I’m in a scene from a Bond film as I drink in the sights and sounds of Red Rock Resort’s crimson-hued Rouge Room.
Libations flow at the Champagne bar, and a lithe server in a flapper-girl dress strides past. Murmurs of conversation slip in and out of wine-colored velvet booths and warmly lit corners where couples sip martini flights. A DJ spins the nu-disco of Satin Jackets before making a suave transition into a house cut of Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much.”
A brainchild of Wish You Were Here Group, whose restaurant portfolio includes Virgin Hotels’ Kassi Beach House, the new cocktail-centric lounge is a showpiece of all things intimate, sexy and indulgently over the top.
“It’s all about the ambiance, the way that we’re going to make everyone feel when they come in,” explains Jason Bartucci, managing partner of the bicoastal hospitality company. “We want to take people away to another time, another place. That’s where 1920s Paris comes in.”
French-inspired cuisine anchors the menu, including Wagyu tartare on buttered brioche ($28) and a caviar-topped king crab pasta ($40). And if you’re here to imbibe, Rouge Room’s craft cocktail program truly stands out.
Corporate Beverage Director Julien Calella designed the French-infused drinks with familiar ingredients in mind, to keep patrons comfortable as they explore new spirits. The La Rouge ($19), made with mezcal, blackberry and smoked rosemary, might win over folks unsure about the agave-based spirit, and the tequila-forward Le Mime ($19), infused with elderflower, sage and chili, is a masterclass in mixology, utilizing steeped sage tea and a tincture of chili pepper.
Tinctures help set Rouge Room’s drinks apart, especially when it comes to its martini cart service. “Because we have this beautiful, elegant room, we thought it’d be fun to do something tableside, and of course guacamole doesn’t really make sense, so we decided to do martinis,” Calella says with a smile.
To avoid blending too many syrups and juices, Calella relies solely on these concentrated herbal extracts for many cocktails. “I have jasmine tinctures, key lime, blackberry and cardamom, peach and lavender,” he lists. “That allows me to take a few drops and add it to the already-classic martini, which then turns it into something totally different.”
Patrons indicate their preferred spirit and style of martini on a card, and check boxes to add tinctures. That ensures uniqueness, which also applies to the Rouge Room’s live music programming.
Around 7 p.m., Jazz Eclectic Vegas— a troupe known for playing everything from Sade to Gnarls Barkley—takes center stage, shifting the energy from swank ultralounge to roaring Parisian den. Leading into the weekend, revelers will also get an eyeful of L’experience du Rouge, a modern Moulin Rouge featuring contortionists and other sexy entertainers.
It’s refreshing to see live music at the foreground of Summerlin’s social scene, especially in a space that housed the nightclub Cherry from 2006 to 2010. The beautiful, tunnel-like arched entrance remains from those days, as does a world-class sound system that reaches out to the private pool patio.
“Not everybody wants to go to the Strip; not everybody wants to go to the dayclubs,” Bartucci says. “If you’re out here, it really is a place where we can just have a little bit of fun, be ourselves and enjoy the Vegas experience.”
ROUGE ROOM Red Rock Resort, rougeroomlv.com. Thursday & Friday, 4 p.m.-midnight; Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-midnight.
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