9 Best Things to Do After Dinner in South Lake Tahoe

The Idle Hour is a wine bar and events venue located on the beautiful Tahoe lakefront. Popular with both locals and visitors, this is a great spot for a little wine tasting. The staff is very knowledgeable about wine and love to share that knowledge with customers. If wine isn’t your thing though, don’t worry. There’s a healthy selection of cocktails and craft beers to choose from too. A small bites menu has plenty of snacks to help cleanse your palate between sips. Among the items on the menu, you’ll find a range of cheese, meats, fruits, nuts, and olives.

With its perfect lakefront location, it’s no surprise that it’s a popular wedding venue. The sunsets here are stunning. There’s a lakeside deck from which to enjoy sundown while you eat and drink, but it’s probably best to get here before 5 pm to secure a seat as that’s when things start to get busy.

Whiskey Dick’s is a longstanding dive bar in South Lake Tahoe that's very popular with locals and visitors. Not surprisingly for a dive bar, the drinks are the main draw here. There are over 100 beers on offer at this friendly joint and a wide range of cocktails as well. There’s also the usual bar fare to help soak up some of the free-flowing booze. On the menu, you’ll find chicken wings, burgers, nachos, and dips. Bar games are also aplenty, with pool, darts, and shuffleboard helping to keep the drinkers entertained.

At the weekends, you’ll usually find the jukebox off while live music takes centre stage. The music here comes in several flavours, with classic rock, bluegrass, and alternative rock being the most common. The bar opens in the afternoon, but the daytime can be quiet and subdued. Night-time, however, is a different matter as things can get a little more raucous.

Himmel Haus is a German restaurant and bar serving an impressive variety of German and Belgian beers and wine. The food here is Bavarian-centred with a Californian twist for a little local flair. Among the wide choice of beers available, you’ll find Pilsner, Bock, and Dunkel Marzen. Belgian offerings include Lambic, Wit, and Blond, with several Trappist biers such as Chimay available too. There’s also plenty of entertainment on offer, with live music, quiz nights, open-mic nights, and movie nights keeping you occupied while you sample a few drinks.

The highlight of the year takes place from around mid-September to the first week of October every year, when Oktoberfest is celebrated. As well as the wide range of beers available on draught, there is live music, drinking games, and a Miss Oktoberfest Pageant to mark the occasion.

The Loft Theatre is a lounge bar, restaurant, and performance theatre all rolled into one. Best known for its nightly magic show, Magic Fusion, which showcases the conjuring skills of some of the top names in the international magic scene in a small, intimate setting.

As well as the popular magic shows, the theatre restaurant serves fine Italian cuisine and, if you’re lucky, there may even be a wandering magician working the tables while you dine. If you prefer a more casual dining experience, there’s an American Tapas restaurant on the 3rd floor. If you do want to catch the magic show though, it’s best to book ahead. There’s a discount for booking at least one day ahead and tickets can be bought online.

Harvey’s Lake Tahoe is the South Shore’s original casino hotel. With 740 rooms and 9 cafes and restaurants, a comedy club, a performance venue, and, of course, a casino, this is a noisy, bustling spot to spend the evening. Test your luck at the blackjack table, catch a comedy performance, or grab a coffee at Starbucks – you’ll find all of it here. If you work up an appetite, there’s the Sage Room Steakhouse or Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen to stave off those hunger pangs.

Harvey’s is right in the heart of the South Shore, just a 10-minute walk to the shores of Lake Tahoe and a 4-minute walk from Edgewood Tahoe golf course. With such a central location, there’s plenty of nearby accommodation options to choose from should you prefer a quieter location to sleep after a hard night’s carousing.

Heavenly Village Cinema is something of a quaint, old-school experience when it comes to movie-watching. It plays host to all the latest Hollywood blockbusters, but without all the bells and whistles of the VIP experience at your local multiplex. This cosy theatre is a welcoming retreat from the cold Tahoe nights and the perfect spot for an intimate date with a loved one along with a serving of popcorn to share.

The Heavenly Village Cinema operates a 'first-come, first-served' approach to seating, so it’s best to get here in plenty of time. Showings during the day are a little cheaper, with all tickets to be bought at the ticket window. You can buy the usual cinema snacks inside such as popcorn, soft drinks, etc. There are bag searches at the front and snacks bought outside aren’t allowed into the cinema.

California Burger is a hip tavern that specialises in serving up traditional American diner fare in South Lake Tahoe. You’ll find a variety of burgers and sandwiches, as well as a wide range of delicious milkshakes to choose from. If you like your drinks a little more adult-orientated, there are 10 draught beers to choose from, not to mention a selection of over 100 whiskies to tempt you. The tavern has a hip vibe with the wooden walls decorated with local art. You’ll find musical instruments hanging on the walls too, but they’re no mere decorations. Punters are invited to join in the nightly live music sessions.

Find California Burger at the corner of Heavenly Village Way and Hwy 50 in the Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe. It’s open 7 days a week.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe is a popular entertainment venue, hotel, and 24-hour casino. The casino floor offers a wide variety of table games to choose from, as well as over 1,300 video poker and slot machines to tempt the chips from your pocket. Gambling isn’t the only game in town, you’ll also find a large swimming pool and a luxurious spa if you feel you deserve a pampering while here.

Harrah’s also has 8 restaurants on-site, if you fancy a post-dinner dinner. If you want to get your boogie on, Tuesday is Blues Night with a free show at Casino Center Stage at 8 pm. If you prefer your music a little more upbeat, PEEK Nightclub hosts some of the hottest dance acts around. With 40 VIP sections, this venue has hosted many big names in the past, including Shaquille O’Neill, Lil Jon, and Paris Hilton. Leave the trainers at home, dressed to the nines is the order of the day here.

The Tahoe iMPRoV Players take whatever the audience throws at them and spin it into comedy gold. Think Whose Line Is It Anyway, except you’re not watching it on TV. With skills honed over many years, laughs are practically guaranteed. Be warned though, this is more than mere passive entertainment. The audience provides the suggestions that the players, in turn, provide the hilarious scenes.

The Tahoe iMPRoV Players perform regularly at 2 locations on the sprawling Valhalla Tahoe estate throughout the summer season. You can catch them either at the Grand Hall or The Boathouse Theatre on the property. Occasional big names drop by to join the regular troupe on stage too. So you may get a chance to do some celebrity spotting while taking in a show.