Beauty & Essex is the type of restaurant that speaks to Dianderthal – cool cocktails, an eclectic menu, a chic, swarthy vibe. And with three locations in these United States, it was only a matter of time until I got myself a seat in one. Odds, you might think, would be on their Hollywood outpost, only some 30 minutes away without LA traffic getting in the way. But over the last year and a half, when it comes to visits by me, Hollywood is losing 0-3-2 respectively to Vegas and New York (homes to the other Beauty & Essex locations). So my first B&E experience happened in the Vegas foodie mecca that is The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, a (pricey) roll of the dice that left me a winner.
You enter B&E as a customer of their pseudo pawnshop, able to purchase jewelry, guitars, or intergalactic-themed tchotchkes before (or after) dining. Skipping past the display cases, you enter into the restaurant’s small lobby, speakeasy reminiscent. Once inside, you’re bathed in warming hip-hop and laughter and quick conversations. A cocktail was calling my name as soon as I sat. Any of their options would’ve done, but I went for the Beauty Elixir, hopeful its ingredients might wash away the circles under my eyes or scrub away laugh lines. These ingredients included rosé and strawberries, cucumber and gin. A sultry combination, it thrilled and delighted and relaxed, the way a Vegas cocktail should. The circles under my eyes remained.
After drinks came the arduous task of whittling down the healthy list of tapas-sized dishes I wanted to try. A big party might have helped here, a group asking for a little of everything. But with just me and hus-bae, we’d have to make some tough decisions.
Ordering a few choices I just couldn’t pass up, we ended up taking home a couple boxes of vittles that just couldn’t be forced down (though we did manage to sacrifice a couple bites for dessert).
At the end, I call it an exceptional dinner date, an experience I’d love to repeat when the time and pocketbook can make it happen (yes, I would have loved to call FEMA for recompense of all the damage done with my bank card). Beauty & Essex is just one of the reasons why Vegas its little Cosmopolitan gem are something lovely.
kale & apple salad
“chile relleno” empanadas
thai style deep-fried shrimp
crispy vidalia onion rings
oven braised chicken meatballs
mexican street corn ravioli
peanut butter pie sundae
Beauty & Essex at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
The Strip