Travel Fanboy

Sambalatte, My Morning Happy Place

I like coffee. I like it a lot. I can appreciate the proliferation of popular chains across the country as it means an emergency cup is always in reach. When in Vegas, though, I head for something different. To reach my favorite morning spot on the Strip, I’ll usually pass by three or four Starbuckses. The extended walk is always worth it once I get to Sambalatte.

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I’m not sure the coffee is really that much better. I think it’s better, but it may just be that Vegas seems to enhance every experience. Only in Vegas do I think $1 Michelobs taste delicious. You can’t get Michelobs at Sambalatte. You can get this:

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Sambalatte offers the standard coffee varietals and pastries. It’s hard to give an accurate review of coffee. A much-needed cup after a long Vegas night tastes much different than most. I will assure you, every sip I’ve had at Sambalatte has been great.

Sambalatte’s Monte Carlo location is what lures me here most mornings. It’s called the BLVD Plaza. I’m not sure what it stands for- probably Big Las Vegas Drunks, but I can’t be too sure. The plaza is a quiet, open space with plenty of outdoor seating right on the Las Vegas Blvd. The large fountain and frequent yoga participants exemplify its surprising serenity given its location. No more than a few hours prior to the first caffeinatedly challenged patrons, the area was filled with boisterous bros and the overflowing cacophony of the surrounding bars. But not in the morning.

Vegas mornings are fairly underrated. Being able to see and enjoy the Strip before the masses take hold is quite an experience. If you’re looking for a nice space to escape to, but still want your surroundings to be unmistakenly Vegas, give Sambalatte a try.  

Adam

Host of the Vegas Fanboy podcast. A reluctant Millennial. An amateur human.

6 comments

  • Low Roller coffee story…. I was staying at Aria and got up early, before my wife. I quietly put on shorts and a tshirt and headed to the Aria Starbucks for a cup of black coffee. There happened to be a nurses convention at Aria, and the line at Bucks was 20+ deep. I checked the pastry bar, Jean Philippe, and it was crowded too. I thought instead of waiting there, I’d take a walk on the Strip and find somewhere else. As I stepped outside the doors, I realized it was a cool 42 degrees outside. It was November, and too cold for a stroll wearing shorts and a tshirt. I came back inside the casino and as I was walking past the empty Lift Bar, it hit me that casino bars have coffee, and I bet it’s fresh coffee at a place like Aria. No line. Plenty of seats to choose from. Fresh hot coffee, and it was free too…as long as you don’t count the $20 I spent playing too long at video blackjack.

  • They’ve got some strange Steampunk style machines to make some of their coffees as well. They also have a wide selection of decent beans as well so you can get something more interesting than just a giant hot slightly coffee flavoured milkshake.

    • Haha. So much sass- I love it. I’ve had multiple roasts and have really enjoyed them. You’re right, the machines are pretty interesting. Plus, no pre-teens ordering a grande double whip extra frap caramel something.

    • Haha. So much sass- I love it. I’ve had multiple roasts and have really enjoyed them. You’re right, the machines are pretty interesting. Plus, no pre-teens ordering a grande double whip extra frap caramel something.