Now we’re in Xanadu

This article first appeared in the Jul/Aug 2014 issue of World Gaming magazine.

Being your resident party animal, The Stallion loves a good show as much as he loves a drink, a punt and a good feed. Fortunately he has found a place that offers the whole lot and it just happens to be at an old favorite in Sands Macao.

The Stallion often has friends visit Macau. Some are colts, some are mares and some are stallions! Likewise, some are gaming fans, some like to watch shows and some simply want to find a place to have a drink and a chat. A few of them enjoy all of the above. So what to do? Luckily the solution is simple – I just take them to Xanadu where entertainment is at a premium and everyone can get their fix.

Xanadu, located next to the gaming floor at Sands Macao, can hold about 140 visitors. It is surrounded by hundreds of gaming tables so of course the atmosphere is pumping. They provide all manner of drinks here and the prices are reasonable with cocktails starting from just MOP$42. I usually recommend my friends try the local specialty “Macau Beer” although my personal favorite is Hoegaarden, which is also very popular and comes in a super large glass. When happy hour starts, the perfect time has come for those friends trying their luck on the baccarat tables to take a break and join us for a drink, with a wide variety of wine, spirits, single malt whisky and even cigars awaiting.

To commemorate their 10th anniversary, Xanadu has also been offering a set of 10 different shooters for MOP$388 and a cocktail made of tequila, dark rum, Malibu, pineapple and lemon juice for MOP$68.

Food is another highlight at Xanadu. Most bars tend to offer only simple food with a small range of choices, but this is a happy place for your stomach too. From 17:30 to 22:30, a wide range of offerings is provided from cheese platters to a delicious hamburger, all prepared by one of the most famous steak restaurants in Macau and Hong Kong – Copa Steak House.

Now settled with both food and drinks, it’s time for our entertainment. Xanadu often invites international performers and updates their shows every six months. Currently they have performing groups from Taiwan, England and South Korea among others but the most popular is SALSA from Columbia. SALSA combines all sorts of lightning gymnastics movements and dance steps in a show that is charming, sexy, graceful and passionate! Stage performances run seven days a week between 13:00 and 02:00 Sunday to Thursday and 13:00 to 03:00 on Friday and Saturday.

There are also several large plasma screen TVs showing various sporting and entertaining events. With so much going on, if you watch carefully you will even notice the bartenders start juggling bottles and showing off their flair to the gathered crowd.

If you’re looking for somewhere to get away for a quiet drink this might not be the place for you, but for party animals like The Stallion who love a bit of action with their amber refreshments why not take a trip to Xanadu!