lounge—a dream-come-true of clubbing debauchery in the most party-oriented city in the U.S.
For the omnipresent MGM Mirage group that brought you Centrifuge, Zuri, Studio 54, and other Las Vegas nightlife hotspots, it was not a new task to make Tabú into one of the most desired clubs for being seen in Las Vegas.
The main lounge at Tabú—though not too spacious - is yet another reincarnation of trendy club elegance, joining such standard elements as modern, minimalist couches, polished wooden panels and some exposed brick walls, with a few not-so-standard additions. The main innovation lies in the interactive projectors with which the management attempts to spoil clubbers that have already seen everything in nightlife. The projectors cover the low, square tables with light-induced images (which move when the stream of light is interrupted), transforming pieces of furniture into pieces of entertainment. Might be only a trick, but it changes ordering a bottle of vodka—which comes in a block of ice—into an unexpected dose of tipsy fun.
The dazzling bar is an eye-catcher in itself. Featuring columns constructed with large glass jars—each one containing a bottle—and illuminated with different colors of neon—it creates a surreal feel. And what more does one search for in nightlife if not an escape to another reality—where the day-time job is but a dim memory and the sexy female bartenders and cocktail waitresses increase the potential of their tips by dancing on tables.
The cocktail list is what you might expect by only looking at the level of trendiness of Tabú lounge, with creative nouveau concoctions and less older cocktails with creative new names—all of them served with fancy add-ons and in all colors of the rainbow.
Tabú nightclub, though ultra-nightlife-oriented, caters more to those looking to expose either their sleek designer clothes or their shapely, tanned legs, rather than gambol until exhaustion on the dance floor. In fact, Tabú is not adjusted towards dancing, and does not have a dance floor as such, which should not stop you from frolicking amidst the tables. Still, be prepared that, given the huge popularity of this hangout, every single nook can be packed on a late night.
That’s when the top-notch V.I.P. areas come into play. Since Tabú nightclub and ultra lounge is one of the most popular celebrity hangouts among the nightlife big-names of Las Vegas, its system of exclusivity, V.I.P catering and list-checking has reached perfection. The dim, cozy and intimate private area offers some air and peace, together with the service of the eye-candy waitresses, who are no longer delayed by the thick crowd.
Overall, the goal of the door people at Tabú is to sip through the long line, picking the handsomest and most trendy specimen, worthy of the sex-industry-beauty of the cocktail waitresses and the hipness of the décor. Of course, the good side of the severe selectiveness is that you shall not find sneakers-and-shorts-wearing tourists profaning this chic temple. Live Dj’s of the national and international caliber make a good use of the state-of-the-art sound system, which is as tech-nouveau as we expected based on the projectors.
