Best Hotel Bars in Tahoe

Even though the Gold Hill Hotel near Virginia City is about an hour drive from the East Shore of Lake Tahoe, the hotel's bar is so much fun, especially in the winter. The Gold Hill Hotel is the oldest hotel in Nevada and you will know that you have stepped back into Wild West history when you visit the bar. It is dark and built with railroad pillars and granite, the bartender is friendly and down to Earth and there is a huge fireplace in the corner of the bar. If you want to leave your mark at the Gold Hill Hotel bar, write or draw on a one dollar bill and tack it to the walls to mingle with the hundreds of other dollar bills that other visitors have left behind.

The HQ Center bar is located in the middle of the MontBleu hotel casino in the Stateline area of Lake Tahoe and makes for a great place to rendezvous and plan your evening itinerary. The circular bar is built around a unique fir and ice pit that brings the Tahoe outdoors indoors. The bar features Top 40 hits and music videos on several screens and the drinks are strong and decently priced. The furniture is cozy and you might find yourself staying there the whole night instead of heading off to the clubs. The drinks are classic and contemporary cocktails, beer, wine and well drinks.

This Baja California favorite is nestled in the woods of the lovely Lake Tahoe. Situated in Harvey's Casino Resort, Cabo Wabo promises a good time, with great food and a lively vibe. Fridays and Saturdays boast live music. Drink specials all week long. Never a cover charge. The Cabo Wabo Cantina serves breakfast, lunch and dinner beginning at 8:00 AM. The lounge opens at 4 PM and stays open well into the late night hours with live entertainment five nights per week! Dining room is dark on Monday and Tuesday but Bar Menu is available in the Bar and Lounge.

The Cutthroat Saloon in Markleeville should not be mistaken for Cutthroat's Saloon at the Hyatt Regency in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe. They are both completely different. The Cutthroat Saloon is located in the old Alpine Hotel right on Highway 89 in the small hamlet of Markleeville just south of Lake Tahoe. The bar attracts locals, mountain folk, bikers, hikers and fishermen. The bartenders are gruff, but friendly, and the locals will open up and let you know about the great hiking locations around the area. The bar serves several beers on tap including domestic and local microbrews for about $2 a glass.

Moody's has become one of the best places for lunch, dinner and drinks in downtown Truckee. Their menu has been Zagat rated and they also offer a great selection of live music in their classic lounge.They are known for their season, organic and regional dishes and wines. They offer comfort dishes like Crab Toast with Dungeness Crab on sliced Ciabatta, their famous Tomato Soup en Croute (delicious!) and thin crust Neopolitan pizza. Moody's also offers sandwiches, salads and burgers. Their main dishes from the grill and rotisserie include Pan Roasted, Free Range, All Natural Chicken Breast with Purple Potatoes, Wild Arugula and Fava Beans. Moody's also has a great wine list that includes wines from around the world like Caposaldo from Italy, Elyse from Napa Valley, Paul Jaboulet from the Cote du Rhone and Pierre Spar from Alsace. You can also get wines on tap like Caldera from the California Central Coast. Their beer list is just as extensive with selections from New Belgium, Black Butte and Pyramid.

The Pier 111 Bar at the Hyatt in Incline Village in Lake Tahoe is a seasonal bar that is open from 11 a.m. to dusk in the summer and fall. The views from this bar are pretty spectacular and you can look out over the lake and the mountains while sitting on the hotel's 275 foot long floating dock with a cocktail or beer. The bar features live entertainment on Thursday nights from 5-7 p.m. and specialized drinks just for the warmer months. This is also a good place to people watch on the Hyatt's private beach or boat watch.

Cutthroat's Saloon in the Hyatt Lake Tahoe in Incline Village is a bar that serves up a taste of the Wild West. The decor is a fun mix of cowboy, ranch and the beauty of Lake Tahoe. The ceiling is filled with dollar bills and the massive wooden bar is lit by glowing lanterns, leather bar stools and filled with fun drinks served in big Mason jars. Cutthroat's Saloon also serves food like barbecue, chili, salads, burgers, soups fish and chips and desserts. The drink menu has cocktails, beers, wine and well drinks. This bar is not the same bar as the Cutthroat Saloon in Markleeville.

The Clich� Lounge, Located in the Harrah's Lake Tahoe hotel and casino, has the distinction of being one of the highest bars in the Tahoe area. Located on the 16th floor of the hotel, this hip ultra-lounge has amazing views of the lake and the local ski resorts. The bar serves the very best in wines and spirits as well as over 50 brands of cigars. Brands like Fuente Fuente Opus X, the Zino Davidoff and Vintage Macanudos can be savored in the sumptuous surroundings. A state-of-the-art air filtration system keeps the aromatic vapors moving, removing them up and out of this Lake Tahoe lounge, making Clich� non-smoker friendly as well. Clich�'s list of wines includes selections from around the world, along with fine cognacs, champagnes and designer cocktails. The best single malt scotches and vintage ports are also a specialty of this lounge with a view. The lounge is only open Friday and Saturday after 7:00 p.m. and while the dress is casual, it's not your typical Tahoe bar for the ski crowd. A nice shirt and your best jeans or khakis will be more acceptable than fleece and hiking boots.

The Living Room bar and lounge at The Ritz-Carlton at Northstar might just have one of the best views in the area. The large windows that surround the bar have views of the surrounding mountains and the ski slopes just above this luxury hotel. The Living Room has a warm ambiance with a large fireplace, comfortable couches and armchairs and small tables for enjoying drinks and light fare. The bar has dining all day and a speciality cocktails menu and an extensive wine list. Their cocktails include the Zephyr Refresher with fresh cucumber and Grey Goose Vodka, the Mountain Mule with Absolut Citron, Ginger Beer and St. Germain and Domaine de Canton Liqueurs. Their signature cocktail is the S'moretini. Their wines are sold by the glass or the bottle and the vintages come from all over California, France, South Australia and New Zealand.

The Bar at Jimmy's is located inside The Landing Lake Tahoe Resort & Spa. This is an intimate bar that features interesting, onyx and granite decor and friendly bartenders. Their diverse 2,000 wine bottle vault is the highlight of this bar as well as their hard to find Greek, Italian, California, Oregon and Washington producters The wine list includes wines by the bottle or glass and features vintages by Atlantis, Black Stallion, Chateau Musar, Winderlea, Journeyman and a white Pinot Noir by Domaine Serene. The bar also serves domestic and imported beers and classic and experimental cocktails, Lambic and Hard Apple Ciders and stocks over 100 high quality spirits. All the drinks are made to compliment the food created by Jimmy's Chef Maria Elia's contemporary California-Greek cuisine.