The Mayfair Supper Club Brings Great Food and Classy, Kitschy Fun to the Bellagio
All photos courtesy of the Mayfair Supper Club
Don’t expect crooners or showgirls, but if you miss the “dinner and a show” vibe of classic Vegas, the Mayfair Supper Club could be exactly what you’re looking for. This new restaurant, which opened at the Bellagio at the start of 2020, and is styled as a modern-day speakeasy, features a nightly ongoing performance by a troupe of singers and dancers, backed by a band that can switch from jazz standards to recent pop hits at a moment’s notice.They take the stage at the middle of the dining room throughout the night, often interacting with the crowd as they dine. It’s a rolling, on-going show built for a drop-in, drop-out crowd of diners that come and go throughout the night, and if you’re looking for a fun combo of knowing kitsch, legit talent, and delectable takes on classic American cuisine, you might want to go ahead and get your reservation in for your next Vegas trip.
Before you even see the stage or performers you can tell the Mayfair will be something special. After entering through an arch of fresh roses, you’re welcomed by a gorgeous pink bar with a canopy of blue-tinted blown glass that looks like fish scales. You can start your night here with a selection of excellent cocktails, including a tangy Roosevelt, with rum, orange juice, vermouth and sugar. The Lemon Drop comes topped with a citrus bubble, which both looks cool and is fun to pop. (And drink, of course.) The drink menu is full of the classic and the novel, the traditional and the reinvented, as well as beer and wine. It’s a classy, relaxed prelude to the ongoing show that awaits in the dining room.
That show runs for several hours. A team of four dancers, two singers, and a band puts on high-energy, occasionally interactive performances built around a cross-section of pop hits from the last century. With vintage-inspired outfits, a songbook that dips into the Jazz Age, and jokes straight from Vaudeville, the Mayfair presents a retro chic take on the speakeasy and the classic nightclub. And don’t worry if you’re allergic to your grandparents’ favorite songs: they might sing something from the ‘30s, but they’ll eventually follow it up with James Brown, ‘80s hits, and maybe even a version of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” with a 60something man in the audience rapping along. It’s flashy, fashionable, corny and somehow kind of hip at the same time—an old-fashioned bit of showbiz reconfigured for the audiences of today.
And yes, you’re eating the whole time. This is a supper club, after all. The Mayfair’s menu presents classic American dishes with a few unexpected flourishes. On a recent night you could start with a wedge salad with candied bacon, blue cheese, and thinly sliced bread. Appetizers include fried artichoke hearts with a bernaise sauce—the light, flaky coating and the rich sauce warmly surrounding the firm, chewy center. Even better is a butternut squash dish, where the gourd is cut into halves, roasted, and filled with parmesan, pepinos, cinnamon sugar and basil. It’s not a main course, but it might be the most delicious thing on the menu. There’s also a selection of sushi, both raw and rolls, and a variety of shellfish, including lobster cocktail and a seafood tower.
