Odysseus had his 20-year Odyssey. Hercules had his 12 Herculean tasks. I had 48 hours to eat and drink my way through every Lisa Vanderpump establishment in Las Vegas.
I may not have the strength of a Greek warrior, but I do have the stomach of a seasoned bachelorette party-goer. So when I heard that Vanderpump had a brand-new hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, I began planning my arduous quest with a supreme sense of confidence.
Instead of cannibal giants and three-headed dogs, there were smoking shots and truffle-loaded carbs. Sometimes, the journey was sweet; other times, it felt like I was near defeat. But with a bottle of Pepcid in one hand and a cocktail called Daddy Issues in the other, I descended to the desert for the ultimate Vegas crawl — Vanderpump style.
The Vanderpump Hotel is the crown jewel in Lisa Vanderpump's expanding Sin City empire.
Vegas was once the playground of Vanderpump's debaucherous cast of SUR waiters and bartenders on "Vanderpump Rules." (Who could forget the shirtless parking-lot brawl or illicit kiss in the swimming pool of the Golden Nugget?) Now, the desert is her domain.
Vanderpump opened the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, her first Vegas establishment, in partnership with Caesars Entertainment in 2019. Sean McBurney, the chief commercial officer and regional president of the hotel and casino conglomerate, told me it was an instant hit.
"The success we'd had with Lisa was super compelling," he said. "It really felt like we caught lightning in a bottle."
The British restaurateur and Bravo reality star has since launched two restaurants with Caesars at the Flamingo and Paris Las Vegas, as well as The Vanderpump Hotel, which opened in June. Vanderpump is right on the heels of her friend Gordon Ramsay, who has seven restaurants in the city.
"I'm enjoying every second of it," Vanderpump told me. "Las Vegas is a playground of the world, and it's definitely a playground of America. When I show up there now and see my name on the side of the building, it's truly overwhelming."
My first stop on the crawl was Pinky's by Vanderpump at the Flamingo.
Vanderpump opened Pinky's at Flamingo Las Vegas in December 2024. The restaurant — which bears her longtime nickname — is a few steps from the back entrance of The Vanderpump Hotel, its glass atrium and pink sign beckoning all the Bravo fans nearby.
The restaurant is a pink-and-green Art Deco dream that feels straight from the set of "Wicked."
"This is what you'd get if Glinda and Elphaba had a baby," my friend Kayla said as we walked into the whimsical dining room, flush with the characters' signature blush and emerald hues.
Pinky's and the first "Wicked" film opened within weeks of each other, but their matching color palette was a happy accident. Vanderpump was inspired by the retro colors of the Flamingo, the oldest hotel still operating on the Strip.
Metallic palm fronds shimmered under the lights, and a massive portrait of a flamingo in a pink top hat smiled back. Servers in baby-pink button-downs and black vests with ties passed by as Zara Larsson's "Midnight Sun" blasted from the speakers, perfect for the tropical vibe.
We kicked things off with The Smokeshow, which includes two smoked shots for $27.
It's extremely Instagrammable, like so many of Vanderpump's drinks, but the shots were also surprisingly delicious.
Made with two types of rum, hibiscus, lemon, pineapple, and some jalapeño honey, the flavor was sweet but not saccharine. It tasted like liquid candy.
I loved the presentation of the Colossal Coconut Prawn Cigars, but they lacked flavor.
The $27 cigars, delivered in a lovely vintage-looking wooden box, looked like they'd been cooked to crisp perfection. But when I bit into one, I was surprised to find that I couldn't really taste much from the shrimp.
The accompanying sweet-chili sauce added some tang, but it wasn't enough to pump up the dish.
Our next round of drinks was also very pink.
I was tempted by the Less Despresso, More Espresso but opted for the $24 Daddy Issues, a white-peach take on the French 75 with Vanderpump-branded sparkling rosé. My drink arrived with a tuft of cotton candy, a nice touch, and was just the right amount of bubbly and sweet.
Kayla didn't love the taste of the frozen $25 Rizz Rosé, so our server kindly swapped it out. More Daddy Issues coming right up!
The deviled eggs and crispy rice dishes were both misses…
The $24 deviled eggs were cored and filled to the brim rather than sliced lengthwise. The presentation reminded me of the classic British dippy eggs, but the ratio of egg white to yolk felt off, and it needed more salt.
The $27 crispy rice bites sounded enticing, with toppings like mango chili crab and yuzu yellowtail, but the tuna had a distinct fishy flavor that gave us pause. We ended up leaving most of the plate untouched.
… but the delicious wagyu sliders delivered redemption.
There's a surprising amount of flavor and texture happening in this $25 slider, from the herb butter spread across the brioche buns to the balsamic-caramelized onion and delightful dill Tater Tots on top.
My favorite part was the secret sauce, a Thousand Island-esque dressing that reminded us of In-N-Out burgers.
After dinner, we headed back to The Vanderpump Hotel to try Gigolo, its casino cocktail bar.
Sultry and dark, Gigolo is a complete 180 from Pinky's. The lights are low, the banquettes are velvet, and the carpet is covered in red roses. Gigolo is unabashedly sexy, and its moody atmosphere fits well with Vanderpump's aesthetic throughout the hotel.
"People want to feel spoiled when they come; they want to feel like it's an occasion," Vanderpump said. "We want you to sit down and get handed a velvet menu. You're not going to scan a QR code."
The bar is a tribute to Vanderpump's late Pomeranian Giggy, who appeared on "Vanderpump Rules" and "The Real Housewives."
Vanderpump always wanted to open a bar inspired by her beloved pup, although the Caesars Entertainment executives were a bit shocked when they first heard her name for it.
"I was like, 'No, no, it's not a male escort. It's a little dog!'" Vanderpump recalled.
Vanderpump even had a 5-foot-2 statue of Giggy made for the bar.
"It's like seeing an Egyptian pyramid," my friend Kayla said as we looked upon the giant tuxedo-clad Pomeranian.
Gigolo has the smallest food selection of Vanderpump's venues, but the Naughty but Nice mix is a must-order.
I actually tried the $18 dish the following day since we were too full to eat anything after Pinky's, and I'm so glad I didn't miss it. The housemade ranch-dusted chips are ridiculously addictive, especially when dipped in the tangy Boursin dip, and I loved the wasabi peas mixed with dill-pickle corn nuts.
It's a mini feast of salty and savory, the perfect sidekick for nursing a few cocktails while eavesdropping on the table next to you (a fantastic activity in Vegas, let me tell you).
Our favorite cocktails at Gigolo were the $25 Trophy Wife and $26 Hush Hush.
The sparkling-gold Trophy Wife was peachy, bubbly, and beautiful to look at, while the strawberry-flavored Hush Hush had a surprising kick. The latter drink comes with a slip of paper for the guest to write a secret, which they can place in the locked box at Giggy's feet.
It was time to head to bed. We had another full day of eating and drinking ahead…
Our crawl continued the next day with a trip to Paris, Vanderpump style.
We turned left from The Vanderpump Hotel and made our way to Paris Las Vegas, a hotel I'd somehow never visited across my 20-plus trips to the Strip. I was completely caught off guard when we walked inside and were confronted with a fake blue sky, which — combined with the casino's low ceiling — gave the hotel a claustrophobic, uncanny valley feeling.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I walked through the high stone archways of Vanderpump à Paris, stepping into a completely different atmosphere at the moody, romantic restaurant.
Vanderpump à Paris feels like a cozy Parisian courtyard you've stumbled into in the middle of a storm.
Rose bushes slowly rotated over velvet purple booths as chandelier lamps softly shimmered under bronze covers. Perched on the marble bar were giant fake trees, their blossoming white flowers reaching for the high ceiling.
"It's a rainy night in Paris," my server told me with a wink in his French accent, adding to the theatrics.
Desperate for an energy boost, I immediately ordered an espresso martini.
Hercules' final task was to capture Cerberus, a three-headed dog guarding the gates of the Underworld. Mine was to make it past 1 a.m. for Vanderpump's new cotton candy and caviar package at Drai's After Hours, the club at her hotel.
This wouldn't typically be that difficult for me, but I was attempting the Vanderpump Vegas crawl mere days after returning from Ibiza. My soldiers were weakened, my defenses were down!
Still, I continued on, convinced that enough cocktails and carbs could carry me through. And at Vanderpump à Paris, there were plenty to choose from.
Our first dish was one of Vanderpump's "birdcages," a twist on the traditional boards used for cheese and charcuterie.
We ordered the $45 Birdcage Á Charcuterie, which included housemade potato chips, salami and olives, capocollo, and delicious mini versions of the traditional French sandwich baguette rosette.
I loved the crispy chips, but I wish they'd had a separate dipping sauce. I wanted something bright and creamy to go with their crunch, not just the sharp Dijon served alongside the meats. Lisa, if you're reading this, may I recommend adding Gigolo's Boursin dip to the mix?
And I couldn't resist ordering the dramatic Louvre at First Sight cocktail.
The $27 drink is delivered inside a case modeled after the iconic Louvre pyramid, its garnish barely peeking through a billowing cloud of smoke.
Heads turned as our server lifted the case, revealing a cute pink drink underneath. The mezcal base paired well with the smoky presentation, while some sweet prickly pear added balance to each sip.
The Truffle-Stuffed Vanderpump Baguette arrived as we sipped on our drinks.
This $30 baguette — which comes with triple crème Brie, black summer truffles, and truffle honey — is a decadent dream that showcases Vanderpump at her best.
Cheesy, crunchy, and rich, it feels like a warm hug that somehow leaves you dripping with diamonds. It was easily my favorite dish.
Then we tried Lovelocked, which came with two cocktails.
You can no longer pledge your eternal love or friendship at the Pont des Arts, Paris' former Love Lock Bridge, but you can still do it in Vegas. The cocktail — made with gin, hibiscus, pomegranate, and Velvet Falernum — comes with a padlock, key, and marker, allowing you to keep the memento or lock it onto the "Wall of Love" at the restaurant.
The $50 concept is cute, but I'll admit I preferred the drama and flavor of the Louvre at First Sight.
Three cocktails deep, my carb cravings kicked into overdrive.
Looking back, selecting something light and protein-heavy, like the roasted chicken or Chilean sea bass, would have been strategically sound for a long night. What did I order instead? A massive tub of fries and mini sandwiches.
Don't get me wrong, the $23 Mini Monsieurs were a luscious blend of Gruyère, béchamel, and ham, and the $17 Gruyère frites were impeccably cooked and seasoned. But the carb bomb was the last thing I needed — I still had two bars left!
And yet, when the waiter came over and asked us if we wanted dessert, we could not resist the siren call of the pretty-in-pink $16 Rose & Rosé Eclairs. At least they were bite-sized.
Dinner complete, we headed over to the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden for more drinks.
Vanderpump wanted her first Vegas destination, located deep in the casino at Caesars Palace, to feel like a garden oasis, installing lush palm fronds and massive trees at the entrance to conceal the flashing lights of the nearby slot machines.
As we made our way inside the bar, the focal point became the gorgeous light fixtures. Mini candelabras, elegant chandeliers, bulbs dimmed by teardrop crystals or fringe — they all worked seamlessly together. Vanderpump has always excelled in the art of illumination.
"Having great lighting is really important," she told me. "You want to feel that luxury."
Unable to take any more sugar, we stuck to Vanderpump's sparkling rosé and a plate of her legendary goat-cheese balls.
No Vanderpump dish is more well-known than the goat-cheese balls, made famous by "Vanderpump Rules" star Stassi Schroeder's fierce devotion to them. There are variations of the dish at Pinky's and Vanderpump à Paris, but the $15 balls at Vanderpump Cocktail Garden looked similar to what I've had at SUR and TomTom, Vanderpump's spots in West Hollywood.
I wasn't even the slightest bit hungry, but it didn't feel right to complete the crawl without one. Anything in the name of journalism! Well, almost anything.
It was still three hours before I was due at Drai's, but The Vanderpump Hotel's plush king bed was calling my name. This seasoned Vegas warrior had to admit her defeat.
The next day, I realized the perfect way to end the crawl wasn't with cotton candy or caviar. It was with a Pumptini.
As I sipped on Vanderpump's most famous cocktail, I thought about everywhere I had been in the last 48 hours — a "Wicked" fever dream, a jaunt to Paris, a garden with slots chirping instead of robins. And who could forget Gigolo, the sexiest place to ever be inspired by a Pomeranian?
Each place had a distinct identity yet fit seamlessly into the Strip. No wonder Vanderpump has become a major player in Sin City so quickly.
As I took my last sips, a bachelorette party streamed in. Sporting retro Barbie workout gear, complete with visors and neon-green fanny packs, they immediately ordered a round of espresso martinis.
My hero's journey had come to an end, but a new one was about to begin.
