Intimate cocktail bar Nocturno sets a new standard in the Arts District

Thu, Jun 12, 2025 (2 a.m.)

Full disclosure: I’ve been to Nocturno four times. As of writing this, the Arts District bar has been open officially for less than a week.

The low-light vibes, stellar service and classic cocktail program all combine to form a certain late-night magic. I’ve cackled with old friends over drinks, scarfed down post-karaoke chicken tenders and belted out “I Will Always Love You” over vinyl with the staff.

The little escape occupies the former space of the Garden drag bar in Art Square. Minimal and refined, the space contains surrounding speakers, a wall of records (from Chet Baker to Wu-Tang Clan) and a turntable inviting guests to gander. Cocktail recipe books rest alongside bottles at the neatly organized bar.

It’s the first venture of Nivel Hospitality Group, under the direction of owners Arron Cappello and DJ Flores. Flores, known for the James Beard-nominated modern Mexican concept Milpa in the southwest Valley, wanted to create a space where he could bring on the talented individuals he’s met throughout his culinary career. That led the friends to recruit bar manager Lu Lopez and to conceive Nocturno.

“The mission statement for us is to create a feeling worth coming back to,” Lopez says. “We want something that’s candlelit, intentional and intimate. From the lighting that we wanted to incorporate, to the intimacy of the space, it all connected.”

The group put an emphasis on structure, selecting their bar team from more than 250 candidates and training them “meticulously.” The bartenders service tables too, creating a consistent experience for each customer. 

“That bartender is asking very specific questions about what you like and don’t like, and making those recommendations and really speaking from passion,” Lopez says. “We can get nerdy too. We have expansive modified liqueurs and housemade cordials. It gives the bartenders a canvas to really paint on.” 

Nocturno features a menu of 30 beverages inspired by the golden age of cocktails. Technique and simplicity are key here, with typically less than four ingredients per drink. Citrus sings in the Pisco Sour ($17), made with unrefined panela sugar and foamy egg white. Fresh lime and ginger give the frothy Dark ’n’ Stormy ($17) a kick, while Gosling’s Black Seal rum gives it authenticity. Non-alcoholic thirst can be quenched with Brazilian Lemonade ($10) or the No-groni ($15).

Cappello humbly downplays the food. (“It’s not a restaurant; it’s a cocktail bar that happens to serve food.”) But the prosciutto and homemade potato chip tower ($15), spicy tuna in wonton shells ($13) and hand-cut beef tartare ($21) prove to be vital players. 

Dessert comes in liquid form here. The signature espresso Martini ($17) with vanilla and banana notes is a work of tweezer art with beans balanced on top. The Dreamsicle ($17) is a grown-up treat with just-squeezed orange, Aperol and cream.

The most important ingredient, however, might be the people. Cappello and Flores say their vision for Nocturno and their future ventures (they’ve secured a location for a full-service restaurant further south in the Arts District) is to provide the tools for workers to be “successful at their passion.” 

Lopez, who grew up in Las Vegas and perfected his craft on the Strip, says that’s exactly what he has here.

“It was always a dream to have something without compromising. And we’ve been able to do that here. People are able to express themselves creatively through it,” he says. 

NOCTURNO 1017 First St. #180, 725-205-1342, nocturnovegas.com. Tuesday & Wednesday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Thursday-Sunday 5 p.m.-close.

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