How could I NEVER have written a review of Champs?!?!
Champagne's Café has always been there for me it's original operating status, a rarity. It's been a workhorse on my liver since the first days I came to Vegas. Not like Hofbrauhaus drunk, but- wow, I need to yelp on that, too! CC is near my first Vegas ghetto apartment on Twain, now featuring bars on all the tenants doors! I was over 4 decades late of the swank celebrity resident days.
How could I not have gone in the last time I was in the neighborhood?
I was actually scared the first time I drank there. It was in the afternoon and it had the old boys in their drinking their monthly check away, trying to haul the royal that will win the last few months back. Grissled Robert Duvall types, you know what I'm saying? It was enough to not make me go back for awhile and discover 2 other of my faves nearby, Madison and Rascal's.
The next time I was there was at night. The thing I love about Vegas bars is that at night you can see 20-30 somethings and the bar still isn't considered a college or hipster bar. People vacation and then move here to drink during those magical decades, before adult financial obligations take over or perhaps to create them.
4 years later, I was happy when Dave Attell discovered this bar on his Insomniac show. Where the hell was I? Working? Passed out in some other bar? So close.
The red velvet walls. I want them plastered in every place I've ever lived. I wanted that pattern to be in every vehicle I've ever owned. I have taken pictures for background with every cell phone I've had. I want my coffin lined with that. Egh, I'm against coffins.
They have 2 beers on tap: PBR and mouth watery Honey Brown draft. I remember when they had 1. And what before that? I heart that the taps are just in the middle of an empty wall with a little drain under it. No, nothing else can go here, this is the draft beer altar. Thank you.
I don't remember when, a common saying of bar recollections, but I came here to chase a few First Fridays. I remembered I didn't live nearby anymore and it wasn't convenient from downtown. So it had to have been for a woman, sad I can't remember her. That good a bar.
On one of the karaoke nights I think I discovered they had food. They had a table set up buffet style with some beef soaking in marinade to make sandwiches & such. Amazing what you do remember when starving. They also had chicken and I think burgers and other goodies on other nights.
I've been to many, many bars in Vegas. Many. And some bars I couldn't imagine living around. Just not that exciting, or over hyped or I just went thru some embarrassing shit failing to get some vag worship there. Champagne's is a bar I'll always be proud to have as a home base hangout bar. I got to respect, appreciate and even miss those old afternooners.
Remember when I said I didn't go in the last time I was in the neighborhood? I lied. Nights later I went the HELL BACK IN and soaked in it's victorious juices.
One of the things I saw on face book and almost forgot about until I saw it was a GLORIOUS Champagne's Café tee shirt. Bought one instantly just as I nudged my beer enough to spill on the video poker. Instantly my shirt became a zamboni, which is what. makes. a bar shirt possible!
At the end of the week, I did laundry to wash the stank off my clothes. I decided to not wash 2 articles of clothing: my Champagne's Café shirt to preserve whatever magical microscopic forces we as humans aren't meant to understand yet. The other, a jacket that played a pivotal role in my last trip to Dino's. But that's a theatrical carny ride of a review for another time.
This place took me back to my midwest roots of bars . . . a great talkative bartender . . . great local regulars who weren't afraid to get into a conversation with you.
Had the bartender suprize me with my drink . . . DON"T LAUGH . . . a "White Gummy Bear" . . . not sure what was in it, but it was a great tasty drink to end the afternoon partion of the dive bar tour.
I will definately be back on future tour to Las Vegas . . . if for nothing else to see the Karoake.
Divey as hell. And you that's your thing, than this is your place.
I have never had a bad time here. The bartender is the F ing man and the owner even hangs out to keep an eye on the action.
It is comfortable.
All of your classic beverages are available.
The prices are low, which inevitable leads to me drinking twice as much and tipping high. Had a great time on this stop and I'm sure I will again soon.
BE WARNED: The area is pretty crappy. Just keep an eye open out there.
I'm going to call Champagne's an acquired taste... Best part: they don't really give a damn what you call it. Â It's the quintessential dive bar with Sinatra on the walls, karaoke with lots of regulars (the off-Broadway of the LV Strip perhaps), super swell drinks for parking change, thick cigarette smoke (yeah, I said it), and no room for pretentiousness.
I love me some Champagne's... Not sure, but I don't even think they serve champagne. If they did, it would be practically free. Â This place is the type where you could literally buy a round for the entire bar and still barely break a $20. I think our "rounds" of 2 vodka sodas and a gin martini were $8 a round...um...yeah... Thus, I may have been overserved.
Inevitably, cheap drinks lead to karaoke. The DJ has an infinite number of songs to choose from ---so, get practicing...no need to repeat your standard "I Will Survive" routine.
If you're looking for elegant or a VIP list, you can skip Champagne's. If you want to have a great time with a great crowd and equally good people watching....GO GO GO!
One of my favorite local bars in Vegas...I always try to stop by for a night whenever I visit town.
It was featured on one of my favorite shows, Insomniac with Dave Attell, a few years ago. I'm glad I made the effort to come and visit though, since I've always had a great time whenever I've come here.
Karaoke night is my favorite.
I finally visited Champagne's Cafe last week and have not been able to shut up about it since. Â This place is the seedy underbelly of Vegas where transients, old-timer locals, and hipsters collide. Â And these people sing karaoke! Â And there are velvet walls!!
So Champagne's Cafe may have given me the worst hangover I've had in ages - I'm guessing it's due to the incredibly cheap vodka they (I'm assuming) used in my drinks - but I seriously cannot wait to go back. Â Despite having such a varied clientele everyone was very friendly with each other and there were even several people who came by to chat up my husband and myself. Â The bartender was dangerous, though, so be careful. Â He gave me disapproving looks when I ordered waters and cheered for me when I went back to alcoholic beverages. Â You better have your DD ready for this!
I credit Champagne's Cafe with giving me the final confirmation that I was destined to hang at dive bars. Â
Good For:
Transients
Guys named Butch
People who remember when the mob ran Vegas
Karaoke enthusiasts
Hipsters
Broke college kids
Not Good For:
People who despise smoke
People who despise dive bars
People who despise velvet walls
Those that are concerned with being at a happening Vegas party where they can hook up easily (ie- The Rehab-crowd)
Those that are concerned with only drinking name brand alcohol or specialty cocktails
Nikki Jo's Ladies Restroom Review:
The restroom was surprisingly acceptable, cleanliness-wise. Â It is dark, though, so be prepared. Â But it is also covered in velvet, which I enjoyed. Â HOWEVER, do not rely on the lock on the door handle alone- use the lock about a foot or two above the handle. Â Do not make the same mistake as me!
I have been coming here since 2002. Love this place and the people that work there. Â If you are visiting Vegas and do not wanna be near the strip, come here. It's an old time place with a seedy element. If you have questionable morals, come here. Wanna smoke in the dark, come here. Cheap drinks, too!!! Locals usually make this their watering hole. If it ever closed, my heart would stop.... for reals.
Review Source:When I walk into Champagne's it's like walking into instant comfort. Everything about this bar is relaxing, calming, and inviting, during the week nights that is :) Champagne's is completely transformed on Friday and Saturday nights when they offer karaoke. What is better for the weekend than the best priced drinks in town paired with an environment that is buzzing and filling you with energy but at the same time providing  enough comfort, occasionally I get up to sing! It's the reason that this is the only bar I frequent on a regular basis (2-4 nights a week). Great place to have a party for an upbeat mood and intimate seating as well as bar seating (just talk to them in advance and you can reserve a booth or two). Just always such a fun and interesting place to be. I love Champagne's because it always feels like home.
Review Source:During the week, full of  the usual delinquents - pretty much exactly where you want to be after realizing how many years you spent in Vegas.
On the weekends, a trendy crowd full of UNLV students with fixie bikes. My point is there's really no way of knowing who you're going to meet.
The bartenders are excellent (except bill, he's kind of a dick and won't stop talking about the glory days back on the island - hope you like living in a landlocked state and watching surf videos).
Megan is fabulous - super sweet chick that pours a strong drink. Pint sized but has a bigger set of balls than most of her male bartender coworkers.
The manager and the owner are both cool - recently making trips to improve the place. As to jazz up this local hole in the wall, keeping it's years of history preserved.
All in all, drinks are cheap, machines hit all day long, Â and not a lick of judgement. (On sundays feel free to wear your pajamas in the morning.... I know I do),
In summary, great place to get hammered with friends. and f*ck, fun to get hammered with enemies too.
Great little bar in a convenient college location. Terrific drink deals all the time. PBR for the beer guzzlers and Amber Bock for those with a more refined taste. Karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights is a great time. An amazing, diverse clientele make anyone feel welcome. As with any smaller place, it can get a little smokey as the night goes on.
Review Source:This small bar is awesome. It's got a dive atmosphere, but in a classy way - a way that won't leave you wanting to put on a pair of latex gloves before touching anything. The walls are covered in velvet. And well, it's just an awesome decor and atmosphere. Granted, yes, it is really smokey, but that just adds to the dive ambiance IMHO. They don't serve food. The beer is good. Standard video poker at the bar. Hilarious and awesome karaoke.
Review Source:Looking for a locals bar to escape the Ed Hardy/Affliction douchebaggery of much of The Strip scene in Vegas? Â As a visitor to Vegas several times a year, I always try and avoid all the strip and love going to more low key places. Â Finally made it out to Champagnes and it's definitely one of my favorite bars now. Â I think Kenny is the owner and he takes no shit from customers that don't behave (as I personally witness an 86-ing) and Megan (?) the bartender is awesome too. Â Cheap drinks, and I think perpetual $2 shots make it a spot where lots of various types of folks mix at and on a Saturday night I was there, there was crazy Doug hosting karaoke. Â An eclectic mix of peeps and a much more REAL vibe if you wanna know what Vegas folks are actually like...
Review Source:Every time I go to Vegas I like to hit up a new dive bar and Champagne's was my latest venture ... The velvet walls and gold artwork really give this place an classic Vegas swanky vibe. A couple of old crooners dominated the karaoke with a few rat pack numbers and really brought down the house! I was swayin' my hips and singing along. The hyper active karaoke host also performed his own electric fiddle version of 'The Devil went down to Georgia ...' Â it was amazing!
Had to dock one star because the place was very crowded on a Saturday night. I could barely get around and it took a lot of effort to get the bartender's attention - but worth it cuz the drinks are so cheap!
Word of advice, don't get dressed to go here. I didn't see one collared shirt or loafer in the place.
You know how you're watching a romantic comedy or chick flick, and about an hour into the movie, the protagonist has just lost the girl. He's at his darkest moment, and the camera pans across an empty, dark bar in the daytime. Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" is playing on the jukebox. The hero of the movie is sitting at the bar, with his head down, nursing a drink.
Yeah, you know that scene in every movie ever? This is that bar.
Nice place to just drink and be social, until the volume starts to get cranked up so high that conversation becomes impossible. Â Drinks were priced well and not weak. Â
Once, when waiting for my turn at the urinal, the guy pissing looked over his shoulder at me and said, "I've got some good news...I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance."
Of COURSE you want to hang out at Champagne's.
For years, I lived around the corner of this place and never stopped in. Not sure why. But just never actually went in to do it. I'm glad I got to experience this place at least once before I moved from Las Vegas.
If you're looking for a flashback kind of place that serves cheap drinks. This is the place. No dancing. No crap entertainment. You come to this place for three reasons: Smoke, drink, and be social. The red velveteen walls and crimson leatherette seats are seriously straight from the mid-70s. It's the type of place you walk into and if you can get past the smell of decades worth of cigarette smoke, mildew, and dust; you'll realize that this place has tons of charm.
The bartender was a snappy gal with a sharp tongue. Don't let this confuse you for poor service. She pours a mean drink. But if you let it get too your head. She'll be quick to kick your drunk ass out the door. And she takes no guff from anyone. Not knowing her, I made a comment that was rather out of place. She gave me a stare and topped my drink with a stern warning. If I can't handle my booze, I'm outta here. Luckily, I don't have that problem and was a "good boy" the rest of the night.
In the end, I can see someone back in the day like Dean Martin stumbling into this place (it is only a couple blocks from the original Sands) at 5am for a drink and buying top shelf rounds for some of the locals. And when he somehow makes it back to his suite at the hotel, some (now) old timer has a story to tell how he had a drink with Dean Martin in that little dive bar.
Four stars based on:
Sheer principle - In a city that is known for wrecking the old and bringing on the new. This is place that stands the test of time. Eventually somebody will take this place over, gut it out. And put a fast food restaurant in it's place. But until then, I suggest stumbling in and getting a piece of true Vegas nostalgia.
What Champagne's has going for it is the cool, old-school divey vibe. Â It's totally a locals place - cheap drinks, cash only (although there is an ATM inside), usually some octogenarian playing video poker and sweet talking the female bartender.
You can also find some trouble here if you're looking for it! Nothing terribly special, but a fun place to hang out!
The bar that time forgot... This bar looks like it was sent back through time from the 70's. The prices almost match, $2 drafts and $3-4 mixed drinks, and Keroki so bad it's good.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is I am a California snob who can't stand smoke, and this bar has plenty of it.
Awesome lounge that has been around for-EVAH with one of the coolest vintage neon signs still in operation!
One of the few places where you can enjoy a meal and a smoke without being relegated to the outdoors. Â Yes, I know some take issue with the smell, Â but consider where you are ... Â It is a bar (if you want to smell like a flower, go to a florist shop).
Great for decent chow at a good price, and super karaoke!
Champagne's is defintely a local spot and can even be overlooked if you don't look hard enough. It is located near the boulevard mall and can be spotted by the cute red sign with a champagne glass outlined by lights.
The place itself is tiny and crowded but I'm sure it was busier than usual being that it was a good friend's going away party. It is dark with a tint of red light, the wallpaper is a burgandy lace and there is a small karaoke bar. The drinks are cheap and the bartenders sing and dance along to the music. What I liked about this place was that people didn't have to wait forever for their turn to shine on stage. I even read that celebs like DeNiro and Pesci hung out here during the filming of Casino. It defintely has that old school dive bar feel but the place has character. Â
This is a fun spot to hang if you want to get away from the usual clubs and bars but be prepared to smell like you just came straight out of a cigarette. I would recommend not to wear your favorite dry clean only clothes. All in all, it was a great experience and lots of fun.
Yes, the place has a velvet vibe that is unparalleled. Yes, Deniro and and Pesci hung here during shooting for Casino. Yes, if you like dive bars with karaoke, you should get a VIP pass, but to be short: I can not handle the smoke. I realize that means I can not handle most of Las Vegas, but Champagne's was particularly lung-deadening. I want to love you Champagne's, but I love my lungs more.
Review Source:place has great decor all old schooled out its just up the street from another of our favorite hang outs. Â (another out dated review from me)
As a local we would come here  often but for the wall paper the nice velvet wall paper just to take a photo next to the wall paper. The bar tenders are awesome and the folks that are old and regular here have amazing stories. Keroke night is a must!
There's some sort of history with Deniro and Scorsese at Champagnes Café. I think they hungout there during the filming of Casino they wanted to shoot some scenes inside but the owner wasn't having it unless they kept the locals in during filming. They didn't film there. This is THE Vegas Dive bar. All walks of life cheap drinks. Oh man if that Gold and Scarlet wallpaper could talk the stories they would have.
Champagne's is really easy to miss, the landmark is it's across from that mall and wedged in between two shopping centers. If you appreciate Vegas history you have to come here. I was waiting for Hunter S Thompson to pull up with Gonzo grab a seat at the bar and order some booze.
5 star as good as it gets for the Dive Expierience.
Champagnes is everything a karaoke bar should be.
It's smoky and dirty and divey and pure awesome.
It's perfect for the locals. It's perfect for the wanna-be lounge singers. Perfect for after a fancy wedding reception for a bunch of obnoxious out of towners.
There's neon lights and a tiny stage and even video poker machines. You can only pay in cash and if you start a tab, the bartender makes little marks on a piece of paper.
Bobby Shawn is truly the best karaoke host I've ever seen!
Champagnes is pure awesome. In every degree.
This is one of the biggest kept secrets in Vegas, well, mostly to me because I don't like dive bars. I've seen this cheesy and wonderful sign across the boulevard mall for over 16 years and never thought anything of it.
I used to go to some really amazing dive bars back in the day, like the Atomic Bar but most of the truly historic and Vegas cool bars have been torn down.
But not this one!
Gold and Maroon flecked wallpaper that looks surprisingly in mint condition, great jukebox, great mix of people hipsters, barflys, gambling addicts, old young, unpretentious.
It's cheap cheap drinks but cash only. Smoking inside of course, so it is yucky and ---Vegas authentic. Come out for a real locals Las Vegas experience and experience a little life off the strip.
Based on the 5 or so reviews that were written at the time I made the decision, a group of 4 women in our late 20's and early 30's headed down to the Cafe.
It's exactly as the high rated reviews said. Really great mix of people. UNLV students, bar flies who've been regulars for YEARS, and a few low-key hipster types.
For a Newcastle, 2 well drinks, and a call cocktail it came to $13. Â With tip you're looking at less than $20 a round. Pretty cool!
The karaoke was a lot of fun. We actually moved from a booth to the bar so we could be closer to the stage. One singer sung a memorable "I think I love you" by the Partridge Family but in such a way that has completely altered my perspective on the lyrics.
My friends and I sung.... badly.
And had a fantastic time.
I'll be back for more and I'll definitely recommend this place to friends.
By far the best dive in Vegas. Don't let the name fool you. This place has all the glitz and glam of a box of cheap champagne poured into a rubbermaid tumbler. And it is grreeaat...
What you will not find here:
Heels and miniskirts (because if you do, they are asking for it)
A wine or vodka list
Dudes in metallic shirts...well, maybe...
A completely trustworthy toilet
What you WILL find:
The best karaoke DJ around with the best selection
     (shout out to Bobby Shawn!)
A small stage for daring solos
Cheap drinks
A slightly irked bartender, who will hook it up if you're nice
Remnants of the early seventies
People who have not left since the early seventies
A "B" rating for the kitchen, but if you eat here, it's your own fault
This used to be our hangout, until everyone got busy with work and travel, but my girls and I are working on a reunion tour of the place, so maybe we will see you there sometime!
I must have drove past this place literally hundreds of times before I went there. Â And before I went there someone asked me to meet them, "at Champagne's. Â On Maryland. Â You know, across from the Boulevard." Â "Whaaaaaaaaaa??" squeaked my poor little brain. Â If you've never had the chance to GO to Champagne's, odds are you've never NOTICED Champagne's. Â It's in a small brick building occupying a small rectangular lot sandwiched in between two ever present Vegas strip malls. Â It's a tiny little treasure, my friends, a tiny little treasure.
Inside, it's a lot bigger than it looks like it should be. Â It's wallpapered with some pretty spectacular gold and red fleur-de-lis flocked paper that I'm sure people would give their kidneys to have a little section of. Â The jukebox boasts a truly dizzying selection of basically everything known to man. Â The booths lining the north and east sides of the building are perfect for a group and even perfecter for a twosome. Â (Not that I'd know, wink wink, nudge nudge.) Â Karaoke is offered later in the week and on the weekends, and if you're good at singin' or are wearing a shirt emblazoned with the most offensive word in the English language, you'll get a few drinks bought for you. Â And speaking of drinks - they are CHEAP! Â $2 for a vodka tonic, I poop you not. Â Make sure you stick to well though, because once I was feeling froggy and I paid $7 for the worst Long Island I'd ever had in my life.
Perfect for a low-key after work cocktail, super-fun for the assortment of old-timers and hipsters that cram the place on the evenings and weekends, Champagne's is a not-to-be-missed Vegas staple. Â So don't miss it, silly.
The Champagne's is the creme de la creme of dive bars in Vegas. I mean, if the broken window facing the street didn't tip you off ...
The wallpaper, I mean, that says it all. It has years of smoky patina on it ... that's character, people.
The bartenders are awesome. Charlie and Patrick. Once you come in here a few times and prove yourself not to be a total wanker they will warm up to you significantly. The drinks are cheap anywho, but you might get some gratis pours ... but no guarantees.
You can order food here, and I have, and it was decent. The selection is a little limited, but what did you expect? Bar food. Live with it.
Karaoke is fun, have another whiskey shot and get up there. No one cares, and no one will remember anyway. Although, don't make the mistake of loading the juke box with tunes before karaoke time comes on. Patrick will shut your ass down. But, again, if you're not a tool he may comp you for your trouble.
I have discovered the secret of time travel, and it is as simple as stepping into Champagne's Cafe in Las Vegas. Â If the twenty-first century is too much for you, and you want to go back to the questionable decor and low prices of the late '60s, then boy, is this the place for you.
Once your eyes adjust to the almost-complete darkness inside, you'll notice a handful of red vinyl booths that nicely offset the red flocked-velvet wallpaper, which must be caressed to be believed. Â The owners aren't much on decorating, but they will occasionally put up, say, a string of Xmas lights or some ornaments (then neglect to take them down for a few months into the new year).
Place your orders with the taciturn bartender, but be prepared to go, "Did you get *all* of these?" when he tells you how low the total is. Â Yes, the drinks really are that cheap - and they're pretty good, too. Â But be warned, something about the tawdry dive-boudoir feel of the place will make you want to order things like Manhattans or gin slings.
With all the money you've saved on drinks, you can plug a couple of bucks into the nothing-after-1980 jukebox, or you can feed quarters to the pistachio-nut vending machine and earn dirty looks from the bartender as you fill your table's ashtray with pistachio shells. Â Sometimes there's karaoke, which is fairly terrifying in its awfulness, but much more tolerable after a few Bloody Marys.
When you stumble back out onto the pavement (parking is in the back), you may be surprised to find that your hair isn't in a beehive, and you're not wearing a sport jacket or carrying a cigarette holder. Â But whenever you need to stage another escape from the present day, Champagne's kicky retro martini sign will be lit up and waiting for you.
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