Falling Down the Rabbit Hole at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Photo: "The Library" at Rose. Rabbit. Lie courtesy of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

When you walk into a venue that calls itself a “social experiment,” you are never really sure what to expect. The “experiment” in question is in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and they claim it blurs the lines between restaurant, bar, club and live entertainment. Any skepticism we had that they could pull off such a bold claim was laid to rest within seconds of entering Rose. Rabbit. Lie.

We were staying at the hotel and had just checked-in when we realized we were going to be late for our ten o’clock reservation at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. Not having time to change or even freshen up after our day of traveling, we were left with a feeling of being underdressed. Those fears evaporated as soon as we entered and realized it was an anything goes type of place. A couple having an intimate dinner sat to our left, a large group of what appeared to be college students sat to our right, and across from us was a large group of raucous ladies on a bachelorette party dancing away to the live band.

Our energetic and friendly waiter recommended we try one of their most popular cocktails, the Mark Twain. Made with Monkey Shoulder Scotch, lemon, bitters and star anise, there was slight trepidation as some of our party were not Scotch fans. But if the infectious and energetic ambiance of Rose. Rabbit. Lie. does nothing else it, it imbues a sense of excitement and perhaps experimentation, whether that is dancing on the tables or drinking Scotch. The cocktail was an absolute delight, and needless to say it wasn’t the last one of the evening.

Photo "The Music Room" at Rose. Rabbit. Lie courtesy of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

After having a look at the menu, my dining partner and I decided to put our faith in our server once again given his track record with cocktails. The portions sizes are intentionally small which offer an opportunity to try plenty of dishes on executive chef Wesley Holton’s creative and modern menu.

To start off we were presented with herb brioche rolls (US$5). Deliciously flaky and topped with butter and rosemary, it was a safe start, but good nonetheless. Moving on, we had the salad of baby beets, avocado, raspberry, arugula and fried shallots with a red wine cream (US$9). I am unashamedly biased about this dish, being addicted to beets, but I can wholeheartedly recommend it. The combination of the sweet beets, bitter arugula and red wine cream was out of this world. Although just a humble little salad, I wondered if anything else would measure up.

Caviar flatbread was up next, along with a spritely young man doing acrobatics around the room, including back flips off the divider right next to our table. The flatbread was topped with a 63 degree egg (as you might have guessed it’s an egg that is cooked at 63 degrees for an hour) caviar, bacon and thyme (US$19). It was salty (as you would expect) but the yolk gave a creamy and mellow edge to the dish.

Photo: Beef stroganoff at Rose. Rabbit. Lie courtesy of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

The crispy chicken with potato and scallion puree and black truffle (US$14) was fantastic, with the earthy truffle and the sweet chicken working well together. The next dish was the hit of the night (beet salad aside). Short rib stroganoff with penne, maitake mushrooms and glazed pearl onions (US$34). It wasn’t unlike stroganoffs we’ve had before, but the meat was particularly moist and tender. Considering the size of the dish, there was almost more beef than pasta, which for carnivores is a welcome about turn.

By the time we finished the stroganoff we were nearly bursting and couldn’t even think about dessert. We did manage however to talk ourselves into another round of liquid refreshment – another pair of Mark Twains hit the spot again (although we did try a Dark & Stormy in between and it was also fantastic). By the time our dishes were cleared, a vivacious lounge singer clad in a bright red gown took to the stage and belted out “All About That Bass,” eventually getting the crowd involved, including the group of previously mentioned bachelorettes (one of which got a cheeky lap dance by a male dancer).

After leaving three hours after we had arrived in Narnia, I still hadn’t quite answered the question I arrived with. Is it a lounge? A bar? A restaurant? Considering the fantastic time I had there I didn’t really care to try to define it anymore. However, the experience was so fantastic I fear I’ll forever be searching for a lounge / bar / restaurant with friendly and professional staff, a convivial atmosphere and great food that can live up to the experience at Rose. Rabbit. Lie.

Open from 5:30pm to close Tuesday to Saturday

For reservations call 1 (877) 667 0585

www.roserabbitlie.com

#gastronomy #eat #drink