Tabu aims for lounge-style atmosphere with modest size, cozy setting

In everything, there are pioneers. And, in that not-all-that-clearly-defined-but-know-it-when-you-see-it niche of nightlife known as the ultralounge, Tabu is a Las Vegas pioneer.

Tabu Ultra Lounge, at the MGM Grand, opened its doors in 2003. And it retains the classic earmarks of what we know as the ultralounge, beginning, General Manger Ian Kohoutek says, with an intimate, "more exclusive" style of seating in a comparatively compact space.

The club takes up only about 7,000 square feet and has a capacity of about 350. That, Kohoutek says, gives Tabu a "lounge-style atmosphere" in which every patron is made to feel like a VIP.

At Tabu, patrons fill the ovalish main floor, as well as a raised section that serves as a VIP area. The room is intimate and cozy, with an ambient sound level that lends itself to actual conversation. Patrons seeking relative privacy can find it, while those seeking out the center of the party can find that, too.

Lending a sense of vibrancy to Tabu are state-of-the-art sound and light systems -- a roster of resident and visiting DJs handle the former -- that include interactive tabletops on which images can be bounced and manipulated by guests.

The same notion of interactivity applies to the staff, too. Kohoutek says he encourages staffers to build a rapport with the guests they serve, an effort made a bit easier by the mathematical reality that "they're not running 16 tables at a time."

Because Tabu is so modestly sized, the service staff can concentrate on, well, service. Oh, and about those servers: They're model servers, literally, who are required to have continuing modeling contracts.

Tabu Ultra Lounge is open Thursdays through Mondays from 10 p.m. until closing, which usually means around 4 or 5 a.m. on weekdays and later on weekends. Cover charges range from $20 to $30, but local residents are admitted free.

For more information, call 891-7183. For bottle service reservations, call 891-7129.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.